A few Sundays back our Sunday School class looked at the life of Joseph: sold into slavery by his brothers, accused by Potiphar’s wife, thrown into prison, forgotten in prison, released from prison, made the second in charge of all Egypt, and his reconciliation with his brothers. The lesson book said that from a human standpoint that prison seemed like the worst place for Joseph, but from a divine perspective Joseph was in the best place.
I suggested that we can’t know it was the best place for Joseph in any absolute sense. If we assume God’s absolute control of everything and everyone, then we can, indeed, say God always does what is best and whatever happens is always for the best. This places every human decision to sin under the control and providence of God. It’s all good.
This means that not only was Joseph always in the best place, but Reuben was in the best place when selling his brother and lying to his parents. Of course, this comes close to making God the author of evil or making the accomplishing of God’s perfect plan dependent upon the sins of Joseph’s brothers.
Could God have worked out his plan for Joseph without his brothers’ sinning? If we say no, we limit God. And God’s best for us should never depend on the sins of others. It seems safe to say sin is never God’s will.
What is true is that a loving and powerful God took the regrettable and sinful actions of Joseph’s brothers and turned them to good. Would God’s will have been thwarted if Reuben had acted righteously? No. God is powerful and resourceful enough to work his plan without the help of sin. Within the confines of human sin and decisions, God did what was best for Joseph. But it would have been better if no one had sinned. And I really doubt that anyone acting righteously ever thwarts God’s plans.
The sins of others are never good in some grand providential way—they are always evil and hurtful. Jacob mourned for Joseph for years and Rachel died believing her son had been torn apart by wild animals. This suffering was not a necessary part of God’s plan. What we see, however, is that God works his will despite our sin—never because of it.
Perhaps I am “splitting hairs” as someone is my Sunday school class insisted. From my perspective, I am defending the righteousness and resourcefulness of God. God is holy and never needs our sin to accomplish his will. God is resourceful enough to accomplish his will despite people sinning, but He is also resourceful enough to accomplish his will without us sinning.
I certainly admit that I may be in over my head in these deep theological waters. Or am just splitting hairs? What do you think?
