DELIVERANCE SHOWED GOD'S PROTECTION (V. 28a)
God spared Joseph’s life, and through these adverse circumstances, that are recorded in our text, God is overseeing his safety. This is the sovereign purpose of God at work. The Midianites and the Ishmeelites only saw Joseph as a business opportunity when he was sold for twenty pieces of silver. Once the transition was made, Joseph was taken to Egypt and sold by the Ishmeelites and bought by Potiphar. God meant it all for good. This was all within the scope of God’s protective providence.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION: As believers, we must be mindful that we fit into the scheme of things and that things are happening that seems to have no rhyme or reason, yet God is certainly working behind the scenes. There are many things that will happen according to the programmed laws of God that He has already organized and put into effect only for each of those events to take place without Him either orchestrating or immediately causing those events to happen. For example, He does not have to “crank up” every rain shower, because He has already given laws of nature to take care of that. That was all put into His original design at creation. Yet, when people pray who are underneath His blessings, He can bring together the clouds necessary for rain in answer to their prayer. Likewise, He can work in the affairs of men within a person’s environment to bring about certain conditions to serve His ultimate purpose.
SOURCE: From W. Alderman’s Sermon: The Dreamer