The Hidden Hand of God
Text: Genesis 37:12-36
Core Idea: You may not understand what God is doing today, but you can trust the God who sees the whole story. So, walk by faith, not by sight, knowing that even when His hand is hidden, His purposes are not.
INTRODUCTION
We’re continuing our journey through the Book of Genesis – tracing how God’s promises moved forward. And last week, we saw a family that was deeply entangled in sin. Jacob’s favoritism toward Joseph had created divisions within the home. Joseph’s immaturity only added fuel to the fire. And the brothers allowed jealousy and resentment to take root in their hearts. Everywhere we looked, the family seemed fractured. But beneath all the brokenness and dysfunction, God was still at work. Through Joseph’s dreams, He hinted at a plan far greater than anyone in the family could imagine. And even though no one in the family was able to see it yet, God was sovereignly orchestrating every detail according to His perfect plan. Now, what’s going to happen next? Will the brothers repent of their sins? Will the family somehow be reconciled? Will these dreams actually come true? Today, we begin to find the answer. So, with that in mind, please turn with me to Genesis 37:12-36.
12 Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, 13 and Israel said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them.” “Very well,” he replied. 14 So he said to him, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. When Joseph arrived at Shechem, 15 a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?” 16 He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?” 17 “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. 18 But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. 19 “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. 20 “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.” 21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said. 22 “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe – the ornate robe he was wearing – 24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it. 25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt. 26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed. 28 So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. 29 When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. 30 He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?” 31 Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.” 33 He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave.” So his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
Let’s look at this passage under three headings:
· THE SURPRISE OF SUFFERING
· THE SURPRISE OF PROVIDENCE
· THE SURPRISE OF SILENCE
1) THE SURPRISE OF SUFFERING
Verse 12 tells us that the brothers went to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem. And immediately, that location should grab our attention because Shechem, if you remember, was the very place where Simeon and Levi had slaughtered all the men of the city after what happened to Dinah. It was a place marked by violence, revenge, and bloodshed. And as readers, we can’t help but feel a sense of uneasiness. In fact, knowing the deep hatred the brothers had toward Joseph, and knowing that he was about to meet them in a place already stained by painful memories, we can’t help but wonder whether something terrible is about to happen. Verse 13: “Israel said to Joseph, ‘Your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them.’ ‘Very well,’ he replied.” Considering his strained relationship with his brothers, he could’ve complained. He could’ve argued or suggested that one of the servants go instead. But he didn’t. There was no hesitation, no resistance, no excuses. Just obedience. He quickly offered to do what his father asked. In fact, verse 14 tells us exactly what Jacob wanted Joseph to do: “Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks.” The phrase “all is well” is actually the Hebrew word shalom – a word that carries the idea of peace and well-being. In other words, Jacob sent Joseph to seek the peace of his brothers – and Joseph willingly went. But when he arrived in Shechem, his brothers were nowhere to be found. Now, at that point, he could’ve turned around and gone home. After all, he had already done what his father asked. He made the journey. He went to Shechem. So, nobody would’ve blamed him for turning around and returning home. But that’s not what he did – he continued searching. Verse 15 tells us that he was wandering through the fields looking for them when he encountered a man who happened to overhear the brothers talking about going to Dothan. At first glance, this feels like an insignificant detail. But it actually reveals something important about Joseph’s character. It shows that he was a kind of man who didn’t quit when the task became inconvenient – a kind of man who didn’t settle for partial obedience. He kept looking. He kept pursuing his brothers because he wanted to complete the assignment his father gave him. He genuinely wanted to see their shalom. All that to say, he desired to do good – for his father and for his brothers. But look at what happened when he finally reached Dothan. Verse 18: “They saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.” Notice the contrast. Joseph was looking for his brothers – the brothers were plotting against Joseph. Joseph was seeking their peace – the brothers were seeking his destruction. Verse 19: “Here comes that dreamer!” They despised him so much that they didn’t even call him by his name. To them, he was no longer Joseph – he was simply “the dreamer.” This is significant because it shows how much Joseph’s dreams still haunted them, offended them, and threatened their pride. And because they couldn’t get rid of the dreams, they decided to get rid of the dreamer. Verse 20: “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.” This wasn’t a moment of impulsive anger. This was premeditated evil. They discussed it, planned it, and conspired together. And here’s what makes this so shocking: Joseph did nothing to deserve this. Yes, Joseph certainly wasn’t perfect. Last week, we saw glimpses of his immaturity. But that’s not why he was suffering here. Joseph was suffering because he obeyed his father, because he sought the peace of his brothers, because he did the right thing.
