Their father had just died. His brothers believe that their dad is the only reason Joseph hasn't already killed them. It is in this circumstance that they contact Joseph and say (and they might even be lying), Verse 17, their dad said before he died, “This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly. Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.”
The brothers are guilty. They know it. They approach their Joseph – who is in authority over them – in full fear and trembling. It is with this same sense of deference and even trembling and we should approach God when seeking forgiveness (Psalm 2:1; Proverbs 1:7, 9:10; Ephesians 6:5; Philippians 2:2). We have all committed crimes against God and sins against our neighbours (Romans 3:23, 5:12; Cf. Daniel 9:11). And it is in light of this fact – pertaining specifically to worship - that Matthew 5:23-24 records, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” - if we want to be able to come before God we should make things right with our Christian brothers and sisters. Because we have all sinned we need to make things right with our brothers and sisters; we need to seek and to offer forgiveness and then appear before the Lord; when we do this it is exciting: we see such grace abound. This is what his brothers did. “But Joseph said to them, [Genesis 50:19-21] ‘don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me [ra`ah, literally "evil'], but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.’
Scholar Derek Kinder tells us that each sentence of Joseph’s threefold reply is a pinnacle of Old Testament (and New Testament) faith. It serves,
Now many of us have been hurt and that hurt to some of us may still sting just as much as that of Joseph’s being sold into slavery and being wrongfully convicted and of being betrayed by his own big brothers. But –even and especially in the midst of our pain and our sorrow - this is where we need to receive and offer forgiveness just like Joseph.
1) We need to refrain from seeking revenge or even justice for what has happened to us in the past as horrible as it might be;
2) We need to notice how God is working even in the midst of the evil done to us by our own friends and family;
3) And we must forgive our brothers and sisters for all that they have done to us; Joseph wept emotionally, and took care of them practically. He loved them and provided for them.
This is forgiveness and the Lord asks no less from us in our worship of Him. Luke 17:3,4 records that “…If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” Matthew 6:15 (cf. Matthew 18) states “But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
The Lord wants to forgive us and so the Lord wants us to forgive our brothers and sisters like Joseph forgave his brothers so that we can be in a right relationship with Him. He wants us to weep tears of forgiveness over our Christian brothers and sisters when they hurt us. The LORD wants us to notice how - even in the midst of the evil perpetrated against us and against God - He is working. And our Heavenly Father desires that indeed we will forgive and be reconciled with our siblings in the Lord so that nothing will interfere with our worship of and relationship with Him.
The brothers are guilty. They know it. They approach their Joseph – who is in authority over them – in full fear and trembling. It is with this same sense of deference and even trembling and we should approach God when seeking forgiveness (Psalm 2:1; Proverbs 1:7, 9:10; Ephesians 6:5; Philippians 2:2). We have all committed crimes against God and sins against our neighbours (Romans 3:23, 5:12; Cf. Daniel 9:11). And it is in light of this fact – pertaining specifically to worship - that Matthew 5:23-24 records, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” - if we want to be able to come before God we should make things right with our Christian brothers and sisters. Because we have all sinned we need to make things right with our brothers and sisters; we need to seek and to offer forgiveness and then appear before the Lord; when we do this it is exciting: we see such grace abound. This is what his brothers did. “But Joseph said to them, [Genesis 50:19-21] ‘don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me [ra`ah, literally "evil'], but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.’
Scholar Derek Kinder tells us that each sentence of Joseph’s threefold reply is a pinnacle of Old Testament (and New Testament) faith. It serves,
1) To leave all the righting of one’s wrongs to God (Vs. 19; cf. Romans 12:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:15; 1 Peter 4:19);
2) To see His providence in man’s malice (Vs. 20; cf. Genesis 45:5), and
3) To repay evil not only with forgiveness but also with practical affection (Vs. 21; cf. Luke 6:27ff.),
“These are attitudes which anticipate the adjective ‘Christian’ and even ‘Christlike’. Note that in verse 21 the I is emphatic: Joseph was promising something more personal [and practical] than philanthropy.”
Now many of us have been hurt and that hurt to some of us may still sting just as much as that of Joseph’s being sold into slavery and being wrongfully convicted and of being betrayed by his own big brothers. But –even and especially in the midst of our pain and our sorrow - this is where we need to receive and offer forgiveness just like Joseph.
1) We need to refrain from seeking revenge or even justice for what has happened to us in the past as horrible as it might be;
2) We need to notice how God is working even in the midst of the evil done to us by our own friends and family;
3) And we must forgive our brothers and sisters for all that they have done to us; Joseph wept emotionally, and took care of them practically. He loved them and provided for them.
This is forgiveness and the Lord asks no less from us in our worship of Him. Luke 17:3,4 records that “…If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” Matthew 6:15 (cf. Matthew 18) states “But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
The Lord wants to forgive us and so the Lord wants us to forgive our brothers and sisters like Joseph forgave his brothers so that we can be in a right relationship with Him. He wants us to weep tears of forgiveness over our Christian brothers and sisters when they hurt us. The LORD wants us to notice how - even in the midst of the evil perpetrated against us and against God - He is working. And our Heavenly Father desires that indeed we will forgive and be reconciled with our siblings in the Lord so that nothing will interfere with our worship of and relationship with Him.
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