Easter Devotional - Day 06
"Sir, I am your slave. Please let me stay here in place of Benjamin and let him return home with his brothers. How can I face my father if Benjamin isn't with me? I couldn't bear to see my father in such sorrow." Genesis 44:33-34
These do not sound like the words of a man who had sold his bother into slavery. They do not match the character of one who had gone along with the attempt to kill Joseph, or at least get rid of him so their father might quit comparing them to Joseph. Reuben had been the one to intervene in the plan to kill Joseph. Judah had just gone along with the others. We might have expected Reuben, the eldest brother, to have assumed responsibility for Benjamin's safety, but it is Judah, instead, who steps up to the plate.
Judah's words here mark a turning point. It is here that we see at last that a change has come over at least this one of the brothers since they last knowingly had contact with Joseph. Perhaps it was a sign like this that Joseph was seeking as he toyed with them and struggled against an honest desire for revenge over the brothers who had plotted his death and then sold him into slavery. This was, after all, their second trip into Egypt to buy grain. He had kept one of the brothers in prison for a year. He had framed them twice of theft. Still, he had not allowed them to know he was the brother they had plotted to kill and sold into slavery.
Rather than thinking about himself, Judah was now thinking of his father. There is no hint of repentance for their dealing with Joseph and Jacob in years past. There is no setting the record straight with regard to what had happened to the brother they reported as dead. We see, however, that over the years since the brothers had spoken, a change has come over Judah. He is now looking to how his actions affect others and his responsibility to his father as a higher priority than protecting his personal interests.
Joseph did not miss the change. He picked up on this signal that the conniving brothers have in at least some regard grown and changed since their separation. They are now willing to look after their father's interests, rather than after their own advancement and personal concerns.
Selling Joseph into slavery had torn the family apart. It had damaged the relationship between the brothers and their father. It had altered the course of their lives. Joseph battled with his desire to treat them as they had treated him. He struggled against his desire for revenge and the desire to be reunited with his father and his brother Benjamin. It seems to have been Judah's words and attitude that helped him make the decision to offer grace and forgiveness. It was Judah's words that prompted him to clear the air and let them know he was still alive. It was at this point that healing for Joseph and his family could finally begin after so many years of heartache and broken relationships.
The broken trust between the brothers would still be an issue throughout their lives. At Jacob's deathbed, they would still be hesitant to trust Joseph's forgiveness after their treachery. Yet it is Joseph who becomes the victor as he offers forgiveness and begins to heal from the injury of their betrayal.
Begin your process of healing from past hurts by forgiving. You are the one to gain by it.
"Lord, grant me the strength to forgive, even as you forgave those nailing you to the cross."
—©Copyright 2009 Christopher B. Harbin
http://www.sermonsearch.com/contributors/104427/
These do not sound like the words of a man who had sold his bother into slavery. They do not match the character of one who had gone along with the attempt to kill Joseph, or at least get rid of him so their father might quit comparing them to Joseph. Reuben had been the one to intervene in the plan to kill Joseph. Judah had just gone along with the others. We might have expected Reuben, the eldest brother, to have assumed responsibility for Benjamin's safety, but it is Judah, instead, who steps up to the plate.
Judah's words here mark a turning point. It is here that we see at last that a change has come over at least this one of the brothers since they last knowingly had contact with Joseph. Perhaps it was a sign like this that Joseph was seeking as he toyed with them and struggled against an honest desire for revenge over the brothers who had plotted his death and then sold him into slavery. This was, after all, their second trip into Egypt to buy grain. He had kept one of the brothers in prison for a year. He had framed them twice of theft. Still, he had not allowed them to know he was the brother they had plotted to kill and sold into slavery.
Rather than thinking about himself, Judah was now thinking of his father. There is no hint of repentance for their dealing with Joseph and Jacob in years past. There is no setting the record straight with regard to what had happened to the brother they reported as dead. We see, however, that over the years since the brothers had spoken, a change has come over Judah. He is now looking to how his actions affect others and his responsibility to his father as a higher priority than protecting his personal interests.
Joseph did not miss the change. He picked up on this signal that the conniving brothers have in at least some regard grown and changed since their separation. They are now willing to look after their father's interests, rather than after their own advancement and personal concerns.
Selling Joseph into slavery had torn the family apart. It had damaged the relationship between the brothers and their father. It had altered the course of their lives. Joseph battled with his desire to treat them as they had treated him. He struggled against his desire for revenge and the desire to be reunited with his father and his brother Benjamin. It seems to have been Judah's words and attitude that helped him make the decision to offer grace and forgiveness. It was Judah's words that prompted him to clear the air and let them know he was still alive. It was at this point that healing for Joseph and his family could finally begin after so many years of heartache and broken relationships.
The broken trust between the brothers would still be an issue throughout their lives. At Jacob's deathbed, they would still be hesitant to trust Joseph's forgiveness after their treachery. Yet it is Joseph who becomes the victor as he offers forgiveness and begins to heal from the injury of their betrayal.
Begin your process of healing from past hurts by forgiving. You are the one to gain by it.
"Lord, grant me the strength to forgive, even as you forgave those nailing you to the cross."
—©Copyright 2009 Christopher B. Harbin
http://www.sermonsearch.com/contributors/104427/
.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment