What Joseph Actually Said
“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” - Genesis 50:20
Ironically, this verse describing how God was working out good in the midst of evil has been used to do harm (evil) to a lot of people. It gets used as proof that we must trust in the plans of God, and therefore maintain rose-colored glasses of faith in the midst of every evil we encounter.
Let’s look at some of the context that gives us other options.
This is something Joseph says about his own life, in hindsight. It’s not something he is saying when the bad things are happening to him, nor is it something someone else is telling him about the horrible things that have happened to him. These are Joseph’s words of meaning-making about his own story.
These words are directed from Joseph to his brothers, because they are afraid Joseph is going to kill them now that their father has died. He is not on a mountaintop or in a pulpit giving a sermon. He is in a room, speaking to his family. Does it apply to their situation? Joseph seems to think so. Does it apply to all situations? Joseph never makes that claim.
The word “plans” isn’t there. In the NKJV, which is above, as well as in many other translations, the translators chose that word for “chasab” which means to think, meditate, or consider. In other words, Joseph is saying, “you thought evil towards me, but God thought good towards me.” That's a different claim entirely. It’s still something to wrestle with, especially since the brothers did perpetrate harm, but it also sounds quite different than God being a master manipulator working all things towards a predestined end.
If this verse has ever been used to dismiss your pain rather than sit with it, I want to acknowledge that as that causes real harm. No one should add to pain with theological posturing. Second, you get to decide if you want to try to reclaim this verse using some of the ideas above or not. You don’t have to. Feel free to set it aside as a part of the Bible you don’t want to think about for awhile.
But if you do want to reclaim it, trust the process of the wrestle. There is new beauty to find through turning around the jewel of Scripture for another view. You might even come to like this verse. Maybe. Or maybe not.
If you want to wrestle more, there are two upcoming ways to do so:
Join us for a full day circle on Reclaiming God’s Plan for Me. It’s an exploration of the theology of presence and partnership, where we can wonder if God isn’t actually a puppeteer pulling strings. Join us June 28 from 10am-4pm, location TBD. Learn more and register here.
Listen to the podcast this summer as we explore the narrative of Joseph. This deeper dive is a great way to start the journey of Ancestors Roots that we will be journeying more deeply into this fall. As you listen, maybe you can wonder whether Joseph would have said the words of Genesis 50:20 live-time. Learn more here and listen wherever you find your podcasts.
