Genesis: Lesson 16

Overview

Joseph's Forgiveness and Ours

In Genesis 45, one of the most beautiful chapters in the book, Joseph stands as the second most powerful man in the world, fully able to punish the brothers who sold him into slavery 22 years earlier. Instead, he weeps, embraces them, and speaks words that reframe their entire history: "It was not you who sent me here, but God." He had every right to make them pay; he chose instead to forgive. The parallels with Christ are striking—both loved by their fathers, both shepherds, both beginning their ministry at thirty, both falsely accused, bound, and numbered with criminals, and both crying out forgiveness toward those who wronged them.

Forgiveness, biblically, means to send away. Paul says God "forgave us all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us... nailing it to the cross" Colossians 2:12-13, and that He has removed our sins "as far as the east is from the west" Psalm 103:12. On that basis, we are commanded: "Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive" Colossians 3:12-13.

It is just as important to know what forgiveness is not. It is not condoning—God Himself condemns calling evil good Isaiah 5:20. It is not the same as reconciliation, which requires repentance from the other party; Paul writes, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all" Romans 12:18—acknowledging that sometimes it is not possible. In situations of abuse, for instance, reconciliation may not be wise even where forgiveness is given. And forgiveness is not forgetting. Only God can truly say, "I will remember their sins... no more" Hebrews 10:16-17. We cannot erase memory, but by grace we can put the past behind us.

Forgiveness is hard. It is often a daily, lifelong process—the face returns, the words echo, and we must send them away again. Our honest confession is, "I can't." That is precisely the point at which the gospel meets us. "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" Galatians 2:20. God who supplies every need Philippians 4:19 empowers us to do what we cannot do on our own. Remembering the depth of our own sin debt—"none is righteous, no, not one" Romans 3:10-20—and the love that paid it while we were still sinners Romans 5:6-8, we find strength to release others. And we trust the God who, like Joseph, takes even the evil others intend and weaves it into His good purpose: "We know that all things work together for good, for those who love God" Romans 8:28. He is never the author of evil, but when He permits it, He always bends it to serve His will.

Transcript

Lord, for your word, we thank you, Father, that you come to us in word and sacrament, we 3s

praise you, and we thank you that you call us your own and that you call us your servants 12s

in Jesus' name. 18s

Amen. 20s

Let's review where we were last week. 21s

We took a look at chapters 42 to 44. 24s

Last week in our study, and we saw a family reunion that occurred on that day. 28s

Joseph knows that it's his brothers here that have shown up before him as they seek food 34s

here amidst the famine, but they don't know that it is him. 41s

So the question then is, what will Joseph's response be? 47s

We're going to turn today to chapter 45, which I think is one of the most beautiful, beautiful 51s

chapters of the book of Genesis. 59s

Joseph was in a position to punish. 64s

Remember, he was number two in the world's greatest power at the time. 67s

So you had Pharaoh, and then right underneath Pharaoh, you have Joseph. 74s

And so he's the second most powerful person in the world at this time. 81s

And he certainly has the ability to punish his brothers. 87s

Let's turn to Genesis chapter 45, and we'll pick up in verse 1. 92s

Genesis 45 verse 1. 100s

Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, 106s

send everyone away from me. 114s

So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 117s

And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 123s

Joseph said to his brothers, 130s

I am Joseph. 133s

Is my father still alive? 134s

But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence. 137s

Then Joseph said to his brothers, come closer to me, and they came closer. 143s

He said, I'm your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 149s

And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here. 153s

For God sent me before you to preserve life. 158s

For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are five more years in it, 163s

which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 169s

God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to keep alive for you many survivors. 173s

So it was not you who sent me here, but God. 181s

He has made me a father to Pharaoh and Lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 186s

Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, thus says your son Joseph, 193s

God has made me Lord of all Egypt. 199s

Come down to me, do not delay. 202s

You shall settle in the land of Goshen and you shall be near me, 206s

you and your children and your children's children, 209s

as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have, 212s

I will provide for you there since there are five more years of famine to come, 216s

so that you and your household and all that you have will not come to poverty. 222s

And now your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my own mouth that speaks to you. 230s

You must tell my father how greatly I am honored in Egypt and all that you have seen, 238s

hurry and bring my father down here. 244s

Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, 249s

while Benjamin wept upon his neck, and he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them, 254s

and after this his brothers talked with him. 261s

The sheath had risen, they were bowing down just as the prophecy had said, 268s

this is Joseph whom the men would cry out before him make way, 276s

in other words get out of his way, here he comes. 283s

This is the one who has the ability to literally destroy, destroy his brothers, 288s

who 22 years earlier at this point in the narrative, 295s

22 years earlier had sold him into slavery. 301s

He had the authority to make him pay, and what he does is he forgives them. 308s

He forgives them. It's just one of the most gorgeous chapters in the book of Genesis. 315s

