Psalm 91 - No Evil Will Befall You
We read in Psalm 91:10, “So nothing bad will happen to you. No diseases will come near your home.” (ERV)
We have understood from our previous study that this promise of God as mentioned in the verse above, that ‘no diseases will come near your home,’ holds good for those who have made God their dwelling place. In other words, this can be appropriated by anyone who trusts in the Lord at all times.
Some of us may wonder as to how it is possible for one to say that no evil will befall us, when we are surrounded with so many calamities all around us. If we were to ask anyone to define what evil is, this would probably be their response. Most people would refer to evil as any sad, depressing or painful incident that happens in their lives. The reason we refer to these as evil is because we are unaware of what their outcome would be in the future.
Let us study the life of a young man in the bible, who was challenged with such hardships and trials in succession. However as this young man stood firm in his faith in the Lord, he not only overcame these calamities, but also by his faith in God, received the fulfillment of God's promises in his life.
Joseph was thrown in a pit
We read in Genesis 37:23-24, “So when Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him of his special robe with long sleeves. Then they took him and put him into an empty cistern. It had no water in it.” (GW)
Joseph belonged to a family of sheep herders. He was the favorite son of his father Jacob. One day when his elder brothers had gone away to a distant place to tend their flock, Joseph was sent by his father to take food for his brothers. God endowed Joseph with the gift of having dreams and also comprehending their meaning. When the brothers of Joseph saw him from afar they plotted to do away with Joseph, simply because of the dreams that Joseph had which he shared with them earlier. Those dreams seemed to imply that someday Joseph would rule over them. Though they initially schemed to kill him, they later decided to throw him into a dry pit which was precisely what they did. If we were to ponder on the awful situation that Joseph had landed in, we would assume that nothing good would ever come of it.
The reason for Joseph’s predicament was that his brothers were envious of him. Jealousy is a powerful emotion and when it takes over a person, it instigates them to do evil to the one whom they are envious of.
We read in Proverbs 27:4, “Anger is cruel and destructive, but it is nothing compared to jealousy.” (GNB)
Here’s a simple illustration from children at school. If one child should have an expensive school bag that is really attractive, other children will look on that child enviously. Sadly, this emotion is found not only in children, but in many an adult too. As grown-ups we may envy the new car that our neighbor bought inwardly, but outwardly we may cover it up and say nice things to them about their purchase. However, if that neighbor’s new car should have a slight scratch on its sides, this jealousy that is hidden inside will exhibit itself by way of a subtle sense of joy over the mishap, instead of a sense of sadness. No wonder the word of God refers to jealousy as an emotion far more cruel and destructive than anger.
It is good for us to take a check to see if there is jealousy remotely hidden inside of us. When someone is doing better than us, is placed in a better job, has better looks this feeling of envy will often be evidenced within us. In order to overcome this feeling of jealousy, we must learn to be thankful to the Lord for all that He has bestowed on us. One should not think that envy is an emotion that is prevalent in many and hence can be ignored. The truth is that if left unchecked jealousy can prompt people to do things that are totally displeasing to God and harmful to others.
When was the last time we stopped to thank God for His manifold blessings that He has showered on us? In the last six months with the onset of the pandemic, so many have succumbed to it. However, if we are still alive and well it is the absolute grace of God. Instead of comparing ourselves with others, let us look at our own lives and be grateful to the Lord for every good thing we have received from His loving hands.
Joseph was sold into slavery
We read in Genesis 37:28, “and when some Midianite traders came by, the brothers pulled Joseph out of the well and sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.” (GNB)
The brothers of Joseph were so overcome with envy that they took Joseph out of the pit and sold him into slavery for twenty pieces of silver, just to be rid of him. Jealousy has the power to provoke a person to do more and more evil. That’s exactly what it did to Joseph’s brothers who sold their own brother to the Ishmaelites, like they would some merchandise. They thought that by doing so they would put an end to all his dreams. Notice how their jealousy now led them to become greedy for gain.
Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:10, “The love of money causes all kinds of evil. Some people have turned away from what we believe because they want to get more and more money. But they have caused themselves a lot of pain and sorrow.” (ERV)
We need to read this verse carefully and note that money in itself is not evil, but it is the love of money that is the root of all kind so evil. There are many families where siblings have taken each other to court to acquire a small piece of property. Then there are others who extend their boundaries into someone else’s property without their knowledge. The word of God cautions us that any sort of greed or craze for money is most assuredly the root of evil. Those who go after these things will backslide and most certainly plunge themselves into much pain and sorrow. When the love of money becomes deep rooted in one’s heart, it is a given that they will fall away from their relationship with God and definitely decline in their faith. The love for money is a trap that the enemy has set to hinder us from drawing close to God, His word and prayer. If instead of being content we are driven with a constant yearning to amass more and more, it is a sure sign that we are obsessed with the love for money.
Joseph was falsely accused
What happened to Joseph next was that he ended up being sold as a slave to Potiphar who was one of the officials of Pharaoh, King of Egypt. Here again we find Joseph in a despicable situation. Through all the challenges that confronted Joseph, not once do we hear him complain or question God as to the hard path that he had to pass. Somehow, Joseph seemed to know that the good God he believed in was in complete control and that whatever He allowed would be for Joseph’s good only. Joseph remained a faithful slave to Potiphar and was made in charge of his entire household.
Potiphar’s wife noticed Joseph and desired to have an affair with him. We read in Genesis 39:7 “And it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said: 'Lie with me.'” (JPS)
Flee sexual immorality
Here’s the word of admonition from God’s word in 1 Corinthian 6:18, “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.” (ESV)
There are still those Delilah’s and Potiphar’s wives who wish to lure men into sin. This is true of men too and therefore both men and women need to exercise great caution in this area of sexual purity. Potiphar’s wife saw Joseph was a handsome man and lusted after him.
