JOSEPH: Forgiveness and Reconcilation

Genesis 42-47

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20).

The story of Joseph, as we have been learning, opens with brothers who are jealous and allowed that jealousy to turn into anger, bitterness, resentment, and then treachery as they sold him into slavery. In doing so, they “killed” their relationship with their brother and deceived their father.

Joseph’s journey began with favor from his father, treachery from his brothers, enslavement to Potiphar, unjustly imprisoned, forgotten, summoned to Pharaoh and elevated to second in the empire.  His journey from the pit to the palace is a story of persistent faithfulness and choices that honor God.

I am sure Joseph was angry at his brothers, but he did not allow anger to turn to bitterness and resentment. Somewhere along the route through the desert, in servitude or even in prison, Joseph learned to forgive his brothers for their sin against him. He began to see God working in and through all the events that transpired. Although the text doesn’t walk us through his thought process and heart change, we see in his responses to his brothers the result of God working forgiveness in Joseph.

Danger: Anger

Anger is a dangerous emotion and we have to learn how we can surrender it to the Lord. I personally am always suspect of my anger, knowing that "the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God" (James 1:20). When we don't deal with anger in a godly way, it has a way of turning into bitterness and resentment. These produce caustic attitudes and actions that destroy others and ruin our lives. Ultimately, it can lead to murder, not necessarily a literal murder, but the death of a relationship.

This was the course of action that Joseph's brothers took, and Joseph could have walked that same path. But his attitude and actions demonstrated that Joseph has allowed his knowledge of God to shape his life:

"But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing" (James 1:25).

Testing: Forgiveness and Reconciliation

As second to Pharaoh, Joseph was placed in charge of securing food for the famine season. Now the famine has come to Egypt and the surrounding territories. The world is coming to Joseph for food, and this included his brothers. The dreams Joseph had early in his life have now come to fruition.

His brothers come to get food for the rest of their family and they do not realize that it is Joseph whom they are asking for food. They have come to believe their own lie, that their brother is dead. Joseph demonstrated a form of forgiveness without their repentance as he acted kindly toward them.

Forgiving others is commanded by God for all believers. It is to become second nature to the forgiven. God forgave us of much, surely, we can forgive others the wrongs they committed against us (Matthew 18:21-35). Forgiveness is as much for you and your heart as it is for others. It is the act of surrendering it to God, open handedly laying it down at the foot of the cross and not holding it over another person. Just as God doesn’t hold our sins against us, we need to learn to let go of others’ sin and not hold it over them.

Now forgiveness is not the same thing as reconciliation. Forgiveness is needed to start the reconciliation process, but reconciliation needs both parties to participate in order to be successful. Reconciliation is a process of learning to trust and mend the relationship. It’s hard to “forgive and forget,” which I am not convinced we can do. We forgive and we learn, and only when both parties learn do we see them reconcile.

Joseph, though he has forgiven his brothers, doesn’t trust them. So, he puts them unknowingly through a series of tests to see if they are repented for their sins and have learned from their wrongs. The test required risks, but provided opportunities for Joseph to learn about his family, provide for his family and bless his family.

Trust is something that is earned. It can take a lifetime to earn it and only a momentary mistake to lose it. As parents trust their children, the give them more freedoms. As teens disobey they break the trust. When you find yourself in a place where you lost the trust of your parents, or someone else, understand that you need to earn that trust back. It can take time and diligence, but it is possible. Don’t just demand freedom and trust, demonstrate the fact that you have learned and have grown through the circumstance.

The testing Joseph gave demonstrated that indeed his brothers have changed and were no longer the jealous and angry mob they were. Now they have grown protective of their younger brother Benjamin and honor their aging father. It is only then that Joseph reveals his true identity to them with tears of compassion and a loving embrace.

Joseph’s forgiveness was not based on his own strength or compassion, but on the promises of God”

“And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life” (Genesis 45:5).

Joseph recognized that God was at work and used his brothers’ sin against him to further His plan for the world. He saw that God was faithful to His promises and gained the strength to overcome the hardships he faced and the sins of his family by trusting in God.