Let's go to Colossians the second chapter. 324s

So I'd like to talk with you about forgiveness this morning. 326s

1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians Ephesians, Philippians, and then Colossians. 329s

Colossians chapter 2, verse 12. 334s

Colossians chapter 2, verse 12. 339s

When you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, 358s

who raised him from the dead. 366s

And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, 369s

God made you alive together with him when he forgave us all our trespasses, 374s

erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. 381s

He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. 386s

That word there forgave. 391s

It means to send away. 394s

Let's go to Psalm 103, please, verse 12. 401s

Psalm 103, verse 12. 404s

Psalm 103, verse 12 says, 426s

Now let's go back to Colossians again. 448s

Colossians the third chapter, verse 12. 452s

We see that we are commanded to forgive us. 456s

Colossians chapter 3, verse 12. 462s

As God's chosen ones wholly and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 471s

Bear with one another. 481s

And if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other. 483s

Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 488s

Forgiveness then is sending away. 496s

Forgiveness is commanded by our Lord. 499s

Forgiveness is hard. 503s

And forgiveness is refusing to hurt back. 506s

It's important when we come to understanding this forgiveness here, leveraging off of this text here as Joseph forgives his brothers. 512s

To understand what forgiveness is not, what forgiveness is is not. 519s

It is not condoning. 525s

Forgiveness is not condoning. 533s

What was done or what was said. 536s

And the temptation is with regard to this. 542s

It's to think that if we forgive someone, that somehow we are communicating that that which the person said or that which the person did is somehow okay. 544s

Forgiveness is not condoning someone's words or actions. 558s

And a barrier to our forgiveness is, I don't want to send this away because somehow it's going to communicate that it's okay what they said or what they did. 565s

Forgiveness isn't that. 578s

God condemns calling that which is bad good. 580s

Let's see that in Isaiah chapter 5, please. 584s

Old Testament, good way to find Isaiah is open up to the book of Psalms and then move right. 588s

Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon. 595s

Then you hit Isaiah. 598s

Isaiah chapter 5, verse 20. 601s

Isaiah 5, verse 20. 605s

You who called evil good and good evil. 615s

Who put darkness for light and light for darkness. 620s

Who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. 624s

God condemns calling that which is bad good. 629s

And so forgiveness is not condoning what was said or condoning what was done. 633s

Forgiveness is not reconciliation. 642s

Forgiveness is not synonymous with reconciliation. 649s

Reconciliation is only possible if there is repentance on the part of the other person. 657s

So sometimes people will think that in order to forgive someone there must be reconciliation. 664s

Sometimes reconciliation doesn't occur because there isn't repentance on the part of the other person. 670s

Let's go to Romans, the 12th chapter. 676s

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans. 679s

Romans chapter 12, verse 18. 681s

Romans 12, 18. 686s

Paul writes, if it is possible so far as it depends on you, live peacefully with all. 697s

See inherent in that very verse is the understanding that it might not be possible to be in peace with another. 707s

If there isn't that intention of the other to be in peace with you, if there isn't that repentance on the other's part. 716s

So forgiveness is not condoning what was said or done. 724s

Forgiveness is different from reconciliation. 729s

It's not forgetting. 733s

Forgiveness is not forgetting. 740s

Only God can truly forget a sin. 745s

Let's go to the book of Hebrews, please, in the New Testament. 750s

Hebrews chapter 10, verse 16. 755s

Hebrews chapter 10, we'll pick up in verse 16. 759s

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days says the Lord. 772s

I will put my laws in their hearts and I will write them on their minds. 777s

He also adds, I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds. 781s

I will remember them no more. 789s

Remembering no more here that little phrase in the Greek, it's a double negative there. 793s

So that means not at all. 799s

It means by no means will God remember our sins. 802s

We can't forget the past. 807s

We don't have that ability. 809s

But by God's grace we can put the past behind us. 812s

Sometimes people will think that forgiveness is condoning. 816s

Sometimes they'll think it's reconciliation. 820s

It's not. 822s

Sometimes they'll think that somehow they have to come up with some kind of amnesia here in order to forgive. 823s

