Genesis 45: 1 – 15
Forgiveness is achingly difficult, and long after you've forgiven, the wound lives on in memory. Forgiveness is an unnatural act.
Remember what happened to Joseph? He was sold into slavery and thrown in jail all because his brothers were jealous of him. When Joseph was able to rise to power and his brothers came before him, he was able to forgive them and save their lives by providing for them and their families.
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!
5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.
10 You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have.
11 I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’
I don’t know that I would be able to do that. I probably would be able to forgive, but would not go out of my way to save them. Heck, I’d probably not event tell them who I was, and just laugh quietly to myself over the state they were in.
If we read the few chapters before 45, we see that Joseph struggled with that situation as well.
Thankfully, for God, the Bible, and the salvation of the world, I am not Joseph. He came through with flying colors and the rest is history.
When grace finally broke through, the sound of Joseph's grief and love echoed through the palace. What was that wail? It was the sound of a man forgiving.
1 Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, "Make everyone leave my presence!" So there was no-one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers.
2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.
Forgiveness is achingly difficult, and long after you've forgiven, the wound lives on in memory. Forgiveness is an unnatural act.
Forgiveness is achingly difficult, and long after you've forgiven, the wound lives on in memory. Forgiveness is an unnatural act.
Remember what happened to Joseph? He was sold into slavery and thrown in jail all because his brothers were jealous of him. When Joseph was able to rise to power and his brothers came before him, he was able to forgive them and save their lives by providing for them and their families.
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!
5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.
10 You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have.
11 I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’
I don’t know that I would be able to do that. I probably would be able to forgive, but would not go out of my way to save them. Heck, I’d probably not event tell them who I was, and just laugh quietly to myself over the state they were in.
If we read the few chapters before 45, we see that Joseph struggled with that situation as well.
Thankfully, for God, the Bible, and the salvation of the world, I am not Joseph. He came through with flying colors and the rest is history.
When grace finally broke through, the sound of Joseph's grief and love echoed through the palace. What was that wail? It was the sound of a man forgiving.
1 Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, "Make everyone leave my presence!" So there was no-one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers.
2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.
Forgiveness is achingly difficult, and long after you've forgiven, the wound lives on in memory. Forgiveness is an unnatural act.
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