HOW WE THINK YOU FORGIVE: Say “I forgive you” and move on.
- Discuss the fact that “forgive and forget” is not in the Bible.
PLOT POINTS:
- This is a really long story – basically four chapters! But it’s important that we hit the various plot points because they show the back-and-forth, up-and-down nature of the struggles to forgive that Joseph goes through.
- So this sermon is going to be a little different. I want to take a lot longer than we normally do to unpack the passage, making commentary as we go. Then, at the end, we will make a couple concluding, summarizing points.
1. Genesis 42:7, 9, 12 – Joseph’s initial response to his brothers: harshness, secrecy, anger, accusation.
2. Genesis 42:15-20 – Joseph angrily forces his brothers to bring Benjamin.
- Note he cools down some (cf. vv. 15-17 to 18-20).
- Presumably Benjamin wasn’t in on the original selling of Joseph into slavery. And being Joseph’s only full brother, he occupies a different position.
3. Genesis 42:21-24 – An initial sign of forgiveness from Joseph.
- It follows an initial acknowledgement of guilt by his brothers.
- Note, though, that Joseph doesn’t forgive here but rather quickly stops crying and gets back to the plan of holding a brother there in Egypt.
4. Genesis 42:25-28 – Joseph sets his brothers up by putting their silver back in their bags.
- This is not likely not an act of generosity but rather one to make them feel some worry and pain.
5. Genesis 43:30 – Joseph is deeply moved to tears at the sight of Benjamin.
- The brothers take a while to get back because their father won’t release Benjamin to go. So Simeon is just sitting in jail in Egypt.
- Seeing Benjamin raises the emotional level for Joseph – the previous time he had a quick tear or two but here he has to leave the room.
6. Genesis 43:32-34 – He has a meal with the brothers but doesn’t sit with them; he favors Benjamin at the meal.
- This is the definition of the confliction that Joseph is feeling. He will eat with them but won’t sit with them. He is angry at the brothers but is showing favoritism to Benjamin.
7. Genesis 44:1-2, 12, 17 – Joseph again puts something in their bags; I believe he is setting them up to keep Benjamin and get rid of the rest.
- We can’t know for sure here but the best explanation to me is that Joseph set them up again with the intent of keeping Benjamin and sending the rest off.
- This is supported by the favoritism he shows Benjamin in 43:32-34 and the fact that the plan will lead to him keeping Benjamin. Only it won’t really be slavery but in abundance.
8. Genesis 44:27-31, 33 – Judah invokes his father’s grief and nobly sacrifices himself for Benjamin.
- These two things combine to break Joseph and lead him to fully forgive all his brothers.
9. Genesis 45:1-3 – Joseph fully forgives.
- Most of the time I’ve heard this passage explained it is along the lines of “after setting them up for a while, Joseph reveals himself as he’s been planning to all along!” I strongly disagree with that interpretation.
- I’ve tried hard in the sermon to make one thing clear: Joseph is struggling to forgive. Indeed, I would say that Joseph doesn’t want to forgive. I think he wants to get his brother Benjamin left with him and send the rest of his brothers off into the sunset, never to see them again. Why? Because they betrayed him and he hates them!
- Now there have been a couple cracks in the dam before this point, but he hasn’t been ready to fully forgive until this speech from Judah.
- It helps in this situation that Judah repents in a sense. His speech can easily be taken, when added to their earlier confession by the brothers than this misfortune was coming upon them because God was punishing them for what they did to Joseph (42:21-24).
10. Genesis 45:5-8, 14-15, 24 – Reconciliation begins.
- Joseph acknowledges that God used his brothers’ evil action to bring about some good (45:5-8). There is initial reconciliation (45:14-15). There is an urging not to quarrel (45:24).
TWO THINGS JOSEPH TEACHES US HERE ABOUT FORGIVENESS: It is difficult and it is a process.
