Finding Hope in Suffering: Joseph's Story of Redemption

Devotional

Day 1: God Is the Ultimate Judge and Assurance of Justice

In a world filled with injustice and suffering, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the evil that seems to go unpunished. Yet, the story of Joseph reminds us that we are not in the place of God—He alone is the true judge who will ultimately address every wrong. This assurance frees us from the burden of vengeance and allows us to trust that justice will be served, if not in this life, then certainly in the life to come. When we struggle with the pain and brokenness around us, we can rest in the knowledge that God sees, God knows, and God will not let evil have the final word. [21:54]

Genesis 50:19
But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?”

Reflection: Is there a situation where you are tempted to seek revenge or hold onto bitterness? How might trusting God as the ultimate judge help you release that burden today?

Day 2: God’s Providence—Good Triumphs Over Evil

Even when evil seems to prevail, God is at work behind the scenes, weaving together a story that ultimately brings about good. Joseph’s life, marked by betrayal and suffering, is a testament to God’s providence: what others meant for evil, God used for the saving of many lives. This truth invites us to trust that our own stories, no matter how broken or painful, are not outside of God’s redemptive plan. He is the author who ensures that, in the end, good will triumph over evil, and our longing for a good ending is not in vain. [29:07]

Genesis 50:20
As for you, 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.

Reflection: Where in your life do you see pain or disappointment that feels senseless? Can you ask God to help you trust that He is working for good, even when you cannot yet see the outcome?

Day 3: Redemption—Absorbing Evil with Forgiveness and Love

Joseph’s response to his brothers goes beyond withholding punishment; he chooses to comfort, provide for, and speak kindly to those who wronged him. This act of radical forgiveness points to a deeper reality: true redemption absorbs evil, transforming it through love and generosity. In Christ, we see the ultimate fulfillment of this pattern—He takes upon Himself the evil and suffering of the world, offering forgiveness and new life to all who come to Him. This is the hope that enables us to respond to evil not with retaliation, but with grace. [30:53]

Genesis 50:21
So do not fear. I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Reflection: Who in your life has wronged you, and how might you take a step toward forgiveness or kindness, following the example of Joseph and Jesus?

Day 4: The Problem of Evil Is Also Within Us

It is tempting to see evil as something “out there,” but the line between good and evil runs through every human heart. Recognizing our own capacity for wrongdoing humbles us and reminds us of our need for mercy. The gospel does not merely address the evil in the world; it confronts the evil within us, offering forgiveness and transformation through Christ. This honest self-examination is the starting point for true healing and reconciliation, both with God and with others. [32:42]

Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Reflection: In what ways do you see the struggle between good and evil in your own heart? What would it look like to bring your failures honestly before God and receive His mercy today?

Day 5: Only in Jesus Do We Find Real Hope and Resolution

Turning away from God in the face of suffering may seem logical, but it leaves us with even bigger problems—no objective standard for justice, no guarantee of a good ending, and no true comfort. Only in Jesus do we find a Savior who both sympathizes with our suffering and absorbs our evil, offering forgiveness, justice, and the promise that good will ultimately conquer evil. This is the unique hope of Christianity: a God who enters into our pain, redeems it, and assures us that love will have the final victory. [36:43]

John 16:33
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Reflection: When you face suffering or witness injustice, where do you turn for hope? How can you lean into the promise that Jesus has overcome the world and offers you real peace today?

Sermon Summary

Genesis 50 tells the story of Joseph and his brothers, a story that confronts the deep questions of evil, suffering, and God’s goodness. When Joseph’s brothers fear retribution after their father’s death, Joseph responds not with vengeance, but with forgiveness and kindness. He recognizes that while his brothers intended evil, God was at work for good, orchestrating events to save many lives. This narrative invites us to wrestle honestly with the question: How can a good and powerful God allow so much evil in the world?

This question is not just theoretical; it’s deeply personal. We all encounter suffering—whether in our own lives, in the lives of those we love, or in the brokenness we see in the world. The longing for a world without pain, injustice, or loss is universal. Yet, the existence of evil often becomes a stumbling block, especially for skeptics or those struggling with faith. The challenge is that if we reject God because of evil, we are left with even bigger problems: without God, there is no objective standard for calling anything truly evil or unjust. Atheism, spiritualism, or other worldviews cannot provide a satisfying answer to the reality of suffering or the longing for justice.

