What happened to God's control over Israel when Joseph was sold into slavery?
When Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, God lost control of the embryonic nation of Israel. That sinful act led them into Egypt, where they remained under the Egyptian yoke for 215 years. Satan then held them until God paid the price of redemption at the Exodus.
Les explains that redemption requires something that was once owned and then lost. Israel was once God’s, but when Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery—though it was sinful and wrong—God lost control of the little, embryonic nation of Israel. They ended up in Egypt and remained under the Egyptian yoke for 215 years. Satan picked up what God had lost and held it tightly until God paid the price of redemption, first for Israel nationally and for the whole world in general. Finally, they came out, as recorded in the book of Exodus.