No, we won't forget. 830s

We won't forget there those actions or those words. 831s

But by God's grace we can put them in the past. 837s

The sending away is a lifetime process. 842s

It's a lifetime process. 848s

Regarding the hurt you experienced. 851s

You can see the face. 854s

You can see the face. 857s

And there needs to be that sending away once again. 859s

You can hear the words. 865s

And there needs to be that sending away once again. 867s

Forgiveness might need to be a daily occurrence. 872s

It's not a one-time occurrence. 876s

Forgiveness is a process, oftentimes, or can be daily. 878s

And in His power we forgive. 885s

Let's go to Philippians chapter four. 889s

So turn to your left there. 893s

Cross over the tea books. 896s

You'll cross over Colossians. 897s

And you come to Philippians chapter four, verse 19. 899s

Philippians four, verse 19. 904s

And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours 914s

according to His riches in glory in Christ. 920s

God commands us to forgive. 926s

And we have a need to forgive. 929s

We have a need to forgive. 933s

Because in forgiving comes healing. 935s

And God here knows that need then. 939s

And we can trust Him to empower that to be done. 943s

That lifelong process. 948s

Let's go to Galatians chapter two. 951s

Keep turning left here. 955s

You'll cross over Philippians. 957s

Then you come to Galatians chapter two, verse 20. 959s

A little bit, tag at the end of verse 19 there. 973s

I have been crucified with Christ. 978s

And it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. 980s

And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, 985s

who loved me and gave Himself to me. 991s

You see, to forgive, it is the actions of God of Christ who lives in us. 997s

When we say, I just can't forgive that. 1005s

I can't forgive the actions. 1011s

I can't forgive the words. 1012s

I can't forgive that person. 1015s

When we say that, right. 1020s

That's the confession, isn't it? 1024s

That on our own power we can't do that, but Christ who lives in us, 1026s

empowers us then to forgive. 1031s

It is God empowering us to that action. 1036s

Take a look please. 1041s

At Luke the 15th chapter, Matthew, Mark, and then Luke, 1042s

Luke chapter 15, verse 20. 1047s

And here's the story of the parable of the prodigal son. 1055s

We're going to pick up a little bit into the story. 1060s

The son returns, verse 20. 1066s

So he said often, went to his father, but while he was still far off, 1070s

his father saw him, was filled with compassion. 1073s

He ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. 1076s

And remember that word says that he ran. 1079s

Men did not do that in ancient days. 1083s

They didn't run like that. 1088s

It just wasn't part of the culture. 1091s

For a man to run was not part of the culture. 1094s

Verse 21. 1099s

Then the son said to him, 1100s

Father, I've sinned against heaven and before you, 1101s

I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. 1103s

But the father said to his saves quickly, 1107s

bring out a robe, the best one, and put it on him, 1109s

put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet, 1112s

get the fatted calf and kill it, 1114s

let us eat and celebrate. 1116s

For this son of mine was dead in his alive again. 1118s

He was lost and is found, and they began to celebrate. 1121s

Instead of holding the sin against us, 1125s

God celebrates the repentance that he generates in us. 1130s

It is the forgiving nature of God, 1136s

empowering the repentance in us, 1141s

and then calling us to forgive. 1144s

The forgiving God who forgives us, 1147s

empowering us to be forgivers. 1150s

Let's go to Romans the fifth chapter. 1153s

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans. 1156s

Romans chapter 5 will pick up in verse 6. 1161s

For while we were still weak at the right time, 1172s

Christ died for the ungodly, 1175s

in eat rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, 1178s

though perhaps for a good person, 1181s

someone might actually dare to die. 1183s

But God proves His love for us 1186s

in that while we still were sinners, 1188s

Christ died for us. 1191s

We are called to the right time, 1195s

to call them to love and to forgive. 1195s

No matter how unlovable the other might be, 1199s

because why? 1204s

God has forgiven us, 1207s

the magnitude of our sin, 1210s

the massive sin debt that God has forgiven us. 1214s

Let's go stay in Romans and turn to chapter 3. 1219s

We will pick up in verse 10. 1222s

There's no one who's righteous, not even one. 1231s

There's no one who has understanding. 1234s

There's no one who seeks God. 1236s

All have turned aside. 1238s

Together they've become worthless. 1240s

There's no one who shows kindness. 1242s

There's not even one. 1244s

Their throats are open graves. 1245s

They use their tongues to deceive. 1247s

The venom of viperes is under their lips. 1249s

Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. 1252s

Their feet are swift to shed blood. 1255s

Ruined in misery are in their paths. 1257s

And the way of peace they have not known. 1259s

There is no fear of God before their eyes. 1262s

Now we know that whatever the law says, 1267s

it speaks to those who are under the law 1269s

so that every mouth may be silenced. 1272s

And the whole world may be held accountable to God. 1275s

For no human being will be justified in his sight 1279s

by deeds prescribed by the law for through the law 1283s

comes the knowledge of sin. 1287s

It obliterates works righteousness, doesn't it? 1290s

It just obliterates it. 1293s

And God has forgiven us the massive nature of our sin. 1295s

When Jesus cries from the cross to tell the story, 1301s

it is finished. 1304s

He has paid the massive sin debt that has, 1305s

we have accumulated. 1310s

God then commands and calls us to be a people that forgive. 1313s

And our response is, I can't. 1320s

I can't. 1323s

And it's there when we come to the realization that we can't, 1325s

that indeed we lean on the empowerment of God to forgive us, 1329s

his people, and power us to be the forgivers that he calls us to be. 1338s

Just a little side here. 1348s

Think about Joseph and Jesus here in the comparison here that we've studied. 1350s

