Page 55 - The Divine Unfolding of God's Plan of Redemption

Satan is the author of all sin and consequently of all sins, whether spiritual or
moral. He prefers spiritual sin, wherein men ignore or disobey God‟s spiritual laws. If

he can have this state of mind without outbreaking moral sins he has achieved a
masterpiece. Unenlightened human nature only recognizes flagrant infractions of
moral laws to be sins at all. So if he can produce someone who is, in his heart of
hearts, a deep rebel against God (as all men are in the natural) and yet who carefully

observes all the sanctions of outward decency, he gives the lie to an undiscerning
humanity, to God‟s sweeping indictment of humanity and to the divine dictum that “all
have sinned.” Unfortunately for his scheme of things, such specimens of humanity are
very rare, because moral sins nearly always follow in the train of spiritual sins. It

becomes necessary for him on occasion, in order to induce to spiritual sin, to incite
first to moral sin. He is forced to adopt this expedient in dealing with God‟s people,
whose hearts are toward Him.

The serpent incited the brothers of Joseph to that hatred of him that resulted in his
being sold to the Ishmaelites and transported into Egypt. Though the sovereign hand
of Jehovah-God was upon him, yet we are convinced that the adversary was
responsible for a great many of the events that occurred in Joseph‟s history. For this

Satanic power, with which we wrestle, to accomplish his purpose of thwarting God‟s
purpose in and through the believer, it is frequently necessary for him to bid high of
the earthly emoluments which he controls. It was so in the case of Joseph. He became
lord over all Egypt, and it was the position he occupied and the means of

transportation which his position enabled him to provide, which lured Jacob and his
whole family to move down bag and baggage into Egypt. “Joseph is yet alive, and he
is governor over all the land of Egypt” was the announcement that Jacob‟s sons made
to him, and it was this fact that turned the trick for the enemy of souls.

The sequel to Satan‟s generosity is found in the book of Exodus (chapter 1). Here
we find that “there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph” (Exod.
1:8). Observing the rapid increase in the number of the chosen people, he devised a

plan to try to prevent their further increase lest they should become so strong that it
would be impossible to control them “and so get them up out of the land” (vs. 10). It
is deeply significant that that eventuality is one that above all else he desired to avoid.

At all hazards the testimony people must be prevented from “getting up out of the
land!”

It is a short jump from the time when Joseph was lord over all the land to the time
all of his people were writhing in cruel bondage! It was ever thus. The adversary may

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