Have you observed how most of the sins start with the eyes? Everyone irrespective of whether they are young or old are now in possession of a cell phone. These cell phones in the hands of young children can be a snare and many parents are not aware of the kind of exposure children are receiving from them. The internet is now dumping into our cell phones and systems unimaginable obscenity. This is true even in the newspapers we read, mainly in the advertisements that are being portrayed in them. As parents it is our responsibility to keep a check on children to prevent them from going astray and having their minds filled with trash which will certainly affect their future. These images will corrupt young minds and that is why the word of God warns us to flee from sexual immorality.
Joseph’s response to temptation
We read in Genesis 39:9, “he is not greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?'” (ESV)
These are the words of Joseph to the wife of Potiphar when she allured him. He made it very clear to her that she was his master’s wife and that he therefore had no right to have a relationship with her. He further reiterated to her that this would be a great wickedness against God who was watching over Him. This is a statement of Joseph makes us ponder deeply on his understanding of God, as he stood firm and had decided that He would do nothing against a holy God. Joseph lived his life in constant fear and reverence that God was with him all the time. Joseph literally fled from the presence of Potiphar’s wife, leaving behind his coat in her hand which she used to frame Joseph falsely.
If anyone else was in Joseph’s position, they might have thought it was an opportunity to better themselves. This is a good caution to all of us to keep in mind that God is watching over us all the time. The things we watch on our mobiles or the conversations we engage in, may be hidden from others, but everything is disclosed to God. One of the reasons why many continue to be entangled in sin is because they are not conscious of the fact that everything that is being done without the knowledge of men, is revealed to God, and there are no secrets with Him.
Joseph landed up in prison
We read in Genesis 39:20, “And Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison.” (ESV)
For nothing wrong that Joseph had done, he was falsely charged and thrown in prison. If we think about it, here again nothing was going good for Joseph who was constantly being confronted with untold trials.
Joseph is elevated by Pharaoh
A few years later, Pharaoh the King of Egypt had a couple of dreams that no one could interpret. When Pharaoh was informed that Joseph had the special ability to interpret dreams, he was called by Pharaoh to elucidate the meaning of the dreams. Joseph shared the meaning of the dreams vividly to Pharaoh, who was so pleased with Joseph that he decided to do something exceptional.
We read about this in Genesis 41:41-43, “And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt.”(ESV)
A man who had been challenged with myriad of hardships, evil and injustice was suddenly elevated to be the topmost person in Egypt, next only to Pharaoh. The dreams of Pharaoh was a revelation from God that there would be seven years of plenty, followed by seven years of severe famine. Joseph’s wise counsel to Pharaoh was that if the food grains were stored during the seven years of plenty, they would have enough to tide over the years of scarcity and famine that were to follow. This greatly pleased Pharaoh who not only heeded Joseph’s advice, but also made him the one in charge to carry out this wonderful plan.
As the seven years of famine came over Egypt, this famine spread to other parts of the earth as well. Joseph’s family who lived in Canaan were not exempt from this famine, and so the brothers on being informed that there was food in Egypt, made their way to procure some food for their families. It was here that they meet Joseph not even knowing that the ruler of Egypt who stood before them was their own brother.
Joseph recognized the good hand of God
These are the words of Joseph to his brothers in Genesis 50:20, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to save many people alive, as is happening today.” (WEB)
Joseph did not take revenge or speak ill of his brothers though he had the power to do so, for he could comprehend that all the evil that God had permitted in his life turned out for his own good and the good of all his family.
Paul says it this way in Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.” (WEB)
To the ones who cling on to God, love Him and are called according to His purpose, they are guaranteed that everything they encounter, no matter how hard or difficult it is will eventually turn out for their own good.
James was slain by the sword
It is recorded in Acts 12:1-2, “About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword,” (ESV)
If we were to hear of some news as mentioned in the verse above we would certainly consider it as evil that was meted out to James. In the eyes of the world this was surely a heinous crime.
However we read in Hebrews 11:35, “Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.” (ESV)
Paul further says in Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (ESV)
In this world death is looked at with dread, but for those who believe in the Lord will have no fear of death for the instant that we face death, we will be transported to live with the Lord forever. That is why Paul could boldly say that for him to live was Christ and that death was gain.
Peter escapes prison
We read in Acts 12:4, “And when he (Herod) had seized him (Peter), he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.” (ESV)
King Herod put James to death and he now wanted to do the same to Peter. King Herod put him in prison and had sixteen soldiers guarding his cell. The church got together and prayed most fervently. As the church gathered together in houses to pray, the Lord sent His angel to deliver Peter from prison. Peter had not yet completed God’s purpose for his life. God had ordained the days for Peter and until that was accomplished no one could cut it short, for he was under God’s divine protection.
Even when Jesus was here on earth, twice they tried to kill Him, but no one could do anything until the Father’s appointed time had come. Pilate who tried Jesus before his crucifixion said to Jesus, ‘I have authority to release you or crucify you’, Jesus answered him in John 19:11, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” (ESV) It was in the fullness of God’s time that Jesus gave His life on the cross for the sins of the whole world.
There is a mighty move of God when people come together to pray. That is why the word of God encourages us in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (ESV) No one can hinder these prayers that are being made to the Lord.
In conclusion let me remind us from Romans 8:38-39, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (ESV)
As children of God let us be assured that when the word of God promises us that ‘no evil will come near our dwelling’ that is an unshakable promise. Nonetheless, on our part no matter what we are challenged with, if we can stand firm in the Lord, He will see us through and change everything that confronts us entirely for our good.
Pastor Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by Sis. Esther Collins
