Genesis 45:1-18 Sent Ahead by God

 

We’re at the end of our series on Joseph, we’ve skipped a few chapters because of the start of Lent next week, but this morning’s story brings Joseph’s and Judah’s story full circle. Judah’s responsible for selling Joseph into slavery and now Joseph and Judah are face to face again, though Judah’s not aware of that at the moment. I encourage you to read through Joseph and Judah’s story again at home to get a feel for the power of the moment here in Joseph’s throne room. Joseph’s been in charge of Egypt for about nine years now, his dreams of ruling has come true, even his brothers have kneeled before him. Now they’re back again to buy more food, this time Benjamin’s with them, as Joseph had commanded them.

Joseph stuck his silver cup in Benjamin’s sack on the brothers’ way home and now they’re cowering in fear before this powerful ruler. Judah has just begged to take Benjamin’s place in slavery to spare Jacob more grief, Judah’s willing to sacrifice his life for Benjamin’s. Judah admits that this trouble is because of the sin they committed in selling their other brother into slavery. Judah’s changed over the years, just as Joseph has. Both have become mature leaders who take responsibility seriously. Judah’s developed a sacrificial heart as well along the way.

Hearing how Judah has changed, how sorrow for their father and regret for his past have shaped Judah’s heart, seeing his brothers take care of each other, Joseph breaks down; the emotion of seeing his brothers moves him to reveal to his brothers who he is. Joseph’s emotions and weeping are so powerful that all the Egyptians in the palace are able to hear him, even though they were all sent from the room beforehand. Joseph’s servants are concerned and let Pharaoh know what’s happening. Joseph turns to his brothers and now we see a powerful moment of forgiveness and grace, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?”

The brothers are horrified. The brother they thought was dead, the brother they sold into slavery is now the second most powerful man in the land with the power of life and death over them. Now we see just how wise in the ways of God Joseph has become, he sees his brothers’ fear and acknowledges their sin in selling him into slavery, but he also recognizes that this was part of God’s working out his plans to save his people, “Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.” Joseph sees God’s hand at work, even in the hard times.

It’s easier to see God’s hand at work looking back. During hard times, we focus on getting through, we look for next steps forward or ways to escape; looking for what God is doing through the hard times often only comes later on. God was looking way ahead, putting in place a plan to create a safe place for his people to grow, to provide for his people. This is where the sermon first started, but as I looked more at Joseph’s story, the theme of forgiveness and reconciliation stood out more and more. This is a story of God at work, as Joseph recognizes, “But God sent me ahead of you to prepare for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” This is about God’s long-term plans; God’s thinking years and generations ahead, putting in place his plan of salvation.

Joseph’s story points us ahead to Jesus who came to save his people. Jesus saves us by a great deliverance whose beginnings were already set-in place right after Adam and Eve first sinned. This is where the switch in the sermon began this week. Joseph could have responded in so many negative ways; ways that used his power to punish his brothers. He could have chosen revenge over forgiveness, bitterness over grace, anger over love, power over humility, vengeance over reconciliation. Over the past few weeks, we have watched how God has been with Joseph, no matter the situation, how God was shaping him, not just to lead Egypt through the famine, but also to protect and provide for his family and to provide Joseph’s family with a place of plenty to live out the famine. This will help Joseph’s family to grow into a nation, a nation who will be a blessing to the other nations as promised to Abraham.

Joseph’s forgiveness is real and his desire for reconciliation is genuine. Joseph recognises that God took evil and turned it into good, used it to move forward his plan to save people, this insight gives him the ability to forgive his brothers and to seek reconciliation with them. Paul hits on this in Romans 8, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose… What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

We see how Joseph has matured in his faith and as a person. Joseph chooses forgiveness, grace, love, humility and reconciliation. He holds his brothers responsible for their past choices, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt,” but he also points to God’s hand in everything that has happened to save lives. Later on, after their father Jacob dies and the brothers are afraid Joseph will take revenge on them, Joseph reassures them, “Do not be afraid. You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, so that many people should be kept alive.” Forgiveness is hard work and it takes time. When you need to offer forgiveness because you can feel your heart becoming hard and bitter, or others see in you and are brave enough to confront you about it, it doesn’t happen overnight. Joseph misses his family; he wants to be part of the family again. Yet, as the brothers know, if you have power, you may feel you don’t need to forgive because you can take care of justice yourself. Forgiveness flows out of our relationship with Jesus.

Rev. James Howell writes that when Jesus said on the cross, “Father forgive them for they do not know not what they are doing,” Jesus could easily have said the same as Joseph, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, so that many people should be kept alive.” God saves, Jesus saves, not just so people don’t die, but so that we can be reconciled with God, but also to call us to reconciliation with others that we’ve broken relationships with. Reconciliation means taking an honest look in yourself and coming to a knowledge on how much we need God’s forgiveness and we’re humbled, moving us to extend forgiveness to others in a desire for reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5 is the reconciliation chapter in the Bible. Reconciliation is about healing, renewal, new life, confession, repentance and life change, “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. 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. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

God reconciled us to himself through Jesus and calls us to be ministers of reconciliation in the world. As a sign of what God has done for us through Jesus, we practice gracious reconciliation shaped by sincere confession and a determined repentance with each other. What an amazing calling! Rev. Howell recognizes that “Reconciliation takes time, a long time. Reconciliation isn’t forgive and forget; it’s genuine healing for everybody involved. Joseph needed the healing as much as the brothers and their father did. The beneficiaries of this reconciliation? Not just this family, but people who had never known them!”

Reconciliation is costly, it cost Jesus deeply, he was separated from the Father and Holy Spirit for the first time ever on the cross. Think about that! At the heart of reconciliation is love and compassion for others; the same love and compassion God has for us; that led Jesus to the cross, that saves us from the chains of slavery to anger, hatred, vengeance and bitterness. Reconciliation is healing of wounds, healing of relationships, healing of the soul. It begins with God and is then lived out here among each other. Is there anyone you need to work towards reconciliation with? Is there confession, repentance and healing needed with others? As your pastor, I would be honoured to walk that journey with you as you seek reconciliation and healing.