Evil – Genesis 50:20 (NKJV)

 

“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”

 

If in the previous lesson we saw that good is the outwardly beneficial, then evil is the inwardly destructive. It is selfish and self serving. This passage isn’t a simple proverb or psalm that points to specific actions (which are evil as the Scripture has correctly identified them) it is the simple label Joseph gives the thoughts, intent and actions of his older brothers, who allowed their jealousy and hurt to unite them in a plan to destroy their own family.

 

I wanted to use this verse and the narrative it brings to an end as a window to how evil germinates from feelings to thoughts to actions, but more importantly that God can transform for His purposes. Good vs evil is not a 50/50 fight where the actions of humanity control the balance between angels and demons. Evil, like darkness, has a limit set by God. [Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? “Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.” – Job 1:8-10] That’s the first thing to know. Evil has divine boundaries it can not cross of its own will.

 

The second thing about evil is that even selfish thoughts can lead to grave actions. Joseph was the only son of Rachel, the woman Jacob/Israel had worked 14 years to marry. Joseph’s brothers were the sons of Rachel’s sister Leah and their respective servants. Jacob/Israel showed Joseph favoritism outwardly, which is the genesis of the evil his brothers would plan for him. Then God manifests a gift of dreams in Joseph, and not only that the dreams are of his family bowing down to him! So now it seems like God favors Joseph too! This is when the brothers devise a plan to originally kill Joseph, but a brother points out that if Joseph actually dies their father might die in grief so they decide to act like Joseph MAY have died by getting mauled by a wild animal. So they throw Joseph in a pit and sell him into slavery to people on their way to Egypt.

 

Do you see how easy it is for humans to justify evil? Taking care of oneself is the number one way evil justifies itself. The issue is evil doesn’t care who it hurts, lies to, cheats or damages to get what it wants. [“My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;” – Proverbs 1:10-11] Evil seeks to gain through pain and harm. It seeks destruction not benefit of others. [Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, But counselors of peace have joy. – Proverbs 12:20] Evil is deceitful both to the victim and practitioner. Look at the course of human history. When there was a great evil done one group of humans had to deceive themselves that their victims weren’t human as well. A thief has to convince themselves the victim doesn’t need their goods. A liar convinces themselves that the truth is too painful to share. Evil corrupts how one and on a broader scale communities and societies see the world and its inhabitants. That deceit runs deep and only allegiance to the truth can fight against it.