STEP 6
I am ready to give this
unforgiveness to God
Matthew
11:28-30 (28)”Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I
will give you rest. (29)Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for
I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (30)For
my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (NIV)
Jacob had gone through difficult times, but God
blessed him tremendously. He had twelve sons between his two wives, but his next
to youngest son, Joseph, was his favorite. Joseph’s older brothers knew that
Jacob favored Joseph and they were not pleased. Genesis 37:4 When his
brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him
and could not speak a kind word to him. (NIV) To make matters worse,
Jacob made Joseph a distinguishable coat of many colors that caused the
brothers even more so to have contempt for him. This favoritism that Jacob
displayed concerning Joseph only aided in their feelings hatred and triggered division.
Nevertheless, instead of them forgiving their father for this, they
inappropriately displaced their anger towards Joseph.
The Lord had plans for Joseph’s life and had given
Joseph two dreams concerning his future. Genesis 37:6-7 He said to them, “Listen
to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when
suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around
mine and bowed down to it.” (NIV) It may had been best if Joseph had
kept his dreams to himself knowing how his brothers felt about him. You can
probably imagine what the brothers, who already hated him, assumed once he gave
them his big revelation. They did not like the fact that he thought one day, he
would rule over them. However, he had another dream, which added fuel to the
flames, and told them the details of that one as well. Genesis 37:9 Then he had
another dream, and he told it to his brothers., “Listen,” he said, “I had
another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down
to me.” (NIV) He also included his father in revealing this dream, but
Jacob dismissed it and seemed to have his own private questions as well.
One day, Joseph’s brothers had taken the cattle to
graze some distance away, so Jacob told Joseph to go check on them. When Joseph’s
brothers saw him in the distance, they plotted to kill him. Their hatred had
built up to the point that they did not even care that he was their brother. However,
Reuben, the oldest brother, objected and told them to throw him in a cistern
instead. A caravan of Ishmaelites, on their way to Egypt, came through the area
so the brothers sold Joseph to them. Upon arriving in Egypt, the Ishmaelites
sold Joseph to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s official where he became a slave. Years
later, there was a famine in the land. During his time in Egypt, Joseph went
through many trials, but God had blessed Joseph to become a ruler in Egypt. Joseph’s
family was later reunited when the brother had come to get grain during a seven
year drought. Joseph could have held a grudge against them for the evil that
they had done, but he didn’t. He knew that God allowed him to come to Egypt in
order to prepare the people for the famine, so that they would not die. Joseph’s
brothers thought that he would take revenge on them, but Joseph had handed it
over to Jehovah El Nose. Genesis 50:19-20 But Joseph said to
them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but
God intended it for good to accomplish what is not being done, the saving of
many lives. (NIV)
It is not always easy to forgive others especially
when they have wrong you in a manner to cause you years of pain. Nevertheless,
Jehovah El Nose requires it. Joseph knew that God led him to Egypt to save the
people from death. He understood that he had to place unforgiveness in Jehovah
El Nose’ hands and love his brothers despite what they had done. He
acknowledged that they had indeed done him wrong, but God turned it into a
blessing to save others.
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