Genesis 36 and 37

Genesis chapters 36 and 37 begin the last major transition in this book. The story line now turns from the life and relationship of Jacob and Esau, to Jacob’s son Joseph, and the jealousy of his brothers. From this point on in the Bible the sons of Jacob will become known as the Children of Israel (Gen. 32:32; 36:31; 37:3; 46:8).  

Genesis 36

In Genesis 36, we begin this transition in the story line by a listing of the genealogy of Esau and the kings who came from his offspring. I have combined these two chapters because there is little information that has not already been stated concerning Esau, with only a few exceptions. We have already seen that Esau became the father of the Edomites who dwelt in the land of Edom. This chapter simply records the sons and grandsons of Esau, where they settled, and the cities that they established. In Genesis 36:6 it states, “Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the persons of his household, his cattle and all his animals, and all his goods which he had gained in the land of Canaan, and went to a country away from the presence of his brother Jacob. For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together, and the land where they were strangers could not support them because of their livestock. So Esau dwelt in Mount Seir. Esau is Edom.” It is interesting that Esau was the one who decided to move from the land of Canaan to his own land that would be called after his name. As it is stated, Esau is Edom. He lived in Mount Seir which is in the land of Edom, east of the Dead Sea. Today this land is the countries of Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The peoples then of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the surrounding nations are the descendants of Esau. The descendants of Jacob, who are the Jews, were those people who lived in the land of Canaan, which became known as Israel. 

Another interesting verse in this chapter states, “Now these were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel” (Gen. 36:31). Israel had no king until Saul was chosen hundreds of years later, because God wanted his people to be ruled by Himself alone (1 Sam. 8). This statement in Genesis 36 proves that this practice of not having a king, was very different from the surrounding nations at that time.

The causes of conflict.  Genesis 37:1-11

Scripture now continues, “Now Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. This is the history of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. So he said to them, ‘Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.’ And his brothers said to him, ‘Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?’ So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, ‘Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me’ So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, ‘What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?’ And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind” (Gen. 37:1-11).

These first few verses of Genesis 37, set the storyline for the rest of the book of Genesis. There are three causes of the conflict that are revealed in these verses between Joseph and his brothers. These three causes were: Joseph’s reporting on his brother’s unfaithfulness, his father’s favoritism of Joseph, and the dreams that Joseph had which he revealed to his family. Let’s look at these causes individually.

Joseph reports to his father his brother’s unfaithfulness.

The first question most people ask after reading this passage is, “Was Joseph tattling on his brothers, or was he being a good son and faithful steward over his father’s wealth?” I believe he was being a faithful son and a wise steward, and keeping his brothers accountable for the responsibilities entrusted to all of them. If you believe Joseph was being a tattletale, then I’m not sure you truly understand what biblical stewardship is all about. Let me explain how stewardship is defined in the Bible. A steward was a person who managed someone else’s property or finances. They are responsible to the owner of the property to protect, use the property wisely, and to produce an increase for the owner. If they did not fulfill these responsibilities, they are being an unfaithful steward of their master’s property. Did you know that God called each of us a steward (Luke 16:1-8). Why? Because God is the owner of all things that we possess, and we are to be good stewards of these possessions (Ps. 24:1). Jesus taught that He has placed in our care a certain number of talents, and one day He will require an accounting for how we have used what He had given us (Matt. 25:14-30; Luke 16:10-13). When you receive knowledge that someone or something which you are responsible for is being misused, you are accountable before God to do something about it. Will you act on this knowledge, or choose to do nothing? The choice you make will be the difference between a faithful, and an unfaithful steward.

