Title: God's Reversal Drama/Genesis 45:4-8
Content * Text: Genesis 45:4-8, Acts 9:10-19, Matthew 10:29-30
1. God's Remote Control (Provide)
It was a mystery that no human brain could solve for Saul, the worst persecutor, to become Paul the best missionary. Christians interpret this as ‘the providence of God’. The word 'providence' originally comes from the Latin word 'providentia', which means 'pro, to see (video)'. As this word entered Christianity, it was used to mean ‘providence of God’.
The word ‘providence’ does not mean that God simply looks at everything that happens in the world. ‘God’s providence’ means to preserve, accompany, and guide the world created by God so that it can reach the goal planned at the time of creation. ‘Faith in Providence’ means completely surrendering yourself to God, who rules the world with the power of creation.
Paul was a diaspora (scattered Jews) who was born in Tarsus, a Hebrew among Hebrews who was circumcised on the eighth day. He was familiar with Greek philosophy and culture. And in terms of the law, he was a Pharisee who had the best education under Gamaliel and was blameless. Although he was the most zealous and loyal worker in Judaism, he was the most notorious persecutor of the Christian church because of his zeal.
God scouted these persecutors and made them the strongest witnesses of Christ. Through all these things, Paul came to realize the hand of God who is remotely controlling. So, Paul realized the truth about God's election and predestination, and testified that Christ chose the saints before the foundation of the world and that they became God's children by predestination according to His pleasure (Ephesians 1:4-5).
2. Directing God's Reversal Drama (Acts 9:1-19)
① There are many reversal dramas in God's providence. God caused Saul, the persecutor, who was running to Damascus, to kneel before God when he received a great light in the vicinity of Damascus, and his eyes were darkened. And by having Ananias lay his hands on him, he opened his eyes and called them as missionaries to the Gentiles.
“This man is my chosen vessel to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15).
② Joseph confesses that it is the providence of God that God allowed Joseph to be sold to Egypt as a slave, and after a lot of hard work he made him the prime minister and saved his family, the Egyptians, and many other countries in the Middle East (Gen. 45:4-8).
③ We are well aware that God produced a great drama in which Jonah was captured and sent to Nineveh to accomplish the salvation of Nineveh.
④ Mordecai was hanged to death on a high pole due to Haman's scheme, but God worked through Esther to produce a reverse drama in which Haman died on the pole (Esther 7:10).
3. God gives missions to His elect and continues to pour out the ability to carry out those missions.
God gave Paul, whom God had chosen to be a missionary to the Gentiles, filled with the Holy Spirit, restored his sight, and made him strong again. He gave Jonah the power of the word so that the people of Nineveh repented, and gave Joseph the authority as the prime minister, and Mordecai with the highest authority after the king, so that he could take charge of saving the people.
In response to the call that God had chosen and established, Paul said, 'I do not count even my life of any value to be of any value in order to devote my course and the mission I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God's grace. (Acts 20:24)'.
Those who are chosen by God have a deep understanding of God's providence throughout their lives and have lived with providential belief that the invisible hand of God is holding them (Psalm 37:24).
conclusion. The best reversal dramas in human history are the events of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God's providence of history is largely in the form of a reversal of drama. Therefore, Christians can always have hope in the midst of failures and setbacks, tribulation, persecution, and suffering because our God is the provider of the reverse drama.