And we know that in all
things God works for the good of
those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose~ Romans 8:28
NIV
I recently revisited a
story that I have a serious love-hate relationship with. It’s the story of
Joseph in Genesis 37-50. I love it because, well, it’s a really great story.
Joseph’s tale reads like a well-written novel from the very first sentence. It’s
bursting with deliciously dysfunctional family drama, relational intrigue,
betrayal, several unexpected plot twists and, finally, an undeserved act of mercy
that leads to family reconciliation and lays the foundation for the birth of a
nation.
Most of you know the
story. Joseph was his father’s favorite son and dear old Dad foolishly let that
fact be known to his other sons. The brothers (most with different baby-mama’s)
give into their baser instincts and decide to kill their brother, but at the
very last minute change their minds and sell him off to some Egyptian slave traders.
Joseph has many
depressing adventures in the land of Egypt. These include a good job that goes
bad, a trumped-up rape charge, a three-year stint in prison and being all but
forgotten by a guy who owed him a huge favor.
Just when you’re certain
you can’t deal with the gloomy storyline for one more moment, the story takes a
turn and Joseph is THE rags-to-riches success story of antiquity. In the span
of eleven verses Joseph is released from prison, accurately interprets a very
weird dream, predicts a famine, is given a makeover and a sweet new ride, made
Prime Minister of Egypt, married off to the daughter of an important man and
becomes the father of two (presumably) adorable little boys.
It’s awesome.
Then just as you
think the story is going to end with “And they all lived happily ever after…”
His good-for-nothing
family shows up in Egypt looking for a handout from the very guy they had attempted
to destroy years earlier (unbeknownst to them). Joseph is then confronted with the
heart-wrenching choice of whether or not to forgive the unforgivable.
He forgives, and his
gracious act of compassion ensures the survival of the line of Abraham and
births the Hebrew nation. A scene in Genesis forty-five gives us Joseph’s words
of faith concerning both God’s providence and his brother’s treachery.
“God sent me ahead of you to preserve for
you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
So then, it was not you who
sent me here, but God He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household
and ruler of all Egypt”
And then instead of throwing them all into
the pit of a very dark prison…
He (Joseph) threw his arms
around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. And
he kissed all his brothers and wept over them~ Genesis 45: 8,14,15a
Now for the part of the story I struggle
to accept…
Joseph’s life clearly and cleverly teaches
that God often does His best work in the dark and ugly places of our lives.
When I read between the lines of this
story I see that Joseph did not become a great man in spite of his suffering.
On the contrary, it was his circumstances combined with faith and good choices
that made him into a great man. The very things that had the power to ruin him
wound up contributing to his greatness.
Joseph chose to see life through the eyes of
faith and learn from the negative he encountered. It was the numerous models of
poor leadership he witnessed and experienced that made him into a governor with
the vision, courage and compassion to lead a nation through a famine that could
have been the end of that nation.
Cruelty
at the hands of those closest to him molded him into the type of man who had
the discernment to understand the bigger picture of life and the greater will
of God. It was the years of being forgotten and marginalized that allowed him
to accept and pardon the unpardonable acts of his own flesh and blood.
I think Joseph understood some truths that
most of us struggle with. Joseph understood that his suffering was only about
him up to a point. As God was molding Joseph he was also working on the hearts
of his father, brothers, Joseph’s pagan wife and probably even Pharaoh.
Joseph’s thankful and faithful response to the senselessness and cruelty of
those around him became a stimulus for their growth. Joseph was willing to put
his own pain in perspective and rejoice in what God was doing in others.
As we enter the Thanksgiving season, I am
reminded by Joseph’s story to be thankful not just for the blessings I receive
in this life (and there are many) but also for the hardships. It’s the
hardships that God uses to shape me and those around me if we allow Him.
So then, just as you
received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and
built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness~
Colossians 2:6-8
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