Redemption: Promised and Provided

God’s plan of redemption promised Jacob that his family would be a blessing to the entire world. The story of Joseph shows how God works through an individual’s life, the ups and the downs, and fulfills His promises. Although we can learn much from Joseph the man, we have far more to learn from the God who is orchestrating events for His glory and our greatest good. Joseph’s story shows how faith in God can give an individual power to overcome, but it points us to another Son who encountered injustice, imprisonment and death.

Jesus was unjustly arrested, tried and put to death by sinners whom He came to save. Unlike Joseph, Jesus knew what He was getting into when He came to this world to demonstrate His love for us. He lived a perfect and sinless life in order to provide the perfect sacrifice for sin. He willingly substituted Himself for us when He died on the cross and shed His blood for our sin. When He arose from the dead on the third day, He demonstrated power over death and sin.

It is because He rose again that we know that we can be forgiven and reconciled to God. It is because of His resurrection and forgiveness to us that we can have the power to forgive and be reconciled to others. It’s not an easy task, but persistent faithfulness and choices to honor God will lead to seeing His power overcome the most impossible circumstances. God brought Joseph and his family back together, will you trust Him to do the same in your life?

A Story of Reconcilation

JOSEPH: Persevering in Faithfulness

Genesis 40-41 Joseph Interprets Dreams

It is easy to get discouraged in life, isn’t it? I am prone to think negatively and defeated thoughts when life circumstances don’t go my way. I can become self-focused and develop an Eeyore mentality if I am not careful.

I guess that is why I find it comforting when someone I respect as an ardent follower of Christ admits to struggling with similar feelings. I shouldn’t be surprised by it because it is very human to have emotional responses, doubts, fears and struggles.

But we are tempted to read about Biblical characters who did amazing things for God and think, “there is no way I could do what they did.” We read the short story and assume they are super believers who don’t struggle the way we do.

I find it easy to read through the story of Joseph and think that being faithful to God in tough circumstances was so easy for him. But we need to caution ourselves not to forget that he is human too.

Joseph would have had bad days too. We read about how Joseph depended on God and rose above the bad days. Consider what he says in Genesis 40:14-15, I’ll paraphrase. “When you see, Pharaoh tell him what I did and get me out of this dump. I don’t deserve this. I didn’t do anything wrong and I want out.” In that we can hear his pain, his emotions that resonate with us all.

If Joseph would have allowed negative feelings, depression and fear to overcome him in prison then we would not be reading about him today. Instead he chose to do something, to stay active and to trust God.

When I feel depressed, I know that I will feel like doing nothing, sleep all day and try to forget things. But knowing myself, I make myself get up, hit the gym, get out of the house and do something so my thoughts and feelings don’t overwhelm my day.

That’s what Joseph did at the end of Genesis 39 when he was in prison; he got to work. It’s because of his faithfulness to God and his work ethic that gave him the opportunity to meet two of Pharaoh’s officers.

Two Dreams Two Years

The cupbearer and the baker did something to offend Pharaoh, so he threw them in prison. While in prison, on the same night, they both had dreams that troubled them. Joseph sought to care for them and asked them what was wrong, so they told him they didn’t understand their dreams.

Joseph used this an opportunity to point them to the one true God and he declared that God has the power to interpret dreams when he asked them, “Don’t all interpretations belong to God?”

They told him their dreams and he rightly interpreted both. The baker would be put to death for his crimes in 3 days. The cupbearer would be returned to Pharaoh’s side in 3 days. Joseph asked the cupbearer to speak kindly of him to Pharaoh that he might be released from prison.

Three days later all these events transpired as Joseph predicted. Yet the cupbearer forgot about Joseph.

Better Late Than Never

Again, we encounter another reason for Joseph to be discouraged. He was forgotten by the cupbearer, but not by God. It’s so important that we remember in times of discouragement that God doesn’t work according to our plans, but his purpose is greater and his ways are deeper then we could imagine.

