God Can Bring Good out of Bad Situations

Have you ever been in a situation that's life-changing, perhaps a break-up, a divorce, news from the doctor, a move, or something else? I know that I have faced situations like that before, and I am sure many of you have as well. How can we overcome these situations in our life? John 16:33 says, "I have told you these things, so that you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." If Jesus has overcome the world, what have we to fear? (Picture Credit to: Bible Top Ten Heroes)

In this entry, we'll look at the life of Joseph, son of Jacob, and how God brought good out of the bad in his life. While Joseph first appears in Genesis 30:24, his life account, for the most part, spans Genesis 37-50. Joseph was the son of Jacob, who was the son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham, thus making Abraham - Joseph's Great Grandfather. (See Book Overview: Genesis)

Joseph's mother was Rachel, his only full brother, younger, was Benjamin. But he had other brothers: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun - sons of Leah, Dan, Naphtali - sons of Rachel's servant Bilhah, and Gad and Asher - Sons of Leah's servant Zilpah. In Genesis 37:3-36, we are told that Jospeh's brothers (aside from Benjamin, who at this point was too young to notice) hated him.

Verses 3-4 said, "Now Israel [Jacob] loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him." Then it all fell apart.

Joseph had two dreams, and both dreams symbolized his family bowing down to him, and he rose above them, as if he were in a high position. When he told them his dreams, they became enraged. When his brothers saw him coming to them not long after, they plotted to kill him. But Reuben intervened, "'Let's not take his life.' he said. 'Don't shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don't lay a hand on him.' Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to their father." (Genesis 37:21-22)

But God had other plans for Joseph - BIG plans. Reuben left, and the remaining brothers waited around, threw him into the cistern, and sat down to eat. But when they "sat down to eat, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead." (Genesis 37:25) So his brothers sold him to the Ishmaelites. When Reuben returned, he was outraged, and the brothers had to find a way to cover, so they took Joseph's robe, which they had torn off of him, and dipped it in goat blood, showing it to their father, who assumed Joseph was eaten.

Meanwhile, Joseph was sold to one of Pharaoh's officials in Egypt, named Potiphar. Joseph became a trusted slave, in charge of everything in Potiphar's household. But his wife continually asked Jospeh to sleep with her, and he continually refused. One time, she grabbed his cloak, and lied to Potiphar, saying that he tried to come on to her.

Joseph was thrown in jail. But not long after, Joseph became overseer of many of the prisoners. Some time later, Pharaoh's cup bearer and chief baker were thrown in jail. They had dreams one night, and Joseph noticed they were sad, so he inquired about their dreams - and interpreted them, saying that in three days time, the cup-bearer would be restored to his position, but the baker would be impaled. Joseph asked the cup bearer to remember him and mention him to Pharaoh, and the cup bearer said that he would.

Two years passed. Pharaoh had not been told of Joseph. Pharaoh had troubling dreams, and it seemed that none of his magicians or wise men could figure out what they meant. It was then when the Chief Cup Bearer remembered Joseph, and told Pharaoh what he had done, and Joseph was called to speak with Pharaoh.

So Pharaoh told Joseph his dream, and God through Joseph gave the interpretation: 7 Years of Plentiful food were coming to Egypt, followed by 7 Years of Terrible Famine. He told Pharaoh how to plan for this coming famine, and Pharaoh made Joseph was put in charge of all of Egypt. He was given a ring, and named Zaphenath-Paneah, and given Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, to be his wife. "Joseph was thirty years old when he entered into the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt." (Genesis 41:46)

So over the next several years, Joseph led Egypt in stock-piling food for the coming famine. The famine was severe all over the world, so many people came to Egypt. It was then that Jacob sent ten of Joseph's brothers, besides Benjamin, to purchase grain in Egypt. When they came, Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him, for they had not seen him in many years.

Through a series of several tests Joseph initiated, the end result was the brothers bringing Benjamin back with them, for Simeon was taken. When they returned, they feasted at Zaphenath-Paneah's table, and when he got back, he merely asked how their father was. Then, one more test: he placed a silver cup of his in Benjamin's bag.

