May I please Almighty God to bless us together this morning as we meditate in his holy word. Let's turn to the book of Genesis, chapter 50, and we'll read verse 20.

The book of Genesis, chapter 50, and reading verse 20. But as for you, ye thaw evil against me. but God meant it unto good to bring to pass as it is this day to save much people alive.

It is a great benefit and a wonderful favour for us to have such words recorded that you and I in the day and age in which we live may be encouraged and to realize that the Lord God omnipotent reigns and he has ordained every single detail that will come to pass in this world throughout his history from the very beginning of creation to the time when time will be no more.

And we see how God's work, God's word is worked out. And God's word is worked out very often in a very different way to what we expect.

And we see in this book of Genesis, God's work in the life of Joseph, Joseph was a blessed character, but we see that very often blessed characters have a difficult and a hard path to walk. We look at the end of Joseph's life and we see how wonderfully favoured he was, naturally. But we have to look back and realise the many times of difficulty, the many times of strange happenings in his life, but it was all part of God's eternal plan for Joseph and God's plan for Israel and God's plan for you and me today.

We look, generally speaking, at the situation which exists and we look at it and we ponder it and we wonder what's going to happen and we in our little minds we plan out and we think this will occur here and this will happen there but you see God's ways are so much higher than our ways and it's good for us therefore to be able to come and cast all our care upon him and pray earnestly that his will may be done because without any doubt his will will be done and you know it will save us a lot of heartache and perhaps a lot of embarrassment if we are happy to come and to leave the issue with Almighty God

and as we look at Joseph's and we see his life, we go back don't we? There he was born for his mother Rachel and she'd been barren and the Lord graciously heard her husband's prayers so that he was conceived and born. We see how God was with Joseph and how his father favoured him because he was a child of his old age.

And we see then those occasions when God came and gave Joseph those two dreams. Quite remarkable. And both the dreams indicated that his brothers and his parents would bow down to him. Quite an amazing thing. And you may say, well, why were two of them? Why did he have two dreams? Well, there was a confirmation. God gave a confirmation to Joseph.

And as we look at Joseph's life, we see how he then had to endure and how he would have needed in his life those confirmations that what God had spoken to him in those dreams would come to pass. But the working out of those dreams was not what, no doubt, what Joseph would have expected.

And so often in our lives We find things don't work out in the way that we expect. And one of the problems is quite simply this. If what God has revealed to us comes to pass in the way that we interpret it, you know what would happen is we would claim some of the glory, perhaps not all, but some of the glory for ourselves.

Now we must always realise that God is a jealous God and God will have the honour and glory. And we are just very insignificant beings that God uses to bring about his purposes, to show forth his glory. And it's very humbling to realize that God looks upon us and takes us in hand and deals with us in love to our souls and for his honor and for his glory. So we see that Joseph had these dreams. And then we see the initial result. There he was. He was told by his father to go and look for his brethren and see how they were doing. He was obedient to that and he wandered and found them eventually. But their plan was to destroy him. They'd heard his dreams and they were not happy at all. They were not happy at all to think that they would have to bow down to their younger brother. Why should this happen? They didn't want it to happen. So when the opportunity arose and they saw him coming, they talked among themselves how they would get rid of him and destroy him. Well, again, they had various plans, but eventually they sold him to those merchants who came along. All part of God's plan. My friends it's good isn't it to realise that we have a God who has a perfect plan. You and I have a little plan very often in our lives and we think it's perhaps in accordance with God's will and we expect it to come to pass in the way that we anticipate but let us always realise that God's ways are higher than our ways. and God's ways will come to pass your way and my way may not come to pass but God's ways will come to pass and so we have the situation with Joseph sold to those merchants and not only then but the merchants sold him to a potter and we see there he is blessed in that house favoured, God gave him ability and he was accepted by Potiphar and then we see another strange thing occurring. We see Potiphar's wife set her eyes upon him and wanted to commit adultery with him and Joseph was given grace to flee from that temptation And again, that's a good lesson for us today to realize that the devil still brings temptations and sometimes they're very subtle and sometimes they're very powerful. What a blessing to be like Joseph and to flee from such temptations. Now you would think, wouldn't you, that there was Joseph honoring his God, fleeing from the temptation, The Lord would make a wonderful way of escape. We should be wonderfully blessed. Well, the Lord did make a way of escape, but it wasn't no doubt what Joseph expected. He was sent to prison. Yes, what an outcome. Poor Joseph. Doing that which was right. Sent to prison. For God's purposes were to be fulfilled. And therefore, if things sometimes appear to be going contrary, we're told that in Joseph's life, the promises and the words, the dreams that he had were tried. That means that he had to question, were they true? Were they from God? If so, why was he? in this place. Why was he in prison for doing that which is right? Well, you see, God had a large plan and this was just being fulfilled in God's way, in God's time and for his honour and for his glory. Well, we see again, God could have delivered Joseph, couldn't he? In a moment. God should have convinced Pharaoh that here is a man honourable, he should be set free. But no, it wasn't God's purpose. God's way and God's purposes are sometimes past our natural understanding. And we may perhaps question Perhaps many times, whether the words upon which the Lord had caused us to hope were wrong, were false, was just of the flesh. Well, in Joseph's case, those dreams were being tested to Joseph. and still today God brings situations in our lives which tests our faith and tests the reality of our religion and shows to us sometimes our motives which perhaps at one time we may have thought were good and right and pure and then God shows us that in our heart, the desires were not quite as pure and not quite as God-honouring as we thought. And so God, in his love, deals with us.

