2Ki 4:38-44 “For thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.”

[Study Aired September 8, 2022]

2Ki 4:38  And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets. 
2Ki 4:39  And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.
2Ki 4:40  So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.
2Ki 4:41  But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.
2Ki 4:42  And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat. 
2Ki 4:43  And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.
2Ki 4:44  So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.

This last section of the fourth chapter of 2 Kings looks at another parable that helps us understand how God provides for all our physical and spiritual needs which are met through Christ (Php 4:19). The primary lesson is that the physical provision is not to become an idol of our hearts but rather a reminder that God knows what we need, and the natural provision reveals the spiritual (Rom 1:20). That spiritual provision makes it possible for us to grow in faith and in appreciation of how He miraculously provides all we need through what each joint supplies in love via the body of Christ, until we all come in the unity of the faith via that blessed increase that comes through the vine by way of the Father (Eph 4:16, 1Co 3:6). Christ works through the branches giving us the power to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, and Christ is directed by our Father who gives that increase through the body both to will and to do of His, the Father’s, good pleasure which is to give us the kingdom (Php 2:12-13, Luk 12:32).

Php 4:19  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 

Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

1Co 3:6  I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase [spiritual provision].

Luk 12:32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

These verses below help us understand what God’s spiritual provision is all about. With them in mind we can look at the last few verses of this section of Kings and be reminded of how God worked with a longsuffering spirit with the prophets of old who represent the patience and faith of the saints being accomplished in God’s workmanship which we are today (Psa 132:15-16, Jer 15:11, Jer 15:20-21, Zep 3:13, Zec 8:12, Eph 2:7, Php 4:6-7, Heb 13:20-21)

Psa 132:15  I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread. 
Psa 132:16  I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.

Jer 15:20  And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD. 
Jer 15:21  And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.

Zep 3:12  I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD. 
Zep 3:13  The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

Zec 8:12  For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.

Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 
Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  

Heb 13:20  Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 
Heb 13:21  Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

2Ki 4:38  And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.

Gigal^H1537 is defined by BDB as “a wheel, rolling” and that wheel represents the “wheel in the middle of a wheel” within the body of Christ found in (Eze 1:16-17, Joh 14:20) where God is showing us how we are connected as a many-membered body through Christ (1Co 12:12, Col 1:27) experiencing in this life how all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose because of that middle wheel, our hope of glory within (Rom 8:28.

H1537 gilgâl ghil-gawl’    BDB: Gilgal = “a wheel, rolling”

The same as H1536 (with the article as a properly noun); Gilgal, the name of three places in Palestine: – Gilgal. See also H1019. Total KJV occurrences: 41

Eze 1:16  The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 
Eze 1:17  When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went. 

Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

1Co 12:12  For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

Again it is at that day (Joh 14:20) through Elisha, who typifies Christ, that we learn of this relationship granted to the “sons of the prophets” who typify the elect of God (Jas 5:10, Rev 14:12). What it is that God gives those sons is described as being given through the servant who is given instruction on how to serve the rest, just as we are learning how to serve one another in the body of Christ.

Jas 5:10  Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 

Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Elisha’s servant is told, “Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.” This food is needed because there is “a dearth in the land” meaning that our life goes through periods of spiritual dearth, but God is faithful to those who are called according to His purpose of election to bring Christ to us and to feed us with spiritual food that is convenient for us and given in due season. Christ is the faithful and true witness within us (Rev 3:14) who makes that provision through the church (Eph 3:10-11) and so the proverb reads, “Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die.” Christ will not deny Himself, His own body which we are, and will be victorious through the church (Mat 16:18) that He is blessing by answering this prayer, “Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me.” (Mat 24:45-46, Pro 30:7-9, 2Ti 2:13)

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Rev 3:14  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

Mat 24:45  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? [Joh 21:15-17]
Mat 24:46  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

Joh 21:15  So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
Joh 21:16  He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Joh 21:17  He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

Pro 30:7  Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: 
Pro 30:8  Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: [Joh 21:15-17]
Pro 30:9  Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

2Ti 2:13  If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

2Ki 4:39  And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.

This verse reminds us in the early stages of our walk what it is that we gather as the elect of God who have been ordained to be a kind of first fruits from the foundation of the world. We gather herbs in “the field” which represents the world, and we find a wild vine which represents the church in the wilderness that we come out of to become part of the true vine into which we’re grafted (Joh 15:5). The wild gourds^H6498 [wild vine] are a symbol of faith that is untried (or food that is uncooked) and not yet been “shred” in a seething pot, symbols of the fiery trials and judgments brought into our lives (1Pe 4:12) to refine us (Zec 13:9).