Joseph’s story points to three profound truths. First, God is the assurance of justice. Joseph refuses to take vengeance because he knows ultimate justice belongs to God, who will judge all things rightly. Second, God’s providence means that even in the midst of evil, He is working for good. The story of Joseph is a U-shaped narrative—things go from good to bad to even better, because God is sovereign over every detail. Third, redemption is possible because God absorbs evil and suffering. Joseph not only forgives but blesses his brothers, foreshadowing the greater redemption found in Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the true and better Joseph. He was betrayed, suffered unjustly, and yet willingly bore the weight of evil on the cross. In Him, we find both justice and mercy: justice for the wrongs of the world, and mercy for those who recognize their own need for forgiveness. Only in Christ do we find a hope that evil will not have the last word, and that love will ultimately triumph.

Key Takeaways

1. The longing for justice is universal, but only God provides a true foundation for it. Without an objective moral standard rooted in God’s character, our outrage at evil loses its grounding. Christianity uniquely affirms that God will judge all injustice, giving us hope that every wrong will be made right in the end. [22:40]
2. God’s providence means that evil never has the final say. Even when circumstances seem hopeless or senseless, God is weaving a story that bends toward redemption. Joseph’s life, marked by betrayal and suffering, ultimately becomes the means by which many are saved—a pattern that echoes throughout Scripture and culminates in Christ. [28:47]
3. The problem of evil is not just “out there”—it runs through every human heart. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn observed that the line between good and evil passes through each of us, not just through systems or societies. This humbling truth calls us to seek not only justice for others, but also mercy for ourselves, recognizing our own need for grace. [32:24]
4. Redemption is the absorption of evil and suffering, not merely its denial or avoidance. Joseph’s forgiveness of his brothers is more than letting go of a grudge; it is a proactive blessing that transforms evil into good. This points to Jesus, who absorbs the world’s evil on the cross, offering forgiveness and new life to all who come to Him. [34:13]
5. Turning away from God because of suffering only deepens the problem. Alternative worldviews either deny the reality of evil or offer no hope for justice or healing. In Jesus, we find a God who both acknowledges the depth of our pain and provides the only real solution: a love that conquers evil and a promise that good will ultimately prevail. [35:28]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:10] - Introduction to Genesis 50
[00:25] - Opening Prayer
[00:57] - Joseph’s Brothers Fear Retribution
[02:07] - Wrestling with God’s Presence in Suffering
[03:50] - Personal Story: Questioning God in Hardship
[05:16] - The Skeptic’s Question: How Can a Good God Allow Evil?
[07:44] - Unpacking the Objection
[11:20] - The Problem Within the Problem of Evil
[11:58] - Joseph’s Story: The Assurance of Justice
[16:56] - Alternative Worldviews and the Problem of Evil
[21:18] - Joseph’s Response: God as Judge
[23:12] - Providence: Good Triumphs Over Evil
[28:47] - Redemption: Absorbing Evil and Suffering
[32:24] - The Line Between Good and Evil in Every Heart
[34:13] - Jesus: The Greater Joseph
[35:28] - Where Do We Go With Our Suffering?
[37:05] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Genesis 50:15-21 — _When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died, ‘Say to Joseph, Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, 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. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them._

Observation Questions

What was Joseph’s initial reaction when his brothers sent him a message asking for forgiveness after their father died? (see Genesis 50:17)
According to Joseph, what was the difference between his brothers’ intentions and God’s intentions in the events that happened to him? (see Genesis 50:20)
How did Joseph respond to his brothers’ fear of retribution? What specific actions or words did he use? (see Genesis 50:21)
In the sermon, what does the pastor say is the “U-shaped” pattern in Joseph’s story, and how does it relate to the overall story of Scripture? [13:18]

