Bible Reading Blog
“Joseph Forgives”
Categories: Congregational Bible ReadingBIBLE READING: Genesis 50
“When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.”” (Genesis 50.15)
Clearly, Joseph’s brothers still felt guilty for their choices towards him years ago. They knew they were wrong (Genesis 50.17) and that they were at the mercy of Joseph. He had voiced his pardon and provided for their needs (Genesis 45.1–47.12), but was it just a show for their father? In fear, they would not even stand before him to ask forgiveness (Genesis 50.16).
When Joseph received their message, he wept (Genesis 50.17b). His desire to be reconciled was obvious. But more importantly he knew his place before God. “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?” (Genesis 50.19). Despite Joseph’s present power and leverage, he knew it was God’s place to judge. Their past choices had harmed him, but it was God who allowed these events to happen. He had obviously spent time reflecting on these events and God’s hand in it all. That not only convinced him of God’s power but convicted him to love and mercy.
We have walked in the shoes of both parties. When you’ve wronged someone, you can feel powerless. As Joseph’s brothers demonstrate, humility is the best path to reconciliation. Pretense and pride do nothing good for us. Conversely, when you’ve been wronged our natural tendency is often judgment and justice. We want people to get what they deserve. Even in our closest relationships this can play out in negative interactions where we leverage our position with past experiences. But this only leads to more conflict.
The only path forward is in the presence of God. We cannot fathom forgiving someone unless we recognize his priority. It is his place to judge, and he will perfectly. But he also allows negative circumstances to change and position people for a better future. So we need to get out of the way and soften our hearts towards others… because we all need forgiveness at some point.
Forgiveness is one of God’s greatest gifts of mercy. If he were to count iniquities, who could stand? (Psalm 130.4). The answer is NO ONE. We must be profoundly moved by God’s choices. If anyone had the right to withhold forgiveness it would be him. But the scriptures tell us this instead, “He has not dealt with us according to our sins or repaid us according to our iniquities (Psalm 103.10). Not only that but he is willing to completely remove our sins – as far as the east is from the west. God’s forgiveness is deliberate, and it is total.
Like Joseph, we must be moved by God’s mercy towards us. We must learn to accept his goodness comes in many forms as he provides opportunity to know him. Perhaps your situation is being orchestrated for you and others to have a better future. So, in humility and fear of God, let us forgive others as we have been forgiven.