As the brothers went to leave Egypt, with all the grain they could carry, Joseph and his servants caught up and accused the brothers of stealing from him. They slashed each sack, and found the cup in Benjamin's bag, and, testing them, Joseph said that he would take Benjamin as his prisoner.

The response was too overwhelming for Joseph. The brothers told him to take them instead, they could not stand to see their father in such misery. It was then that Joseph revealed who he was. He told his brothers to go get Jacob, the entire family, the flocks, everything, and move to Egypt to be with him - for God delivered them, bringing good out of a bad situation - because Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, in the end, he was the one who saved many, including his brothers.

You can read the account of Joseph's life, in much more detail, in Genesis 37-50. Joseph was about 17 when he was sold into slavery, 30 when he entered into Pharaoh's service, and at least 37 by the time he reunited with his brothers. But 20 Years of Hardship paid off - not just for Joseph, when he reunited with his father and brothers, but for all of Egypt and throughout the world.

God can bring good out of bad. 

Troy Hillman

Augustinian Speculations: Who is the "Angel of the Lord?"

Who is this enigmatic figure seen throughout the Hebrew Bible? While there are references in both the Hebrew Bible and New Testament to "angels of the Lord," or "an angel of the Lord," and "THE Angel of the Lord," it appears that when "the" is used, it specifies a certain being, who is separate from all other Angels. Bear in mind, the word "angel" also means "messenger," so some could take it as "The Messenger of the Lord." The identity of this "angel [or messenger] of the Lord" has actually been of major interest to theologians for centuries. St. Augustine of Hippo and others have speculated on this figure's identity. St. Augustine, and many others, identified this figure as a pre-incarnate appearances from Jesus or of God as a whole - referred to as Christophany or Theophany. But does this Augustinian interpretation hold up? Is this a case of exegesis, or eisegesis? (Picture credit to Visual Bible International, Inc. - The Gospel of John, starring Henry Ian Cusick)

Keeping in line with this Augustinian thought, then, we may infer from the relevant texts that this figure speaks as God, identifies himself as God (Exodus 3:2-6), and shows that he has divine abilities, exercising the responsibility and power of God. In his first chronological appearance in Genesis 16:7-12, the Angel of the Lord visits Hagar, mother of Ishmael to tell her that she would give birth to a son and that her descendants would be great in number. In Genesis 21:17-18, he speaks again with Hagar. He appears again not long after in Genesis 22:11-18, where Abraham is tested - and proves faithful. There are also several other appearances made by the Angel of the Lord, found in Exodus 3:2, appearing as a burning bush but identifying himself first as the Angel of the Lord then as God, and in Numbers 22:21-41, in which he appears to Balaam and his donkey. He also appears in Judges 2:1-4;5:23;6:11-24;13:3-22, in which he appears to Gideon, Manoah - to speak of his son, Samson, both Judges of Israel, in 2nd Samuel 24:16, where the Angel of the Lord appears and speaks with King David, and in Zechariah 1:12;3:1;12:8. Those are only 13 distinct accounts of the Angel of the Lord. In most of these appearances, those who had seen the Angel of the Lord were said to fear for their lives, for they had "seen the Lord."

Appearances from this Angel of the Lord end after the birth of Jesus. Angels are still mentioned in the New Testament, however, there are no references to the "Angel of the Lord" after the incarnation of Christ. It is highly plausible and accepted by many Bible Scholars that "The Angel of the Lord" can be read as Jesus physical manifestations of God, and Christian interpreters hold that these appearances were manifestations of Jesus before his incarnation on the Earth. This interpretation may be rooted in the New Testament itself. For example, in John 8:58 says, "'Very truly I tell you,' Jesus answered, 'before Abraham was born, I am!'" This greatly angered the Jews, but on several occasions Jesus mentioned that he existed even before creation - John the Baptist also alluded to this fact. There are several other instances in the Hebrew Bible that many point to as appearances of Jesus, such as in Daniel 3:24-25, when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the Fiery Furnace. Nebuchadnezzar notices a fourth man, whom he describes as a "son of gods." Most assume the fourth man to be Jesus (from an eisegetical point of view).

