I’ve been meditating on how God used Jacob to assist his sons traverse the rocky path of requesting Joseph to forgive them for what they’d done to him as a 17-year-old. He had to forgive them, too. I can imagine when the truth came out about the false storyline with the bloody coat. Jacob could only be so angry because he’d hoodwinked his father Isaac many years ago by pretending to be his twin brother Esau.
The Lord slowly but steadily transformed Jacob after he went on the run from Esau, who’d vowed to kill him once their father Isaac closed his eyes for the last time. Twenty years later, God brought the brothers together. Jacob breathed sighs of sweet relief and shed tears of joy when Esau extended forgiveness to him.
So, for Jacob to be able to talk to his sons about how to deal with Joseph when Jacob died was a precious gift! Joseph had already shared with his brothers that he wasn’t angry. No, Joseph wasn’t living in a fantasy land. He understood what they’d done, but more importantly, he understood why it was done. He spoke from his heart when he told them that it was God who used the wrong they enacted against him to bring all of them to the moment they were living in – provision in a famine. But they couldn’t get past what they’d done – certainly, Joseph was simply waiting for their father to die for retribution. Joseph never gave that impression. In fact, he’d told them while their father was alive that it was God’s doing. They and their families were being nurtured, yet their fears kept them emotionally imprisoned. Their freedom finally came when they followed their now-deceased father’s directive and asked Joseph to forgive their sin. As he said before, Joseph reminded them that the whole ordeal was a God-thing to bring them to their present state- saved from the famine!
Oh, to walk in the freedom of forgiveness! Jacob and Joseph did it, and in the end, his brothers joined in as well.
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Psalm 32:1 (KJV)
14 And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father. 15 And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.
16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them. Genesis 50:14-21 (KJV)
In the Master’s Service,
Author/Pastor Michele D Robertson
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.Matthew 11:28-29 (KJV)