In our reading today I noticed that there is only one chapter where God is specifically mentioned (chapter 35). When Dinah’s brothers avenge her rape, and when Joseph’s brothers sell him into slavery out of their jealousy, God is not mentioned.
It brought me back to the list of questions I wrote about last week on questions to ask while reading scripture.
Even though God may not be explicitly mentioned in this text, how is he at work in what is happening? How is he directing “behind the scenes”?
So, how is he at work in what is happening? It is pretty obvious in these chapters that the people involved in what happened were not seeking God’s will in their actions. We don’t see Simeon and Levi go to the Lord and seek his guidance. We don’t see Joseph’s brothers stopping to pray for direction on how to deal with their brother. We see people acting in their own will, right? So, how can God be working or directing in the midst of such terrible circumstances? Is it possible that since he isn’t mentioned, perhaps he was not aware or in control of these situations? Or perhaps he looked the other way?
This is why it is so important to read Scripture in context, to not cherry-pick stories or verses and make them mean something they don’t. It is why it is important to read through the Bible in its entirety. If we don’t ever do this, then how can we see how it all plays out. As we will see in the upcoming chapters, when we read the account of Joseph in Egypt and the sons of Israel receiving their final blessings from their father before he dies, these things will make more sense.
Faith and trust in the Lord come into play as we read his Scriptures. If we slow down our brains as we read these stories in the OT to pay attention to things that happen, and how they connect to other things that happen later – it starts to come together. But we have to read these things with faith and trust in the attributes of God. Do we really believe that God works all things according to the counsel of his will? (Ephesians 1:11b) When we read of the rape of Dinah and her brothers’ revenge – do we really believe that God can use something like that for his glory and purpose? Can we believe that even such a terrible occurrence has a purpose in the overarching plan of God? It can hard to wrap our heads around.
This faith and trust is not blind or unthinking. It is grounded in what we know to be true about God through salvation in Christ. The holy and righteous God who created all things; the perfect God who hates sin yet sent his Son to die for sinners in order that we may be reconciled to him; the all-knowing, all-powerful King of heaven and earth who chose us before the foundation of the world to be his children – THIS God is the same God who we read about in the OT. That while he was not mentioned in these chapters listed above, was not absent. His silence was not approval. But as we read the rest of the story of Genesis and beyond, we know that he was working behind the scenes, using the circumstances as awful as they were, to further the plan that he had ordained before creation.
Faith and trust. Reverent awe. Humble praise. May we approach his Word with this posture every day. Lord, give us eyes to see your glory in every word.
Leave a Reply