Live 4 The LORD

 “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him,  (Acts 7:9, RSV2CE)

Was God not with the patriarchs? Was he only with Joseph?

• Human betrayal (the brothers’ jealousy) versus divine fidelity (God’s continued care for Joseph).

The point is not to say that God abandons the brothers, but to show that even in the midst of sin, God’s salvific plan does not break.

doctrine distinguishes God’s universal providential presence from the personal reception of grace that leads to salvation.

God’s presence is not the same as God’s approval

The Church repeatedly warns against equating divine accompaniment with moral endorsement:

• God’s providence can use the deeds of the wicked to bring about a greater good (as in Joseph’s story), but the moral quality of the actremains sinful. The brothers are still responsible for their jealousy and betrayal; they later experience repentance (Gen 42:21‑23).

• The Catechism makes clear that while God’s love “is present in each of us” (cf. 1 Pet 4:8‑10, echoed in the Council’s teaching on fraternal forgiveness), salvation requires a personal response of faith and repentance (CCC §2571). Thus, God’s presence does not guarantee salvation for those who refuse to turn to Him.1

• God’s providential presence is universal; He is “with” all people, including those who act evil, because He sustains the whole history of salvation.

• This presence does not equal approval of sin, nor does it automatically confer salvation. Salvation still demands repentance, conversion, and acceptance of God’s grace (CCC §2571).

• In the story of Joseph, the brothers’ evil deeds are acknowledged, yet God’s plan to preserve Israel is fulfilled through Joseph’s rise—demonstrating how God can work through even sinful actors without endorsing their wrongdoing.

Thus, God is indeed “with” Joseph’s brothers, but only in the sense that He remains present in the world and in the lives of all people, guiding history toward the ultimate good of redemption, while still calling each individual to repentance and conversion.