Genesis 50:15-21 – In all things God works for our good

Israel’s 12 sons were now back in Egypt. With their father dead and buried, their minds went back to how they had treated Joseph and were afraid that he would now seek his revenge. See what fear can do to a person. Fear is always the result of the negatives our mind dwells upon constantly. Know this: that our mind cannot differentiate between what is presently real and what is vividly imagined. Although this was totally unfounded and irrational, the thought plagued them. Anybody who recollects the way Joseph reconciled with them would not doubt that he had already genuinely forgiven them. Remember how he tearfully made up with them in that room when they returned the last time to get grains from Egypt. In Genesis 45:5 he told them not to be distressed or angry with themselves that they had sold him to Egypt. Joseph saw their act as an orchestration of God. He said, “God had sent me before you to preserve life.” Then in Genesis 45:15, it tells us that he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. For the last 17 years they had lived peacefully and even displayed great oneness as they buried their father as a family. So far we did not detect anything Joseph did to warrant that fear. It’s obviously their guilt playing itself out. They were apprehensive.

In their apprehension they assumed that Joseph only put up with them in deference to their father who was now dead and gone. Though Joseph had already forgiven them, they was no record of them ever confessing their wrong to him nor asked for his forgiveness. There was really no closure in their minds, so their guilt conscience plagued them. They couldn’t believe that Joseph would forgive them for how they had treated him. With a guilt ridden conscience, it was hard for them to recognize grace. So they did something that was totally unnecessary. They made up a message and sent it to Joseph. They said to him, “Your father charged before he died, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph, “Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.”  Of course what they had concocted was a lie. There was nothing Joseph had done that would cause the father to think that way.

Though their desire to ask for forgiveness was good and right, the way they went about it was totally unnecessary. Good intention need not be dealt with deceptively. Though they had cloaked their confession with a lie, they were nonetheless very genuine. They were desperately seeking Joseph’s forgiveness. They used words such as transgression and sin and wrong to allude to their deplorable acts. At no time did they try to gross over their sins by calling it a mistake. In other words, they called a spade a spade. And Joseph saw their genuineness and that broke his heart. So he responded to them in tears for Joseph had longed forgiven them. He could not bear to see his brothers’ pathetic show of self-abasement. His words to them was, “Do not be afraid.” And he said it twice.

In his words to his brothers in verses 19-21, he provided three reasons why they should not fear. Firstly, he had no desire to take the place of God by asking a rhetorical question, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place?” Secondly, whatever had happened, he insisted, was God’s sovereign and providence will being played out through their evil intention. God had used what they had done to preserve them as well as many in the world. Thirdly, Joseph assured them that he would not abandon them. He would provide for them and their little ones. And there was not a harsh word. Everything was kindly spoken and delivered. What magnanimity!

The things Joseph said to his brothers remind us of how good a God we worship and serve. He does have a good plan for each of us. It is always with welfare and not calamity. Though we may encounter hardship and unpleasant moments, He uses them to work out for the best outcome for our life ultimately. We are all in God’s refining process and He is working out all things, good or bad, for our ultimate good. And it’s because He loves us and has called us to Himself, so that we might fulfill His purpose