Interpretation Questions

The sermon says Joseph refused to take vengeance because he knew “ultimate justice belongs to God.” What does it mean for someone to trust God as the judge rather than seeking personal revenge? [21:18]
The pastor points out that Joseph’s story is a “U-shaped narrative”—things go from good, to bad, to even better. How does this shape the way Christians are invited to view their own suffering or setbacks? [13:18]
The sermon claims that “the line between good and evil passes through every human heart,” quoting Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. How does this idea challenge the way we usually think about evil as something only “out there”? [32:24]
The pastor says that Joseph’s forgiveness of his brothers “absorbs” evil rather than just ignoring it. What does it mean to absorb evil, and how is this different from simply forgetting or excusing wrongdoing? [34:13]

Application Questions

Joseph’s brothers were afraid of his anger and possible revenge, but Joseph chose forgiveness and kindness. Is there someone in your life you struggle to forgive? What would it look like to move toward forgiveness or even blessing that person? [30:53]
The sermon says that if we reject God because of evil, we are left with “even bigger problems”—like having no real standard for justice. Have you ever wrestled with doubts about God because of suffering? How did you process those doubts, and what helped you move forward? [16:29]
Joseph says, “Am I in the place of God?” when his brothers fear punishment. Are there situations where you have tried to “play God” by seeking your own justice or holding onto resentment? What would it look like to trust God with those situations? [21:18]
The pastor shared a personal story of questioning God during a family medical crisis. When have you found yourself asking, “God, where are you?” How did you respond, and what did you learn from that experience? [03:50]
The sermon says that “redemption is the absorption of evil and suffering, not merely its denial or avoidance.” In practical terms, how can you absorb or respond to evil or hurt in your life in a way that points to Jesus, rather than just ignoring it or retaliating? [34:13]
The pastor says that the longing for justice is universal, but only God provides a true foundation for it. Where do you see injustice in your own life or in the world that makes you long for things to be made right? How does your faith shape your response to these situations? [22:40]
The sermon ends by saying that only in Jesus do we find a hope that evil will not have the last word. How does this hope affect the way you face suffering, disappointment, or injustice today? [36:25]

Sermon Clips

Have you ever questioned why you or someone else you care about was experiencing so much pain? Or maybe you can't reconcile how evil and suffering exists in a world where God as a according to Christianity uh is good, loving, and powerful and is supposed to be in control. Whether you're a skeptic or a believer struggling with doubt or simply someone who is experiencing hardship and brokenness right now in this world, this text and the God revealed in it has something for you. Uh so the title of the message today is the question of a skeptic because I want to invite skeptics to the table as we study together. [00:04:35]

Underneath that question is this idea of a few things. One, if God is good, he must be compassionate. And if he's compassionate, then he would be opposed to evil. So why is it here? Right? And if God is all powerful, then he surely has the resources to do something about the evil. And yet it still exists. And so therefore, either God is neither good, either he's not good rather, or he's not all powerful. He maybe doesn't like the evil but has no ability to do anything, or he's neither. [00:07:58]

We all want a world where there's no suffering. We all want a world where there's no broken relationships. We all want a world where we don't have to say goodbye or we don't have to mourn and grieve. We all want that. Uh the Beatles wanted it. They said imagine they said imag you know the world there's no suffering and uh they sort of leveled the issue there with religion and and division of geo geopolitical nations and said if we didn't have that then we'd all get along. [00:08:53]

We see the senseless violence. Uh we see school shootings, genocide, large-scale oppression. And we wonder why do innocent people suffer? Why do oppressors have leeway to damage so many lives? Uh we acknowledge this world is broken. It is distorted. It is twisted. We reminded of that when we read the headlines or when we visit the hospital. when you grieve the loss of someone you love or where you sc when you scrape for words to comfort someone who is grieving. You're reminded of it in every tragedy. [00:09:52]

Now, that seems like a logical conclusion, but there's a major flaw to its logic and its assumptions. And so, here's my challenge, I guess. Uh, as a skeptic, if you conclude that God of the God of Christianity is not worth serving because of all the evil and the suffering in the world, you're not off the hook. And if you turn away from that God because of all the evil and suffering in the world and you can't reconcile that with the existence of God, you've actually created a bigger problem. [00:11:15]

So here we have this story of Joseph. Uh we we read about um this sort of point of tension. Uh Joseph and his brothers there's 12 brothers. Joseph is one of them. And they uh they're coming to him. In verse 15, they see that their father is dead. And Joseph is the prime minister now of Egypt. He has all this power. And his brothers had been treacherous to him, selling him into slavery and being the perpetrators or the sort of efficient cause of all this hardship that he faces. [00:11:50]

