People Should be Kept… ALIVE

Genesis 50:15-21

9/11

† In His Name †

To you, my brothers and sisters, may the grace, mercy and peace of God, and our Lord Jesus Christ, be given.

Eleven people are standing around, with a task to do. One of their number, will soon have to leave the group, to be sent away, taken out of the picture. They will have to make the decision among themselves, which one is to go. There is a vote, and one leaves the others behind, his head low in shame. The others, now congratulate themselves on getting rid of their strongest competition, knowing now that they stand a better chance at receiving the prize they all desire.

This could very well be the script from one of those new television “reality” shows, that have become so popular. It is not. It is the story of a very dysfunctional family, the final chapter of which we heard about today in the Old Testament reading. As I thought about the various families in the Bible, I realized something. These families are more like game contestants on these shows, than the people of the family shows of my youth. Families that are more like Survivor than Leave it to Beaver; more like BigBrother6 than Father knows Best, more like Surreal Life, than “The Wonder Years”. Think about Adam and Eve, and their sons, or Noah, and his. Abraham’s family? What about David’s? Even Jesus didn’t receive a ton of support from his family – they thought he was crazy! Instead of the perfect families you might expect, you see the competition, the alliances, the favoritism, the betrayals, the envy and hatred, the division and fighting. Scripture, to my amazement, doesn’t hide it, or make the families look perfect.

It is something I take great comfort in, indeed, I find my faith strengthened, when I consider families like Joseph, and his brothers, I find hope for my own families. For properly speaking, we each belong to several – from those we live with, to the extended families of blood relatives and in-laws, to those groups we work with, to even our church family. If we are honest, each of them is challenging. As we look at this incredible chapter in the life of one family, we will see that which gives us hope in the midst of the darkest days of our families. We will see as well, a lesson about God’s grace, applied to us, whether we are like the brothers, or like Joseph.

Let’s start with the brothers…and look at the situation through their eyes.

The Brothers’ View

Guilt and shame

Their appeal?

Their fear

There is no doubt in my mind, how the brothers originally viewed Joseph. He was, to put it mildly a spoiled brat. Dad’s favorite, who got the best clothes and the easiest chores on the farm. If there was a squabble among the brothers, Joseph was believed, because he was the “good boy”, the goody-two shoes who did nothing wrong, at least in Dad and mom’s eyes. As he got older, it grew worse. He was a dreamer, who took great delight in recounting dreams of his brothers bowing down to him, heck even one of those dreams had his dad bowing down to him as well. Anybody have a little brother or sister like that? Any of us willing to admit we were the little brother or sister like that?

If you had the little brother or sister like that, you might understand the temptation to toss the little pain in the neck in a pit, and leave them there for a few hours. But to sell them into slavery? Probably a bit extreme, you might think. These brothers were even willing to let their dad believe that Joseph had been killed by a wild beast. In those days, when punishments fit the crime, they went way overboard.

As we start our reading today, because of a famine, they have moved to Eqypt, only to find Joseph’s prophetic dreams have come true. The one they sold into slavery, is now the second most powerful man in the world. They figure that his joy in seeing his youngest brother, not involved in the evil, and his dad, would sustain them for a while. But now, dad is dead, and they are in great fear of Joseph finally getting his revenge. Of Joseph using that incredible power he had, and that they would disappear, or worse. In desperation, they send a messenger, bearing a message that might just hit home, a rather nicely framed plea for mercy.

"Your father gave this command before he died, ¹⁷ 'Say to Joseph, Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.' And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father."

Note the skill in this plea. First, the reason they are approaching is not for them to beg for their mercy, nope it’s dad’s words, or at least they say these are dad’s words. They do admit how they have ripped apart their relationship, their family, that they plotted and planned their sin. But Joseph, Dad would have you forgive us of all that, you know. Dad really wanted this, so please forgive us, and remember, we are servants of God.

I do not think my brother and I ever came up with such a brilliant plea for mercy. But the brilliance speaks of their desperation. They desire to find someway to restore the relationship shattered by their sin. They desire to not have to pay the price of their actions. As they dive to the ground in worship and supplication, they so remind me of the prodigal son, looking for the smallest bit of kindness from their brother.

The Brother’s View

Joseph’s desire

Joseph’s Revelation

Joseph’s promise

Joseph is no longer the young man, with ambitious dreams. His dreams have come true, but at the cost of years of suffering, the years of slavery, and imprisonment. His reaction, heard through the tears, tells us how he has longed for the family of his youth. Listen again to his response to his brothers,

"Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? Or as another translation phrases it, Do not be afraid, for am I God, your judge?

Joseph has the power to do whatever he wants to these men, who tossed him, as a young man, into a bit, and sold him into slavery. He has the power, and even the authority, to have they tortured and killed. But he cannot. Perhaps he realizes that though that one day, they sinned against him, he had sinned against them as well. He is not qualified to be their judge, and his heart cries out a the very idea of that. Instead, he points them to God, with one of the most incredible realizations in all of scripture,

²⁰ As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

The miraculous, majestic power of God is amazing. It can call someone from being dead in sin, to becoming a live, born again. It can take those sinful actions, and weave them into a blessing that saves nations. That is the glorious message of today. The relationships that you have, in the past shattered, can be restored, in Christ.

For one day, many years after Joseph’s descendants left Egypt, another group of people stood around. One said that it would be better than one innocent man die, than the nation perish. Another vote occurs, and another man is separated from his family, lead out in sorrow and shame. What the others meant for his was evil, more evil than selling Joseph into slavery. They killed him, hanging him on a cross.

And once again, God’s majesty reigns, and what the people meant for evil, God determined would be for good. The death of Jesus, far more innocent than Joseph, would buy the freedom for not just a family, and not even just a nation – but the world.

Listen to the end of Joseph’s words to his brothers, and the description of them.

²¹ So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones." Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

I will provide for you and your little ones.

Compare them to these words,

³⁶ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." ³⁷ Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" ³⁸ And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." ⁴⁰ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to encourage them, Acts 2:36-40

I have often wondered, where Joseph found the peace, and the wisdom, to forgive his brothers. We look at Joseph, and we see him as a hero of the faith, a man who does what we would aspire to do. But the key to his ministering to his brothers, rather than judging them, comes, not from within himself. It comes, from seeing how God has used the sin and the suffering. You see, God promises that all things will work together for those He loves, for those called according to His purpose. It comes from knowing a pit, and a slave caravan, can save a people from famine. A cross, a vile and vicious instrument of torture, can in turn be redeemed and save a world form sin. If God can turn those things, what can He do with your hurt, what can He do with the sins you committed against your brother?

It doesn’t matter, if you are the sinner, or the person whom the evil was plotted against. It is time to see the miracle of what happens, when that is turned over to God. It is time to call the family together to be whole, once again. Some prodigals may take time to return – be ready when they do,

And remind them, that God in Christ, has redeemed them, and their lives.

And may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, guard you hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus, our brother, who suffered, that we might live… AMEN