And so it was in the case of Joseph. You know, there were many years that passed from the time that Joseph had those dreams until the time that we really read off here at the end of Genesis about Joseph's deliverance. Many years. And it's granted so that you and I in our little lives may not be discouraged when we see things almost disappearing, almost going over the horizon. And we almost conclude, well, we must have made a mistake. God gives us patience. God gives us patience to wait for his appearing. As I sometimes say, God's word is so true. Your time is always, but my time is not yet. And God's time is always the right time.

And so we find in Joseph's life, God appearing. First of all, with regard to the butler, the baker, coming into the prison, having dreams which Joseph, by the grace of God, was able to interpret. And then again we see how Joseph's Thoughts were dashed. He said to the butler, don't forget me when you come before Pharaoh. But what are we told? The butler forgot. We can imagine, can't we? Joseph perhaps waiting day by day to hear a call from Pharaoh, come here. I want to hear about you. But no, no, God's time wasn't yet. The time was moving on.

And the time then came when Pharaoh himself had dreams which needed to be interpreted. And then we see the butler remembered. The butler remembered. it almost seems impossible that having been delivered from that prison with a wonderful interpretation which came to pass that he would not possibly forget. But you see, we have to learn that we may expect things quickly. And in the word of God, generally speaking, we find things go at a slow pace. They go at a pace where God's name is honoured and glorified. And so, in that case, Pharaoh had those dreams and Joseph was summoned into his presence.

And now we see a gradual outworking of the fulfilment of those dreams, but not immediately. because there had to be seven years of plenty. No sign of Joseph's brethren. And then it wasn't until a couple of years after that the famine took hold upon Egypt and Joseph's brethren came to buy corn. You see then, gradually the fulfillment of those promises being worked out. Joseph could not claim any honor himself. He could not say, well, that's how I thought it would work out. God's ways are higher than our ways. And God's ways bring glory to himself. Joseph didn't receive any honor, didn't receive any glory.

And my friends, what a wonderful blessing it was to realize that fulfillment of those promises to Joseph were to be fulfilled. And then we see, don't we, how they were gradually fulfilled. And we can see in an earlier chapter, in the 45th chapter when Joseph's brethren came and we can read there and we can see how God said and how he came and blessed him and we read that the brethren came and Joseph said unto his brethren I am Joseph Doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him, for they were troubled at his presence.

And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near, and he said, I am Joseph, your brother, whom ye sold an agent. Now therefore be not grieved nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither, for God did send me before you to preserve life. God's great and glorious plan being fulfilled.

Joseph, taken from the country, led and directed by the Spirit of God, Joseph didn't realize what was happening, but the time came when he saw, and there were his brethren then, coming and bowing down to him. And God came, therefore, and granted his favor and his blessing.

And then, of course, we come to this situation, and what do we see? We see Jacob dying. And his brethren are worried. His brethren are worried. When Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will perventure hate us and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. They realized now very clearly and very fully their sin in causing Joseph to be sold and they realized what they deserved and we see that God brought into their heart that spirit to pray for forgiveness, seek forgiveness and come to Joseph and pray that he would forgive them.

So shall we say unto Joseph, forgive I pray thee now the trespass of thy brethren and their sin, for they did unto thee evil. And now we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. And his brethren also went and fell down before his face. And they said, behold, we be thy servants.

