God in the Ebb & Flow of Life:
Healing Old Wounds
Scripture Text: Genesis 45.1-15
INTRODUCTION
Last week we were left with loose-ends. The brothers sat at the table, …feasting and drinking with Joseph ~ …although they had no-idea who he really-was, …and they didn’t understand why this-stranger was treating them this-way.
They were afraid that he was gonna trick them: …that he was-going-to steal their donkeys, …and make them his slaves.
There’s other loose-ends… Is Joseph toying with his brothers? Why doesn’t he tell them who he is? Why the charade of accusing them of being spies?
Although I’m convinced that Joseph had-forgiven them for the hurt-and-pain that they had caused-him… I’m sure that he forgave-them, at-some-point, earlier-in-his-life: …whether it-was while he was being-transported in the slave-gang-caravan (just hours after he was betrayed and sold into slavery), …or whether it was while he sat in prison (when he lots-of-time to reflect on his life), …or certainly by-the-time he was released from-prison, … and when his first-born-son came-along; …at whatever-point, Joseph had-forgiven them, …Still, …we’re left wondering whether he’s taken-it-back because the-way that he treats his brothers (on their two-visits) …it’s perplexing!...
He hides his identity! He speaks harshly to them He accuses them of being spies. (On-the-first-visit) He put the whole-lot-of-them in prison for 3 days… …and-then, he kept one-brother (Simeon) and-sent the rest back-to-Canaan. Then, after-they-returned for a second-visit, (and Joseph hosted them for a feast in his-own-house) …then he pulled a big-bad swithcheroo: …putting all-their-money back in the food-sacks, …along with his own-personal silver-cup!
Of course, …the brothers didn’t know about this, …and they were just-glad to get-outta-Dodge with-their-lives and-the-food that they so-desperately needed. But-then, …Joseph sent a posse after-them to collect his mug. The brothers denied stealing anything… but-alas!
There it was! In Benjamin’s sack! The posse took the dejected-brothers back-to-face their doom, …back to face their terrible-master!
When they come before Joseph (for the third-time, now), …Joseph accuses them of deception and stealing and ingratitude. Chapter-44 is a heart-rending-exchange as Joseph accuses, …and Judah passionately-pleads for his youngest-brother’s-life!
As you read through the story, your heart-breaks, …and you have so-many questions because there are so-many loose-ends: “What is he waiting for? “Why doesn’t he tell them who he is? “How long will the charade go on? “Is he going to forgive them - (now-that they are face-to-face), “…or, will he unleash on-them a torrent-of-vengeance?”…
So-many unanswered-questions!
TRANSITION
I went-back and re-read the story-again, in its entirety… And I think that I’ve realized what was not the reason for Joseph’s charade: First, he was waiting for the brothers to acknowledge their guilt (in-terms-of the way they had treated him and betrayed him and sold him into slavery) ~ …ya see, on-their-first-trip, …the brothers make the following statement:
“Surely we are being punished because of our brother…Now we must give an accounting for his blood!” (Gen 42.21-22).
So, Joseph didn’t go-through-the-charade of hiding his identity, …waiting for his brothers to acknowledge their own-guilt; …they had-already-done-that during their first-meeting!
And, he wasn’t-waiting for the dream to-be-fulfilled… You-remember, …the dream about his brothers bowing-down before-him? Because during their two-visits to Egypt, …his brothers had already-bowed down to Joseph four times! So, Joseph didn’t go-through-the-charade of hiding-his-identity, …waiting for his brothers to bow-down to him (thus, fulfilling the dream); …they had-already-done-that numerous-times ~ …and-still, he continued to hide who-he-was!
And, I don’t-think that he was waiting to see what-was in-their-hearts. In their various speeches and conversations, …it’s clear that they know-they’re-guilty for treating-him-badly, all-those-years-ago; …and it’s clear that they are deeply-concerned for the grief that their father lived-under; …and it’s clear that at-least Judah-and-Rueben are gravely-concerned about Benjamin’s safety; …and they believe-that God was punishing-them for their sins against-Joseph. So, Joseph wasn’t waiting to-reveal his-identity until they revealed-their-hearts…. …they had done this numerous-times, …in-different-ways.
