Last time on the program, we talked about the fact that one of the best ways to discern whether an opportunity that’s before us is God–given or not, is to consider the fit between our natural gifts and abilities and the demands, or the requirements of the opportunity. Does this opportunity really fit with who God made me to be. But sometimes … God calls us to do things that don’t come naturally   The Challenge of Forgiveness Over the past few weeks, we've been travelling along with young Joseph, son of Isaac in the Old Testament, on his journey through life – a journey that had some real downers, much like your journey and mine – and yet a journey that was heading in a direction that only God could foresee. There was Joseph, one of 12 brothers, the youngest one and dad’s favourite. His father was Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham – although God had given Jacob a new name. He’d called him … Israel, and unbeknown to anyone, these 12 brothers were the fathers of the 12 tribes of Israel. That was a long way off. Here is what the relationship between Joseph and his other brothers looked like Gen 37:1–4: Jacob settled in the land where his father had lived as an alien, the land of Canaan. This is the story of the family of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; he was a helper to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he had made him a long robe with sleeves. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him. But things only got worse, because Joseph had two dreams which he shared with his brothers and father, that one day he would rule over them all. That was it. His brothers plotted to kill him, but ultimately instead, sold him into slavery. From there he’s transported, as we’ve seen to Egypt, becomes Potiphar’s slave, is thrown into prison, where he rots for a few years and finally, finally through a set of circumstances that only God could orchestrate becomes the ruler of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. And again under God’s hand, Joseph as the ruler has stored up in Egypt surplus grain that was produced in the years of plenty, so that when the famine hit, there would be enough to eat in the land. And not just in Egypt, people travelled from all over the known world to purchase grain in Egypt, because they were starving. And, as God would have it, some of Joseph’s brothers travelled to Egypt to buy grain. They had no idea what had become of Joseph after they sold him. They’d told their father Jacob that he was dead. But low and behold, one day they stood before Joseph and bowed down to him, just as he had dreamed in that dream all those years before as a young boy. Gen 42:1–8 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you keep looking at one another? I have heard,” he said, “that there is grain in Egypt; go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.” So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he feared that harm might come to him. Thus the sons of Israel were among the other people who came to buy grain, for the famine had reached the land of Canaan.  Now Joseph was governor over the land; it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” Although Joseph had recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. Now, we don’t have time to go through the whole story, of how he dealt with his brothers – it runs for several chapters, Genesis 42 to 46 – it’s really worth a read, so if you have a Bible, grab it in the next day or two and check it out for yourself. But can you imagine how Joseph felt – these mongrels, his brothers, who had plotted his murder and then sold him into slavery, now stood before him and bowed down to him, just as God had told him as a young lad in his dream. He was the ruler of Egypt now, second only to Pharaoh and he had the power of life and death over them. Finally, a chance for revenge. Finally, here he is, justified, with God’s favour on him, and these men who did him such a terrible injustice were begging for food before him. What an opportunity. And, as you read the story, Joseph was seriously tempted; he was torn between his hatred for them and his love; between revenge and forgiveness. He accused them of being spies, locked them up for three days, then he took one of them as a hostage in prison, to force them to go back and get their youngest brother, Benjamin. He played tricks on them, he gave them an incredibly hard time. You see, one of the things that just doesn’t come naturally to us, is forgiveness. He had been so hurt and damaged by his brothers, he was tempted to kill them all, after he’d toyed with them in a dark and terrible cat and mouse game. This went on for quite some time, but … Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Send everyone away from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither ploughing nor harvest. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. (Gen 45:1–7) Joseph took the greatest opportunity of all, he forgave his brothers not just in word, but in deed. He saw that God had sent him to preserve their lives. Have you ever had the opportunity to harm or to forgive someone who has hurt you? Which way did you lean, naturally, in the flesh? Towards revenge right? Towards extracting your pound of flesh. That’s what Joseph wanted to do. And yet, he’d been travelling too long with God to do that. God had been with him in the pit that his brothers had thrown him. God had been with him on the journey to Egypt in chains, in the slave market where he was sold, as a slave, in prison where he was thrown after being wrongly accused. God had been with him each step of the way. And at each turn, God had placed an opportunity for Joseph to do good or evil. To behave well, or badly. To use his natural gifts and talents to grab hold of the opportunities or not. And at each turn, Joseph stepped up to the plate and took a hold of those God–given opportunities. He didn’t realise it at the time, but it’s that consistent pattern of behaviour, that brought him to the place of power and privilege in which he now found himself. And it was in this place that he faced his biggest test; to forgive, or to take revenge. Forgiveness goes against the grain. Forgivenes...

Released on 13 Feb 2022