What a fulfillment then of those two dreams. And yet how amazing it was that it took so long to work out. But then we come and we see the result, he says, but And Joseph said unto them, Fear not, for am I in the place of God. But as for you, ye thought evil against me. But God meant it unto good to bring to pass, as it is this day. to save much people alive.

Yes, it was God's plan, God's glorious plan being fulfilled. Right down to every detail, really. His brethren bowing down, yes, and seeking forgiveness. And yet Joseph, given that grace, to clearly tell them You thought evil against me. We have to realize these things are recorded for us in our day and age. Because we're no better than Joseph's brethren.

You know, we all have a natural mind, a natural heart. And perhaps we may have desires to change things and to do things in our way. And yet God doesn't allow those things to come to pass. God is over all. God has an eternal plan. You and I have little plans. We have time plans. God has an eternal plan.

And how tragic it is. When we are left to ourselves, you see, Joseph's brethren, instead of accepting that God had given Joseph those dreams. They weren't happy to accept them. They didn't want to accept them. They thought it wasn't good. And therefore, we see how God graciously dealt with them and brought them into this situation of fear. And yet, Joseph was able to say to them, fear not, for am I in the place of God.

Joseph realized that God was in this and that God was bringing it to pass. And therefore he spells it out very plainly to them. Ye thought evil against me. Again, we have to examine ourselves in our little lives to see whether there are those things perhaps where we think evil against people. We are sinful. By nature, we are evil. By nature, we are proud. By nature, we want to perhaps claim the glory for our interpretation of certain things.

But here we see this gracious statement by Joseph. Fear not, for am I in the place of God? Of course he wasn't. But he spelled it out so his brethren would recognize that. And it's good to pick up sometimes the details of how God works and how God speaks so that he receives the honor and glory.

But as for you, as for you, he didn't exonerate anybody. He said, as for you, Ye thought evil against me. That was a real condemnation, wasn't it? And they knew their hearts. And they knew whether that was true or not. But as for you, ye thought evil against me. But, wonderful, isn't it, to realize that there are those many buts in God's word. to encourage us.

Although they did think evil, it was true. But God, the kind, gracious, merciful, compassionate God, meant it unto good. It took God many years to bring that about. God's work. God's favour. But how true it was, God meant it unto good. And of course, the reason was to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Joseph could never have imagined when God gave him those dreams that they would be fulfilled in such an amazing way that God in his love to his people and in love to many people indeed in his mercy towards many people would be fulfilled in this way but God meant it unto good They didn't deserve it. They didn't deserve it. But we see God's compassion. We see God's grace, free unmerited mercy and favor.

God meant it unto good to bring to pass God's mercies, God's blessings. They come to pass. They come to pass. You and I have many examples in the Word of God where God's Word, God's promises, God's mercy comes to pass.

And my friend, if God has spoken to your heart and to my heart, perhaps with a special promise and it's being tempted and it's being tried and we're tempted to throw it overboard, and to think, well, it's just my flesh. Well, just remember that here we have an example in the word of God to encourage us to, and God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, bring to pass his favor, his work, which is for his honor and for his glory.

And so let us not give up. Let us not think, well, I must have been mistaken. Sometimes, of course, we are mistaken. But we can analyze that a little to see that if it had come to pass, what would it have done? Would it have brought honor and glory to God? Or would it have brought honor and glory to ourselves? And if it had brought honour and glory to ourselves, we can understand why God didn't bring it to pass.

But if it is for his honour and glory, as it was indeed for Joseph here, it was for God's honour and glory, God meant it unto good. And it's very humbling, I sometimes think, to recognise that God in his love to his church, ordained that this was agreed in eternity past, that he would mean it unto good to bring to pass this wonderful deliverance, this wonderful fulfilment of those dreams which Joseph was given by Almighty God.

But God meant it unto good. So this morning, don't be disappointed. Don't think, well, I've been mistaken. Just sit down quietly. Just commend it to God. Just pray that he will shed light upon it and give you patience and grace to wait for his appearing. God meant it unto good. And if God means it unto good, my friends, it will come to pass, to bring to pass as it is this day.

