"But God meant it for Good"

Midweek in Lent 3

(Genesis 37:12-46; 50:15-21)  

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The story of Joseph begins when he is just seventeen years old. Joseph is the second youngest of twelve sons. And Joseph is dearer to their father, Jacob, than the older brothers are – as shown, for example, when their father gives Joseph the “coat of many colors”.

Joseph is also the recipient of dreams from the Lord. Dreams which signified a certain ‘favoritism’ that God would bestow on Joseph. First, Joseph receives a dream in which he and his brothers are gathering sheaves of grain. Their eleven sheaves all bow down to his sheave.

Next Joseph receives a dream from the Lord in which eleven stars, and also the sun and the moon – father, mother, and all the brothers – bow down to Joseph’s star. By God’s design, they will all one day be giving homage to Joseph.

Joseph did nothing for this. It was God’s will. But the brother’s act according to their own murderous nature. They are envious, jealous, and angry.

Joseph is captured by his brothers – sold into slavery for twenty silver coins – carried off into Egypt - made a servant in a man’s household – falsely accused for a wrong he did not commit – and falsely imprisoned.

His course runs lower and lower. Yet God is with him and prospers him at each point. And, finally, through a series of events, God delivers Joseph from prison and then exalts Joseph to those high heights that God had originally revealed in those dreams.

Joseph is eventually made ruler of all Egypt – second only to Pharaoh – all pay homage to him – and, through Joseph, many nations and people are kept alive during a seven-year famine. Including Joseph’s brothers and family.  

Because of Joseph, Egypt has grain. Joseph’s brothers, like countless others, are forced to travel to Egypt to seek out food. They arrive. Joseph recognizes them. They do not recognize Joseph. They have no knowledge of all that’s happened since they sold him.

But then, after a course of events, Joseph does make the grand reveal. He shows his brothers, who left him for dead and sold him for cash, who he is. After Joseph reveals to them who he is, what does he then do?

He says: “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today”. As ruler, Joseph has great power for revenge and to be completely vindicated, but Joseph instead forgives from the heart and recognizes God’s goodness.

The book of Genesis is fifty chapters long. It starts with creation and continues, chapter by chapter, through the most important events, promises, and people that lay the foundation for the promise of the Gospel, the coming of Christ.

But get this: Out of fifty chapters, the story of Joseph gets fourteen chapters! Fourteen of the fifty! That’s more than a quarter of the whole book of Genesis devoted to what happened to Joseph and what he did.

Ponder this with me just for a moment: We wish there was more in Genesis 1 and 2 about the creation of the world, we want to know more about Adam and Eve's life.  Other than the genealogies, which are crucial, Noah and the worldwide Flood get only a full 3 chapters and man do we wish we had more, but Joseph gets 14 full chapters. He isn't even listed among the genealogies of Jesus.

So what did Joseph do that was the most notable to have that much time devoted to him: Well, he forgave his brothers. Not with bitterness, but from the heart.  

“So do not fear”, he said, “I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Joseph wept with joy when he met them; he wept with joy at the sight of his father again; and Joseph wept with sadness when it became clear that his brothers still did not understand that he had forgiven them.

Joseph’s story is also a massive precursor to the passion of Jesus. Jesus, our Lord, is falsely accused by His brothers – his countrymen whom He came to save – Jesus is betrayed by a friend, Judas (for silver no less) – is falsely tried and convicted – and is put, not in prison, but upon a cross. Put to death. Though He is the very Son of God and ruler of all.

Risen from the dead, and ascended to God’s right hand, every knee will bow, and every tongue confess – all will pay homage to Him. In the meantime, He is taking care of us and our little ones, and has forgiven us.

On the cross, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing.” And it was our sins which pierced Him. It was for our sins that He was rejected and suffered [Isaiah 53:3-6]. Yet He comforts us. It was for our sake that He suffered, “to bring it about that many people should be kept alive.” 

You see, Jesus is in the place of God because He is God, and He says to those who pierced Him – by nails or by sins – “you meant evil against me” – but “God meant it all for good”. God used the nails, the whips, the cross, the piercing, the crown of the thorns – His suffering and His death – all for our good.

“All this is from God” who “in Christ was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them” [2 Corinthians 5:18-19]. “And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to His purpose” [Romans 8:28].

Joseph’s brothers never really apologized. They feared because of the wrong they had done. They concocted a made-up story about their father’s wishes to try to get Joseph’s forgiveness. But they don’t actually apologize or express sincere sorrow over what they did.

But Joseph’s heart is not determined by his brother’s wrongs. God’s faithfulness to Joseph throughout his sufferings has shaped Joseph’s heart.

It was God’s provision which kept those brothers alive in the famine, by Joseph’s grain in Egypt. Who then was Joseph to hate those whom God cared for? “Am I in the place of God?” Jesus has died for the whole world. Who are we to hate a person for whom the Savior has died?          

And, it must have helped Joseph to know that God used all the wrong that had happened for good, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” So I submit to you, why would we hold on to past insults – by our anger – instead of letting them go, since we trust and believe that God does in fact “use all things” – good and bad – “together for good.” 

No one can make past wrongs work for good by holding on to them. And revenge or vindication is never the answer as it doesn't repair the sinful hole in your own heart. But God can and does use all things for good that we entrust to Him.

Lastly, we must remember that we are yet sinners. We have sinned against God by our thoughts, words, and deeds. But if sinning against man is worthy of a penalty, then what’s the penalty for sinning against God? We’ve seen that penalty in the cross of Jesus, as He suffered in our place.

Since God has forgiven me my greater debts, I also must forgive those who have sinned against me. Throughout our lifetime – as He did for Joseph, through trials and by His Spirit – God does shape our hearts to be like Joseph’s, so that we can and will forgive from the heart.

So perhaps that is a window of just why we get 14 chapters about forgiving one another in the Book of Genesis, which essentially ends with these words from Joseph to his brothers:

“Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today”.

Only forgiveness like that can come directly from the one who cried out at the cross:

"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)

In the name of Jesus. Amen.