Hi Mike,

I am reading “How do we live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”, and in the section “A few Biblical Examples of this self- righteous Pharisee who is within us” I was reading the story on the silver cup which was found in Benjamin’s sack.
Fact is, that it was Joseph himself who arranged that this silver cup was put in Benjamin’s sack

Gen 44:1 And he (Joseph) commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth.
Gen 44:2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

I also see this:

Jer 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter:

… and:

Rom 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected…..

The silver cup was placed there “by the hand of the Potter” and “not willingly” by Benjamin, but “by reason of Him who subjects”; which teaches us God’s total and overall sovereignty.
When Joseph’s steward overtakes the men, he speaks the words that Joseph told him to speak, although that steward also knew that it was not Benjamin that stole the cup, but that the steward himself put that cup there.

Gen 44:4 And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?
Gen 44:5 Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.
Gen 44:6 And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words.

In this I also see this:

Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things
Amo 3:6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?

That cup brings evil in the city, but evil is only evil in the eyes of the blind, because…,

Gen 45:5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
Gen 45:6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.
Gen 45:7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
Gen 45:8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Joseph had to learn first, and he learned it through trials and tribulation, (1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God…) that in the end it was not his brethren that were responsible, but God, using his brethren, was responsible, and He used all this evil to “save your lives by a great deliverance.”
And in the New Testament we read it in other words about Joseph, his brethren and the great deliverance:

Rom 11:30 For as ye (Joseph) in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their (Joseph’s brethren) unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these (Joseph’s brethren) also now not believed, that through your (Joseph – those in Christ) mercy they also may obtain mercy. “by a great deliverance.”

That great deliverance will be the outcome of the spiritual “Lake of fire” burning out all wood, hay and stubble. This story and the who and why and how and to what outcome implications within are so huge, it is overwhelming.

Amo 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed? My prayer is that our Lord make our mind agreed with His Mind while in this vessel of clay.

Your brother in Christ,
R____

You have gotten the picture! Thank you for sharing this with me.

Satan will himself is being  purified by the “devouring fire and the everlasting burnings” of the lake of fire. That fire is Joseph and his steward, which signify Christ and His Christ.

Isa 33:14  The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isa 33:15  He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

Christ is the fire that burned the bonds off of the three Hebrew children, while simultaneously destroying those who were casting them into the fiery furnace.

Heb 12:29  For our God is a consuming fire

Joseph’s actions, and the actions of his steward, signify the fulfillment of these verses:

Jer 2:19  Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that [ it is] an evil [ thing] and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear [ is] not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.
Luk 19:22  And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, [ thou] wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
Gal 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

All that is required is “an accounting,” and an acknowledgment that God has marred us in His own hands. All that is required is that we admit and acknowledge that we have sold our own brother and our own Savior for a few pieces of silver. All that is required is that we acknowledge that we have indeed “lived by every word that has proceeded out of the mouth of God, and kept the things written therein.”

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Rev 1:3  Blessed [ is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time [ is] at hand.

If we do that now, then this your prayer is answered.

Amo 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed? My prayer is that our Lord make our mind agreed with His Mind while in this vessel of clay.

If we refuse to acknowledge God’s sovereign hand and think that we have volunteered to obey Him or decided on our own to disobey Him, then we, with Joseph’s brothers, will learn the Truth of this matter in the second resurrection, also known as the great white throne judgment or the lake of fire.
I pray that God will continue to open your eyes as this letter demonstrates He is doing.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike