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evil is not sin

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Nathan:

--- Quote ---Gen 50:20 "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."

Its just an interesting flip on things... what was done in evil by men, God was able to bring forth as good.

thoughts?
--- End quote ---

God knew and intended for them to do the very evil they committed - it was all apart of His plan. As Ray has said, "It is God Who makes both the lemons and the lemonade."

http://bible-truths.com/lake15-B.html

Here is the inspired answer to what caused Joseph’s brother to do what they did:

    "Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither…"

Oh yes, Joseph admitted that it was his brothers who "…sold me hither…" Of this there is no doubt. Just as there is no doubt that all of mankind makes billions and billions of choices and decisions. Many of them just as evil as the brothers of Joseph. And just like Joseph’s brothers, billions of people make such decisions and choices, and do such deeds according to their own will. But, are their wills "free" to think and do these things, or are their wills controlled and made to do what they will to do, by a Higher Power?

As Paul Harvey likes to say, "And now for the rest of the story":

    "Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: FOR GOD DID SEND ME BEFORE YOU TO PRESERVE LIFE" (Gen. 45:5).

And so once again, we have the plain Scriptural truth regarding man’s fabled "free will"—HE HAS NO FREE WILL!

Joseph tells them to not grieve or be angry with themselves for selling him into Egypt. But they did feel guilty and grieved because they knew that they did what that did from their hearts. It was mean and cruel and evil what they did, and willingly did it. Of this there is absolutely no debate whatsoever. But that they made these choices freely, without a cause, is both ridiculous and unscriptural.

They grieved because they knew they did this evil to Joseph. And yet Joseph is telling them that it was God who brought Joseph down to Egypt. Yes God used Joseph’s brothers, yes God used the Ishmeelites to bring it all about, but it was all of God.

But just how did God actually CAUSE Joseph’s brothers to do what they did. Did God supernaturally make them all murders? Did God force Joseph’s brothers to hate Joseph and do this evil to him? No, God did not force them. God didn’t need to force them, seeing that if God would bring about the exact necessary circumstances, they would all agree to do this dirty deed, VOLUNTARILY. But God did cause it nonetheless, and God tells us exactly how He did it and what it was that caused Joseph’s brother to do this evil to him. Let’s read it:

    "Now Israel [Jacob] loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. And when his brehren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, THEY HATED HIM…" (Gen. 37:3-4).

    "And Joseph dreamed a dream and he told it to his brethren: and THEY HATED HIM YET THE MORE" (37:5).

After Joseph tells his brothers his dream we read this:

    "And his brethren said to him, Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us? And THEY HATED HIM YET THE MORE for his dreams, and for his words" (Ver. 8).

    "And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold the sun and the moon and the eleven stars [his eleven brothers] made obeisance to me [bowed down to me]… And his brothers ENVIED HIM…" (Vers. 9 & 11).

Later Joseph goes out into the fields to meet his brothers:

    "And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they CONSPIRED AGAINST HIM TO SLAY HIM" (Ver. 18).

And so, did God have to FORCE Joseph’s brother AGAINST THEIR WILLS to do this evil deed? No. All God had to do (and it was God Who did bring it about) was to inspire Jacob to make Joseph a robe of many colors. All God had to do is have Joseph dream a silly dream. That’s all. And the carnal mind and heart of Joseph’s brothers took it from there and ran with it just as God knew and intended for them to do. Contrary to Christian doctrines, God is really quite good at what He does.

We can learn a great deal about how God operates in the world of humanity by studying these few verses. Were the dreams that God caused Joseph to have, evil? No, of course they were not evil. The fulfillment of these dream/prophecies, pictured the salvation of the Children of Israel down in Egypt. Had God not provided for them through their brother Joseph, they would have starved to death. So, no, these dreams were not evil.

But what effect did these benevolent dreams have on Joseph’s brothers? Why, exactly what God wanted them to have—they made them hate Joseph, they made them mad, they made them want to kill Joseph. God had to intervene in Reuben’s heart or they would have killed Joseph.

So who was ultimately responsible for Joseph’s brothers doing their evil deeds? Why, GOD, of course. It was GOD who caused Joseph to have his dreams and God knew that those dreams would excite the carnal passions of his brothers to do their evil deed. It was all planned. It was God’s plan. It was a good plan. The plan worked perfectly and beautifully. So why do most Christian hate the fact that God has a plan for their life that is beyond their own control? It all has to do with the unconverted, carnal mind, which hates God, and hates His spiritual Law.

God knew exactly how to insight hatred out of Joseph’s brothers. And God knows exactly how to insight hated out of US toward HIM. God has the entire human race born under "The law of sin and death." This is why,

    "…the carnal mind [the natural mind] is enmity [hatred] against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Rom. 8:7).

lilitalienboi16:
Thank you Nathan, great excerpt and great reminder!

I definitely need to take the time and go back through these articles. Its been so long and with school, its like homer simpson said; "The new stuff pushes the old stuff out!" Haha... I would hope not but sometimes it feels like it!

God bless,

Alex

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