Genesis 42: 25 – 28 “Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out, and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed. At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack. “My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.” Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”
To the guilty, everything becomes a new source of guilt. Until Joseph’s brothers entered Egypt and faced the reality of long – term imprisonment, they never considered the fate to which they consigned him. Now a generous gesture by Joseph is creating more fear and guilt. The brothers return to Canaan and report to Jacob, explaining how and why Simeon has remained in prison in Egypt and the demand for the brothers to bring Benjamin back with them.
v.35 – 38 “As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed. Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is happening against me!”
Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.” But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”
Talk about dysfunctional families!!! Jacob had six sons with Leah, Reuben being the eldest, and four sons with the two maid servants. Joseph and Benjamin were Jacob’s only sons by Rachel; yet, Jacob is speaking as if only Joseph and Benjamin are his sons and the rest of the men don’t count for anything! How horrible! It becomes obvious that Jacob has never really loved his other sons because he never really loved their mothers. Jacob was a sperm donor but not really a father. No wonder that when Jacob began favoring Joseph so obviously, the older sons were furious and resentful. Does this problem have its roots in the fact that Jacob was his mother’s favorite but not his father’s? Perhaps Jacob has forgive his brother Esau but has never forgiven his father Isaac, even after all these years. Jacob is more concerned about Benjamin who is still with him than about Simeon, left in prison in Egypt. And what caring grandfather would even consider for an instant the murder of two grandsons if anything happened to a favorite son?
APPLICATION: Many of us have made the same mistakes that Jacob has made. We have forgiven some people and have felt pretty smug about it. And perhaps we might even have sought forgiveness from a few people we know we have wronged. But when Jesus was teaching his disciples about forgiveness, he didn’t allow any wiggle room. When Jesus was teaching his disciples to pray, he told them, “Therefore if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24 Later Jesus also warned his disciples, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.” Matthew 6:14-15 We don’t get to pick and choose either the people from whom we seek forgiveness or the people whom we forgive! We have to make sure we seek forgiveness from those whom we have wronged and that we forgive those who have hurt us.
Oswald Chambers in his meditation for June 12th from My Utmost for His Highest writes,”God writes the new name on those places only in our lives where He has erased the pride and self-sufficiency and self-interest. Some of us have the new name in spots only, like spiritual measles. In sections we look all right. When we have our best spiritual mood on, you would think we were very high-toned saints; but don’t look at us when we are not in that mood. The disciple is one who has the new name written all over him; self-interest and pride and self-sufficiency have been completely erased.”
Jacob sought Esau’s forgiveness, but there is never any indication that Jacob sought his father Isaac’s forgiveness for having deceived Isaac. Perhaps Jacob felt somehow that Isaac deserved to be deceived because Isaac favored Esau, but that was still no excuse. Jacob’s acts of forgiveness left him with spiritual measles – fine in some places but not in others.
Ask God to show you those people from whom you need to seek forgiveness. Once that is done, you can start forgiving others with a clear conscience.
PRAYER: Father God, please show us those people to whom we need to make amends. Help us to fully and completely seek their forgiveness. And then help us to forgive everyone who has hurt us, keeping nothing back. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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