Human Responsibility vs Divine Providence in Joseph's Story
Human Responsibility and Divine Providence in Joseph's Story
The story of Joseph in Genesis 37-50 presents a complex interplay between human actions and divine providence. Joseph's brothers sell him into slavery, and he is subsequently elevated to a position of power in Egypt. Joseph's own words to his brothers, "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20), encapsulate the tension between human responsibility and divine sovereignty [5].
The biblical narrative portrays Joseph's journey as a manifestation of divine providence. According to Calvin, Joseph's experiences demonstrate how God's providence operates through human decisions, even when those decisions are motivated by malice [5]. This perspective is echoed in the commentary of Matthew Henry, who notes that God's providence is at work in both Joseph's advancement and the preservation of Jacob's family during the famine [6, 4].
The concept of providence is multifaceted, encompassing God's preservation, governance, and direction of all things. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines providence as "God's preserving and governing all things by means of second causes" [1]. This understanding is reflected in various biblical passages, such as Psalm 104:14 and Acts 17:28, which highlight God's ongoing involvement in the natural world and human affairs.
In Joseph's story, human responsibility and divine providence are not mutually exclusive. Joseph's brothers are held accountable for their actions, while God's providence is seen as the overarching framework within which their decisions are made. Calvin emphasizes that Joseph's forgiveness of his brothers is not a dismissal of their guilt but rather a recognition of God's sovereign purpose [8].
The tension between human responsibility and divine providence is a recurring theme in biblical wisdom literature. The book of Job, for example, grapples with the question of whether God perverts justice (Job 8:3) [2]. The Thanksgiving Hymns from the Dead Sea Scrolls also reflect on the relationship between human agency and divine sovereignty, acknowledging that "to God Most High belong all works of righteousness, and the way of man is not established except by the spirit which God has fashioned for him" [3].
Reformed interpreters like Calvin and Jamieson, Fausset & Brown stress that God's providence does not negate human responsibility. Instead, it provides a framework for understanding the complexities of human decision-making and the ultimate purposes of God. As Jamieson, Fausset & Brown note on Proverbs 19:14, God's providence is at work in both the gifts and blessings that humans receive [7].
The story of Joseph serves as a paradigmatic example of the interplay between human responsibility and divine providence. While human actions are accountable to God's moral standards, divine providence shapes the outcomes of those actions to achieve a larger purpose. This nuanced understanding is reflected in the commentaries of Reformed and Nonconformist/Puritan interpreters, who see Joseph's story as a demonstration of God's sovereign care for his people [4, 5].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Providence — Literally means foresight, but is generally used to denote God's preserving and governing all things by means of second causes (Ps. 18:35; 63:8; Acts 17:28; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3). God's providence extends to the natural world (Ps. 104:14; 135:5-7; Acts 14:17), the brute creation (Ps. 104:21-29; Matt. 6:26; 10:29), and the affairs of men (1 Chr. 16:31; Ps. 47:7; Prov. 21:1; Job 12:23; Dan. 2:21; 4:25), and of individuals (1 Sam. 2:6; Ps. 18:30; Luke 1:53; James 4:13-15). It extends also to the free actions of men (Ex. 12:36; 1 Sam. 24:9-15; Ps. 33:14, 15; ”
- Job “Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert righteousness? -- Job 8:3”
- Dead Sea Scrolls “Thanksgiving Hymns (Hodayot) (1st century BCE), section 2: before You? He is kneaded from dust, and his dwelling is the food of worms. He is but pinched-off clay, and his desire is for dust. What shall clay reply, that which is formed by hand? And what counsel can it understand?" "I know that righteousness does not belong to a man, nor perfection of way to a son of man. To God Most High belong all works of righteousness, and the way of man is not established except by the spirit which God has fashioned for him." "As for me, I know that no riches compare with Your truth, and I have no desire ap”
- Genesis (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Genesis 47:13: Care being taken of Jacob and his family, the preservation of which was especially designed by Providence in Joseph's advancement, an account is now given of the saving of the kingdom of Egypt too from ruin; for God is King of nations as well as King of saints, and provideth food for all flesh. Joseph now returns to the management of that great trust which Pharaoh had lodged in his hand. It would have been pleasing enough to him to have gone and lived with his father and brethren in Goshen; but his employment would not permit it. When he had seen his father, and”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 2 (Gen 24-50), section 27.17: comprehend, than, as vessels of clay, proudly exalt themselves against their Maker. To save much people alive . Joseph renders his office subservient to the design of God’s providence; and this sobriety is always to be cultivated, that every one may behold, by faith, God from on high holding the helm of the government of the world, and may keep himself within the bounds of his vocation; and even, being admonished by the secret judgments of God, may descend into himself, and exhort himself to the discharge of his duty: and if the”
- Genesis (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Genesis 41 (introduction): Two things Providence is here bringing about: - I. The advancement of Joseph. II. The maintenance of Jacob and his family in a time of famine; for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the earth, and direct the affairs of the children of men for the benefit of those few whose hearts are upright with him. In order to these, we have here, 1. Pharaoh's dreams (Gen 41:1-8). 2. The recommendation of Joseph to him for an interpreter (Gen 41:9-13). 3. The interpretation of the dreams, and the prediction of seven years of plenty and seven years of fami”
- Proverbs (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Proverbs 19:14: A contrast of men's gifts and God's, who, though author of both blessings, confers the latter by His more special providence. and--or, "but," implying that the evils of Pro 19:13 are only avoided by His care.”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 2 (Gen 24-50), section 27.15: what right God has over us; so, on the other hand, when this thought has taken full possession of our minds, there is no ardor, however furious, which it will not suffice to mitigate. 20. Ye thought evil against me . Joseph well considers (as we have said) the providence of God; so that he imposes it on himself as a compulsory law, not only to grant pardon, but also to exercise beneficence. And although we have treated at large on this subject, in Genesis 45:1 , yet it will be useful also to repeat something on it now. In the fi”