God's Sovereignty and Forgiveness

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God’s Sovereignty and the Power of Forgiveness

Genesis 45-50

“Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.”

                  When someone has deeply wronged us, it is easy to become angry.  When they attack our character, betray our trust, and hurt us deeply, we demand justice. They must pay for the wrong they have committed.  The deeper the hurt, the longer we hold a grudge.  As the comic strip “Hagar the Horrible” once stated, “Good friends come and go, but an enemy, they last a lifetime.” Hurt leads to bitterness, and bitterness alienates us from people.  How do we overcome the deadly snare of bitterness? 

                  If there were anyone who was ever justified to hold a grudge, it would have been Joseph.  Through no fault of his own, his brothers became jealous of him, and they betrayed him on a level that defines our comprehension.  How could someone so despise their brother that they would sell them into a life of slavery and abuse?  When they realized that the very person who held their future in the palms of his hand was the brother they sold into slavery, fear gripped their soul.  This is the reality of guilt.  When we have unconfessed sin or wronged others, the guilt remains just below the surface, ready to spring forth at the slightest hint of revelation.  No matter how much we try to conceal our guilt and hide our shame, it always remains present.   Guilt does not go away until the sin is confronted and confessed.  However, the story's focus is not just on their unrelenting guilt of their sin; it is about Joseph’s profound forgiveness of his brothers.  How could Joseph forgive those who betrayed and wronged him unimaginably?

                  The answer to the question lies in Joseph’s perspective of God’s sovereign working in his life.  God’s sovereign plan for our life supersedes what others can and desire to do against us.  When we realize that God is in control of our life, we recognize that the actions of others that affect us, even those that are hurtful, are woven into the tapestry of His purpose for our life.  Rather than nullify or hinder God’s plan for us, they are the means God uses to direct our life to accomplish His purpose.   

                  It was this perspective of Joseph.  Instead of being angry and vindictive towards his brothers, he calmed their fears by placing their actions under the umbrella of God’s sovereignty.  With remarkable grace, the offended comforted the offender.  In 45:5-8, Jospeh showed the depth of his understanding of God’s sovereignty when he assured his brothers that God used their treachery to place him in the position to fulfill God’s purpose for Joseph and the family.  Even 17 years later, when the brothers were still plagued by guilt and the fear of Joseph’s revenge again gripped them, Joseph again pointed to the sovereignty of God as the basis of his forgiveness.  “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”  The depth of his forgiveness is further seen in his promise to care for them and their families.  When we genuinely forgive people, we seek their blessing instead of revenge.  

                  Joseph reminds us that forgiveness is not based upon the actions or repentance of others; it is based upon our perspective of God.  When we hold grudges and refuse to forgive, the problem is not relational but spiritual.  The issue is not our relationship with the one who wronged us; it is with our relationship and perspective of God.  We can forgive others because God is in complete control of our lives, and if the actions of others affect our life, it is because God has a purpose.  Instead of looking at the wrong, we can look at God’s control of our life. Do you hold bitterness towards another person because of the wrong they have done to you?  Do you desire revenge to pay them back? Instead of looking at their actions, look towards the sovereignty of God and His control of your life.  You can forgive because God determines the direction of your life, not the actions of others. 

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