This morning, I was reminded of the magnitude of Genesis chapter forty-five.  In chapter 37, Joseph is introduced as the son that his father (Jacob) loved the most…the favorite son.  Not only does dad (Jacob/Israel) show favoritism to Joseph, Scripture also implies that Joseph was not required to participate in the manual labor with his older siblings.  To make matters worse, at age 17 Joseph begins sharing dreams of future servitude to his older brothers, causing even more infuriation and resentment. The brothers, being stopped short of murder by the eldest, Ruben, threw Joseph in a pit then sold him into slavery to some passing merchants. 

Joseph went from being a well-to-do, pampered, well-schooled, and favored son of a prominent patriarch to suddenly being sold, chained and treated like a piece of property.  Everything was foreign to Joseph:  language, culture, religious practices, diet, and living conditions.   

Scripture does not record that God even spoke to Joseph during this time, but it does record that Joseph remained true to the LORD and never left his faith.  For thirteen years Joseph lived as a slave.  Scripture does, however, record that God was with Joseph and that he prospered, whether it was as the chief steward of Potiphar‘s household or during his imprisonment. 

At age 30, Joseph was made second in command over all Egypt, answering only to the Pharaoh himself.  And, although he was the second most powerful man in the known world at the time, he never left his faith or forsook his God.  And, I’m certain that he never forgot what his brothers did to him.  It is also apparent in chapter 36 that his brothers never forgot what they did to Joseph and had constantly lived with the guilt and shame of their actions.

By the time his brothers made an appearance in Egypt, Joseph was nearly 40 years old.  By this time, Joseph had more than a couple of decades to remember the cruelty of his brothers.  He had every human right to be angry…furious...at the injustices and trials he had endured because of his brothers.  Joseph would have been well within his rights, especially as respected, powerful ruler of Egypt, to completely annihilate his brothers and their families out of revenge.

Thankfully, the story of Joseph’s revenge on his brothers never was written, as chapter 37 shows a remarkable picture of grace and mercy.  After Joseph hears Judah’s plea for the youngest brother, Benjamin in chapter 36 (which showed an abrupt change in heart and attitude from when cruelly sold Joseph), Joseph reveals his true identity.  The brothers are immediately fearful.  I can imagine the tension level was terribly high.

But Joseph gathers his brothers together and through hugs and weeping tells them:  Don’t be afraid!  God had a plan and purpose for this.  God sent me ahead of you to save lives during this famine.  Instead of shaming them (look what you did!!), instead of playing the guilt card (I can’t believe you did this!), Joseph loved his brothers.  Joseph forgave his brothers.  Joseph restored his relationship with his brothers…and his father.    What a beautiful picture of what Christ did for us as sinners!

Joseph had many years to stew, plot, and wallow in the what-ifs.  However, he chose to simply trust God and was able to proclaim in chapter 50 to his brothers:  You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

So, yes, sometimes we go through things that we do not understand.  God may choose never to reveal to us the rhyme or reason for circumstances.  But this one thing we know:  God is faithful and can be trusted.  He will never, EVER leave us. 

Blessings,
Lisa D

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