Transforming evil into good
July 13, 2023 - Thursday, 14th Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21
Psalm 105 reflects upon the history of Israel from the time of Abraham until their entry into the Promised Land. In today's portion, the focus is on the story of Joseph as narrated in Genesis 37, 39-50. The Genesis narrative of Joseph has unique characteristics, with the most notable one being that Joseph never directly saw or heard from God, unlike his predecessors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, the story of Joseph reveals God's hidden hand at work.
In the movie "Joseph: King of Dreams," there is a beautiful song called "You Know Better Than I." It serves as a confession of trust in God's providential care. Joseph sings this song while he is in prison, struggling to understand why he has experienced one misfortune after another. He ponders whether it is a test, but he cannot see the reason behind it.
However, the psalmist, who is familiar with Joseph's story, understands the reason behind Joseph's trials. The psalmist immediately connects the famine that was to come upon Egypt and the surrounding countries with Joseph being sold into slavery. In God's providential plan, this Israelite slave was destined to become the saviour of Egypt and his own family. Behind Joseph's rise to power, the hidden hand of the Lord is at work.
The narrative of Joseph in the Book of Genesis begins with his two prophetic dreams as a young man. In these dreams, he sees sheaves of grain representing his brothers bowing down to his sheaf, and he also sees the sun, moon, and stars bowing down to him. His family interprets these dreams as a sign that he seeks to rule over them. However, when these dreams come true, Joseph's brothers bow before him, not in submission, but in supplication, pleading for his help in providing food for them during the famine.
The climax of the story is when Joseph says to his brothers, "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today" (Genesis 50:20). Throughout Joseph's journey to Egypt and subsequent imprisonment, the Lord was always by his side, granting him strength and extraordinary wisdom. In God's providential care for Israel, He brought good out of evil.
God's providential care extends to each one of us as well. Life may often seem like a test, and we may struggle to understand the reasons behind our challenges. However, as long as we continue our journey with trust in the Lord, we too will witness the miracle of evil being transformed into good.