The Test of Forgiveness

This week I had the privilege of walking through the life of Joseph in Genesis and what a journey it turned out to be for me.  I always find it refreshing to walk back through stories I think I know so well and end up finding so many new and fresh things to apply and ponder on.  As I sit on the back porch reflecting on the day and watching the approaching storm, my thoughts drift to a man who lived thousands of years ago whose life is still impactful.  That very thought causes me to pause and ask myself if I am living for the things that will last like Joseph.

His life was one of severe testing and one that we should often read and reflect over.  It makes me wonder where are the men and women of today who are like him.  I would like to take a moment and reflect upon the life of testing Joseph and as we read through it, in each one of them God was using them to shape Joseph into the man God wanted him to become - God's man, not anyone else's.

One of the most severe tests he faced was what to do with the hatred his brothers had for him and what they ended up doing to him.  Joseph had a choice in regard to their actions toward him. Here is what Joseph experienced from them...

Genesis 37:23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. 25 Then they sat down to eat...

Joseph’s response to this action I believe sets the stage for God’s unfolding plan and the success of it.  

            Why This Story Matters Today

This point is why the story of Joseph is so relevant today and needs to be brought back into the church conversation again as he models for us how to not let anger, bitterness, & a bad family background lead to a life of being chained and bound by unforgiveness.       

When I speak with other minister friends of mine, we have come to the conclusion that unforgiveness has become in both our American and Church culture one of the prominent sins we embrace and are okay living with.

This mindset I believe comes from our sense of entitlement that permeates everything around us and it has bled into our relationships where we feel that we have a right to hold onto the pain, nurse it, and because we are entitled, we can let ourselves off the hook by not forgiving others. 

In case you were to think this thinking got cured permanently in the New Testament – you see this philosophy in the older brother in the Prodigal Son story found in Luke 15.  He held onto his anger over his younger brothers sin

I have also come to the conclusion that unforgiveness is the ultimate cause of divorce in our country.  We have lost the practice of forgiving and embraced the posture of watering the seeds of our anger.

There is so much to learn from Joseph in this area.

God has a plan, but we can choose to fight it, ignore it, not learn the lessons from circumstances that come our way, etc.  In the moment, if we are not careful, down in the pit we will “choose poorly”, but we must “choose wisely”. In spite of his brother's actions, Joseph chose to trust God in the moment though it was an extreme circumstance.

   

Though the passage does not speak of it, something got settled down in the dark, empty, & waterless pit that we all could learn from.  It is a lesson from a 17 yr. old.

            Three Decisions Joseph Made

(1) Did not blame God for the pit

For some Christ-followers, an event like this would lead them to wonder:

If God is so Sovereign, why did I end up here?

It is impossible to live in this world and not be hurt by someone else’s sin. It is quite probable that some who are reading this have been physically, verbally, mentally, and sexually abused.  Drugs and alcohol have damaged many a soul.  

It is the reality of living in a broken world, that sin affects us all.  We must though not blame God for the pit and charge Him with wrong.

(2) Did not blame his family in that moment for his troubles

He trusted God down in the pit even though his family put him in it, Joseph embraced God’s sovereignty in that moment. There is something that happens in the darkness of life that is so settle and firm that you know you can get through it no matter what is going to come. I think Joseph sensed it.

Think of it a moment – Joseph had to know as they threw Him down into the pit that what would come next from a human standpoint was not going to go real well.

Again, I think something was already settled in Joseph’s heart - that God is bigger than anything that comes your way and He must be trusted no matter what. 

(3) Chose not to Water the Seeds of Anger

Joseph chose to deal with the moment he was in and over time he chose not to hate his brothers.  If you don't do this, this is what will eventually happen...

A hurt not dealt with leads to…

Prolonged anger è bitterness è unforgiveness grows è results in a hard heart

For the brothers,

their anger, bitterness, unforgiveness and hard heart

led them to desire to murder Joseph,

but instead they choses lies, slavery, and deception instead.

Q:  How do we know he chose not to water the seeds of bitterness?

James 1:20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

When we arrive at 39:2, Joseph is walking with God, God is with Him, He is successful and righteousness is thriving in his life. He is not walking in bitterness!

In Egypt Joseph is thriving in righteousness which can lead us to only conclude that he was not living in anger according to James.

Let's follow his model of properly dealing with our hurt from others and forgiving them.

We need to let go and trust him with our pain from others.

It is time to open the door and forgive.