COV LIFE BLOG

Genesis 50 – God’s Grace Prevailing Over Sin

Don’t miss the point of this story. The purpose of the story of Joseph is to point us to the supremacy of Jesus. Look at those many faces of Joseph. Look at them … and then think about Jesus. The favorite Son—the one and only Son—who came to earth and was despised by his brothers, his fellow men. He humbled himself and became a slave in a foreign land. Pure and righteous in every way, he was slandered and sentenced to death. God did that. GOD DID ALL OF THAT. Sinful men were responsible for crucifying Christ—no question.

God ordaining the crucifixion of Christ—no question. God ordained the murder of his only Son so that he might be raised to be Lord over all the land. Bow the knee. And through his suffering, Jesus restores his brothers who sinned against him—you and me—only to be reunited with the Father. The parallels aren’t perfect; the details aren’t exact. But the purpose of the story of Joseph is to point us to the supremacy of Jesus and to give us this hope.

So, brothers and sisters … all who, as I said, put your faith in God through Christ, through Jesus: hold onto this hope. At the end of the story of Joseph’s life, his brothers are all surrounding him, enjoying the land. Know this—there’s coming a day when we will be completely restored to Jesus our Savior, when we will join him and the Father in a land where there is no more sin and no more sorrow and no more suffering and no more loss and no more pain.

Knowing that, you can be confident of this: that God is using every circumstance, every occurrence, every detail—no matter what it is, no matter how hard it is, no matter how painful it is—he is providentially using it all to bring about the day when we will join him in his presence for all of eternity. The one who saved us from our sins will one day glorify us with him. Stand on these foundations. Lean on them. Trust in God, who is with you, who is sovereign over all things, and who is faithful to his people to the end.

David Platt

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MEDITATION ON THIS WEEK’S SERMON PASSAGE
Read Genesis 50.

Do you see God’s providence in ordering the dark and dreary events of Joseph’s life? How can this help you to remember how God’s grace prevails over sin and his providence prevails over trials in your life?

SONG FOR THE WEEK
Come Thou Fount by Robert Robinson