What makes reconciliation possible

Gen 45: 9-28 [Part 2]

No one who believes in the sovereignty of God in the affairs of life in bear a grudge or seek revenge. If all you do is look at the wrong done to you, then the natural thing to do is be angry and bitter and maybe even want to seek some kind of revenge. But if you can see beyond that and see the sovereign hand of God working in life, then it’s easy to let it all go and seek reconciliation and forgiveness. So, he says to his brothers, I’m your brother and whatever you intended is now irrelevant because God took it and used it for good.

Now hurry back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay. You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise, you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’ “You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. Tell my father about all the honour accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.”

(Genesis 45: 9-13)

Alright, Joseph’s continues his speech. In the first part of the speech he says, look, I know what you did was wrong, but I saw the hand of God behind that, and his greater purpose was to preserve life. It was to preserve your lives and your future wealth.  I want you to do, is go back to our father, tell him I’m second in charge in Egypt, the position of authority I have in Egypt, and I want you to bring him back here and I will take care of him. Right now, there is a famine going on, but that famine is going to be over in five years but meanwhile you are going to have this choice is piece of land to dwell in, and I have the power to give it to you. 

Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.

(Genesis 45: 14-15)

He hugged them he wept with Benjamin, and Benjamin cried as well, then he did is he kissed all his brothers and they wept also. And then it says, they talked together. I read that it really struck me as rather interesting. If there are people who are alienated from each other, and there was anger between them, what would normally happen first?  Usually, the first thing you want to do is talk the thing out and tell each other you forgive each other. So, it usually begins with someone saying, let’s talk. That’s the first thing you usually do, then when you get done talking you hopefully decide to forgive each other and maybe even at the end sometimes people like to have a hug each other, maybe even kiss and make up. That’s particularly useful when it a family situation, but here, they’re not done in that order. What struck me was that’s not what happened here. There was the hugging and kissing before there was talking, which tells me that Joseph attitude was one of forgiveness first, whilst at the same time wanting reconciliation.  It’s almost like saying, there’s nothing that needs to be said, I have already forgiven you. I want you and I want my father down here. God sent you down here to allow me to help you, in fact, God sent you down here to save your lives. The talking at this point wasn’t concerning reconciliation or forgiveness, it was more a case of let’s catchup, there has been a lot of water under the bridge since we last spoke so let’s sit down and have a talk.

Appreciation of God’s sovereign control in his circumstances produced in Joseph, a character marked by forgiveness and acceptance. I have known people who have allowed themselves to become bitter because of their circumstances sometimes they find themselves in. Sometimes these events are all part of God’s sovereign plan to bring a greater blessing. Suffered injustice, is no excuse for holding onto bitterness today. Joseph didn’t do any of that, why not? Well, it tells us, because he realized that God sent him down to Egypt, not his brothers. 

When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come, Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land.’

(Genesis 45: 16-18)

Remember back up the beginning of the chapter Joseph said clear the room and they stepped outside, but they no doubt heard what was going on what with all the weeping etc. I fact it says it pleased Pharaoh and his servants, so the reacted positively to Josephs newfound family situation.

“You are also directed to tell them, ‘Do this: Take some carts from Egypt for your children and your wives and get your father and come. Never mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours.’”

(Genesis 45: 19-20)

What would make a pagan king do something like? That is one magnanimous offer of the land. Why did he do that? Joseph had saved all of them. It was Joseph who had interpreted Pharoah’s dream that there was going to be seven years of plenty, followed by seven years of famine, and it was Joseph who had organized the storage of the grain during the good years. Pharaoh was well aware that they were all safe and had something to eat now after two years of famine because of Josephs wisdom, and they think, if Joseph has a family, we can help them and allow him to bring them down here. We’ll give him the best seat in the house and the best portion of the land, because we are grateful for what Joseph has done.

So, the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts, as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey. To each of them he gave new clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothes. And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey.Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving, he said to them, “Don’t quarrel on the way!” 

(Genesis 45: 21-24)

So, because of Pharaoh’s generosity and Joseph gracious spirit, he gives them wagons, he gives them food, he gives them clothes, and he gives Benjamin more than all the rest and he sends them back to the father. He also gave Benjamin 300 pieces of silver. He was so thrilled to be reconciled with his brother. He lavished him with gifts and then he said to them, and this is interesting, look at 24 “Don’t quarrel on the way!” Why would he say that?  One commentator suggests that what he’s saying is and don’t quarrel among yourselves, because he could envision them getting out of town and getting into arguments again about who they had done in the past. Joseph just says, go in peace and bring my father back to Egypt. 

 So, they went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.  They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.” Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them. 

(Genesis 45; 25-26)

They’re back, they got back home, and they said, father, you’re not going to believe this Joseph still alive. That was a shock, but an even bigger shot follows when they tell him he’s now head over all of Egypt.  In the original language the text says, “his heart stood still”. The Hebrew word means numb. His heart was numbed. He was shocked. Joseph’s alive, that one thing but you’re telling me that Joseph is not only alive but he’s now Prime Minister, second in command in all of Egypt. That doesn’t seem possible. I can’t believe that.  So now what are they going to do?  Initially he says, I’m not going, so what are they going to do now? 

 But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts, Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. And Israel said, “I’m convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

(Genesis 45; 27-28)

Do you remember we back there in Genesis, God changed Jacob’s name to Israel? Well, the fact that he says Jacob is talking and all of a sudden within the same verse it switches to calling him Israel is probably significant. Israel is his God-given name. And in light of the fact that the text just says that he didn’t believe them, the fact that the text calls him Jacob when he was in a state of unbelief yet switches to Israel when his spirit was revived, seems to indicate that when he saw the evidence of the cart and goods all of a sudden his spirit was revived and he believed that the Lord had intervened, and I think that’s what’s going on in at this point he is called Israel again. He saw the evidence and believed. He became convinced that his son was alive, and he agreed to go back to Egypt.