While I was pastoring full time, many times people would come and ask me, “Do you know what is happening with this or that situation in the church? Did you know about this or that conflict between these people?” Then after the person has told me what has happened, they say, “Please don’t tell them that I told you what was going on.” I then proceed to tell that person, “No, I can’t keep this a secret, because I need to address this problem, because this is my responsibility as the pastor, and I need to tell them that you informed me about this issue.” I continue to explain that I can’t confront someone about an issue that I have no personal knowledge about. Others ask, “But isn’t it wrong for someone to even come and tell you about this conflict in the first place? No, it is not wrong! It is a good and very biblical thing to do. Jesus taught that, “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector” (Matt. 18:15-17). When conflicts go on without being reconciled in the church, it can create a lot of problems. This is why people should tell the leadership of the church when such circumstances occur. If it is an individual conflict with another individual, I encourage them to go and attempt to reconcile this issue on their own. But if they have already attempted to do this alone, and with others as witnesses, then it is appropriate for me to get involved. One of the best biblical examples of this principle is when someone told Paul about the conflicts that were going on in the Corinthian church. After hearing about these issues, this was the reason he wrote 1 Corinthians. Paul explained in 1 Corinthians 1:11, “For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you.” Note that Paul also told the Corinthians who had revealed to him that these contentions were occurring. This is a very biblical concept for people to speak up when there are problems that they see going on in their church. This is why I believe Joseph was right to tell his father that there were problems with the stewardship of his brother.  

Jacob’s favoritism toward Joseph.

The second problem in this family was Jacob’s favoritism toward Joseph. This only made Joseph’s report to his father even worse. Favoritism toward one child over another in the family will always bring great conflict between the siblings. Don’t be surprised if sharp conflict arises in your home when there is favoritism in your family. These conflicts can be especially difficult when you have a blended family, and the children from one spouse are treated differently from the children of the other spouse. Favoritism can destroy this family very quickly. So, don’t do it! The hatred that was inspired in Jacob’s family rose to the level of his brothers wanting to kill Joseph. When you are partial toward one child over another, it will never end well in your home. The heart of a child can sense partiality a mile away, and they will resent you for it, and they will also hate the person being favored just as much.

For parents reading these words, you must see partiality as a sin of the highest order. There are several reasons why I make this statement. First, God is not partial toward anyone, because He sees every man and woman’s need equally. Paul declared that God’s righteousness is impartially given to all men, because all men are sinners, and there is no difference between them. Both are in need of forgiveness, and both are in need of righteousness. He wrote, “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:21-24).

Second, because God is righteous, He cannot be partial. Moses declared in Deuteronomy 10:17, “For the Lord your God is God of god’s and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.” Clearly, Moses taught that no one can bribe God, because He shows no partiality to anyone. Neither should anyone in authority ever be able to be bribed or show partiality to anyone; this should be their solemn responsibility before God.

Third, partiality is a total lack of love. James taught the early church, “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors” (James 2:8-9). In this text, James used the Old Testament law as the basis for our moral behavior, concerning partiality. He declared that partiality was sinful behavior. Being partial has always been sin, and always will be sin. Therefore, don’t do it! If you love someone, treat them as you would want to be treated.  

The two dreams.

The third conflict in this family were the dreams that Joseph had, which were very simple, and very prophetic. Joseph must have believed that these dreams were from God, because he told them to his family members. In the first dream, Joseph saw he and his brethren’s binding sheaves of wheat or barley in the field, but Joseph’s sheaf stood upright, and his brother’s sheaves all bowed down to his. This dream must have seemed miraculous to Joseph, because once you have bound a sheaf together, and it has been laid flat on a cart, all the sheaves should be laying together. But in the dream Joseph’s sheaf suddenly stood up on the pile. This made it appear that his brother’s sheaves were bowing down to his. His brothers immediately interpreted this dream to mean that Joseph thought that he would reign over them.

The second dream was very similar, with one exception. In this dream the sun, moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to Joseph. When Jacob heard Joseph tell this dream, he immediately interpreted this to mean that he, his mother, and his eleven brothers would come and bow down to Joseph. In this dream, it was not just the brothers coming to bow before Joseph, now it included his mother and father also bowing to him. Jacob rebuked Joseph for such a thought, but he remembered this dream, and he must have wondered what it meant.

Interpreting dreams, visions, and parables.

Interpreting dreams, visions, or prophetic words that use symbols such as were used in these two dreams, is not easy to do. Some dreams, visions, or parables are interpreted for us right in the context of Scripture. This is exactly what Jacob and his brothers do for us in the context by explaining how they understood the dreams. However, other dreams, visions, or parables are not directly interpreted, which then requires a complete understanding of both the Old and New Testament images and parabolic terms to correctly interpret them. You must compare Scripture with Scripture, because there are certain parabolic or symbolic images that are constant in the Word, that will enable you to interpret the other prophecies or visions correctly (1 Cor. 2:13-14). What do I mean?

