Genesis
45:1-8 Then Joseph could no
longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have
everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made
himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the
Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it. Joseph said to his
brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?”But his brothers were not
able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence. Then
Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he
said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do
not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because
it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now
there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will
be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for
you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then,
it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to
Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.
This
last Sunday, Pastor Willie Nolte continued in our “Big God story” sermon series
based upon the book of Genesis. He stated that by our
fallen nature, we want “revenge” when done “wrong” by others. You hear the
common slogan: “Don’t get mad; get even.” Then, we go on for a time obsessing
over “bad” things that happen to us, because we were innocent, yet were hurt and
suffered by the injustice. But, there is one great overarching theological
truth: The often unseen providence and sovereignty of God is accomplishing
something far better than we realize. It was American Baseball Player and
Philosopher Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra that said: “It isn’t over, until
it’s over.” But, actually, it isn’t over until God says that it is over; it isn’t
over until then. What we are going through now is not necessarily the end. The final
chapter has not been written. The longer that we live, the more we see and
understand that everything that happens, and does not happen, along the path of
our life journey is being orchestrated by God. There is a bigger plan and
picture that we do not see. God knows what He is doing and God is accomplishing
something bigger than we realize.
Willie
gave us three things learned from the Joseph Saga in Genesis. (1) We have a
purpose to preserve life ... to preserve life; not destroy life, to build up;
not tear down, to value; not to devalue people, situations or things. Joseph
said, “it was not you who sent me here,
but God.” God is working things out for good, according to His purpose. The
Christian perspective is to preserve the goodness, health and wholeness of
life. As the people of God, this is the basic “Big Picture” of things that God
wants us to do. Jeremiah 29:7 says, Seek the
peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you.” Jesus said
in Matthew
5:13,14: “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world”.
What is salt and light, but preserving and life-giving?
Colossians
3:13 “Bear with each
other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against
someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
(2)
To forgive and restore is healing, life-giving and God-honoring. It is not
about hating and it is not about violence. When your motto is “don’t get mad;
get even”, when are you even enough? That is the problem with getting even!
When is “enough” enough? Then, the “getting even” cycle continues, wasting
years of your life. When Joseph chose forgiveness over revenge, all found
healing, restoration and wholeness.
Let's continue pastor Willie's message on God's bigger plan in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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