Genesis 49:29-50:26 - God Meant it for Good

Genesis doesn't go out with a whimper, but instead goes out with a bang. The last chapter contains one of the most significant and reassuring theological statements not only in the entire book of Genesis but in the entire Bible as well, revealed by Joseph as he spoke to his brothers after their father Jacob had been buried.

God doesn't merely turn the difficult circumstances in our lives into some sort of good thing. God intends even the worst situations of our lives for the good of His people, even the worst situations perpetrated on us by the people closest to us.

But as we learn in Romans 8:28, this promise does not hold for everyone, but only for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

Joseph also reveals the wisdom of not trying to play God in other people's lives. This reality can be humbling for all of us, though it can work out in different ways in our individual lives.