H6498   paqqû‛âh   pak-koo-aw’

From the same as H6497; the wild cucumber (from splitting open to shed its seeds): – gourd.

Total KJV occurrences: 1

H6497  peqa‛   peh’-kah

From an unused root meaning to burst; only used as an architectural term of an ornament similar to H6498, a semi-globe: – knop.

Total KJV occurrences: 3:  1Ki_6:18, 1Ki_7:24 (2)

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 

Zec 13:9  And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

Mat 13:32  Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

The knowledge is indeed Christ’s while yet still in Babylon, symbolized by the herbs and the wild gourds and wild vine, still wild and not yet prepared, like John the Baptist who was preparing the way for Christ with wild honey and locust (Isa 40:3, Mat 3:1-3). All of these food types are instructive for the new Christian, and it will be in the proper preparation and enduring through the process of maturing over time that we will be able to be strengthened with these foods to then partake of the stronger meat spoken of in Hebrews 5 (Heb 5:13-14, Joh 8:31-32).

Mat 3:1  In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 
Mat 3:2  And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 
Mat 3:3  For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 

Heb 5:13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 
Heb 5:14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. 

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

2Ki 4:40  So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.
2Ki 4:41  But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.

Until we’re granted to bring the meal^H7058 that represents our presenting our life to God as a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1-2), the word of God, which is represented by the food within the pot, will not be able to be digested and taken in to nourish our new man and destroy our old man. We can only “pour out for the people” after we are strengthened through Christ to present our lives a living sacrifice, which is our reasonable service to God (Rom 12:1).

H7058  qemach keh’-makh  From an unused root probably meaning to grind; flour: – flour, meal. Total KJV occurrences: 14

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

This action of bringing meal to the “great pot” is typical of what happens when we “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom” (Luk 6:38). We can’t see clearly how all these ingredients put into the pot are going to work together for the good, but God calls us to trust Him through our trials and much tribulation through which He will deliver us, which will result in our seeing all men “give into your bosom” (Rom 8:28-31, 2Ti 1:9, Jas 1:12).

Luk 6:38  Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 
Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 
Rom 8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Rom 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 

2Ti 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Jas 1:12  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

2Ki 4:42  And there came a man from Baalshalisha^H1190, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.

There came a man from “Baalshalisha^H1190“, which is interpreted “thrice-great lord”, who brought two gifts which represent the word of God that is given to us in due season and nourishes us that we may eat (Jas 1:17-18, Joh 6:51, 1Co 10:16). Notice that the food, which represents the word of God, comes from a pagan culture in “Baalshalisha”^H1190 because in God’s eyes we are gentiles and pagan when we have God’s gold, and silver and precious jewels, which are symbols of His word, wrapped around the idol of our hearts and claim ourselves to be spiritual Jews when we are not (Eze 14:3, Rev 3:9). It takes our coming out of “Baalshalisha”^H1190 and being dragged to Christ, who is typified by Elisha (Joh 6:44), to have that word purified in our lives so those idols are destroyed.

Jas 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 
Jas 1:18  Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Joh 6:51  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

1Co 10:16  The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

Eze 14:3  Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? 

Joh 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

H1190  BDB Definition: Baal-shalisha = “thrice-great lord”

1) a place in Ephraim near Gilgal
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from H1168 and H8031

God’s provision is being described for the elect now with these physical food sources that represent Christ and His Christ and the word of God that sustains us. What is our communion but the body and blood of Christ (1Co 10:16), and we receive this nourishment through the church where “the man of God” (Eph 3:10) is provided with “bread of the firstfruits” (Jas 1:18),”twenty loaves of barley“, which represents the witness of Christ’s undefiled truth we are blessed to be nourished with via the true bread of life who was broken for us. Elisha tells the servant to “Give unto the people, that they may eat” as Christ does for us (Exo 9:31, Isa 53:4, Luk 22:19, Mar 14:22).

Exo 9:31  And the flax and the barley was smitten [Isa 42:3]: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled. 

Isa 53:4  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

Luk 22:19  And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Mar 14:22  And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.