What if the cupbearer in his excitement from being released from prison, told Pharaoh right away? We don’t know how Pharaoh would have responded. He could have completely dismissed the cupbearer and told him he wanted nothing to do with a Hebrew slave.

But two years later, Pharaoh had two dreams that none of his wise men could interpret. That’s when the cupbearer remembered what Joseph had done for him. Joseph was remembered and was brought before Pharaoh.

God’s Wisdom Trumps Man’s Wisdom

Long story short, Joseph tells Pharaoh that God gives the interpretation of dreams and informs Pharaoh that his dreams were a message from God about what is about to happen. Seven years of plenty will be followed by seven years of famine. Joseph instructs Pharaoh to assign a wise person to oversee the years of plenty so that they will have enough food for all the land during the years of famine.

Pharaoh sees the wisdom of God in Joseph and appoints him as second in the kingdom. And Joseph did what he always does, he got to work.

From being a betrayed brother sold as a slave, to a unfair imprisonment, to forgotten in jail and now the second most powerful man in the Egyptian empire, Joseph continued to remain faithful to his God.

His story is a reminder to us that God doesn’t call us to do the miraculous, he calls us to be faithful. What we will see is that when we are faithful to the little things, trusting God, remembering Him, giving glory to Him, telling others about Him, surrendering to Him, we will see Him do the miraculous through our lives.

Joseph: when the going gets tough, the faithful keep trusting.

Genesis 39

Overcoming Adversity

Last week we left off with Joseph being sold into slavery. Can you imagine your brothers rejecting you and selling you off into a life of slavery? I can’t even fathom that.

How do you handle adversity? What is your typical response when things are not going your way? Sure, I’d imagine you haven’t faced what Joseph faced, but we all are confronted with major things in our lives that don’t play out as we thought.

Our responses to adversity demonstrate our character. We could throw a temper tantrum and show that we cannot handle it. We could sulk away and allow ourselves to get lost in depression. We could get angry at God and blame Him for not doing what we wanted. We could get real determined to prove others wrong.

The old saying says, “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.” We see this in the story of young man who didn’t make the cut to be on the varsity team when he was 15 years old. He grew determined and worked hard and later became one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history. His name was Michael Jordan.

We are not privileged to know Joseph’s thought process or how he handled the emotions of being sold by his brothers. But somewhere between being sold by his brothers and bought by Potiphar, Joseph decided, “when the going gets tough, the faithful keep trusting.”

Joseph seemingly understood the principal that God is working through every adversity we face in life. Much later, Jesus’ half-brother James would write:

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. James 1:2-3

On that caravan down to Egypt, Joseph affirmed his trust in God and decided to remain faithful to the God of his fathers, the one true God of the Bible. We see this in verse 2 of chapter 39.

The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. Genesis 39:2

This is so key, the “LORD was WITH Joseph.” This is one of the most profound promises in the entirety of Scripture, that God promises to be WITH His people (Matthew 28:18-20). When God calls you to Himself and to the works which He has prepared for you (Ephesians 2:10), He never abandons you but is with you (Hebrews 13:5)!

James also writes,

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you… James 4:8

In his alienation from his family, stripped from everything he held dear, Joseph chose to hold fast to God, to draw near to God. And God blessed him for it.

When we don’t allow our adversity to defeat us, but rely on God’s strength and His presence, we will see God do things in and through our lives that cannot be explained any other way then to say it is a God thing.

Joseph found himself purchased by an important man in Pharaoh’s trust, Potiphar, the captain of the guard. Instead of being bitter, complaining, or depressed, Joseph went to work. He faithfully served Potiphar as unto the Lord. Potiphar quickly noticed and began entrusting more and more responsibility to Joseph. Joseph trust in God was evident in his attitude and work ethic, because he believed “when the going gets tough, the faithful keep trusting.”

As a follower of Christ, your love for Jesus should be developing the Fruit of the Spirit in your life. This means that the Holy Spirit is the one who works in and through you in all of life’s circumstances. When you are loving Jesus and walking with Him, He will bring these about in your life, so you too will be an example to others (Matthew 5:16).

