Who Would've Thunk It? Series

II. He forgives

Joseph’s brothers were expecting such a verdict - one of condemnation - for they certainly deserved it. But what did Joseph say to them? I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here. Instead of condemning them and exposing their old blemish, Joseph only briefly mentioned that they sold him into Egypt. Since they had shown their repentance, from that point on, he forgave them. Four times he has to do so, even over 30 years later, to try and convince them that he really wasn’t going to get revenge.

Isn’t this just a wonderful illustration as to what God does with us? We, like Joseph’s brothers, live with unresolved guilt. Our consciences continue to bring up past sins, and we search for refuge, but don’t seem to find it in the excuses and attempts to reform our lifestyles. We are born with a deep fear of knowing that we deserve punishment from God. Even the most remote African tribes end up developing sacrifices and self punishments to try and purge their consciences. It terrifies us to think of standing before a holy God.

But in an unpredictable way - our holy God and King, like Joseph, instead of condemning us as He should - does his best to reassure us, “you’re forgiven!” He cries with the Holy Spirit - “when you were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:3) He promises us in Psalm 103:12 that, as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. These promises take the guilt off of our shoulders, keep our knees from knocking, and give us comfort. They take us out of the depths of hell and plant us into heaven itself, all through the righteousness of Christ.

Did these words of promise work with Joseph’s brothers? Not at first. When Joseph first revealed themselves, it doesn’t say that Joseph’s brothers had said anything to him or done anything. They just stood and listened. It sounded nice, but was it really true? This reminds me so much of the reaction that some people have as I go through a first Bible Information Class. I can tell them that God loves them and Jesus died for them, but they just sit there. Some don’t really smile. Some don’t look up. Some . . . just sit there. They might think to themselves, “that’s a nice thing to say.” I wonder to myself, “how can you not say anything? How can you not respond? I just gave you the most wonderful news in the universe - eternal life free of charge, and you aren’t saying anything!” If I didn’t know any better, I would have to conclude that they must not really get it yet. Do you get it?

III. He hugs

One time I told my mom I loved her rhubarb pie. But every time she offered it to me, I wasn’t hungry, or I was too full. Finally she wondered whether what I was SAYING was really true? And the truth was, I was lying. I really didn’t like it. Sometimes WORDS just don’t do enough to convey the message. So Joseph used another way to assure his brothers of their forgiveness. What did he do? First of all Joseph said, “Come close to me.” Afterward, it says, he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. In a very PHYSICAL way, the king embraced his brothers and let them see and feel that he really had forgiven them. The same was true with Jacob. GOD’s Word says, when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.