“Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. – So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God. – As for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good.” (Gen. 45:5,8; 50:20)
God wanted Joseph to get to Egypt, to be used to preserve life, and in the process of getting him there God causes his own brethren to sell him into servitude. But brothers, shall I say “why did you do it when it was God that told you to do it?” No, just look beyond all secondary causes, God chose the means to accomplish the sending, and ultimately it all worked into good, and to His glory and praise.
David was caused to flee his throne for a while, for his own son Absalom had conspired and risen against him. While going through a wilderness and deep valley, there was a man running along the hillside throwing down rocks and cursing David. One of those with David requested permission to take care of this evil man, but David answered, “So let him curse, because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? – Let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him”, (II Samuel 16:10-11).
Paul said, “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus,” (Gal. 6:17). Never the marks of the soldiers, of the persecutors, or of the Romans. It wasn’t the marks of the whips and scourges, but the marks of the Lord Jesus. Negative forces weren’t ruling over him. It was all the mark of the Lord, received as from the hand of God. He saw the sovereign hand of God in all that crossed his path. Bound with chains and delivered into the hands of the Romans, he said, “now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ”, (Philemon 9).
Good or evil, let it be,
Mine eyes are single, Lord, to Thee.