Christ’s body, which is the church, is represented by the “full ears of corn in the husks thereof” that are sustained through Christ and blessed to mature to that point so that they can be used to nourish the nations one day with God’s judgments, his words in the earth that will bring healing (Gen 27:37, Psa 107:20).

Gen 27:37  And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?

Psa 107:20  He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

I’ve taken this excerpt from Mike’s Revelation Series –  Revelation 1:5 – Part 2 – which explains that when we die daily and reckon ourselves buried into Christ’s baptism, we in turn become as that first holy seed (1Jn 4:17) that died and fell into the ground and brought forth much fruit, Jesus Christ (Joh 12:24, Rom 5:17). The first fruits are not just a kind of first fruits. We are also those who have become a holy seed through Jesus Christ Who will be used to populate the world with truth and be given the power through God’s holy spirit to judge the nations in the great white throne judgment so that they can be purified and made one with the body of Christ and our head Jesus Christ.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Joh 12:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

Rom 5:17  For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

*** Excerpt: 

So we are actually told to “reckon ourselves” both dead with Christ, and yet living “in newness of life” in Christ. But are we actually counted as firstfruits from the dead, as Christ is?

Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Jas 1:18  Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

The wave sheaf of barley, at the days of unleavened bread, immediately after the Passover, was the first of the firstfruits. However, fifty days later was another festival which was called Pentecost. Pentecost was also called “the feast of firstfruits,” because we, the church which was established on Pentecost, was to be “a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”

Rev 14:4  These [144,000] are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

Lev 23:10  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
Lev 23:11  And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.

“The sheaf of the firstfruits” at Passover, is Christ Himself. The feast of firstfruits, fifty days later, at Pentecost, typifies Christ’s Christ, the church.

Lev 23:15  And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:
Lev 23:16  Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
Lev 23:17  Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; [they are] the firstfruits unto the LORD.

Exo 34:18  The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.

Exo 34:22  And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks [Pentecost], of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.
Exo 34:23  Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel. [Pentecost is called “the feast of firstfruits”.]

“Thrice [three times] in the year…” are the feast of unleavened bread [passover], the feast of weeks [Pentecost], and the feast of ingathering [tabernacles] at the year’s end. These three seasons typify the three seasons of God’s judgments and His harvest of mankind. They are the first, the barley harvest in the spring, which typifies Christ, the first of the firstfruits; the second, the wheat harvest in the summer, the judgment which is on the house of God; and third, the grape harvest in the fall, when all men are raised up from among the dead and are judged and cleansed in the white throne judgment, lake of fire.

Jas 1:18  Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

So while our Head certainly does have the preeminence in all things, we are still “as he is… the first begotten of the dead and the firstfruits of them that slept.

*** End Quote

2Ki 4:43  And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.
2Ki 4:44  So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.

Our time of need is now in these marred clay vessels of flesh witnessed by “an hundred men” – ten representing the flesh (10×10). The servant provided spiritual meat in due season and “set it before them” and they did eat, because it was all done “according to the word of the LORD“. Elisha’s servant lacks the faith and is typical of us saying ‘Lord help me in my unbelief’, and Elisha, who typifies our Lord, helps his servant accomplish what seems impossible to his flesh:

2Ki 4:43 He asked: »How am I to feed a hundred hungry men with this?« Elisha replied: »Give it to them to eat, because Jehovah says that they will eat and still have some left over.« [Mat 14:20]
2Ki 4:44 So the servant set the food before them. Just as Jehovah said, they ate and had some left over. (NSB – New Simplified Bible version)

It is when things are done “according to the word of the LORD” that we will be properly nourished, not thinking above what is written (1Co 4:6), and believing that there is safety in a multitude of counselors (Pro 11:14, Pro 24:6). It takes becoming like children (Mat 18:3) in order to receive the word of God in due season, and God is humbling our old man for that express purpose of overcoming all the sins of the world within us so that we can fulfill the will of God in this life as His servitors to one another (1Jn 2:16-17, Gal 6:2).

1Co 4:6  And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

Pro 11:14  Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. 

