16 He called down famine on the land
and destroyed all their supplies of food;
17 and he sent a man before them—
Joseph, sold as a slave.
18 They bruised his feet with shackles,
his neck was put in irons,
19 till what he foretold came to pass,
till the word of the Lord proved him true.
20 The king sent and released him,
the ruler of peoples set him free.
21 He made him master of his household,
ruler over all he possessed,
22 to instruct his princes as he pleased
and teach his elders wisdom.
23 Then Israel entered Egypt;
Jacob resided as a foreigner in the land of Ham.
24 The Lord made his people very fruitful;
he made them too numerous for their foes,
25 whose hearts he turned to hate his people,
to conspire against his servants. NIV
This section of Psalm 105
recounts how God’s covenant plan unfolded through some remarkably unlikely
scenarios. Take a moment to read through verses 16-25. As you read, make a list
of those circumstances that made God’s plan seem “unlikely” and also highlight
the “hints” of God’s plan in action.
UNLIKELY | HINTS
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Looking back quickly
through the first 15 verses, what did God do according to His covenant before
Joshua?
From what you read in
verses 16-25, what would you say was God’s generational plan continuing through
Joshua?
::::: DIGGING DEEPER :::::
If you’d like, take time
to read the account of Joseph in Genesis 37-50. Through his stories, when might he have thought of God’s promises as unlikely and when
did he see hints of God’s plan at work?
::::: APPLICATION
CHALLENGE :::::
In what ways has God
worked in people that you know who are older than you? In what ways is God
working His plans in you today? In what ways do you pray God will work in the
lives of those who follow you?