Times when human evil was reversed by God's grace

There are times when we look at certain problems in the world -- there is no shortage of them -- and it looks like evil winning. I find it encouraging to look at times when evil looked like it won, but God reversed it so that even the evil ended up serving the good. Here are a few times:

1. Human evil: Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt.
   Reversed: God uses Joseph's position to save his brothers and many others.
   
   
2. Human evil: Caiaphas and Judas, among others, conspire to have Jesus executed on false charges. As Caiaphas said, "It is better that one man should die for the people than that the whole nation should perish." So an innocent man was brutally executed: crucified, died, and buried.
   Reversed: God raised Jesus from the dead, giving hope first to his own nation, and then to all nations.
   
   
3. Human evil: Saul of Tarsus travels far and wide to destroy the good news, having secured authorization to arrest people for faith in Jesus.
   Reversed: God explains it to him that he's on the wrong side, and so he (now known as Paul) travels far and wide to praise God and extend the good news.
   
   
4. Human evil: Eventually Paul he falls prey to those who think as he once did, and is arrested for his faith in Jesus.
   Reversed: Paul uses his time in prison to write some of his more famous letters, and uses even his court appearances to show his faith.
   

In some ways it is unfair to discuss Joseph or Paul alongside Jesus; they cannot be held to the same standard. Yet at no time did a mere mortal have his outcome depend on his own action. Still, their human faithfulness -- the perseverance in hope, and in confidence in God the Father -- was vindicated, and God's light was more visible because of their faith.