A Different Perspective

Recently I have discovered a new perspective on Joseph’s life, Joseph in the Bible that is. I’ll give you the short story of his life. He was the eleventh son of Jacob. He was the favorite of his father’s. His brother’s hated him. One day his brother’s threw him in a well and eventually sold him into slavery in Egypt. This is usually where the preacher/ Sunday school teacher stops and tells everyone that God knew the whole picture and had a plan in mind. Back to the story, Joseph eventually becomes second in command in Egypt. There is a famine and his brothers come to Egypt to receive some food. We are usually left with the main point of the story being that even though God brought Joseph trough some hard times he is now able to provide for his family. Read Genesis 37-47 for the complete story.

 But what if that wasn’t God’s whole purpose? What if there is even a bigger picture than Joseph’s life? When we are going through trials we tell ourselves, “God has a plan” but we think that plan is still about us. What if God brought Joseph to Egypt so that he could tell the Egyptians about the God he served? If Joseph’s brothers had never come to get food, God’s purpose would still have been accomplished because Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams and God was able to show how great He is by not only saving His people but the Egyptians as well.

Even when we are at the center of God’s plan do we still think it is about us?