And what an amazing plan it was, wasn't it? God raised up Joseph to come to Pharaoh at his time of need interpret that dream so correctly and so wonderfully and then given the job of overseeing the storage of that grain and the distribution of it and the reason to save much people alive. They could have died because of the famine So many could have lost their lives. But no, God's plan was to use Joseph, and God's plan was to reveal it to Joseph all those years ago.

And yet how wonderful it was to realize that here was the fulfillment of those dreams. Very humbling, isn't it? Very humbling sometimes in our lives, as we see how God deals with us. In love to our souls, but for his honour and for his glory.

And in that working out, just like Joseph, know that Joseph was humbled. Joseph, no doubt, would never have envisaged he'd be sold to those merchants. That he'd live in that house with Potiphar and be well respected and then had to suffer that difficult scene where he was honourable and he ran from that woman and because of that he was wrongly assessed and put into prison.

these pictures are given for us to encourage us not to be surprised when things don't go according to plan because they go in accordance with God's will and accordance with God's purpose and I'm sure the bottom line is very clear is to make us more like Christ. Joseph was a type of Christ. And what do we see in the Saviour's life? What do we see there? How many similarities really to Joseph?

And yet you see, God meant it unto good to save much people alive through the glorious life, the glorious death, the glorious resurrection, and today for the glorious intercession of the Saviour. And what He had to endure Just think of that. Think of the agony that he faced. We only just see a little, don't we? And yet here was the perfect, sinless son of God having to endure the wrath of God for unworthy sinners.

Hymn writer has it right, doesn't he? on such love, my soul still ponder, love so great, so rich, so free. Oh, my friends, what a saviour. What a saviour we have, who died for us, who suffered for us, endured for us far more than Joseph did. And yet you see, he was willing to pay the price for our salvation. Pay the price for our salvation. How wonderful to think of that.

And therefore we can see that here was Joseph. Given this, the Lord Jesus was also, he knew what he had to endure. And he faced that willingly. He didn't back away from it. We see his humanity. We see his weakness when he cried out, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. But nevertheless, not my will but thine be done. And we see really that being fulfilled in the life of Joseph. And it's a great blessing when it's fulfilled in our lives, when we are brought to say, nevertheless not my will, but thine be done. And we recognise that perhaps our will has been faulty, because if our will had been fulfilled, we would have claimed some of the glory.

Perhaps not initially willingly, We sit down and analyze it, and it's good sometimes to do just that. We will see that the devil was working. The devil was working. And he was trying to intrude into our spiritual life and trying to defeat us. Well, thankfully, God was with Joseph, and indeed, how gloriously God the Father was with his son.

Yes, what a mercy it is that we have these wonderful accounts and wonderful pictures in the word of God to strengthen us and to encourage us in the day and age in which we live. You see, we have to walk on the earth and the devil's very active to try and turn us away from the truth of God. to try and direct us in a different way. But my friends, God will have his way. God will direct us. And what a mercy then to be able to understand the hand of God is upon us for good. Just like this, God meant it unto good. It's humbling, isn't it? when you and I can see that in our lives. What we thought was against us, no it wasn't. God meant it unto good. Good to teach us, good to instruct us, good to make us more like a suffering savior. And we have of course that glorious statement in the third of Philippians where the apostle Paul gave that wonderful account of his desire to be more Christ-like. So gloriously spelt out, you can read it in that third chapter of the Philippians. And my friends, it's good sometimes to ponder these things in our little lives. Well, let us remember, as for you, as for you, it speaks, doesn't it, to the Church of God, as for you, Ye thought evil against me. Well, God knows our hearts. God knows whether we have had evil thoughts, evil desires. But let's go past that. But God meant it unto good. He's teaching us. He's instructing us. And what's he doing? He's preparing us for our eternal home. Always bear that in view. God's work is a work of preparation to prepare His church for the eternal home in glory. No one will come to glory without a preparation. No one will come there without being prepared. and therefore we can realize what Joseph's able to spell out here. But God meant it unto good. God meant it unto good. When things appear to be going wrong, just ponder. Perhaps it's a different way to what I thought. But it's God's way. Be sure of this. God's way is best. God's way will come to pass that's what we're told here but God meant it unto good to bring to pass bring to pass in your life and my life as it is this day to save much people alive well it's a wonderful account isn't it and may we be able to ponder it meditate upon it and to draw some comparison perhaps in our lives, and be encouraged to realise, well, now I see how God is dealing with me. I never realised it, but God's mercy and his grace I can observe. And if that is so, you will have cause to praise and honour and glorify your God.