Now, one of the hardest realities for Christians to accept is that obedience does not guarantee comfort. Many of us assume that if we do the right thing, God will shield us from hardship and make things work out. But that’s not how life works in a fallen world. Sometimes you seek reconciliation and get rejected. Sometimes you tell the truth, and people turn against you. Sometimes you serve faithfully and receive criticism instead of gratitude. Sometimes you seek peace and receive hostility. Perhaps you’ve experienced this yourself. You tried to repair a broken relationship. You made the first phone call and sought reconciliation. But instead of healing, the situation became even more painful. Or perhaps you’ve tried to live with integrity at work. You refused to compromise your convictions. You refused to cut corners. You refused to participate in gossip. And suddenly, you became the target of the very gossip you refused to join. Because we live in a broken and sinful world, because we’re surrounded by broken and sinful people, because we ourselves are broken and sinful, good intentions don’t guarantee good outcomes. Even when we seek peace, suffering may still come. Then, what happens when obedience becomes costly? How will you respond when doing the right thing leads to pain? Because the reality is that obedience will not exempt us from suffering. In fact, at times obedience will place us directly in the path of suffering. And nowhere do we see this more clearly than in the life of Jesus Christ, the greater Joseph. Think about it. Joseph was sent by his father to seek the welfare of his brothers – Jesus was sent by His Father to seek the welfare of sinners. Joseph came in peace – Jesus came as the Prince of Peace. Joseph was rejected by his own brothers – Jesus came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. Joseph sought their good – but the brothers sought his death. And in the same way, Jesus came to heal the sick, feed the hungry, proclaim the kingdom of God, and offer salvation to sinners – but He was rejected, betrayed, and crucified. Brothers and sisters, one of the surprises of suffering is that sometimes doing the right thing leads to pain rather than comfort. And if that’s where you find yourself today, don’t immediately conclude that God has abandoned you. Don’t immediately conclude that you’ve done something wrong. Sometimes the path of obedience is difficult. Sometimes faithfulness is costly. Sometimes seeking peace leads to a pit. But as we’re about to discover, God is not absent in those moments. In fact, He is often doing far more than we can see.
2) THE SURPRISE OF PROVIDENCE
Verse 21: “When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands.” Now, commentators debate Reuben’s motives. Some believe he acted out of compassion. And others believe he was trying to restore his standing with Jacob after his sin with Bilhah. Of course, the text doesn’t tell us exactly what was happening in Reuben’s heart. But it does tell us what he did – he intervened. Verse 22: “‘Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.’ Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.” I don’t know about you – but for the first time in the story, we feel a small sense of relief. Joseph has no idea about this. The brothers don’t know it. But the author lets us know that someone was trying to save Joseph’s life – even if being thrown into a cistern is hardly good news. Verse 23: “They stripped him of his robe… and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.” Can you imagine what Joseph must have been thinking? Only a few moments earlier, he was searching for his brothers. And now he was lying at the bottom of a pit – confused, terrified, abandoned, and wondering what just happened. But perhaps the most shocking part of this entire scene is in verse 25: “They sat down to eat their meal.” Think about that. Joseph was in the pit – and the brothers were at the table. Joseph was crying, shouting, begging – and the brothers were eating lunch. This may be one of the coldest scenes in all of Genesis, as it reveals just how hard and calloused their hearts had become. But then, something happened. Verse 25: “As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead.” At first, this doesn’t seem all that important – just a group of traders passing by. But this verse in Hebrew is quite significant because it literally says, “They lifted up their eyes, and they saw, and behold.” You’re probably thinking, “So what?” But here’s what you need to know: Throughout Genesis, this language often appeared at moments when God intervened to accomplish His purposes. For example, Genesis 18:2: “Abraham looked up and saw [and behold] three men standing nearby.” Abraham had been waiting for the promised son for a long time. And the Lord finally comes to tell him that Sarah will soon have a baby. Genesis 22:13: “Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw [and behold] a ram caught by its horns.” Abraham was ready to slay his son Isaac – but the Lord stopped him and provided a substitute. Genesis 24:63: “He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw [and behold] camels approaching.” When