God’s Permissive Will – 1

WE need to recognize this great fundamental truth, that God permitted Abram to be tempted and to fall, knowing that he would make this grievous error and commit a great sin, in order that God might use even this failure and this sin as a means of teaching Abram a still greater lesson which might prevent a still greater tragedy in his life later on.

I wonder if we believe that truth. Whether we do or not, it still remains true. God does allow things to come in our lives. God even allows mistakes to be committed by us in order that He may use those experiences and mistakes to prevent something more tragic later on. In other words, God can use “even the wrath of man to praise Him.” A couple of illustrations I am sure, will convince you of the truth of this fact.

Jacob had eleven sons, ten of whom were out herding the sheep; one of them, Jacob’s favorite, Joseph, was still at home. His father sent him to his brothers. When his brothers saw him coming, they put him to death—that at least was their intent. They put him in a pit, sold him for twenty pieces of silver, and thought that they had put him out of the way. As it turned out, he was sold into Egypt. But God in sovereign wisdom allowed these ten potential murderers to put Joseph to “death” in order that by that very sin this Joseph might, in the providence of God, become the savior of the very criminals who had tried to put him to death.

Joseph himself established this fact when he said later:

But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. – Genesis 45:5.

And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. – Genesis 45:7-8.

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. – Genesis 50:20.

Surely here we stand face to face before the revelation of God that He is able to take the things which men mean for evil, and make them work out for the good of those whom He has chosen to love. We would not have you miss those words of Joseph himself when he says, “And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth,” and again, “God sent me before you to preserve life.” Even more emphatic is the eighth verse: “So now it was not you who sent me here, but God.”

To Be Continued

Adapted and Excerpts from Studies in the Life of Abraham by M. R. De Haan (1891-1964)
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.