Pro 24:6  For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 
1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Gal 6:2  Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 

We are called to “give the people, that they may eat“, meaning we are called to ‘feed my lambs, and feed my sheep’, and are assured of God that if we seek Him with all our hearts and minds and souls (Mat 22:37-40) that this promise of provision of His word which nourishes us will always be supplied, “for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.“

Mat 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 
Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Greetings Mike,

The purpose of my email is to seek counsel regarding ambitions. My greatest ambition in life is to be conformed to very image of my Master, Jesus Christ. How do I reconcile that with also wanting to purchase a house or pursuing a career? It seems as though to do so would be seeking to serve two masters. How do I go about daily living without becoming too invested in what daily living involves, i.e. the cares of this life? I work many hours to provide for my family, and I want to invest money in properties so that, eventually, I won’t have to work as many hours, but it seems that such ambitions bring a conviction that I don’t quite understand. It seems that to seek to pursue a career would involve me being consumed by the cares of this life, but then I wonder, “do I even understand the phrase ‘cares of this life’ as it is meant to be understood?” Any help would be greatly appreciated, Mike.

I am your brother,

M____

Hi M____,

Thank you for your very good question. You ask:

How do I reconcile [seeking the kingdom] with also wanting to purchase a house or pursuing a career?

You are exactly where other young men your age are. God has opened the eyes of a few young men, and they, too, have families to feed and clothe, and accomplishing that is a full time job. There really is no way to avoid having to work at least eight hours a day, spend time with your wife, and also make time to spend with your children.

That is ordained of God for this season of your life, and the scriptures make that super clear with these very sobering words:

1Ti 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

So the fact is that if you are meeting the needs of your family, you are “seeking the kingdom of God first”, and if you are failing to do so you are denying Christ and are worse than an infidel. Christ Himself tells us as “His servants”:

Luk 19:13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

So do not feel guilty for wanting to provide for yourself, your wife and your children. That is the Lord’s will for you at this time. You can still find time to pray and spend time in the word of God with your wife and children, as much as the Lord permits. The Lord works these things after the counsel of His own will.

When He wants you to spend more time in service to His body, you will be the first to know, because He will make that clear to you, and He will give you the desire to do so as He did the apostle Paul, and as He has done for me:

1Co 9:16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

I hope the scriptures I have given you will serve to give you some direction in life and the peace of mind we are all seeking.

Your servant in the Lord’s service,

Mike

[Study Posted February 15, 2015]

“In times past” the elect of God has indeed “walked according to the course of this world” being ruled by an evil and deceptive heart and mind which God created in this marred vessel of clay (Gen 1:1-2; Gen 2:7; Isa 45:7; Jer 18:4; Rom 8:6-7; Rom 8:20):

Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Through the revelation of Jesus, the elect are indeed privileged to hear His trumpets behind them in this age in order for them to be able to see their own deceptive walk and desperately wicked heart (Rev 8:6):

Rev 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
Rev 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last….

The day of trumpets is announcing the day of judgment which comes first to God’s elected church, the body of Christ:

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

This day of the Lord is certainly a dreadful day for this fleshly man of sin because the time of judgment has come to expose and destroy the works of this son of perdition through the righteous fiery Word of God for the purpose of bringing sanctification and salvation (Jer 5:14; 1Co 3:13-15):

2Th 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Under the theme of sanctification through servanthood, we also meet the typical elect of God in the life of Jacob where he first operated as a deceiver and manipulator. With this frame of mind, Jacob was not ready yet to be of service to God and His people. For some part of his life, Jacob was only focused on what he could benefit from a certain situation, as his outlook on life was limited to his own tent and his selfish ambitions:

Gen 25:27 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

Jacob manipulated Esau out of the rights of the firstborn and also received the blessing of the inheritance of the firstborn through evil scheming with the help of his mother, Rebekah (Gen 25:29-34; Gen 27:6-29). To take possession of the inheritance was another story for Jacob, as we also will learn that through the process of sanctification, God sets His elect apart for the sole service to Him and others (Exo 28:41; Exo 29:44; Joh 17:17; Eph 5:27; Col 3:24; Rom 12:1; 1Th 1:3-5):

Exo 19:22 And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.

Rom 15:16 That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

Jacob will also come to this position by enduring many tribulations and trials outside the protective realm of his mother’s directions and his own tent. This is the road of all God’s elect as we are all in desperate need of sanctification and redemption from this wicked natural heart to be set apart to function as servants in God’s holy temple, which is His kingdom (Rev 15:8):

Act 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

The elect will be those who will be raised up from death in the first resurrection and rule on this earth in the symbolic thousand-year reign over the kingdoms of the earth and be the judges in the lake of fire (Revelation 20). However, to be the first and in that first resurrection, we need to become the least or to be humbled to also be stripped of our earthly selfish nature and carnal aspirations (Mar 10:31; Luk 14:8-11):

Mar 10:44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.