For example, in the book of Revelation we are told by John that he saw, “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days” (Rev. 12:1-6).

How can you correctly interpret this passage, and be assured that you are correct? If you don’t read the Old Testament, and specifically Genesis 37 and Isaiah 54, you would not have a clue as to who this woman might be, who is clothed with the sun and moon, with a garland of twelve stars. In Isaiah 54:5-6 it declares that the entire nation of Israel is the woman and the wife of Yahweh. Isaiah declared, “‘For your Maker is your husband, The LORD of hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth. For the LORD has called you like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, like a youthful wife when you were refused,’ says your God.” Then from Genesis 37 we realize that Jacob, his wife, and his twelve sons are the sun, moon, and twelve stars. This is because the nation Israel had its beginning with Jacob, his wife, and his twelve sons. Throughout the Bible Israel is known by the term, the twelve tribes of Israel. Once you have these symbolic constants down, it is easy to interpret the rest of Revelation 12.

Did Joseph’s dreams come to pass?

Yes, these prophetic dreams did come to pass exactly as God had revealed to Joseph. In Genesis 42:6, there at the end of that verse, it declares, “Joseph’s brothers came and bowed before him with their faces to the earth.” In Genesis 43:26, at the end of that verse it records, “His brothers bowed down before him to the earth.” Again, in Genesis 44:14, referring to Joseph’s brothers it is written, “They fell before him on the ground.” Never forget that every word that God has spoken will come to pass, just as He has said. God affirms, “The LORD of hosts has sworn, saying, ‘Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, and as I have purposed, so it shall stand’” (Is. 14:24). This is His solemn promise to each of us!

This is a story of suffering.

We are about to read in the following chapters how greatly Joseph was to suffer because of the hatred of his brothers. This is the theme of the rest of the book of Genesis. Joseph will be sold into slavery by his brothers, and go down to Egypt for many years of hardship and anguish. He will be put in prison and also suffer there for many years. But all this suffering was to fulfill God’s purpose and plan for his life. Ultimately Joseph will rise to glory and sit at the right hand of the king and Pharoah of Egypt. This fact is so important for every believer to realize, because none of us are to be spared or exempt from suffering in our lives. This story of Jospeh reveals one of great lessons of the Christian life, and the fact that God will take us through times of suffering. But we too will rise in glory one day to be kings and priests with our King of Kings (2 Tim. 2:12). The purpose and reason for this suffering is explained in 1 Peter 5:10 where the apostle teaches, “May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” Do you see those four very important words, that describe the purpose of suffering, and why it is allowed in your life. Suffering is to perfect, and mature you. In other words, you cannot be a mature individual until you have experienced suffering. When I was younger, I thought I knew everything, until I experienced suffering in my life, and then I realized I didn’t know everything. Suffering has a way of humbling you and awakens you to the realities of life. But suffering also establishes you, and makes you steadfast, and strengthens you as it matures you. The word settles in this verse literally means to give you a foundation. All four of these words have a very specific purpose that describe God’s strengthening work in your life, to make you a mature person. In addition, God is faithful to take you through these times of suffering, just as He did with Joseph.

Joseph is a type of Christ.

An important truth you should not miss in this account is, that Joseph is a type of Christ. In other words, Joseph’s life was a pattern that foreshadowed the life of the Messiah. How can we be sure of this fact? First, remember that Paul the Apostle declared that Adam was a type of Christ, so this is a valid form of biblical interpretation (Rom. 5:14). Just as sin entered the world through one man, so righteousness and forgiveness were accomplished for all men through Christ (Rom. 5:17-19).

When you consider typology with Joseph, you immediately recognize that both he and Jesus were favored and beloved sons of their father. Both were also hated by their brothers for prophesying and telling them the truth. Yet, both were destined to be exalted kings. They were both persecuted because of the jealousy and envy of those who should have cared for them. Both fathers sent their sons to the ones who would betray and condemn them. Both were stripped of their robes as they were being condemned. Joseph and Jesus were also both sold for the price of a slave. Both were sentenced with two other criminals; one criminal was saved and the other was lost. Joseph and Jesus eventually rose and were exalted after their suffering, and all came to bow before them on bended knee. Both became the savior of those who had previously hated them. The most incredible similarity was that both Jesus and Joseph forgave those who had wronged them! These and many other similarities reveal that God had clearly foreshadowed His plan of salvation long before He brought it to pass. Oh, the wisdom and sovereign power of our God!

