Joseph was thrown into a pit in the
wilderness by his jealous brothers. They planned to kill him, but his
brother Reuben suggested they throw him into a nearby pit instead (Gen.
37:18-22). It was no accident
that the pit just happened to be at that spot. Someone came at
an earlier time and dug the hole, and then abandoned it—never realizing that
God had guided him to do that. The Lord knew that a pit needed to be at that
exact spot, which would one day save Joseph’s life. It was an ordained pit. Notice
three things:
1. The pit gave them another option so
that Joseph wouldn’t be killed. His brothers intended to
kill him (Plan A) but the pit gave them another way to get rid of him without
shedding blood (Plan B). Rueben told his brothers, “Shed no blood. Throw him
into this pit…but do not lay hands on him”—that he might rescue him out of their
hands, to restore him to his father (37:22).
2. God made sure the pit was dry. “Now the pit was empty without any water in it” (37:24).
Normally these pits collected rainwater, but this one didn’t. If water had been
in it, Joseph would have drowned. God made sure the conditions were right
for Joseph to live.
3. The pit was used as a holding
tank until the Midianite traders came by,
bought him as a slave and escorted him to Egypt (37:25-28). It was no accident
that the traders just happened to travel by
that route at just the right time. God was leading them (without them
knowing it) so they would take Joseph to the ordained destination. The Lord orchestrated a divine appointment to
exalt him to be a ruler in Egypt.
Sooner or later, someone is going to
throw you into a pit. When it happens, keep in mind that the Lord
has a purpose for your pit, just like He had a purpose for Joseph’s pit. Even
though it’s not the best of circumstances, it’s keeping something worse from
happening to you. Your enemy might think that he has
won by rejecting you, but God always has the last word in your situation. He
is using your pit as a temporary situation to get you to a much better
place. And He will, if you will keep trusting God, keep your
heart right and not get bitter at the one who threw you in the pit. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com
www.makinglifecount.net
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Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174
