Forgiveness and Reconciliation

Do you remember the last time a person wronged you, even in a quite negative way? What was your reaction? What did you want to do? In this article, we are going to examine the story of Joseph and how Joseph responded to his brothers who wronged him in a way that you might think deserved real punishment. Maybe you will think differently the next time you are wronged.

Let's start with some context in Genesis 37. Guess what Joseph's brothers did to him? They threw him into a pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites. Well that is just dandy. Why? Their father loved Joseph the most and gave Joseph a special tunic. Jealousy by the brothers, but started with the father loving Joseph the most because Joseph was from the father's favorite wife Rachel. Polygyny (a man having more than one wife), favoritism, jealousy, and Joseph being thrown into a pit and sold to the Ishmaelites - what a list of wrongs. I wonder what Joseph wanted to do to his brothers and how he saw his father having a preference for him because he was the son of Rachel. The Scriptures do not say, but what we do know is that Joseph trusted the Lord. Joseph was then sold to Potiphar, one of Pharoah's officials, the captain of the guard. How would you have felt if you were sold, having a cost for yourself? I would have felt devalued.

As the story of Joseph unfolds in Genesis 39, Joseph becomes a successful man that God sovereignly caused to be successful. Everything that Potipher had was under Joseph's oversight and became fruitful. And even though Jospeh refused to engaged in a extramarital affair with Potiphar's wife, the wife falsely accused Joseph, and Joseph ended up in prison. In Genesis 40, Joseph interpreted the dream of the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, and in Genesis 41, the cupbearer tells Pharoah of Joseph's success in intepreting his dreams. Joseph interpets the dreams of Pharoah predicting the 7 years of plenty then the 7 years of famine. Joseph made a survival plan for the Egyptians and the surrounding nations that experienced the famine and was appointed at 30 to oversee the plan.

Finally, in Genesis 42, Joseph gets to meet his brothers for the first time since they sold him when his family needed food. What does Joseph do after everything? He doesn't engage in vengeance nor is spiteful nor doesn't say no to his family. He loves his family and wants to know what type of men his brothers have become. Joseph to know whether or not he can trust them. That is quite a wise approach. Joseph gives his brothers food, and in exchange, tells his brothers to leave Simeon and commands to see the youngest brother Benjamin. The brothers tell their father Jacob what happened, and Jacob doesn't allow them to take Benjamin. But in Genesis 43, the family had to go back for more food because the famine became severe and brought Benjamin as promised. Joseph honored the exchange of food for Simeon and seeing Benjamin, and in Genesis 44, he tested his brothers again by putting a silver cup in Benjamin's sack and having his servants blame Benjamin for stealing. As the brothers were going back home, they were confronted by Joseph's servants and were accused of stealing. The brothers reacted by making an oath that the person who stole the cup should die and the entire group become slaves. Their sacks were opened and found that Benjamin had the cup. They went back to Egypt. Joseph said that the one who stole would become his slave, and Judah pleaded to take Benjamin's place for his father's life sake.

In Genesis 45, through the tests, Joseph saw the type of men that his brothers become and reveals himself. He weeps with brothers and requests his brothers to go home and bring the father. Pharoah saw all of this, and he blesses his family. The brothers go back home, brought their father to Egypt to see Joseph before he dies, according to Jacob, and they reconcile. What a story of the character growth of his brothers, not so much Jacob ha ha, and the forgiveness and reconciliation between Joseph and his family for all the wrongs done. How much more should we do the same?