The Unrelenting Providence of God
Lessons from Joseph in Genesis. (Genesis 37–39)
As we look at the story of Jacob and his sons, we are reminded that God’s choice of His people was never about their perfection. He did not choose them simply so He could have a people who would love Him perfectly in return. God chose them because He had a mission — a divine purpose — to accomplish through them. Through His promises to their fathers, through His blessing upon them, and through the mission He gave them to complete, God was binding Himself to His people in loyal love. His plan was not just to form a nation but to bring all nations back to Himself through His chosen Son — first through Israel, and ultimately through Jesus Christ.
From the very beginning, God’s primary concern has been to establish a people of His own — a people who live under His love and display His glory to the world. He chose to accomplish this through the life of His Son, working through a family line that often stumbled more than it succeeded. Jacob and his sons were far from perfect. Their stories are riddled with jealousy, deceit, and moral failure. Yet God, through His steadfast love, continued His work in them — not because they were faithful, but because He was.
We see this clearly in the lives of Jacob’s sons, beginning with Joseph. In Genesis 37, God gives Joseph two dreams that reveal His plan to use Joseph in remarkable ways — even elevating him above his brothers. But Joseph’s youthful arrogance caused him to flaunt those dreams, stirring resentment and hatred among his brothers. In their jealousy, they sold him into slavery, thinking they had rid themselves of both the dreamer and his dreams. But even through their sin and Joseph’s arrogance, God’s providence was quietly at work, moving His plan forward.
Providence is God’s unseen hand — His care and guidance that ensures His mission continues even through human weakness. It is God working through and sometimes in spite of us, so that His purposes stand. God’s providence does not erase human failure; it redeems it.
We see another example of this in Genesis 38 — the story of Judah and Tamar. Judah fails to provide an heir for his family, ignoring God’s plan for His people to continue through their line. But through an unexpected and uncomfortable twist, Tamar ensures the family line endures — and her son Perez becomes an ancestor of the Messiah Himself. God’s loyal love works even through scandal and sin, proving that His redemptive plan cannot be stopped by human failure.
Then in Genesis 39, the focus returns to Joseph. Something striking happens here: for the first time in the story, the narrator begins to repeat a phrase — “The Lord was with Joseph.” In fact, it’s mentioned nine times in that chapter alone. Everything Joseph touches is blessed, not because he has become perfect, but because the Lord’s presence is upon him. What began with arrogance and family betrayal now begins to reflect humility and faithfulness. Joseph, once the proud dreamer, now lives under the constant awareness of God’s presence — and everyone around him sees it. Even the Egyptians acknowledge that “the Lord is with him in all that he does.”
God’s providence is not random or reactionary. It is purposeful, redemptive, and filled with love. He uses our problems and failures to shape our hearts, deepen our faith, and accomplish His mission. Joseph’s suffering in Egypt was not wasted. God was preparing him for the day he would preserve his family from famine — the very family that once betrayed him — and continue God’s plan to bless the nations.
And that’s not just Joseph’s story; that’s ours too. When you begin to think that God no longer cares about you, or that your failures have disqualified you from His love, remember — that’s self-talk, not truth. God’s faithful love does not depend on your perfection. It depends on His promise. He is not going to erase your past or pretend it never happened, but He will work through it until His purpose for you is complete.
God’s loyal love is just that — loyal. When you accept His faithful love in every circumstance, even in your failures, you grow in your awareness of His presence. You experience a deeper relationship with Him, and new opportunities for obedience arise as expressions of gratitude. You begin to see that He is close — always. His presence becomes obvious. And even when life feels barren or broken, your soul begins to flourish again because His love sustains you.
God’s plan for your life is filled with meaningful purpose, deep satisfaction, personal peace, and lasting joy. And just as every thread of Jacob’s story leads to Joseph — and from Joseph to Judah — and from Judah ultimately to Jesus — so every thread of your life is being woven into the story of redemption that finds its center in Christ.
Through Jesus, the true Son of God, God’s providence and loyal love reach their fullness. In Him, we see that God’s mission was never to simply create a people for Himself, but to unite Himself with His people forever — to share eternal life with those He loves.
Prayer
Father, thank You for Your steadfast and loyal love. Thank You that even when we are faithless, You remain faithful. Help us to trust that Your providence is always at work — redeeming what is broken, restoring what is lost, and preparing us for Your greater purposes. Teach us to see Your presence in every circumstance and to rest in the truth that Your love never fails. May our lives reflect the hope, peace, and joy that come from walking with You. Through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Lord, Amen.
-Pastor Mark
