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Forgiveness

Genesis 50:15-21

When Jacob's 12 sons were young men, 10 of the sons sold Jacob's favorite, Joseph, into slavery in Egypt. Joseph remained there for years, rising to become the second most powerful man in Egypt. (The 11 sons lied to Jacob, saying a wild animal had killed Joseph.)

Many years later, a famine struck Canaan and Jacob sent 10 of his 11 remaining sons to Egypt to buy grain. Upon their arrival in Egypt, Joseph recognized them but did not make his identity known to them. Through a series of tests, Joseph finally revealed his identity to his brothers who were shocked to learn of Joseph's stature in Egypt—and afraid that Joseph would use his power to punish them for their actions toward him years before. Whether true or not, after Jacob died they told Joseph that it was Jacob's desire for Joseph to forgive his brothers (Genesis 50:16-17).

But Joseph never intended to punish his brothers. He had a bigger perspective on all that had happened. Joseph believed that God had sent him to Egypt ahead of his family in order to preserve them and their descendants to accomplish God's purposes (Genesis 45:4-8; Psalm 105:17). Indeed, there was evidence that Jacob's sons were on the verge of assimilating with the Canaanites (Genesis 38). They needed a place to grow in isolation into the nation God had promised to Abraham—and Egypt was the perfect place since Egyptians despised shepherds and would want nothing to do with Jacob's family (Genesis 43:32; 46:34). The famine in Canaan was the vehicle God used to get Jacob's family to Egypt until Moses led them out in the exodus 430 years later.

Often called the "Romans 8:28" of the Old Testament, Joseph's words to his brothers capture why it is possible to forgive in the worst of circumstances: "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20a).

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