Meanings

Our pastor has been preaching through Genesis for the last four years. Three weeks ago he start the story of Joseph.

He emphasized a verse that I have heard quoted often, but not with the same meaning that is written in Scripture.

I have often heard people say, "What men do for evil, God uses for good" paraphrasing Genesis 50:20. But what the verse actually says (and what Pastor was emphasizing) is "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, so save many people alive." (emphasis mine)

God doesn't just take the evil that men do and turn it in to something good. In His sovereign plan God means for those things to happen to "save many people alive."

It's comforting to me to know that even when bad things happen, God isn't just going to turn them into something good, but He meant for them to happen to fulfill His purposes.

Tiffany