Joel M Bradshaw

15When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” 16So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: 17‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. 21So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.-Genesis 50 (with emphasis)

The brothers were scared. Dad was dead. If this were a movie, Joseph would say something like, “I wasn’t going to do anything while dad was still alive, but now that he is not…”

They know that they had done wrong to Joseph. And they assumed that his natural response was bitterness. So they came to him with some alleged deathbed words from Dad. But those words didn’t matter. JOSEPH WASN’T BITTER.

Let’s repeat those transcendent words: you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. This is a top 20 verse in the Bible…maybe top 10. This is the perspective of the person who sees life in God’s hands. Joseph had already forgiven his brothers. I think he did so when he started seeing God moving in his life in Potiphar’s house or in prison or in Pharaoh’s court. He had the faith that saw God moving the chess pieces in the background. And once he knew God was at work, then he saw his situation in God’s hands. All that had been done to him was accomplishing God’s purposes. God was in control. Bitterness against those who wronged him was not possible.

Joseph realized that all his suffering led to the survival of others. Bad should never come from good. But, good can come from bad. In an almost Christlike way, Joseph saw his suffering with that perspective.

Some of you have gone through terrible things. Others have done rotten things to you or treated you horribly. You may even see yourself as a victim. You may even feel justified in your struggle with bitterness that refuses to forgive, or barely forgives, but refuses to give any more than that. I’m not sitting here and judging you. But just remember, Joseph had a huge gripe, a legitimate gripe against his enemies. And his enemies were family.

But rather than seeing his life as something to be avenged, he saw his life as in the hands of Almighty God. And he proclaimed that God can make good come from evil. The greatest injustice of all time was Jesus who died in your place. THE GREATEST POSSIBLE GOOD CAME FROM THE GREATEST POSSIBLE INJUSTICE. It takes a person of simple, but tremendous faith to be like Joseph. And for some, it takes decades to get there. It probably did for Joseph, too.

Man meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. Huge. I want to leave you with a lyric from the Prince of Egypt. For doing this is the only way you will EVER get from bitterness to joy.

“A single thread in a tapestry Though its color brightly shines Can never see its purpose In the pattern of the grand design. And the stone that sits on the very top Of the mountains mighty face Does it think it’s more important Than the stones that form the base? So how can you see what your life is worth Or where your value lies? You can never see through the eyes of man You must look at your life Look at your life through heaven’s eyes.”

The path from bitterness sees your life through God’s eyes. What has God taught you through your pain? How has he led you closer to him? How has he used your story for his glory? What was God accomplishing through even your times of suffering. That perspective helps me with my MS. It can help you through your struggle with anger, forgiveness, and bitterness at your situation. Don’t give up. There is still time to be a Joseph.–JMB