Genesis 45:1 – 8 “Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Send everyone away from me!” So none of them were with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. But he wept so loudly that the Egyptians and Pharaoh’s household heard him. Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But they were unable to answer him, because they were terrified in his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near me.” And they did so.
“I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you. For the famine has covered the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God, who has made me a father to Pharaoh—lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.”
Twenty – two years! That’s how long it had been since Joseph’s brothers had seen him. When Joseph was sold into slavery, he was seventeen years old. Joseph began working for Pharaoh at age thirty, and now it’s nine years later. (Seven years of plenty plus two years of famine) Frankly, Joseph’s brothers had long since concluded that he must have died in captivity, and their consciences had given them no peace ever since the day they had sold him. Now the brothers weren’t sure if this was a dream or their worst nightmare. Obviously Joseph had become the number two man in all of Egypt with unlimited power. What would happen to them? How was he going to take revenge?
But listen to what Joseph was saying! “And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you. For the famine has covered the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God, who has made me a father to Pharaoh—lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.” Joseph was not blaming his brothers, even though he had the best reason in the world to do so. Joseph had seen the hand of God working in his situation and he knew that God was now using him to preserve his entire family. Had Joseph not forgiven his brothers long before that day, he could not have said this.
v. 9 – 15 “Now return quickly to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay. You shall settle in the land of Goshen and be near me—you and your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own. And there I will provide for you, because there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you and your household and everything you own will come to destitution.’
Behold! You and my brother Benjamin can see that I, Joseph, am the one speaking with you. Tell my father about all my splendor in Egypt and everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.” Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept as they embraced. Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept over them. And afterward his brothers talked with him.”
Joseph kissed each of his brothers and wept over them, weeping so loudly that all the Egyptians could hear him! Joseph had truly forgiven his brothers and they had to recognize that fact.
APPLICATION: Joseph and his brothers were blessed because they were able to reconcile and forgive before it was too late. Sadly, there are many families in which this is not the case. In one family of our acquaintance, two siblings had quarreled five years previously and had only begun to speak over the phone. But just as the one brother was about to visit his sister for the first time in five years, he died.
If COVID has not accomplished anything else, it has made us aware that life is fragile and time is short. Nobody has tomorrow guaranteed to them. Perhaps you have a friend, a neighbor, or a relative with whom you have been at odds. Think about Joseph; he was able to forgive the brothers who sold him into slavery. Now think about the person with whom you have the grievance; is their sin as bad as that of Joseph’s brothers? It’s hard to reconcile with a grave.
PRAYER: Father God, help us to search our hearts and to see those people whom we need to forgive and those from whom we need to seek forgiveness. Help us to clear this backlog of hurt and to keep short accounts going forward. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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