All These Things Are Against Me (Genesis 42:36)

Summary:

Jacob concluded that every circumstance was against him, although Joseph was alive, Simeon was safe, and Benjamin’s journey would bring deliverance. Believers often make the same mistake because their knowledge is incomplete, their present condition distorts their judgment, or they decide before God’s work is finished. Faith rests in God’s promises, perfections, and past faithfulness—especially as revealed at the cross—until providence is fully explained.

Outline:

• A sorrowful but mistaken conclusion
  • Every part of Jacob’s complaint was contradicted by realities he could not yet see.
• The limits of human judgment
  • Physical weakness, incomplete knowledge, and present feelings can distort our view of events.
• Appearances are not the final reality
  • Losses may become instruments of deliverance, while desired circumstances may bring sorrow.
• The danger of judging prematurely
  • God’s work must not be condemned before its purpose and outcome have been revealed.
• Faith while explanations are withheld
  • Believers find rest by trusting God’s promises, character, former works, and the cross of Christ.