The very first story in Scripture is about Adam and Eve’s failure to do God’s will after being tempted by the serpent. It sets the tone for what is to follow. After Noah rescues his family and every type of living creature, he becomes drunk from the grapes of a vineyard he planted. Abraham tries to pass his wife off as his sister when taking refuge in Egypt out of fear that Pharaoh will kill him so he can have Sarah as his wife. History repeats itself when Abraham’s son Isaac travels to the region of Gerar and does the same with his wife.
Jacob is a liar who deceives his blind father on his death bed to gain a blessing which should have gone to his brother Esau. Jacob’s 12 sons – the patriarchs of the 12 tribes of Israel – sell their brother Joseph into slavery out of envy because Joseph is their father’s favorite. And the pattern continues from Moses defying God’s will and striking the rock at Meribah out of frustration, King David having Uriah murdered so he can hide his indiscretions with Uriah’s wife Bathsheba, and into the Gospels when Peter denies Jesus three times.
This list of failures and downright wickedness is totally unlike what we find in the tales and myths of other cultures of this period which only praise the nobleness and virtues of their heroes. The Bible is not afraid to put forward heroes and role models who are flawed. Why? Because the role models in the Bible spiritually grow from their failures and become better people. This is probably no better demonstrated than in Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers.
Through his ability to interpret dreams, Joseph gained Pharaoh’s favor and rose to become the most powerful person in Egypt next to Pharaoh. During a severe famine his brothers came to Egypt begging for entry so their families would not starve to death. Joseph recognized them immediately, but they did not recognize him. Joseph puts them through a series of tests before finally being overcome with emotion and revealing to them that he is their brother Joseph whom they sold into slavery.
The brothers are in shock and disbelief which soon turns to dread as they await the punishment from the brother they betrayed. In one of the most poignant lines in the Bible Joseph forgives them and says, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good, so that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Gen 50:20). God can write straight with crooked lines, and bring goodness not only from our failures but also from the ill intent of others. To embrace this profound realization allows us to find peace and comfort in the certain hope that God can bring good out of evil.
This is encouraging!