Mar 9:35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

Physical Israel had to leave Egypt where they believed that their efforts produced food and shelter as they also later, after being freed, longed to be back in Egypt, even under that shelter of slavery to sin (Exo 16:3; Num 14:1-4; Neh 9:16-17; 1Co 10:6):

Deu 11:10 For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs:

The land of spiritual possession and its accompanying mindset are quite different from this earthy land and the conceptions of our carnal mind (1Co 2:12-16). Egypt is a type of our walk in the flesh where the waters from the Nile River were the only main source of water supply. The land of Egypt is irrigated by manmade systems and human efforts – “with thy foot” (Deu 11:10; Zec 14:18). The dependence on flesh with all its false doctrines, which is symbolized by the waters of the earth and the mist in the garden of Eden, cannot produce or sustain spirit life (Gen 2:5-6). These waters of the earth maintain the green plants and herbs which are unfulfilling. It is only the elect of God who are then permitted by God to “go on” to maturity to drink of the rain from heaven and the eating of more solid meat (Heb 6:1-3). The milk and honey of spiritual herbs cannot sustain anyone through the many severe fiery trials (1Pe 4:12). It is only the elect of God who are enabled to count these fiery trials all joy, as they know what they produce (Jas 1:2-4):

Heb 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Heb 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Through these ‘exercises’ God’s elect learn how to discern and handle the hills and the valleys in life because of the waters of heaven. They discover that God is in absolute and total control of everything that happens in every aspect of life:

Deu 11:11 But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven:
Deu 11:12 A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.

Jacob is entering this period of his life to have his “senses exercised” as he left for the house of his uncle Laban in Haran, on the instruction of his parents (Gen 24:8-10):

Gen 28:7 And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padanaram [plateau of Aram = a region in Syria/Mesopotamia = Gen 24:10; Gen 25:20; Hos 12:12].

Gen 28:10 And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran [meaning “parched” and “mountainous place” – linked to the region of Padanaram in Mesopotamia = relating to Babylon].

Jacob travelled east to get to the land of the people of the east:

Gen 29:1 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.

All God’s elect, typified by Jacob, must first travel eastward to Babylon, and go through their time in exile and to be deceived by our masters in Babylon. Jacob first came to a well, which is a very familiar place in scripture where important meetings happened and where relationships also started in many instances in scripture:

Gen 29:2 And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well’s mouth.
Gen 29:3 And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in his place.

But here at this “well in the field” we see a few interesting things which are noted for our learning. As we know, the field represents the world and also the false churches with their unfulfilling waters “of the earth”, because Jesus also declared that “everyone who drinks of this water [of earthly wells] will be thirsty again” (Mat 13:38; Joh 4:13-14). These shepherds at this particular well were also very dependent on this earthly water to temporarily satisfy the thirst of their sheep. These waters also correlate with the waters from “under the firmament” which are not the true waters of spiritual life from “above the firmament” (Joh 4:6-15; Rev 22:1; Rev 22:17):

Gen 1:6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
Gen 1:7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

God made that separation between these waters for a good reason:

Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isa 55:10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
Isa 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

The waters found on the earth are the waters from “under the firmament” which is referring to our dependence on our thoughts and our ways which always lead to death. Everything connected to this earth and this creation is what death and decay is about. It is the total opposite of the waters above the firmament which connects with spirit life and peace:

Pro 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

When Jacob arrived at this well, three flocks of sheep were lying nearby waiting for their individual shepherds to roll the great stone away. The number three is also spiritually pointing to the process of us drinking the waters of the earth when we are also weak in the faith. We are at this time limited to the mercy of the shepherds who can only supply the waters of the earth and the herb “of the field” (Gen 1:29):

Rom 14:1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
Rom 14:2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.

Jacob met these shepherds from Haran at this particular “well in the field” and they were the first to supply him with information concerning Rachel, which is significant how we also come to know about the true bride of Christ – through spiritual Babylon. God ordained it that we learn through opposites – we first meet the darkness in order to understand and appreciate the light (Gen 1:2-5; Gen 1:8; Gen 1:13; Gen 1:19; Gen 1:23; Gen 1:31):

Gen 29:4 And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.
Gen 29:5 And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.
Gen 29:6 And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.
Gen 29:7 And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them.
Gen 29:8 And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.

