Story: God’s Good Purposes, the Death of Joseph
Passage: Genesis 50:15-26
Characters: Joseph,
Joseph’s brothers
Summary: Joseph’s
brothers were afraid Joseph would kill them now that his father dead. They told him that Jacob told them to ask for
forgiveness. They begged for forgiveness
and offered to be his servants. He told
them he had forgiven them and God had used their evil for good. He let them know he would provide for them
and their families. Joseph died, but he
lived long enough to see his great grandchildren.
Notes: The brothers were right to be afraid. They knew they had no reason to ask for mercy
so they made it sound like their father had asked for their mercy. They seem to have truly been humble and
repentant. Joseph wept when they spoke
to him. He was overwhelmed with love for
his brothers and was probably frustrated that they didn’t trust him. He was well aware that he was not God and it
was not his job to exact justice. That
is God’s job. He recognized that God had
worked through the bad situation his brothers had put him in. He comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
They certainly did not deserve this treatment from him, but Joseph showed his
humility and focus on God and on the bigger picture. Joseph lived long enough to see his great
grandchildrem. When he died, he asked to
be buried in the Promised Land. Joseph
also understood that Egypt was only a temporary home. He was also embalmed by the Egyptians. He wanted to make sure his family understood
that Egypt was not their home. With
this, The story of the Patriarchs dies. When
we rejoin the story, many years will have passed and God will begin another
redemptive work.
Questions: Is Joseph’s
body still preserved as a mummy somewhere in Israel? When did Jacob make the connection that
Joseph had been sold by his brothers to Egypt?
It was never mentioned what his reaction was. Did he forgive them as quickly as Joseph did? Why exactly did Joseph weep when his brothers
asked for forgiveness?
Lessons: Forgiveness
is modeled here almost perfectly. Joseph
did not need to provide for his brothers.
He had been wronged and the just thing to do was punish them. Instead he forgave them. And that doesn’t mean he only ignored their
offense, but instead he basically rewarded them. He provided for them. Forgiveness is not simply forgetting the
wrong, but it involves a total reversal of attitude towards the forgiven.
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