For St. Augustine, however, the difficulty in determining the identity of this figure lies in the act of seeing. Augustine was trying to keep in line with the Nicene Council - he was appealing to its authority. The Nicene trajectory would say that the divine image itself is also invisible. By his nature, the Word is invisible, only seen through his incarnation. Theophanies were a frequent debate among the pro-Nicene, the Arians and the Novatians. In the economy of grace, God deigns to reveal himself but his true nature would remain invisible. For the Anti-Monarchians, they say that the appearances anticipate the Incarnation of Jesus. The subtext would ask - how does one understand the human image of God in relation to the divine image of God?

Thus, for St. Augustine, when the “messenger of the Lord” appears to Moses, consider that a “messenger” or “angel” carries a message. A word. From a Christian (Johannine) and Neo-Platonic perspective Jesus is the Logos, the Word. As such, it makes sense for him to be called the Messenger (or Message) of the Lord. On the other hand, the burning bush recalls the burning tongues at Pentecost, so that it could also be God the Spirit. But again, this goes back to the Augustinian speculations on seeing. Today, we have a very analogous sense of vision - i.e., “I see what you are saying.” We see things, we have images of things, but we do not truly see God. This is why Milton's later Paradise Lost says, "Shine inward, and the mind through all her powers irradiate; there plant eyes; all mist from thence purge and disperse, that I may see and tell of things invisible to mortal sight" (3.52-55).

In other words, when the prophets "see" God, are they truly seeing God in all of his fullness? When Isaiah is taken into the heavenly realms, he is purified first. When St. John, in his Apocalypse, is taken into heaven, he notes that he does not know if he was in the body or out of the body. Therein lies the difference. Do we see God with physical eyes? Spiritual eyes? What is the very nature of seeing? Now, these seemingly tangential comments on the act of seeing are important, because it ties in directly with appearances of God in the Hebrew Bible; the theophanies. If God appeared as this Angel of the Lord, we may look at the reaction of Manoah in the book of Judges - "we have seen God! We will surely die!", he effectively says. Yet this does not come to pass. 

 

In these theophanies, then, the witnesses were not necessarily perceiving God as he is, but God as he made himself manifest to us. When God speaks to Moses through the burning bush or on Mt. Sinai, he manifests his being in a sacramental and tangible way. When God spoke to St. Francis of Assisi through the cross at San Damiano, he expressed his being in a sacramental and tangible way. Thus, the form which these theopanies take in the Hebrew Bible leaves a great deal of potentiality for further discussions and exploration. It seems, however, that the authors of these writings intended for the "Angel of the Lord" to be appearances of God to his chosen people, in whatever form he manifested himself to them.

Troy Hillman

The Faithfulness of Gideon

Not too long ago, I wrote an entry, The Faithfulness of Abraham. I decided to write another lesson based on the theme of faithfulness, so I would recommend reading that entry first, if you have not already. When I reached the internal debate as to whether to talk about the faithfulness of Joshua shown in the fall of Jericho or the faithfulness of Gideon shown in the Midianite attack, I chose Gideon. (Picture credit to Lavista Church of Christ)

Why did I chose to write about Gideon? Joshua had been a trained leader. He had served alongside Moses during the forty years he led Israel. Joshua was his successor. So while many can relate to Joshua, I felt that most can relate better to a man who, previously, had no leadership experience - Gideon. Judges 6-7 give the account of Gideon. Gideon, son of Joash the Abiezrite, lived in the land of the Amorites. Keep in mind these things happened after Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land, Canaan. (See Book Overview: Joshua)

The Book of Judges shows how, time and time again, Israel turned away from God, God sent a Judge to save Israel, they entered a time of "peace" again, growing in their relationship with God, only to turn their backs on him again. Gideon was one of the Judges. The Angel of the Lord was sent to Gideon while he sat under an oak tree and told him, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior." (Judges 6:12) Gideon questioned the Angel of the LORD, asking that if God was with him, why had all these things happened, why had God given Israel into the hands of Midian?