The plot against Joseph.  Vs. 12-28

The record continues, “Then his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. And Israel said to Joseph, ‘Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.’ So he said to him, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said to him, ‘Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.’ So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem. Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, ‘What are you seeking?’ So he said, ‘I am seeking my brothers. Please tell me where they are feeding their flocks.’ And the man said, ‘They have departed from here, for I heard them say, “Let us go to Dothan.” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan. Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. Then they said to one another, ‘Look, this dreamer is coming! Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, “Some wild beast has devoured him. We shall see what will become of his dreams!’ But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, ‘Let us not kill him.’ And Reuben said to them, ‘Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him’--that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father. So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. So Judah said to his brothers, ‘What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.’ And his brothers listened. Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt” (Gen. 37:12-28).

Joseph now traveled north from Hebron to Shechem which was approximately 35 miles, and then to Dothan which is another 15 miles farther north. This fact makes it very clear that Jacob’s herds must have been enormous. Why? Because note the distance from home that these herds had to be kept, just to be able to find grazing land.

Notice the moment his brothers saw Joseph coming, they immediately began discussing how to murder him. This revealed that these thoughts of murder were not some spur of the moment idea, but their hatred had been nursed within their hearts for a long time. Now they were ready to act. But Ruben hearing his brothers plotting, attempted to deliver Joseph out of their hands, because he knew their scheme was not right.

Now many question, could jealousy really lead these brothers to want to murder Joseph? The answer is yes! Envy and jealousy were what motivated the religious leaders of Jesus time to murder Him. Scripture reveals that Pilate knew their motivation. Mark wrote, “For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy” (Mark 15:10). Envy and jealousy are powerful motivators to evil. Solomon declared, “Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent, but who is able to stand before jealousy?” (Prov. 27:4). In other words, Solomon is saying that anger and wrath are one thing, but jealousy is even worse.

One thing about jealousy that is important to acknowledge within yourself, is that jealousy is very hard to detect in your own heart. Why? Because it seems right when you are thinking jealously toward another. All of you reading these words have been jealous of someone at some time in your life. Didn’t you think to yourself, Who does that person think they are? They are so arrogant! They think they are better than me! This is the way we think, and our reasoning seems so right. But Scripture declares in Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but it’s end is the way of death.” So, when you are angry, jealous, or envious of someone, it seems like your thinking is so right, but in reality, it is completely wrong and self-seeking.

How do you stop jealousy and envy from consuming you? You must recognize it, and stop it in your thought life, and refuse to play with these thoughts in your mind. If you don’t, you will end up talking about your jealousy to another person, and try to get them to see that person as you see them. That ends up in gossip. Therefore, don’t nurse evil thoughts in your mind, because eventually these thoughts will move you to some other sinful action. Jesus explained how to overcome these thoughts when He said, “Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matt. 7:5). So, when you don’t like someone, stop and ask yourself why you don’t like them? Examine your own heart first. Just listen to your own thoughts, because they will reveal to you why you have this resentment. Then deal with your own heart, and ask God to give you love for that person, just as He loves them. If you struggle with battling with your own thought life, please read chapter 6 in my book, “Winning Your Personal Battles,” that addresses this topic in depth. It will set you free. See the link below. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Winning+your+personal+battles+by+Steve+Carr&crid=R4G53ILUI1CH&sprefix=winning+your+personal+battles+by+steve+carr%2Caps%2C136&ref=nb_sb_noss   

The callousness of Joseph’s brothers!

After Joseph’s brothers cast him into a pit, what did they do? They sat down to eat lunch, while they tried to figure out what to do with him. Does this not reveal just how hard and callous these men were? This was pretty bad! Yes, Ruben tries to deliver Joseph, but he should have stood up to his brothers in a very direct way. He should have said, “You are full of hatred and envy. Joseph is going with me, and we are going home.” But he didn’t do this. Ruben was way too passive in his attempt to deliver Joseph. Yes, he at least tried to appease his brothers, by putting him in the pit until he could later retrieve him. But this revealed why it was so important to act before things got more out of hand. Scripture declares, “The beginning of strife is like releasing water; therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts” (Prov. 17:14). This is why Ruben should have stood up to his brothers and said, “Stop! If you want to kill him, then you have to kill me too.” But he doesn’t take this kind of direct and bold action.  

