Genesis 45:1-15
The story of Joseph is a very well-known story from the Bible. This story is among the favorites of many Christians. However, it is full of violence, hostility, and family dysfunction.
Talking about violence and hostility, Dr. Leon Saul, psychiatrist, and author, writes, “I believe man’s hostility to man is the central problem in human affairs … that it is a disease to be cured and prevented like cancer, TB, or smallpox, and its cure will result in healthier, better living—not only for society in general but for each individual.” Lately, we have seen a lot of hostility in our country. That is normal during elections times. However, because of the Coronavirus and protests, violence has increased.
People are angry, and this anger becomes violence and violence is a threat to our existence, to our survival; violence is a threat to the peaceful coexistence between brothers and sisters and destroys the harmony among brothers and sisters intended by God. As in the story, we read.
The beauty of Joseph’s story is that it not only presents hostility, violence, and anger. It also gives us the cure and tells us how to prevent it. According to the story, forgiveness is the answer to most, if not all, of the hostility we experience in our world. Unresolved anger leads to bitterness, hostility, and revenge. On the other hand, forgiveness leads to freedom and reconciliation. No character in the drama of the book of Genesis better illustrates the fundamentals of forgiveness than Joseph. Try to be in Joseph’s shoes for a while. Can you imagine -without knowing the end- to be sold by your brothers as a slave and to be put in prison for a crime you did not commit.?
The years Joseph spent in slavery and prison could be an understandable excuse for him to ignite into an explosion of anger at the sight of his brothers who took away his dignity, his freedom, his condition of human being, and sold him as an object.? And what about God, could Joseph be angry with God for not coming to his help? From our human point of view, I would say yes to both questions. However, Joseph did not act against his brothers and never complained against God. Joseph knew, without any doubt, that God was with him in his sufferings.
Now, let us remember how all this drama in Joseph’s life began. If we go to chapter 37, we will see that everything started with a misuse of power. Jacob, -Joseph’s father, gave Joseph power over his older brothers, how? He made a colorful or ornate robe, especially for him, other translation says, he made a long sleeve robe. But whatever the right translation is, it means the same, Jacob gave Joseph power over his older brothers. The young one was supervising the older ones. Jacob misused his power as a father. On top of this, God gave Joseph dreams in which his brothers and parents came and bowed down before him. All these went into his head, and he thought he was better than anyone else. Joseph misused the power he felt he had and broke the relationship with the rest of his siblings. He used the power to control, to tell on his brothers. His brothers also misused their authority; they were more in number and stronger; they used these advantages against Joseph and sold him. Jacob’s misuse of power, Joseph’s abuse of power, and his brothers’ abuse of power was the cause of this family’s dysfunction.
It is not an exaggeration to say that relationships are the most important thing for God. When we read the Ten Commandments, we see that they are all about relationships, relationships towards God, and others. When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, He cited the one expressing the relationship with God and added a second one, the one expressing the relationship with our neighbor. Besides, Jesus came to mend the broken relationship between God and His creation. Therefore, we can conclude that, if relationships are important for God, it is no wonder why Satan will try to break them. How will he try to break them? By making us believe that God has given us power so we can control others. Jacob thought he could give authority to whoever he wanted; Joseph thought he could control and tell on his brothers; his brothers thought they could use their power to get rid of their annoying brother.
In Egypt, while Joseph was in prison and while he saw God’s hand moving and guiding his life, Joseph had a lot of time to think, and God led Joseph to the right way of using power. His words, when he revealed himself to his brothers, show it, “Do not be distressed; don’t be angry with yourselves because you sold me here. For God sent me here to preserve life” (Gen. 45:5), and later in Gen. 50:20, he said, “Do not be afraid. You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good so that many people should be kept alive.”
Joseph had learned at least two things while God was shaping him in Egypt. First, power is not synonymous with control or to do anything I want, and second, he learned to forgive, and these were the basis of reconciliation among Joseph and his brothers.
Brothers and sisters, the misuse of power is what is dividing and destroying our world. As Joseph and his brothers did, some groups believe that power is being given to them to exercise control over others. However, God -thru Joseph- teaches us that God has given us the authority to help others. God has -as He did with Joseph- given us power, “to preserve life” and “so that many people should be kept alive.” Power is a gift from God, and like any other gift it must be used with “wisdom from above” and this wisdom from above according to James 3:17, “is first of all, pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” Contrary to the wisdom that leads to the misuse of power. Which, according to our brother James is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic, James 3:15.
Sisters and brothers remember the example of our Lord Jesus. He used His power to do good, to reconcile, heal, forgive, and restore lives. And when He gave power to His disciples, the power was to do good as well. Listen to Luke 9:1 and 2, “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” We can conclude that according to God’s Word, power from above is given to us to help others and never control them.
Joseph, led by God, also learned to forgive. Forgiveness is a vital part of every healthy relationship, relationship with God, and neighbor. Listen to Matthew 6:14-15. “For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” A healthy relationship with God and neighbor must include forgiving of transgressions. That will take God to forgive ours and to live in peace with God and neighbors.
Broken relationships do not please God. God is in the business of reconciling broken relationships, and we should do the same. We should not be satisfied with the way our country is going. We need reconciliation. The key to reconciliation is our attitude and submitting ourselves to the sovereign God. Chapter 45 begins saying, “Joseph could no longer control himself.” While he was controlling himself, he was -I believe unnecessarily- playing with his brothers because he had power and control. However, when he allowed God to be in control -when he could no longer control himself- everything changed within him and all around. Our country will change not when we return prayers into our schools, as many believe, that will help. Our country will change, not when we return the Ten Commandments’ monument to the federal buildings. Those are cosmetic changes, superficial changes. The only thing that will turn our country to God is when we no longer control ourselves; when we allow God to control our decisions, conversations, and desires; when we allow God to be the pilot, not the co-pilot of our lives.
When we talk about what is going on in our country and the world, who leads our conversation.? Let us follow Joseph’s example; let us allow God to control our lives, conversations, and way to see what is happening in our world.