God replied to Gideon, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?" Gideon continued to question God, and he asked, "If I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me." So God waited until Gideon returned with an offering. The Angel of the Lord touched the offering with the tip of his staff, and fire consumed the meat and unleavened bread. Gideon exclaimed, "Ah, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!" Who is THE Angel of the Lord? I will talk more about the identity of the Angel of the Lord in the next entry, but THE angel of the Lord, as he is many times also called God, (and scripture many times over shows the deity of the "angel of the Lord,") was Jesus before he was incarnate. That is why Gideon, Nebuchadnezzar, Abraham, and many others say they had seen the Lord.

There is a difference between when the Hebrew Bible says "an" angel of the Lord and "THE" Angel of the LORD, for when it speaks of THE Angel of the Lord, it also calls him God - a title which no other angel has. Keep in mind that the word angel can also mean messenger - so when you read THE Angel of the Lord, It could mean, The Messenger of the Lord - his son, Jesus. Back to Gideon.

Gideon also asked God to give him another sign. He would lay out fleece and if the ground was covered in dew in the morning, and the fleece dry, he would take that as a divine sign from God. Judges 6:40 says, "That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered in dew." What does all this have to be with being faithful to God? Continue on. God sent Gideon to the camp of Midian. But God said to Gideon, "You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, 'My own strength has saved me.' Now announce to the army, 'Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.'" (Judges 7:2-3) 20,000 men left, 10,000 men remained.

God said to Gideon, "There are still too many men." So Gideon told the men to drink water. Then God said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go, each to his own place." So 9,700 men left... and only 300 men remained. Against an army of thousands. (Judges 7:4-8) But Gideon remained faithful, he did not question God this time. So what did God have Gideon do? They didn't need to have a surprise attack. God gave them into Israel's hands - to show HIS faithfulness to his people, to those who turn to him. Gideon and his 300 Men surrounded the camp, and they sounded trumpets and smashed clay jars - and the Midianites, in their confusion, since they were surrounded, turned on each other, and killed each others, while others fled. The remaining Midianites were caught. (Judges 7:19-25)

What can we learn from all this? Even in times of trial and tribulation, God is faithful, even when we are not. God's people were "captives in a foreign land," as they had been so many times before. Yet he delivered them. As Christians, we need to trust God, obey his commands, and put out faith in him, be faithful to him unto the end, no matter what crosses our path, even though that can be hard at times.

Troy Hillman

God Carries Us Through the Fire

Daniel, Chapter 3 talks about the story of three men: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These three men served in Babylon, servants of King Nebuchadnezzar. All of the servants were told to bow down to the golden image, and these three men would not. Daniel 3:6 says, "Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace." If the people heard the sound of a "horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, and all kinds of music," they were to bow down. But three Jews - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, did not bow down. Verses 16-18 says, "If the God we serve is able to deliver us, then he will deliver us from the blazing furnace and from Your Majesty's hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." In his rage, the King ordered the furnace to burn seven times hotter than usual. He commanded the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up the three and throw them in the furnace. So it was. The men were thrown into the blazing hot furnace. Verse 24 continues, "Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, 'Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?' 'Certainly your Majesty.'"

Verse 24, "He said, '"Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed and the fourth looks like as son of the gods'" (Christian theology later identifies this man as Jesus.) The King called the three men out of the fire, and verse 27 tells us, "They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them." God protected his followers. The King believed in God after this, and made his kingdom follow God. God made good on his promise - and he saved them. This story is also an exmaple of how God carries us through the hard times in life. Regardless of what you are doing, God will always help you through it - and while you may not recognize that, he always does. Things could always be worse. Sometimes we go through things in the hope that we will learn a specific lesson.

God carries us through the fire. This is why sacred Scripture tells us, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5).

Troy Hillman