The Right Perspective

Genesis 45

Joseph could contain it any longer, he revealed to his brothers that he was Joseph the young brother whom they sold into slavery. His brothers could not quite believe it. Joseph told them in verse 5 by saying, “Do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.” He could have said, look my dreams when I was younger are true, you are bowing down before me. He could have said, man you guys owe me so much. Joseph went on to say that it was God’s plan for him to be in Egypt, it was God’s plan for Joseph to be thrown into slavery, it was God’s plan for him to be thrown into prison, it was God’s plan for him to interpret Pharaoh’s dream, and it was God’s plan in the beginning for Joseph’s brothers to come to Egypt because of the famine.

Joseph then tells his brothers to go get his father and do not take long, hurry. You shall live in the land of Goshen, and I will provide for you and your children’s children. Even Pharaoh heard about Joseph’s family and he desired for them to come into the land and have the best of the land. He provided wagons for the journey and Jacob was moving to Egypt to see Joseph before he died.

The Right Perspective:

In reading this passage it not only shows God’s sovereign plan for Israel but also we see how God used the right person at the right time. As we have seen Joseph has been through a lot but he never complained to God, he never complained about his circumstance. Even when he could have gotten revenge on his brothers and had them thrown into slavery and prison he had the right outlook on the circumstance. When something goes bad what kind of outlook do you have on it? Are you a complainer? Do you think you could have done what Joseph did? I don’t think I could have, that would have been hard to not want to do something against them. Joseph is a great example on how we should have the right perspective when it seems like there are bad things in our life. Just like James tells us to have joy in our trials, just like Paul when he was in prison wrote about having joy in the Lord and rejoicing in his name all throughout the book of Philippians. I challenge you next time something does not go your way or it seems like something bad happened, ask God what is the right perspective and just think about the story of Joseph.