November 16, 2020 (Monday)
Joseph’s cup is found in Benjamin’s sack.
The steward takes them back to Joseph’s home. Get set for the big reveal. Will
Joseph handle them harshly or offer an undeserved grace, mercy, and love? Grace
is getting something awesome we do not deserve. Mercy is not getting something
awful we do deserve. Love is what God commands us to give to everyone,
everywhere, at all times.
Genesis 45:1
begins, “Joseph could no longer control himself in front of all his attendants,
so he declared, “Everyone,
leave now!” So no one stayed with him when he revealed his identity to his
brothers.” [Genesis 45:1 CEB] At
this “His
brothers couldn’t respond because they were terrified before him.” [Genesis
45:3b CEB]
This is one of
those moments when the brothers probably thought “we’re dead.” Joseph is
weeping loudly, probably uncontrollably. Think about it, they intended to kill
Joseph. Reuben talked them off that ledge. When an opportunity showed up, Judah
talked them into selling Joseph to their cousins as a slave. But we have
watched the story wheel turn multiple times. Talk about a messed up family. Is
your's THAT bad?
Joseph calms his
brothers down, “Now,
don’t be upset and don’t be angry with yourselves that you sold me here.
Actually, God sent me before you to save lives.” [Genesis 45:5 CEB] From his plea to the chief
cup-bearer, I doubt Joseph could have imagined God’s timing and design.
Now Joseph
recognizes God’s timing and design. He tells his brothers, “God sent me before you…” [Genesis 45:7a CEB] and again, “You didn’t send
me here; it was God…” [Genesis
45:8a CEB] There is a sad thing about grace, mercy, and love… we tend to not
trust it.
The rest of this
story comes in Genesis 50:15, “When Joseph’s brothers realized that their father was
now dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us, and wants to
pay us back seriously for all of the terrible things we did to him?”
[CEB] Once more Joseph responds, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it
for good…” [Genesis 50:20 ESV]
Our American
mindset is to work for anything good. We tend to enjoy a sense of accomplishment.
Kind of like mowing the grass. When we look back, we can see what we have
accomplished. There is a definite ending point where we can think "mission
accomplished." That’s our work ethic. Ideally, we depend only on me,
myself, and I. Nobody else, or else. Which is why we are miserable.
Truth is, God
does NOT do “take backs.” God does NOT pull the rug out from under our feet.
God does NOT, at the critical moment, say “just joking.” Despite the betrayal
and pain Joseph could have held, he now looked BACK to see God’s unseen hand
moving the timing, direction, and events of his life.
Are you in a
tight spot? Things not going your way? Joseph’s story helps us understand that
God can work in unexpected ways and in timing we do not understand. Who am I
joking? God had something special to do with Joseph (save lives). We are just
dust, blown by the wind, bumping against other pieces of dust.
Here’s the thing.
That piece of dust the wind just bumped against you, might need saving. Guess
what your speck of dust has? Grace. Mercy. Love. His name is Jesus.
Crave the wind.
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