When the Instructions Don’t Make Any Sense

"Now Joseph gave these instructions the the steward of his house..." (Genesis 44:1 NIV)

The band of brothers had returned, had an awkward meal and were about to be sent homeward when Joseph began issuing strange instructions to his steward. Fill their sacks. Return their silver. Plant my favorite silver cup as evidence.

The steward of (bless his heart) had to be scratching his head. His proven pragmatic master was suddenly making sporadic decisions. I can’t even imagine the steward’s confusion over “Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?” He had to be perplexed by Joseph’s directions. He may have even struggled with his conscience in obedience. I know I would have.

As I’ve sat with Joseph’s bewildered steward this week, I’ve thought about how God sometimes issues strange instructions.

Build a boat.
Go from your country.
March around the city in silence.
Go to Nineveh.
You will conceive.
Drink this cup.

I’m reminded via the curious account of Joseph’s interaction with his brothers that God’s instructions always work out in the end. Our God has a long history of doing all things well. We can trust Him.

See, Joseph’s human instructions didn’t make any sense and God still redeemed it for His glory. We can trust that, too! When leaders are being emotional, irrational, inconsistent or unjust (as dear Joseph was in this moment with his brothers), we can still rely one God’s sovereignty to work the situation for His glory. What a comfort to the confused!

“When leaders mislead, God can still be trusted.” (Tara Lee Cobble)

It’s critical to note ‘when’ not ‘if’. Leaders will mislead, it’s inevitable. Joseph, as great as he was, still misstepped when his estranged brothers showed up and his emotions got big. People are prone to mistake.

“To err is human…” (Alexander Pope)

But God, in His Almighty (omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, omnichonos; in short omni-everything!) nature is somehow able to transcend all our faulty motives and slips in judgment. He makes divine sense out of our mortal mess. It’s quite stunning, really.

Let’s make this personal. There are people in my story that have made a bad call, said the wrong thing, and/or created unintended consequences. (And sometimes those people are me!) What’s especially consoling in pits and prisons is how God’s sovereignty still reigns. He gets His will accomplished with or without our right behavior.

For an overachiever like myself, this is great news! It removes the pressure to be perfect. Instead, we can cooperate with righteousness for the sheer joy of living near God. And we can delight when we catch glimpses of His ability to bring it to pass in spite of our human effort. Hallelujah!

"And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28 NIV)

I can remember teaching an entire Sunday School class perched on just this verse. It’s not a catchall for a false prosperity gospel, but an indictment to the believer. Do you love Him? Are you called? Then you can trust Him to work it out for your good – meaning the good of the Kingdom at large. I feel like I’ve spend my life answering those same two questions.

Lord, Your ability to reign over the sin and schemes of man is truly startling. We are wowed by You, Almighty God. Stoke our hope when humans fail, especially when it’s us who miss the mark so badly. In Your grace, grant us glimpses of Your big picture. Convince us anew of Your brilliant sovereignty over the whole situation. Amen.