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22–23

When the fruit of the Spirit are on display in your life, others will notice and be blessed by your life. Potiphar saw this in Joseph’s life and entrusted him with all of his house.

Temptation Strikes

Joseph has overcome being a slave. He has overcome a bad attitude. He has overcome separation from family and from the familiar, because of his faith in God. Looking at what he has already faced, you would think he has had enough. But his story is still just beginning and adversity strikes in many ways.

Joseph was a hard worker and is described as handsome man. Although he was entrusted with a lot of responsibilities, he was still a slave. Potiphar had left the house in his charge while he traveled.

It was while her husband was gone, that Potiphar’s wife began to flirt with Joseph and tempt him. She tried to get Joseph to sleep with her, but he continually resisted. He told her that he could not do “this great wickedness and sin against God!” Joseph knew that God called him to a life of purity and He was not willing to disobey Him.

But Potiphar’s wife had set her eyes on the slave boy and she wanted him. She kept tempting him and he kept resisting. Until one day, she made sure nobody else was home and that’s when she became more aggressive. She grabbed his coat and demanded him to have sex with her. Suddenly, Joseph turned and ran out, leaving his coat behind.

Sexual temptation comes in many forms. Here, Joseph faced the seduction of a wealthy and persistent woman who was married to his boss. Today, sexual temptation may come from a boyfriend/girlfriend who wants to see how far you are willing to go. Or it may come from someone texting you or messaging you to show some inappropriate pictures. There are even apps today that are being used to send “gifts”, “affirmations” and money for people posting compromising videos or pictures of themselves.

Don’t give in. Stand strong and know that true love won’t pressure you to break God’s law. If you have given in, know that God is a God of forgiveness and promises to forgive if you confess your sins to Him (1 John 1:9). As we find forgiveness, Jesus calls us to “go and sin no more,” meaning we are to find freedom from sin and no longer go back (Galatians 5:1).

How can God be so loving and forgiving? Because Jesus lived a perfect and sinless life. He was tempted in every way we are, but he remained faithful when we were faithless (Hebrews 4:15). He overcame temptations, He chose obedience and He took our punishment so that we could have victory over sin.

Joseph recognized what temptation was and he ran from it. Temptation is anything that is inviting you to disbelieve in the promises, provisions and goodness of God and leads to disobeying the commands of God. In what ways are you tempted? Do you recognize it as something enticing you to disbelieve and disobey God? How can you run from temptation?

Running from temptation can come in the form of accountability, letting other Christians who you trust know how you are being tempted. It could be deleting an app, or unfriending someone from social media. It could be breaking up with a boyfriend/girlfriend. It can be hard. And it can be costly, but following Jesus is worth it.

Punished for Doing Good

Potiphar’s wife was angry. She called out to the guards and spread lies about Joseph, saying he accosted her. She then told Potiphar when he came home. Potiphar was angry and sent Joseph to prison.

Sometimes doing the right thing doesn’t pay off the way you might think. We live in a broken and fallen world full of sinners. Our culture today has flipped a lot of things upside down and what the Bible calls evil, culture calls good. Sometimes doing what God wants means that you won’t be accepted, you won’t be popular, and you may be rejected by some.

But know that God is pleased by your faithfulness and He hasn’t forgotten you. Don’t lose faith when things don’t go your way, God isn’t finished yet. For those who remain faithful, they will see God’s faithfulness, just as God remembered Joseph in prison.

But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. Genesis 39:21

You are loved by God and He will not forget you. God is the faithful covenant keeping God. He allowed Joseph to be sent to Egypt to ultimately save his people and preserve the promises He made. God will keep His promises He made to you too.

Adversity will come to you many times throughout life. Sometimes it will be bigger than you can handle on your own, but God is with you and will give you the strength to overcome. Remember that God is always working and moving in ways you cannot see, but He will prove faithful to those who hold on. Don’t allow the temptation to blame God and lose heart. Instead, be like Joseph who believed “when the going gets tough, the faithful keep trusting.”