There is a clear consensus among these shepherds. This consensus indicates the negative application of having a multitude of counsellors when we need advice on difficult decisions in our lives (Pro 11:14; Pro 15:22; Pro 24:6). The churches of this world are all in agreement concerning the one mind they share in having false teachings and in their opposition to the true words and gospel of Jesus and His true church (Psa 2:2). We take part in this consensus at our appointed times, when we also relish this water from the earth and eat green plants and herbs as our staple spiritual diet. This is our time when we have “itching ears” to hear what our natural heart wants to hear:

2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

As in the case of Jacob, God’s elect first meet the false shepherds before they can meet the real and true shepherds. We first meet the “other Jesus”, or the fleshly Christ, before we meet the true Christ (Mat 24:5; 2Co 5:16; 2Co 11:4). When Jacob heard that his cousin from Haran is coming, Jacob’s old nature jumped forward to disregard others as he wanted things to be done the way he thought it should be done. He rolled the stone away to give water to the flock which Rachel brought, ignoring the convention among these shepherds:

Gen 29:9 And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep: for she kept them.
Gen 29:10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.

Although Jacob broke the consensus of these shepherds in this instance, we can also see that he is starting to show the heart of the elect of God who first look at the needs of God’s people:

Gal 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

In our time of immaturity, our human spirit controls our actions as it is only through the mature spirit of God in us that we will be able to deal with others with humility and meekness:

1Co 14:32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.

Jacob, in his immature natural love, could not also contain his speech or emotions in the process of meeting Rachel:

Gen 29:11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.

This meeting with Rachel introduced Jacob to his uncle Laban, and from there Jacob’s life moved into a higher dimension of learning, through which he will learn the hard way that God’s ways are not his ways:

Gen 29:12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son: and she ran and told her father.
Gen 29:13 And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.

Laban gave Jacob free lodging for a specific time period which in this case is “the space of a month”:

Gen 29:14 And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.

Jacob needed to learn at this point in time to work with his own hands. The apostle Paul also showed the immature believers in Thessalonica that he, as God’s servant, knew that working with our own hands has deep spiritual applications:

2Th 3:8 Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:

2Th 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

2Th 3:12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
2Th 3:13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

This has many applications to which we will give a few brief details here. The first thing we learn through this arrangement between Jacob and Laban is that it is required of every servant of God to be industrious and to provide for our own household, even in material things as it also applies to our spiritual sanctification. Sanctification in our daily actions and activities are part of continuously trimming our own lamps, and that is what the wise virgins in Christ will do as they work out their own salvation with fear and trembling (Mat 25:1-13; Act 20:33-35; Php 2:12-13):

1Ti 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

The way we live and provide in material or visible things for our own household, reflects our spiritual understanding of the invisible things of God concerning our works according to the measure of faith we received (Rom 1:20; Rom 12:1-3). Spiritually this also points to this important aspect of “presenting [our] members as servants to righteousness unto sanctification” as we walk blameless amidst a crooked world (Rom 6:19 ASV; 2Co 7:1; 1Th 4:3; 1Th 5:23; 1Ti 2:9-15; Heb 12:14):

Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Php 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
Php 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Php 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

If those around us cannot see the works of the faith of Christ reflecting in our behaviour and activities, we are indeed blaspheming the name of God when we speak God’s words which do not match up with our actions:

Rom 2:21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
Rom 2:22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
Rom 2:23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
Rom 2:24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

Jacob will also now learn, through his uncle Laban, that no one will serve “for nought”, although Laban himself was not beyond deceit in his dealings with Jacob at a later stage. Nothing we do on this earth is disconnected from the purposes of God for us:

Gen 29:15 And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?

———

Detailed studies and emails relating to these foundational themes in Scripture are available on the iswasandwillbe.com website, including these topics and links:

What Becomes of Our Flesh?
Another Jesus
What Are the Biblical Instructions for Finding A Wife?
Numbers in Scripture
Did Christ’s Disciples Provide for Their Families?
How Should a Christian Handle Freeloaders?