Isaac was grieving the loss of his mother, God sent Rebekah at the perfect moment to comfort him and carry out the covenant promise. In other words, this phrase isn’t accidental. Throughout Genesis, it often signals that God is about to intervene in a significant way. The author is saying, “Pay attention. God is about to do something here.” But here’s the surprise: In Joseph’s case, God’s intervention didn’t look like rescue – it looked like slavery. It didn’t look like deliverance – it looked like another step deeper into suffering. How can being sold into slavery possibly be part of God’s rescue? And yet, the author wants us to know that the arrival of the traders was the work of God’s providence. In fact, think about everything that had to happen for this moment to occur. Earlier, Joseph happened to meet a man in Shechem. That man happened to overhear the brothers talking about Dothan. The brothers happened to move to Dothan. Joseph happened to continue searching instead of returning home. He happened to meet that one man who knew where his brothers were. Dothan happened to be located near a major trade route leading to Egypt. These traders happened to pass by at exactly the right moment. Judah happened to think of selling Joseph. Reuben happened to be absent when the sale took place. Now, it’s true that from Joseph’s perspective, this couldn’t have felt like providence – it must have felt like a disaster. He probably would’ve called it the worst day of his life. And yet, every detail was moving exactly the way God intended. This is why God’s providence is often so difficult to recognize – because it doesn’t always look like rescue. Sometimes it looks like a setback. Sometimes it looks like a closed door, disappointment, or even suffering. But what the author wants us to see is that everything was under God’s control – even the sin of the brothers. This doesn’t mean that God was the author of their evil. The brothers were responsible for their actions, and their wickedness was real. Yet their evil could not frustrate God’s purposes. The brothers thought they were getting rid of Joseph. But in reality, they were sending him exactly where God intended him to be. They thought they were silencing the dreams, but they were actually moving Joseph one step closer to their fulfillment.
Now, the truth is that we have no problem seeing God’s hand in blessings. We see providence in answered prayers, in promotions, in healing, and in open doors. But what about the closed doors? What about the disappointments, the betrayals, and the suffering? Can God be working there, too? This passage tells us yes – not that suffering or evil is good, but because God is so sovereign that He’s able to accomplish His good purposes even through things that are painful and wicked. And perhaps some of you need to hear that today. Maybe you’re walking through something that makes no sense. Maybe you’re looking at your circumstances and wondering, “Lord, what are You doing?” – because it feels like everything is going wrong. I’m sure Joseph would’ve asked the same question because at this point in the story, he didn’t know anything about the prison, his meeting with the cupbearer and the baker, Pharaoh’s dream, the famine, his vindication, and the preservation of Israel. All he could see was a pit. But God saw the whole story. And the same is true for us. We often see only one chapter – but remember that God sees the entire book. Now, if that’s true, then this truth should do at least two things for us. First, it should comfort us. It should remind us that God has not forgotten us and that He has not abandoned us. He cares for us, and He’s working for us. Yes, often in ways that we cannot understand – but He’s still working. There’s not a moment when His attention drifts from you. There’s no circumstance that catches Him by surprise. There’s no hardship that somehow slips outside His control. Even when life feels confusing, painful, and uncertain, we can rest – knowing that our lives are not ultimately governed by chance or the sinful actions of others. They are governed by the wise, loving, and sovereign hand of our heavenly Father. But second, it should also make us courageous. Think about it. If God is truly sovereign over all things, including suffering, disappointment, and evil, then what ultimately is there for us to fear? What can happen to us that falls outside of His control? What circumstance can separate us from His love? What trial can destroy the purposes that God has for our lives? The answer is nothing. This, of course, doesn’t mean that life won’t be painful. Joseph’s life certainly was. But it does mean that we can move forward in faith without being paralyzed by fear. We can obey God even when obedience is costly. We can trust Him even when the future feels uncertain. We can take risks for the kingdom, speak truth with courage, serve faithfully, give generously, and follow Christ wherever He leads because we know that nothing can happen to us apart from the loving providence of our Father. Brothers and sisters, the doctrine of providence is not meant to make us passive – it’s meant to make us fearless.
