Genesis 50:15 – 21 “When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge? Then he will surely repay us for all the evil that we did to him.” So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Before he died, your father commanded, ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I beg you, please forgive the transgression and sin of your brothers, for they did you wrong.’ So now, Joseph, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept. His brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, “We are your slaves!” But Joseph replied, “Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God? As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people. Therefore do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” So Joseph reassured his brothers and spoke kindly to them.”
Joseph’s brothers have a right to be concerned! After all, Joseph spent thirteen years as a slave and in prison because of them. And now that Jacob is dead and buried, what is to prevent Joseph from taking revenge? So the brothers message Joseph, begging him to forgive them and telling him that they are willing to be his slaves. Joseph’s dream as a teenager has come true.
Joseph has a choice: continue to forgive, or take vengeance. But those years in prison have taught Joseph lessons he would not have learned in any other way. Joseph now sees the hand of God in his being brought to Egypt; after all, the slave traders could have sold him somewhere else. Looking back, Joseph now sees that God was with him every step of the way and that God was preparing him for his current role as administrator to Pharaoh. Why hold a grudge when things have worked out well?
When I was growing up on an Illinois farm, we had a large Newfoundland dog; unfortunately, the dog was fond of dragging dead carcasses of squirrels, baby pigs, etc., up to our house. That dog couldn’t understand why we weren’t delighted with her offerings and why we immediately burned the dead bodies! We found out that if we merely buried the bodies, the dog would dig them up and drag them out again. People who insist on carrying grudges are a lot like that dog. Someone hell – bent on carrying a grudge will do anything to dig it back up and drag it around. And just like those dead bodies, the longer the grudge is dragged around, the worse it smells!
Life as a prisoner and a slave in Egypt gave Joseph plenty of opportunity to see the results of court intrigues and the futility of bearing grudges. It’s likely that Joseph might also have seen tragic examples of people bent on wreaking vengeance on one another and spoiling many lives in the process. God had taught Joseph not to hold a grudge!
APPLICATION: Are you carrying a grudge? “But they really did me dirt! They really hurt me!” you say. There’s no doubt that if you live long enough, you are going to be hurt, many times by the very people whom you have tried to help. Just this morning I was reading a post from a fellow missionary in another part of Africa. This brother was being summoned to appear before local authorities because one of his workers who had mishandled money was attempting to cover up his wrong – doings by accusing our friend instead. The saddest part of the whole thing was that this worker was someone our brother had trusted implicitly, making the betrayal far more painful. The point this missionary was making with his post was the very lesson that Joseph had to learn: you must be prepared to forgive people repeatedly, even when they continue to betray you and cause problems for you with local leaders.
Dump that grudge at the foot of the cross and leave it alone! If you find yourself mentally rehearsing the details of the offense, ask Jesus to help you drop it. After all, God says in His Word that He has set our sins as far as the east is from the west.
PRAYER: Father God, help us to forgive others from our hearts and to drop all the grudges we have been carrying. Help us to bury those grudges in the depth of your love and to leave them there. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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