Hi Mike,

I have a question; I have read all of your papers. Now I’m reading Andrew Jukes. I appreciate your time and effort very much. My eyes have opened! OK, now my question; in Mat 6, Jesus says not to worry about food and clothing or basically being provided for, because he values us above the birds of the field. Paul, on the other hand, says, if you don’t work and provide for your family, you are worse than a sluggard. How do you harmonize these two different views? Was Jesus saying something for a different time? Something that relates to only the Kingdom when it comes time. If that’s so, why tell people that when it can’t possibly happen then or now, but future? Thanks for your time!!

Sincerely S____

Hi S____,

It is good that you have read so much and have gotten so much edification from my papers. If you are now reading Andrew Jukes, your spiritual journey will continue. Andrew Jukes wrote over 150 years ago, and though he never came to see who exactly the ‘harlot’ of Revelation was (He thought it was what he called “Popery,” or Roman Catholicism), and though he believed that physical Jews were still God’s chosen people, he nevertheless was given incredible insights into the “things of the spirit.”

Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

I have often said and still say, that ‘The Law of The Offerings,’ by Andrew Jukes is the most educational read I have ever experienced outside of scripture itself. That is because, as Jukes points out, ‘The offerings present Christ as God wants us to know Christ.’ And what is eternal life but “to know God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.”

Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

There is no way to know God but through Christ.

Now to answer your question: ‘Jesus says not to worry and Paul says provide for your household.’ It is obvious to me that you and I both consider ‘providing for our household’ to be a thing of great concern. Paul certainly thought so also, to make a statement such as, “If you don’t provide for your own household you have denied the faith and are worse than an infidel.” The obvious question is, ‘does Christ’s statement about His Father providing for the birds conflict with Paul’s statement about providing for one’s household?’

Let me assure you, there was no such conflict in the mind of the apostle Paul! Here are Paul’s own thoughts as far as the words of Christ are concerned:

1Ti 6:3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
1Ti 6:4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
1Ti 6:5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

If only many brothers in Christ could see the Truth of these verses! If anyone ever tells you that the teachings of Paul differed from the teaching of Christ, ” From such withdraw yourself!”

Now let’s read what Christ actually said.

Mat 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Mat 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Mat 6:27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
Mat 6:28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
Mat 6:29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Mat 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Does this really mean what this English translation says? Don’t even think about what you will eat or drink? As small as their brains are, the ‘fowl of the air’ certainly “think” about what they eat and drink. What is it that the ‘fowl of the air’ don’t do that we do?

What is it the the ‘lilies of the field’ don’t do that we do? What they don’t do that we do is revealed in a proper translation of these verses.

Do you see the three times I have emboldened the words ‘take no thought?’ Now look at Strong’s definition of the Greek word behind these English words:

G3309
μεριμναω
merimnao
mer- im- nah’- o
From G3308; to be anxious about: – (be, have) care (- ful), take thought.

Herein lies the answer to this apparent contradiction. “Take no thought” should be “take no anxious thought.”

Here are all the different ways the KJV translators rendered this word:

G3309
μεριμναω
merimnao
Total KJV Occurrences: 19
thought, 11
Mat 6:25, Mat 6:27-28 (2), Mat 6:31, Mat 6:34 (2), Mat 10:19, Luk 12:11, Luk 12:22, Luk 12:25-26 (2)
careth, 4
1Co 7:32-34 (4)
care, 2
1Co 12:25, Phi 2:20
careful, 2
Luke10:41, Phi 4:6

Now if you will go to every one of these references and insert ‘take no anxious thought,’ instead of simply ‘take no thought,’ then the teaching of Paul and Christ suddenly harmonize perfectly!

Yes, we are to provide for our own households. But we are not to be anxious about monetary concerns, nor any other concerns.

We must never allow the pursuits of money to come between us and the truly valuable “things of the spirit.” That is Christ’s whole point in this discourse:

Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon [ money].

As we mature in Christ, we come to see that virtually EVERYTHING that happens to us is “of God,” and in the long run, for our “good.” Just as Joseph being sold into slavery in Egypt, we will never be able to see the good of our trials while we are enduring them. But as Paul says ‘ Afterward they yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness.’

Gen 50:19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?
Gen 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it [ the very ‘evil,’ that Joseph’s brothers had committed] unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
Gen 50:21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
Jas 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Jas 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

The “trying of our faith” of Jas 1:3 is often the “chastening” of Heb 12:11. But regardless of where all these trying evils come from, the Truth will always be the same:

Gen 50:20 … God meant it unto good…

I hope this all helps to clear this question up in your mind.

Mike