Did you know that our friend Joseph has given us the perfect response to the pandemic that COVID-19 has unleashed? No, we do not leave out the “dem” of the description and behave in a panic. Check Genesis 50:20, 21.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. 21 So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.”
This verse is worth an entire sermon in and of itself. First, look at verse 21. “Do not be afraid,” or “Fear not.” As we face this crisis, we need neither to be afraid nor to let recriminations mark our attitude and response. I am studying the Tabernacle, and if you would like to check it out, go to my Facebook page to find articles on Jesus in the Tabernacle. The point is, that in the picture of the Tabernacle, an unclean priest dared not enter either the Holy Place or the Holy of Holies.
In contrast, a sinner, who has accepted the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins, now is not only allowed to enter this place, but is invited to do so. And that is a glorious prospect. When we pass through the curtain into God’s literal presence, we may do so with confidence and boldness as Hebrews 10:19, 20 proclaims.
Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,
So, even with a looming plague, we have no fear. We can confidently face whatever happens, because God is in control. And that brings us to Joseph.
Quick background, Joseph was hated by his brothers and eventually he was sold as a slave to be taken to Egypt. Now, tune into his comments. “As for you, you meant evil against me....”
Back then, his brothers had intended to “get rid” of this troublesome, tattletale, and irritating younger brother. And, to their way of thinking, their escapade was a resounding success. For over 13 years they heard nothing from him. They had “gotten away” with it, they thought. He was gone.
And the next two words are some of the most astounding and amazing words in the whole Bible. And I love this, “But God....” If you want to get blessed, take a concordance (or online Bible for our current electronically proficient friends) and look up how many times the Bible intones, “But God." (NASB has 44.) Sometimes it was negative. David, our friend, had taken his neighbor’s wife. (Check Command 10) And he had thought that he “gotten away with it.” But God was displeased.
(2 Samuel 11:27)
This was not literally a “But God,” but the idea is there. (That will increase the number of “buts,” but I digress. That led to David’s discipline from the Lord.
This “But God,” is a fantastic revelation. Look at it again. “...but God meant it for good.” What looked like a disaster, (sound familiar?) instead resulted in the salvation and preservation of Jacob’s family, the nation of Israel. Good came out of what at first seemed to be evil. Joseph, and the boys, had to wait 13 years to see the culmination of that. For the record, Joseph seems to have figured it out much sooner, but he did not see the actual culmination for 13 years. And the other guys did not see the “good,” although they evidently suffered from guilty consciences for the 13 years.
And, in the current situation, we are already seeing a lot of “good” that the Lord is bringing through this plague. Many people are hearing about the Lord and turning to Him. And, if the final result is that we are ushered through the curtain into God’s presence, “That will be glory!”
I have determined to no longer say that someone has “passed away.” They didn’t go anywhere. They went into the Presence. I am going to say that they “passed through.” And if there is a question as to what that means, I will have a wonderful opportunity to share about how we can go into God’s presence. And they can too. That will be glory.
And, if like ancient Ninevah, our country hears God’s voice in the message proclaimed by Jonah Corono, we will all turn back to God. And, like Ninevah was spared judgment for over 150 years, we may be preserved. (We know that Jonah prophesied between 793 and 752 BC, during the time of King Jereboam II. Ninevah was destroyed in approximately 612 BC.)
I will not document the sins and atrocities of Ninevah. Needless to say, they were an exceedingly wicked and debauched city and nation. Some of the current events and attitudes that we see in our own country rival those of ancient Ninevah. But God.... (Don’t you just love that statement?” But God is working in this current, world-wide plague. Millions of people were saved during the Spanish flu in 1919. That was history for us. Now we live in the China flu epidemic of 2020.
And we have already begun to hear of many people turning to the Lord. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see a tsunami of belief come roaring out of this “storm?” (Two complementary metaphors.) We can confidently affirm with Joseph, “It was meant for evil, but God meant it for good.” Sounds a little like Romans 8:28.
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Look up. See what He is going to do. Once, in the midst of a very trying time, my Mom wrote me, and on the envelope, she had written, “Look up.” What a blessing. Thanks Mom. Look up.
No comments:
Post a Comment