The plan of deception.  Vs. 29-36

Scripture continues, “Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes. And he returned to his brothers and said, ‘The lad is no more; and I, where shall I go?’ So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, ‘We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s tunic or not?’ And he recognized it and said, ‘It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.’ Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, ‘For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.’ Thus his father wept for him. Now the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard” (Gen. 37:29-36).

When Ruben came back to the pit where they had put Joseph and he is gone, he is genuinely grieved that he could not deliver him as he intended. Ruben must have been tending to the flocks, because when he returned, he found Joseph was gone. Ruben then declared, “The lad is no more; and I, where shall I go?” In other words, he believed that Joseph was dead, and he thought to himself, Where shall I go, because I surely cannot go home. I’m the oldest and my father will blame me for this. Note that Judah and his brothers did not tell Ruben what they had done by selling him to the Midianites, which again revealed their extreme hardness of heart.

Then Joseph’s brothers devised a plan of deception for their father Jacob, to convince him that Joseph was dead. They dipped Joesph’s tunic in the blood of a young goat and persuaded Jacob that their brother was lost. The plan appears to have succeeded. Note that Jacob was deceived by his own sons, in a similar manner as Jacob had deceived his father to obtain the blessing many years before. Again, we see the sowing and reaping principle at work in the life of Jacob; he deceived his father, and now he has been deceived. Jacob’s children have seen their father’s example of using deception throughout his life, even deceiving his brother Esau previously, and now they follow his example (Gen. 33:12-18). However, little did Jacob and his sons know how this story would end up 20 years later.

Grief clouds your view of life.

When Jacob heard that his son was dead, he fell into deep grief within his soul. He mourned so deeply that he declared he would go down to his grave with this sorrow. Then later in chapter 42, when Jacob learns that Simeon has been kept in Egypt by the Egyptian ruler, and that he has demanded that Benjamin be brought down to Egypt, Jacob cries out, “Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me” (Gen. 42:36). After almost 20 years have passed since Joseph disappeared, Jacob believed that God was against him. This was Jacob’s grief speaking when he blurts this statement out that, “all these things are against me.” He truly believed that everything was working against him. However, the exact opposite was taking place, but he just couldn’t see it because of his grief. God was actually protecting him from starvation, providing for him, and in reality, the Lord was working all things out for his good. We know this to be true, because we know the rest of the story. These facts should teach you something very important about your perception of things in the midst of suffering and trials. When you are suffering, your perception of things can be completely wrong. Jacob’s perception of what was taking place was 180 degrees off. This is a very important part of this story, and it is a part that I hope you will take to heart. If you as a believer come to the conclusion that God is against you, or that He has ripped you off, or that He has not been faithful to you, or that He has not done what He has promised to do, you are greatly mistaken! Your perception is also 180 degrees off, because God is for you, not against you! He is working something out that you just can’t see at that moment. Sometimes it takes twenty years for you to finally see what God was doing. Other times it will require you to step into eternity to see God’s plan, and all the facets of that plan that you can’t see today. Paul said, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (1 Cor. 13:12). When you see Jesus face to face, then you will have His eternal perspective for all that is behind you. The ultimate proof that God is for you and not against you, is proven by the fact that Jesus came to this earth to redeem you, and suffered in your place, so you could be with Him for eternity. He would never have done that for you, unless He loved you, and loved you with an everlasting love. Jesus declared, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). At the moment you see Him face to face you will realize that, “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18). Until that day, you need to trust Him that He is not playing games with your life. He is for you, not against you (Rom. 8:31). He is working all things out for your good (Rom. 8:28). That doesn’t mean all things are good that are happening to you right now, but He is working in ways that you cannot see, just as He was for Jacob. Do what David said to do when he wrote, “Trust in him at all times, you people, pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us” (Ps. 62:8). As you do, you will find within His refuge grace that is sufficient for each day! Call out to Him today!