REDEMPTIVE LOVE

Genesis 45:7 “But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.”

God was with Joseph. He was with him in his father Jacob’s house. He was with Joseph in the house of Potiphar. He was with Joseph in the dungeon and he was with Joseph when he ruled all Egypt. Joseph never forgot that God was with him—in good times and bad. Joseph never forgot that he was part of a divine plan. This is made clear in Genesis 50:20, a verse that perfectly sums up Joseph’s faith and his view of life: “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.” Joseph had lived as a slave and prisoner on the bottom rung of society, friendless and powerless, yet he never wore the chains of a slave mentality. He maintained faith in God, never doubting God’s power, love, or plan. We see how God used Joseph to save Egypt and preserve a remnant of his chosen people. Joseph has been called the most Christ-like individual of the Bible; in his life of suffering, victory, and redemptive love he bears the image of Jesus.

We might think that Joseph was giving his brothers a hard time to get revenge for how they had mistreated him. But as we examine the events surrounding our scripture, we can see that he was not harassing them for his own pleasure. Joseph felt compassion on them, wept for them, and was leading them, step-by-step, to repent of their sins. Joseph shows us that real love is redemptive; it is helping those we love come to God and live in a right relationship with God.

God wanted to use Joseph not only to save the lives of his family from starvation, but to redeem them spiritually. God wanted to change them from evil murderers, full of jealousy and hatred, into men of God, patriarchs of God’s chosen people.

Joseph chose to cancel his brothers’ treachery through forgiveness. His goal was reconciliation. To forgive, we have to give up some power—namely the advantage of being the injured party, and the right to get even. The Hebrew word “forgiveness” (salach) means “to have anger in one’s fist and to release it.” Joseph knew his relationship with his brothers was more important than his hurt.

Joseph declares that ultimately it was not his brothers who sent him to Egypt—it was God. God had a great purpose in sending him to Egypt ahead of them. Because Joseph believed in the sovereignty of God he is able to love and forgive his brothers

Is there someone in your life who needs your forgiveness? Is someone you know in need of redemptive love? Is there someone—a friend, neighbor, relative, who is far from God? You can be their Joseph, leading them back to God through your life and love. Don’t let the hurt of the past keep you from this. Let go of the pain of the past and look instead at their need. When people hurt us, it reveals that they have a need which only God can heal. We can be used by God to help bring about healing and reconciliation.