Genesis 50:15-26
Joseph Forgives
Brothers (Death of
Jacob)
50:15
When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was
dead, they said, "What if Joseph bears a grudge
against us and pays us back in full for all the
wrong which we did to him!"
16 So they sent a message
to Joseph, saying, "Your father charged before he
died, saying,
17 'Thus you shall say to
Joseph, "Please forgive, I beg you, the
transgression of your brothers and their sin, for
they did you wrong."' And now, please forgive the
transgression of the servants of the God of your
father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
18 Then his brothers also
came and fell down before him and said, "Behold, we
are your servants."
19 But Joseph said to
them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place?
20 "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.
21 "So therefore, do not
be afraid; I will provide for you and your little
ones." So he comforted them and spoke kindly to
them.
Death of
Joseph
22 Now Joseph stayed in
Egypt, he and his father's household, and Joseph
lived one hundred and ten years.
23 Joseph saw the third
generation of Ephraim's sons; also the sons of
Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph's
knees.
24 Joseph said to his
brothers, "I am about to die, but God will surely
take care of you and bring you up from this land to
the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to
Isaac and to Jacob."
25 Then Joseph made the
sons of Israel swear, saying, "God will surely take
care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from
here."
26 So Joseph died at the
age of one hundred and ten years; and he was
embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.
This
is the Word of the Lord ... It is meant to change
the way that we think, and the way that we live.
Commentary
by Bob Pardue
Forgiveness for
the Brothers (Sinners)
The brothers of Joseph have
live with what they did to him for many years. To
refresh, they sold him into slavery at a young age
which brought Joseph to Egypt where he now reigned
with Pharaoh. Joseph seemed to have forgotten and
forgiven them - but they didn't understand his
attitude.
Making
Lemonade
You see - Joseph had taken
the lemon life had given him and made lemonade,
that is mad the best of every situation from being
a slave, serving in prison, and everything else
"bad" that happened to him.
Why?
Joseph understood that God
led him on this path. The brothers couldn't link
the pieces together but Joseph did. Their planning
to kill him and then later deciding to sell him
into slavery was a sin. But, this action resulted
in many lives being saved in Egypt and also brought
about salvation for his own family during the
famine - including his brothers.
Where God Puts
Us
Many times I have found
myself in awkward or unpleasant situations and,
like most humans, I did not see God's work in
progress. I've looked back sometimes and realized
that the circumstance I found myself in was exactly
where I needed to be at that time in my life. God
uses these things to educate, humble and strengthen
us. We all need "bumps in the road" from time to
time to bring us closer to God.
Forgiveness
Lastly, Joseph's brothers
could not believe that he could actually forgive
them for this horrendous act - but he did. Their
transgressions were forgiven and forgotten and
these unworthy people were taken care
of.
God does the same for us.
Through Jesus Christ, He forgives us of our past
and "forgets" our failings as if they never existed
- if we only believe and ask. I thank God for being
merciful to an undeserving person like
me.
Love in Christ
- Bob
If you have never made the
commitment to receive the love and life-changing
experience of Jesus Christ, please take a moment to
look
at the message from John
3:16 for more
information.
Verses from the end of Genesis about Joseph
are from New American Standard Bible, study
research from Life Application Study Bible: New
International Version
Learn More about the Old
Testament from Genesis
Genesis
45:1-28
- Joseph
Reveals Himself to His
Family
Genesis
46:1-34 - Jacob Goes to
Egypt
Genesis
47:1-12 - Jacob Settles in Egypt Land of
Goshen
Genesis
47:13-27 - Joseph Deals with Famine in
Egypt.
Manasseh
and Ephraim: Learn How Israel Blessed the Younger
Son
Genesis
49:1-33
- Jacob
Blesses His
Family
Genesis
50:1-14 - Death of Jacob
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