And it provides this pattern of scripture where we see this U-shaped redemption, a U-shape. In other words, things start out really well and they go bad and very bad, but then in the end because of the sovereignty of God and his power, they end up actually better than they were. That is the overarching story of scripture and is the over it's the story that is repeated for so many of the biblical characters and ultimately is um magnified in our Lord Jesus Christ. [00:13:11]

If you are a skeptic and you turn away from the God of scripture, you're not off the hook, you've created a bigger problem. Or if you're a sufferer and you're just saying, "I don't know if I can trust God because of all my suffering." And you turn away from Jesus. Where are you going to find comfort? I'll show you what I mean. Here are some of the alternative solutions to the problem of evil. Well, first there's atheism. So if you say, "Okay, I reject God." [00:16:25]

Because if you feel like that there's evil and suffering in the world, you are assuming that there is some objective moral standard by which we could call it evil. What do I mean by objective moral standard? Well, okay, take the color red, or really any color, but let's just take the color red. How do we know it's red? Well, we know it's red, not because, you know, we all agreed or we voted, but it it fits in the wavelength of light within a certain um spectrum that we could say this is red. [00:17:07]

The only way that we could actually say this is what this is is if there is something objective and a standard that allows us to do so. And if you if you we don't have time to trace it, the only way you get there is if there is a God to pro provide that objective standard. We can't find it within ourselves. That wouldn't be objective. We can't find it within a certain class of people or certain category of people on earth. That wouldn't be objective. It'd be a different way of oppressing. [00:17:55]

If you turn to spiritualism um maybe you dash a little bit of this, a little bit of that, some eastern mysticism, some um you know seances, a little tarot cards, a little this or that. Um from that you cannot derive any overarching moral story to the universe. Why? Because you're just it's just a little little this or little that and somebody else can do this or that. Where's the objective reality there? It's not. It's just all tailored. It's like it's bespoke uh spiritualism. [00:19:59]

The reason why I can't harm you is because I'm not God. He's the judge. He's the one who judges all injustice. He is the one who is the guarantee that justice will be served. If not in this life, then certainly in the one to come because of God, because of his place, because he is judge of the world, I can face tomorrow. We sang that earlier. Uh I can go to sleep at night knowing that yeah, there's a lot of evil and injustice and I can't fix it and it's bad. [00:21:29]

Christianity presents you with the only hope for your longing for justice. God is the judge of every man and woman, and he will ultimately judge all one day. Inside the problem of evil is a longing for justice. And it's the God of scripture who fulfills that longing. Okay, that's response one. Second response. Uh, providence. Good triumphs over evil. Um, I have a friend in town. He doesn't go to church here, but he was he lived in LA for a period of time and he got to be an extra on a movie and he thought it was so cool. [00:22:49]

And the reality is we all want a story with a good ending, right? It's why Marvel Studios in the 2010s, they were like gang busters. I mean, they would put a movie out and it would make hundreds of millions of dollars if not into the billions. And they had quite a run. And in fact, there's a cool I found a compelling article in the Wall Street Journal about how did it all unravel? And it's the classic story of cuz they started putting stuff out on Disney Plus and some of the stuff is not that good. [00:25:02]

You see in the problem of evil, you're longing for a sovereign God who's working good amidst all the evil. And that's what our God is doing. And last point here, a response three, redemption, the absorption of evil and suffering. What do I mean by that? Well, not only does not only Joseph forgive his brothers, not only does he say, "I'm not going to repay evil with evil." You see what he says in verse 21? He says, "So do not fear. I will provide for you and your little ones. [00:30:03]

And before we think about that, we have to comes to terms with this this whole idea of evil. You see, because part of the challenge is as we think about evil, we're most inclined to think about evil that's out there somewhere, right? And it we're the suffer the sufferers and the perpetrators are all out there. Consider the words of Alexander Slloenitson who wrote the the Gulag Archipelago is a Russian author. The Gulag Archipelago is about the Russian war camps uh work labor camps during the reigns of of Linen and Stalin. [00:31:10]

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