It is hard to believe that we have been at this for a month now. It is my prayer that it has blessed you, challenged you, convicted you when necessary, and encouraged you through your Bible reading. As we begin month number two in Blogging Through The Bible in 2020, we are going to begin in Genesis 45. Genesis 45:5 says, “But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.”
As we pick up the story of Joseph, he finally reveals himself to his brothers. Of course, not before he messed with them a little more. Not only did he put their money back in their sack a second time, but he had his silver cup that he drank from put in his youngest brother, Benjamin’s, sack. Joseph had set them up really well, because Jacob didn’t want to send Benjamin down to Egypt with his brothers. Jacob said that if anything happened to Benjamin he would go down to his grave in deep sorrow. At first, that is exactly what it looked like would occur. Then, Joseph couldn’t take it any longer. He tells his brothers it is him. Their reaction is great. The Bible says that they just stood there speechless. After all, what do you say? You sold your brother into slavery, lied about it, and convinced yourself that the lie you told your dad was actually the truth. You had pretty much forgotten about Joseph, but now you learn that he is not only alive, but he is powerful enough to have you killed or thrown into prison for the rest of your life. Let’s be honest here, if we were in Joseph’s shoes, we would have been tempted to make our brothers pay. And this is one of the points we see, the power of God to change someone. Joseph lets them off the hook. He tells them not to blame themselves. Then, Joseph really drops a proverbial bomb on them; it was all God’s plan from the beginning. How was Joseph able to forgive his brothers after all they had done to him? He was able to do it because Joseph was finally realizing why it all happened. God was working His plan out. It’s easier to forgive those who have hurt us when we remember that God is bigger than any person or circumstance we will ever face in life. It’s easier to forgive others when we remember that God is in control of all things, at all times. It’s easier to forgive others when we remember that God has a plan that is being worked out every second of every day, even when bad things are happening to us and all around us.
Jesus, in the model prayer, taught us to pray, “Your (God’s) will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Does this mean that God condones everything that is happening in the world? Absolutely not! God does not nor will He ever condone which His word condemns. It simply means that God is bigger than anyone and any situation we are experiencing. This is why the apostle Paul said, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” in Romans 8. Part of desiring God’s will to be done is forgiving others. In that same model prayer, Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Jesus just gave us the standard we are to follow when it comes to forgiving others. We are to forgive them as often and for as much as God has forgiven us. We need to be honest, we have done more to grieve God than anyone else has ever or will ever do to us. Later in the same chapter in Matthew, Jesus taught that if we don’t forgive others of their sins against us, God won’t forgive our sins against Him. What was Jesus getting at there? He was reminding us that if we say that we are saved, that we are a Christian, our life must reflect that. And if we can’t forgive someone for what they have done to us, it shows that we don’t really understand what God has done for us by dying on the cross for our sins, and for forgiving us of all of our sins. Because if God gave forgive us for everything we have ever done, how can we hold on to one thing that someone has done to us? So let me end this post with a simple question, who do you need to forgive today? For Christ’s sake, and for the sake of your own soul, forgive them!
By His grace and for His glory,
Pastor Justin