Old Testament Personalities #13 - Joseph Part 2 - "Why Forgiveness?"

 This is the last study in this series, “Personalities of the Old Testament.”  We will begin a new series next time.

Last time, we talked about how Joseph endured hardship and was prepared by God for his specific purpose.  God used those things that happened to him to bring him into position to save Israel during the famine at the time.

Genesis 50:19-20 NKJV

Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

Joseph tells them, “You banished me.  You sold me as a slave.  You did that for your own selfish reasons, and you were evil, but God meant it for good!”  There is one other thing, in this moment.

Their father had died.  They supposed that Joseph hadn’t killed them or banished them because of Jacob.  Jacob was dead now and they were afraid that Joseph would take revenge on them.

Genesis 50:15 NKJV

When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him."

So, they came up with a plan:

Genesis 50:16-17 NKJV

So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, "Before your father died he commanded, saying, 'Thus you shall say to Joseph: "I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you." ' Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

They were fearful.  They didn’t know what Joseph’s attitude would be toward them.  They understood the evil that they had put on him:

1)      Sold him into slavery; and out of that

2)      The false accusations of rape

3)      The years in prison

All of that pain and suffering.  Think about it, how would you react to that?  What would be your attitude toward those who caused you that kind of suffering, for so many years?  I met a woman on outreach once, in downtown Taoyuan District that had a lot of cuts on her arm.  She had cut herself many times.  I asked her about it and she said, “It’s to let the pain out.”  She felt that she had suffered and was holding all of this pain, inside.  I said why don’t you forgive the person who hurt you and all of that will go away.  Do you know what she said? She said, “I will NEVER forgive him!” 

That’s the way many of us are.  When we’re hurt or angry we just hold on to it.  Do you know how I know that?  As you’re talking to someone, and the name of the person at whom they’re angry comes up.  How do they react?  You can see in their body language their attitude toward that person.  If they get angry at the mention of at person’s name…they haven’t forgiven.

One last thought on this subject is that this is one of the things that makes it difficult for people who have left the church because they got angry at someone.  Maybe they’re embarrassed about their reaction and getting angry.  In Taiwan, we call it losing face, don’t we?  I can’t face that person again. 

Other times, though, it’s because we cannot forgive.  That’s how Joseph’s brothers think Joseph will be.  Maybe, they know that they might be that way if all that happened to them.  After all, they sold him into slavery, in the first place, because they couldn’t forgive his visions of family leadership. 

Genesis 37:19-20 NKJV

Then they said to one another, "Look, this dreamer is coming! Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, 'Some wild beast has devoured him.' We shall see what will become of his dreams!"

In the Bible there is a parable of a man who owed a great debt but could not pay it.  His master ordered him to prison, but relented and forgave the debt.  It is in Matthew 18:21-34.  He comes upon a man who owes him a small debt and demands payment.  When the man who owes him the small debt says he can’t pay the first man orders him to prison.  The master hears of it and calls the man before him, and look at what he does:

Matthew 18:32-34 NKJV

Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

I think the use of the word torturers is interesting here.  Would cutting yourself to, “let the pain out,” seem like torture?  How about ending relationships with everyone in the church because you’re embarrassed at your behavior, would that be torture?  Or ruining your relationship with God?  Look:

Matthew 18:35 NKJV

"So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses."

And this:

Matthew 6:14-15 NKJV

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

One thing I think we need to really understand from this, is that forgiveness is not for the other person, because if that person hurt you intentionally, he probably doesn’t even care if you forgive or not.  They’re not looking for forgiveness.  Possibly, you’ve been hurt by someone who may not even know they hurt you.  Forgiveness of those who’ve hurt us is not really for them it is for us.  We can find relief from the “torturers.”  We can receive forgiveness from God!

There is another aspect here, that I want you to see:

Genesis 50:18 NKJV

Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, "Behold, we are your servants."

This is a moment of repentance.  This is how you receive total forgiveness.  Let me clarify what I mean by that for a moment.  If you borrow my car and wreck it, then refuse to repair it.   I’m going to forgive you.  I’m not going to hold a grudge or hate you forever, but do you think I’m going to let you borrow my car again?  So, let’s understand what forgiveness really is. 