We’re just-left with loose-ends: “What is he waiting for? “How long will this go on? “Will he forgive them, again - (now-that they are face-to-face), “…or, will he-instead unleash on-them a tidal-wave of vengeance?”… That’s where Joseph’s heart is at. Wrestling. Coming-to-terms with old-wounds …now-re-opened. Forgiveness, …once-offered in the absence of the offenders; …but-now, …staring-them-down, …face-to-face. What will Joseph choose to do!?!
Let’s read the next segment-of-Joseph’s-story. Genesis 45.
READ Genesis 45.1-15
BODY
I. Whose Actions Really Matter?
Whose actions really matter? ~ …Joseph’s? …his brothers? …or God’s?
In-some-way, …everyone’s actions-and-choices matter! But, (with-that-said) we’re-always-tempted to focus-on-ourselves. And-so, we have to-know that it’s-not-all-about-us!
Sure, …we have a part-to-play, …but in-and-through our actions and choices, …sometimes despite our decisions, …God is working to redeem and restore and heal. We see this played-out in the story of Joseph and his brothers…
II. Forgiveness Offered
Joseph forgives these-rascals. This isn’t the first-time ~ …but it is the first-time he’s forgiven them face-to-face!
Old-wounds, …old-grudges, …old-temptations to hold-onto old-feelings ~ …these-things have no-grip on Joseph’s heart. He will not bury them, …or suppress-them, …or vainly sweep-them under-the-rug. Once-more ~ now, in-the-presence of those-who-hurt-him so deeply ~ …once-more, …Joseph turns them-over, …let’s them go, …releases them into the sovereign hands of God.
Joseph may have forgiven them long-before he saw-them. In-fact, …he may-have-forgiven them many-times at different-stages in his life-journey. But-now, …he does-so, …face-to-face.
Is it important for him to do this ~ …to forgive-them to their-faces? Couldn’t he have just sent-them-away, …forget-about telling-them who-he-was, …but doing-them no-harm?
It is important for him to say it. There is something about giving-voice to what-you’ve-decided in your heart! It’s a way to crystallize the decision, …to solidify and make-it-firm. Joseph forgives his brothers ~ …and in-doing-so, …he ties up the loose-ends for-us. Whatever his reason for holding-off ‘til-now, …the important-thing is, …he chooses forgiveness in this new-situation.
And-by-choosing-to-forgive, Joseph releases his-own heart to heal; …and he releases his-brothers to discover God’s-healing for the tremendous-guilt that-burdens their hearts!
“[I]n a word of human forgiveness, something of the thoughts of peace which God has toward our human world can be realized.” (Westermann, 98)
It is important for us to speak-the-word of forgiveness. The power-of-the-spoken-word ~ …God is able to work in new-ways when forgiveness is spoken, …not-just privately-decided. PAUSE 3
III. God’s Plans
Have you ever thought-that God has a “chip” on His shoulder? ~
And-when-it-comes to the people who sin-against-us,
…that it makes-it-a-little-easier to forgive-them because we know that eventually God will stick-it to-‘em!...
In-other-words, …”I don’t have to get-even because God is gonna-take-care of the “turkeys” who’ve caused me such-pain!” ~ Have you ever-thought that?
That’s-not the motivation that lies-behind forgiveness! We forgive because we have been forgiven!
In-Joseph’s-case, He has a completely-different-perspective on the events that shaped his life. We know-and-understand that his brothers’-choices caused incredible-suffering. But, Joseph chooses to focus on how God worked behind-the-scenes to redeem Joseph’s suffering.
Twice-Joseph-says, “God brought me here, not you.” He is not going to play the “blame game”; …he’s not gonna replay the memory-tape of betrayal-and-suffering; …he’s not going-to hold-court and pronounce them guilty and worthy of punishment.