To recap, the brother are back in Canaan, they are back home, and they tell their father, Joseph still alive. That was a shock, but an even bigger shot follows when they tell him he’s now head over all of Egypt. Jacob/Israel at first doesn’t appear to believe them and says he is not going back with them to Egypt, but then he sees the evidence of the carts and the goods they have brough back and he became convinced that his son is alive, and he agreed to go back to Egypt. 

We got lots more stories to go in the book of Genesis. This book has 50 chapters in it, and we got lots more to cover, but this little episode shows us the basis of reconciliation. So, although we shall look at the rest of this family story later, but I want to pause and make a couple of observations about this section of Joseph story.

In this chapter, we’re being taught that the recognition of the hand of God in human affairs is vital to us growing in spiritual maturity. Even in evil, human affairs God can be seen to work his purposes and understanding this makes reconciliation possible like nothing else, even when there is gross injustice done. If you think you could never forgive people for what you believe ruined your life, so to speak, then how in the world can you ever be reconciled? In this case, we have one of the most outstanding cases of forgiveness and reconciliation in all of the Bible, it is very clear that it happened because Joseph recognized the sovereign hand of God in human affairs. So, I’d like to make several observations before I close this chapter. I want to talk for a bit about this story in the context of the whole Bible. There are some interesting things going on here, like very few other passages. 

There is something in the Bible called typology, where something is identified as a type, and the concept of the type is simple. Typology simply says that something, someone, or some events happens, and they are a type of something that’s going to happen in the future. In other words, it is an example of something that’s going to happen. In the future. There are some parallels between this and what’s going to happen in the future. Many Bible students studying the Book of Genesis have concluded that Joseph is a type of Christ. The text here does not specifically say that, but the Bible does say that there are types, even uses those words as a phrase in one passage in 1 Peter. Types appear regularly appear throughout the Old Testament.

The Old Testament had a lamb and that was a type. An example of the kind of thing God wanted when it come to the idea of sacrificial living. Jesus was the fulfillment of that type because John the Baptist said, behold the Lamb of God when he looked at Jesus.  The sacrificial lamb was a type of a sacrifice for sin seen in the person of Christ.  Many have pointed out that what happened to Joseph is a type of Christ. And while we should stick with the types that the New Testament says are types, there are a few cases where the evidence is overwhelming that God intended a type to be noticed and I think this is one of those occasions. 

Many believe Joseph was as a type of Christ, and many parallels are significant. Both were special objects of their father’s love. He was hated by many, and persecuted. Both had people reject their claims to superiority and the same people conspired to kill them. Both became a blessing to the Gentiles, and both received a gentile bride. Joseph reconciled with his persecutors and then exalted them, and so will Christ. Some make the parallel that Jacob figuratively received his son back from the dead. Both were not only were raised up but became rulers overall. Jacob’s response on hearing the incredibly good news prefigures the response of the disciples when the women tell them that Christ is alive, having been raised from the dead, they to greet the news at first with stunned unbelief, and finally with unspeakable joy. Their faith, like Jacobs, revived them, reoriented their lives, and made them pilgrims venturing from the land plagued by famine to the best land imaginable. So somewhere along the line in studying Joseph, we need to see the parallels between what happened to him and what happened to Christ. 

But while that’s there, the point of this chapter is that Joseph was willing to be reconciled to his brothers because he saw the sovereign hand of God in what happened. A total of four times in this passage he says the Lord is the one who allowed all this to happen. He saw the loving hand of his father behind the cruelty of his brothers. He had accepted all that had come to him as the will of God, and therefore he experienced the blessing of God. Reconciliation is possible when there is forgiveness, and forgiveness is possible when there’s a recognition of God’s sovereignty. 

Have you ever been done wronged, grievously wrong? Did you ever get angry or hang on to the anger until it became resentment? Do you ever struggle and think you will never be reconciled because of the attitude of your heart? Well, here’s something you need to consider that just maybe it wasn’t just all about your abusers. Try and remember that God may have allowed it, and even if it wasn’t his desire for you to go through it but yet, he can still use it for some greater good, and that’s the lesson of this chapter. Romans 82:8 says, “all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose”. No matter what happens to you, no matter what someone else does to you, you’re a lot better looking out for the hand of God instead of being filled with hatred in your heart. 

One commentator says reconciliation comes through forgiveness and forgiveness through the recognition of God’s sovereignty. When one who has been wronged sees things as God sees them and perceive them as God plan then that’s the basis for forgiveness, and then reconciliation is possible. Anyone who bears a grudge or hopes to retaliate has not come to appreciate the meaning of the sovereignty of God. There can be no reconciliation, without recognizing God can use every situation to bring out the best for you, so, the lesson of this chapter is real simple. Don’t just look at the wrong done to you, don’t just look at the person who did the wrong to you. Look at the bigger picture, and when you see the hand of God that lets all things work together for good to those who know him and serve him, then you can have a forgiving spirit and an attitude of reconciliation. 

That’s not the normal way we think. We usually want to get even, we want to revenge, we cry out, we want justice, and sometimes it’s hard to turn loose. But we can be thankful this is a reminder that God is sovereign, nothing happens to his children without his permission, and that he can make all things work together for good to those who love him, and I pray that the Spirit of the God may make that a practical reality in your lives every day.