When kids are little and they do something mean to someone else what do we do?  We tell them, “Say you’re sorry.”  Sometimes they say, “Sorry.”  Really? What are they sorry for?  Is that repentance?  Nope!  So, repentance isn’t just saying, “I’m sorry.”   Repentance is about real change!

Repentance is a change of heart.  You might say a change of direction in your life.  You were acting one way, heading in one direction and you turn around and head in a different direction.  That’s repentance. 

Acts 2:38 NKJV

Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

This comes after the people that have gathered outside the upper room cry out, “What must we do to be saved?” Repent.  And what is salvation?  It is the forgiveness of sin.

1 John 1:9 NKJV

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

You have to repent to be forgiven.  Jesus wants us to be faithful to forgive, as well. 

Finally, there's this:

Matthew 18:21-22 NKJV

Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

Do you think He meant only 490 times.  “So let’s see that’s ten times I’ve forgiven only 480 to go!”  What He means is, always forgive.  Be faithful to forgive.  Let it go! It’s a release for you. What they do with it is up to them.  If they are truly repentive, you will see it by their life.  You will see the change.  Back to wrecking my car.  If you repent and make it right, and I see the change I will let you borrow my car again…Probably…maybe. 

Let’s look at Joseph’s example again:

Genesis 50:19-21 NKJV

Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

This is true forgiveness preceded by repentance.  Repentance and forgiveness are powerful things. 

This study that we are just completing here right now has been about what we can learn from Old Testament personalities.  How does Adam speak to You?  Or Cain and Abel? Or Jacob?    I want to hear from you.  This is a personal thing, no one is going to judge you by what affected you.  Let’s take some time to hear from you. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old Testament Personalities #12 - Joseph Part 1 "The Trouble with Joseph"

 Today, we’re going to talk about Joseph.  I want to start out by talking about the life of Joseph and dwell on the hardships he faced. So, let’s start with this:

Genesis 41:38-44 NKJV

And Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?" Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you." And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt." Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph's hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, "Bow the knee!" So he set him over all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh also said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt."

Now, this doesn’t seem like a hardship, does it?  Becoming the second most powerful man in the kingdom isn’t much of a hardship, but let’s look at the circumstances of his life before this. 

Genesis 37:3-4 NKJV

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.

At the beginning of his life, his father makes him the favorite son.  He bestows blessing on his life and makes Joseph’s brothers very angry.  This is an example of ENVY.   His brother’s hated him and plotted against him, just like Cain plotted against Abel.  There were some other issues, like Joseph bragging that he had had two dreams that someday he would rule over the family.  That just added to the envy. 

Genesis 37:18 NKJV

Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him.

They planned to kill him.  Reuben tried to save him, by convincing them not to kill him but to throw him into a pit, but then:

Genesis 37:25-27 NKJV

And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. So Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh." And his brothers listened.

If we kill him, there’s no money in it, but if we sell him into slavery, we make money and he’s out of our lives.  They all agreed to this, even Reuben.  His heart wasn’t into saving Joseph like he’d said only that he wouldn’t have to explain it to Jacob.

According to “The Timeline of History” Joseph was seventeen at the time.  He’s sold into slavery in Egypt and separated from his family.  He enters the service of Potiphar.

Genesis 39:1 NKJV

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there.

Potiphar’s trust in him is so complete that he turns over everything to him. Joseph is in charge of it all. Everything he has is placed under Joseph’s authority. Potiphar believed in him because he saw the hand of God in all that he did.

Genesis 39:2-4 NKJV

The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.

But Potiphar had a wife: She was the only thing that wasn’t turned over to Joseph. Potiphar’s wife saw something also in Joseph. She wanted him and tried to seduce him. But Joseph resisted her charms. He didn’t want to betray Potiphar. He didn’t want to sin against God, and so he fled from her. In other words, he did the right thing. Potiphar’s wife was angry, she was bitter, and she accused Joseph of rape.  He was sent to prison.

Genesis 39:19-20 NKJV

So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, "Your servant did to me after this manner," that his anger was aroused. Then Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.

Sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely accused of rape and sent to prison.  The Bible tells us that God is with him, but look at what has happened in his life so far.  What would you be thinking if you knew God was with you, but all these bad things were happening?  What’s next for Joseph?

Genesis 39:21-22 NKJV

But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing.

In prison, the Bible tells us again that the Lord was with Joseph.  He’s suffering! God is with him and yet he’s suffering!  How many times have we seen that?  Christians losing their jobs, even though they’re in the will of God.  Christians becoming ill, or family members passing away, even though they’re serving God.  God being with us is no guarantee of a trouble-free life.  In fact, many times our serving God, or being in His will is a catalyst to assaults from the devil.

Pain, trouble and turmoil always come from the devil. The devil has no desire to give you a happy life. Unless making you happy and content with your life is the thing that will keep you from the Gospel. He’s only nice to us if it will move us away from the will of God for us. 

The next thing is that Joseph was put in charge of prisoners.  Two of Pharaoh’s servants were put into the prison.  They both had dreams.  Joseph interpreted them correctly.  The first was the King’s butler, and he was restored to service of the king.  Joseph asked him to remember him to Pharaoh.  The other was the King’s baker and he was executed, both  according to Joseph’s interpretation of their dreams.

Genesis 40:21-23 NKJV

Then he restored the chief butler to his butlership again, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand. But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

Joseph remained in prison. He was sent to prison because he did the right the thing. Because he refused to sin, he’s being punished. When bad things happen to us, often, we think that God is punishing us for some misdeed. As a pastor I’ve heard that so many times, “I don’t know why God is punishing me.” But here’s Joseph, he’s done the right thing and he’s stuck in prison. God isn’t punishing him. What reason would God have to punish him, he’s been nothing but faithful and righteous.  What we’re seeing here is a strategy of Satan. It’s a strategy designed to wear us down and cause us to doubt God.  Think about this for a moment.  What was Satan’s lie to Eve?

Genesis 3:2-5 NKJV

And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' " Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

“'You’ll not surely die,' God lied when he said that. God’s a liar. 'He knows that in the moment you eat of it you’ll be like him.' God wants to keep you down. He doesn’t want you to be like him. He doesn’t want you to have wisdom." Eve began to doubt God. That’s what the devil is trying to do to you. “These things you’re going through, that’s God punishing you. He’s not a gracious God.”

 It's now been about thirteen years since Joseph was sold into slavery.  He’s thirty years old now.  That’s a long time to be suffering, isn’t it?  This isn’t the end of the story, though.  The Lord has been with him the whole time, look at what finally happens:

Genesis 41:14-16 NKJV

Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it." So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace."

Pharaoh has a dream he doesn’t understand.  Finally, the baker remembers Joseph and tells Pharaoh that Joseph can interpret dreams, so he calls Joseph out of prison and tells him the dream.  After that he gives Pharaoh some advice:

Genesis 41:33-36 NKJV

"Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine."

Pharaoh hears the advice and likes it.  Then this happens:

Genesis 41:39-41 NKJV

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you." And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt."

This slave, this accused rapist, this prisoner is elevated to be the second most powerful man in Egypt – The most powerful nation in the world at that time!

All of this makes me think.  Throughout the Biblical record of Joseph’s life, we kept hearing and the Lord was with Joseph.  When he was hated by his brothers, the Lord was with him.  When he was a slave in Potiphar’s house, the Lord was with him.  When he was in Prison, the Lord was with him.  Even though the Lord was with him, Joseph went through horrendous difficulty, but in the end he becomes the governor of Egypt.

Did you ever think that what we go through is God preparing us for a future that we may not see or understand.  As I’ve said before God is incapable of doing evil.  Only good comes from God.  All of the things that Joseph endured led to the plan of God playing out in his life. It may be just as true that the things you endure may be the things that bring about God’s plan for your life. The devil may mean these things for evil but God means them for good.

Genesis 50:20 NKJV

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

Joseph has an understanding of God’s purpose and plan for his life and how God brings it to pass.

Romans 8:28 NKJV

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

All things work together to bring God’s purpose to light in our lives.