"But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."
Genesis 50:20
Part 1
Today: Only God Could Unite This Family
Genesis tells us the story of a family that God had blessed and chosen to be His people. It is the family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. From Genesis 37 to chapter 50, we read of Jacob’s family, focusing on his son Joseph.
Joseph’s story is not a simple one. On the one hand, there is parental favoritism, intrigue, hatred, the weaving of evil plots, and thoughts of murder, of brothers selling their brother as a slave, and finally, a family coming together again. But from God’s vantage point, it’s a story of His sovereignty, divine grace, and His love for His people.
We will jump into the story at the end, the last chapter of Genesis. Seventeen years before, the family moved to Egypt under Joseph’s care. And now, Jacob, the patriarch, has died. The 40 days have passed for his embalming. And now, the other 11 sons of Jacob are worried that their sins against Joseph will be repaid by having them all executed. The men were afraid to face Joseph now that their father was dead, and so they sent an emissary to speak for them. Perhaps this was Benjamin they sent. He is the youngest son of Jacob, the brother who Joseph most admired. Here’s what their messenger said,
“Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father” (Genesis 50:17b).
As Joseph heard these words, he wept. He had no ill will toward his brothers. Through these years, his actions toward them have only been loving, and yet they were fearful for their lives. This broke Joseph’s heart. When the messenger returned from Joseph, his brothers felt safe enough to show their faces before him, and so they did.
“And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants” (Genesis 50:18).
How ironic, the brothers who arrogantly sold Joseph off as a slave are now on their faces before him, offering to be his servants. In his childhood, Joseph had predicted this, which peaked their anger and hatred in the first place (Genesis 37:3-11). But Joseph was a humble man and in no way vengeful. He comforted his brothers’ hearts by saying,
“Fear not: for am I in the place of God?” (Genesis 50:19).
Joseph was a wise man, and he was not going to sit in God’s judgment seat. His brothers had rejected him and sinned against him by selling him off when he was a teen. Joseph would not repay their evil with more evil. He understood that vengeance is God’s responsibility and His alone. Instead of living to get even with his brothers, Joseph will continue to live for God, and he will love and care for his brothers and their families. In a sense, he will now be their father in Egypt and will follow God’s plan for Jacob’s family.
Come back tomorrow as we begin to recount his brothers’ story and his right heart towards them.
Quote: How much of Joseph’s life did God explain to him beforehand? None of it. He had no idea how it would end. Joseph was faithful to his God, and even with all of the hardships he faced, he knew he could trust Him to the end.