Instead, he has found a new-perspective ~ …one based-on faith and grace and the recognition that God has been at work in the unfolding of his life!... God has been working all-along-the-way!
Certainly, …there have been times when it’s been very-difficult to see His fingerprints; …there have been moments when it seemed as though Joseph was on-his-own and God was nowhere to-be-found. But, Joseph believes that God has been with him throughout the ebb-and-flow, …in the highs-and-lows, …in the good-times and the bad: “God brought me here, not you.”
Now, to-some, …that-may-sound-like God orchestrated every-experience that Joseph endured. Let’s-be-absolutely-clear: God did not will that Joseph’s brothers betray him; …God didn’t will that Joseph be sold-into-slavery; …God didn’t tell Potiphar’s-wife to lie-about-Joseph; …or that Joseph would suffer-away in prison for all-those-years!
Those-things were the result of sinful human-choices. And Joseph suffered as-a-result of each-of-them!
But… God worked through those situations-and-circumstances to bring-good out-of-them! God is able to transform the results of sinful-choices to bring-about His good and perfect plan.
The Lord-God worked in each chapter of Joseph’s-life ~ …despite hatred …and betrayal, …false-accusations, …and great-suffering ~ …despite-it-all, …God continued to work …and to rescue, …and to bring him along toward the ultimate-plan that God had for him.
And in-this-segment of Joseph’s-life, …we find another loose-end of God’s plan being tied-up: …the healing of old-wounds, …the restoration of broken-relationships.
God has done His amazing work in Joseph’s heart; …and now He works through the forgiveness that Joseph speaks, …God opens the door for his-brothers to step-through and accept the gift prepared by God for them, too!
I know that Joseph lived more-than a thousand-years before Jesus stepped-onto-the-stage of human-history; …but all-that-takes-place between Joseph and his brothers sounds strangely-similar to the mission God has given to all-Christians:
“God… reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ… And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” (2 Cor 5.18-20)
CONCLUSION
There is so-much brokenness in our world! So much pain-and-suffering. So much hurt because sin ravages-the-garden of our hearts-and-lives, …and sin litters-the-landscape of our relationships.
But, God wants to heal it all! ~ Not-just the brokenness in-our-hearts, …but-also the brokenness that exists between us and-those who have sinned-against-us!
He wants to transform the tragedies of our lives, …and heal and restore and mend the brokenness that rips-us-up and tears-us-apart!
Here’s-the-deal: Joseph isn’t some-dude who lived a really-long-time-ago in a place-that we can-only-visit on the history-channel! Joseph is you!
Joseph is me!... And God has brought us to this-moment for a purpose. He doesn’t want us to go-on-living with the old-echoes of pain and suffering from broken-bonds with the people-in-our-lives. He wants to bring healing through the grace of forgiveness!
Frankly ~ I don’t know what people, …or what-circumstances, …or what old-wounds God is bringing-to your mind, right-now. It may-be that the person is a long-way-away ~ …you’re in Egypt and they’re in Canaan! But, maybe they’ve resurfaced in your life and now you’re starin’-them-in-the-face. It may-be that the person God is bringing-to-mind is someone in this room: …a friend, …a former friend, …a family member ~ …and you see them all-the-time!, …and it seems like salt-rubbed in a raw-wound.
You didn’t look for this. But there are times-when all-that-junk comes boiling-back-to-the-surface. This is God’s way of moving you step-by-step, …giving a new-opportunity to let-go of all-the-wrongs, …and all the pain, …and all-the-thoughts of withholding mercy. What old-wounds… What broken-relationships does God want to heal in you?
God didn’t want you to suffer because of their sinful-choices. But… neither-does-He-want us-to-suffer by holding onto unforgiveness. To-forgive is not saying that what-they-did was o.k. But, it’s the only-way to move-beyond what happened, ….and-for our hearts to be freed ~ freed-to-experience the peace and healing that God has for us! What old-wounds… What broken-relationships does God want to heal in you?
