Reading Plan: Genesis 45
Author: Blake Houston Choose Forgiveness
I wonder if it was hard for Joseph.
I mean, here we are, at the point in the story where everything is swinging Joseph’s way. He’s ruling Egypt, everyone loves him, and lo and behold, his brothers come down from Canaan to get food. Food that could only be given out by the hand of Joseph. The irony abounds.
I wonder if it was hard for Joseph to refrain from taking revenge for what his brothers had done to him. It would have been so easy to get a little payback for all of the hard times they had put him through. He was in the perfect position to exact revenge, too. He had all the power in Egypt. He could have punished, even killed, his brothers and no one would have questioned him.
Have you ever been in a similar situation? Maybe not the number two guy in Egypt, for sure, but having those same feelings of revenge, of wanting to get back at someone for something they had done to you?
If so, you’re going to want to take note of Joseph’s reaction.
Instead of payback, he offers forgiveness. Instead of revenge, he reconciles. Instead of hating his brothers for what they did, he sees God’s hand at work in bringing them to Egypt in order to save his family and their lives in the midst of a great famine.
Joseph, trusting in the dream that God had given to him, knew God’s forgiveness. And it was that personal understanding of God’s holy presence and reconciliation that led him to forgive his brothers. Here we have the crescendo of our story: Joseph was now able to see that it was actually a part of God's plan in bringing Joseph's dreams to fruition for his brothers to sell him into Egyptian slavery!
The enemy and our sinful nature would like to convince us that revenge and payback will not only settle the score but will somehow make us feel better.
It won’t.
God tells us in his Word that revenge doesn’t belong to us. It’s up to God to avenge the wrongs committed against us (and ultimately, against Him).
Instead, Jesus tells us that we are to love our enemies, to pray for them, and even to forgive them. Knowing how much God has forgiven us to make us his child motivates us to forgive others who have sinned against us.
Instead of revenge, we forgive.
Instead of payback, we pray.
Instead of hate, we love.
It won’t always be as easy as Joseph makes it look, but through trusting God and the dream he has for our life, like Joseph, we can move past revenge. Knowing God’s forgiveness for us means that, like Joseph, we can forgive, too.
Reflection & Response:
- Have you ever been sinned against? How did you take it?
- Do you have any unconfessed bitterness or desire for revenge in your life? Turn it over to God.
- Who do you need to offer forgiveness to? Take some time today to pray through it, and then send them a message, asking to meet with them.
- Prayer: Father, help me to know and appreciate the forgiveness you have given to me. Thank you for your forgiveness and for the reconciliation you have won through your Son, Jesus. Help me to be able to forgive others when they sin against me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
- Watch the worship video for "What He's Done" and reflect on what Christ did for you on the cross. Think of the mercy and forgiveness offered to you through Jesus. Pray and thank God for what He's done in your life.
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