3) THE SURPRISE OF SILENCE
Verse 31: “Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, ‘We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.’” What’s striking is that the brothers didn’t directly lie to Jacob – they just presented misleading evidence and allowed him to draw his own conclusion. The deception was subtle – but it worked. And the moment Jacob recognized the robe, he was crushed. Verse 34: “Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days.” This wasn’t a moment of passing sadness – this was profound grief. In fact, the pain was so overwhelming that he refused to be comforted. Why? Because Jacob believed the story was over. The son he loved was dead – and in his sorrow, Jacob couldn’t see any way forward. All he wanted to do was just die. And what’s shocking is that God said absolutely nothing here. There was no vision, no explanation, no comfort. Only silence. And if we’re honest, this is where many of us struggle the most as well. We can endure suffering when we understand it. We can persevere through hardship when we know the reason – or at least we think we can. But what makes suffering difficult is when God remains silent – when prayers seem unanswered and when explanations never come. Some of you know exactly what that feels like. You’ve prayed for healing, reconciliation, direction, and intervention. You’ve prayed for your marriage, your children, your future, your friendships, and your circumstances. But instead of answers, you experienced silence. And it feels like the story is over. It feels like a part of you has died with the pain. It feels like there’s no way things could ever be restored. But the truth is that Jacob never receives an explanation in this chapter. And that’s intentional because God often doesn’t reveal the whole story while we’re living it. But just when we think the chapter would end in despair, we come to what may be the most important verse in the entire passage. Verse 36: “Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.” Look at that first word: “Meanwhile.” Jacob was mourning – meanwhile, Joseph was moving toward Egypt. Joseph was being carried away as a slave – meanwhile, God was positioning Joseph exactly where he needed to be. Jacob thought everything was falling apart – meanwhile, God’s plan was moving forward. All that to say, the author allows us to see what Jacob couldn’t see – that God was working even though nobody in the story realized it. Jacob thought the story was over – but God was just getting started.
Brothers and sisters, there are moments when we think God is absent because we cannot see Him working. There are moments when we think the story is finished because we cannot imagine how anything good could come from our circumstances. But what if God was doing something we couldn’t yet see – in your situation right now? What if God were accomplishing purposes that would only become clear years later? That’s exactly what was happening here. Jacob thought Joseph was gone forever – but in reality, God was positioning Joseph to save the entire family. Now, I realize that this isn’t a new truth. In fact, I’ve preached it many times before because the Bible repeats this truth over and over again. But Scripture repeats this truth not because God has run out of things to say – but because we constantly struggle to believe it. We know it in our heads – but it hasn’t settled into our hearts. No wonder when suffering comes, and God remains silent, we keep questioning His goodness, His wisdom, and His care. Friends, I pray that this truth would teach us what it means to live by faith and not by sight. Faith means trusting the character of God when we cannot understand the ways of God. Faith means believing that God is good even when life is painful. Now, the moment you walk out of this building, you’ll be confronted with countless things that will tempt you to forget this truth, doubt this truth, or abandon this truth. So, pray that the Holy Spirit would anchor this truth deep within your heart and shape your life. But ultimately, fix your eyes on the cross. The truth is that when Jesus was crucified, the disciples thought everything had fallen apart. But while they were grieving, God was accomplishing the greatest salvation the world would ever know because what looked like defeat was actually victory – what looked like silence was actually God’s plan unfolding. And because of the cross, we know that God’s silence is never His absence.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, you may not understand what God is doing today, but you can trust the God who sees the whole story. So, walk by faith, not by sight, knowing that even when His hand is hidden, His purposes are not.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) What does this passage teach us about the relationship between obedience and suffering? Have you ever experienced criticism, rejection, or hardship while trying to do what was right? How did you respond? What would it look like for you to continue obeying God even when it leads to difficulty?
2) What does this passage teach us about God’s providence? Why is it difficult to recognize God’s providence while we are in the middle of suffering? What “pit” are you currently facing that makes it difficult to believe God is working? How does the truth of God’s providence comfort you and give you courage to obey God in difficult circumstances?
3) What is significant about the word “Meanwhile” in verse 36? Why does God often choose not to reveal the whole story while we are living it? What questions are you tempted to ask God when you cannot understand what He is doing? How can we learn to trust God’s character when we cannot understand His ways?