Joseph was loved by his father, so also was Jesus. 1357s

Joseph was the shepherd of his sheep, Jesus, the great shepherd. 1364s

Joseph was 30 years old when he began his ministry. 1372s

How old was Jesus? 1376s

He was 30 years old. 1378s

Joseph was sold falsely accused, bound in chains, condemned with criminals, 1380s

and Jesus was sold falsely accused, bound in chains, and condemned with criminals. 1386s

Joseph cries out to forgive his brothers, and Jesus cries out from the cross that we are forgiven. 1392s

There's a whole sermon series there, isn't there? 1402s

When you just compare Joseph and Jesus together, and what does Joseph do? 1405s

But he forgives his brothers, and what are we called to do but to forgive? 1412s

Does that mean we cedone the actions of the words? 1418s

Nope. 1422s

Does that mean that forgiveness is synonymous with reconciliation? 1423s

No, it's not. 1427s

Does that mean we're being able to forget what happened? 1428s

No. 1433s

God is the only one who forgets, but the one who has paid our massive sin debt and his forgiveness of our sin calls us to and empowers us to be a people who forgive. 1434s

Let's go to Genesis 45, verse 5. 1450s

And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here for God sent me before you to preserve life. 1461s

Verse 7. 1478s

Verse 9. 1481s

Verse 8. 1483s

Verse 9. 1494s

Verse 9. 1499s

Verse 9. 1501s

Verse 9. 1508s

Verse 9. 1509s

Verse 3. 1513s

Verse 9. 1514s

Verse 9. 1515s

Verse fonctionne with all his gold. 1523s

God governs it according to His will. 1536s

In every case, when evil happens, 1541s

God will govern it according to His will. 1545s

Let's go to Romans 8. 1548s

Romans 8.28. 1553s

We know that all things work together for good, 1565s

for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose. 1570s

What's the key word there? 1576s

How many things? 1579s

All things work together. 1580s

God forgives evil. 1588s

He frequently will prevent evil from occurring. 1590s

But whenever He permits evil, and knows the distinction there, 1594s

He's not the author of it. 1599s

God can't be the author of evil. 1600s

Whenever He permits evil, He will always cause it to serve His purpose. 1602s

It was evil what the brothers did to Joseph. 1610s

It was evil what they did. 1614s

Did God permit that? 1617s

We must say yes, because He's sovereign. 1619s

Is He the author of it? 1622s

No. The brothers are responsible for their actions. 1624s

But what does God do? 1628s

He uses it to serve His purpose. 1631s

As His people, then, we forgive, not understanding forgiveness is condoning, 1638s

reconciliation, or forgetting. 1645s

There are sometimes, for example, when, even when there is repentance on the other part of the person here, 1649s

that there shouldn't be reconciliation, 1659s

it may not be, for example, wise to reconcile in situations of abuse. 1662s

That may not be wise. 1670s

And that's helpful then for people. 1673s

If they understand that forgiveness is synonymous with reconciliation, 1677s

then they think in an abuse situation that they have to reconcile. 1681s

No, that may not be wise to do in an abuse situation. 1685s

So these are very clear of what forgiveness is not. 1689s

What forgiveness is is by the power of God sending it away. 1694s

Can we do that? 1699s

Nope, not on our own strength. 1700s

But it is Christ who lives in us, 1702s

and that continual feeding of His gospel message to us of how much sin He has forgiven. 1705s

That if God forgives the likes of you and me, 1714s

how could we not forgive one another? 1719s

And the very thing, when we come to the end of ourselves, 1724s

and we say, I can't do that, 1727s

and God says, this is my empowerment, my empowerment of you to forgive. 1730s

And how God can use even the most evil of situations 1737s

and bring good out of it. 1745s

Chapter 45, just an amazing chapter, isn't it? 1748s

Amazing chapter. 1753s

Well, next week, we come to our final session here in this book of Genesis. 1754s

Earlier in the year, we covered the first 26 chapters, 1762s

and now we're covering 26 to 50. 1765s

Well, next week, we're going to pick up with chapters 46 1768s

and move to the end of Genesis. 1772s

And there are great passages ahead. 1777s

We'll continue next week. 1780s