Playing a Deep Game

So, then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler of all Egypt. (Gen 45:8)

God’s plans are really deep! Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. That certainly seems like it would not be God’s will. But God was able to turn it to good in a miraculous way. Joseph became ruler of all Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself. Then God sent famine, which brought Joseph’s starving brothers to Egypt. But Joseph treated them with honor. Instead of starving to death in Canaan, they were allowed to move to Egypt and live in the rich land of Goshen. What an amazing turn of events! But God’s plan was even deeper. In later years, a new Pharaoh came to rule over Egypt who oppressed them and made them slaves. All of these events were an essential prelude to the coming of Moses and the miraculous Exodus from Egypt. And this event became the defining moment for the people of Israel. From it God made a new covenant and forged a nation that 1400 years later gave birth to the Messiah. It was the Exodus that created the enduring national identity of the Jews, which has persisted down through the years even to today. And none of it would have been possible if Joseph had not been sold into slavery in Egypt. God plays a really deep game!