15 When
Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that
Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” 16 So they sent a
message to Joseph, saying, “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.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 His brothers also
came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to
them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 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. 21 So
do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted
them and spoke kindly to them.
Only God can forgive sins! Joseph does not stand in the place of God before his brothers. God took all your evil intentions and turns them into good.
I recently was looking at something that reminded me that God places everything in its proper place. When God threw the stars and planets into the sky, each of them were put in a proper place and on a proper path for a proper purpose. All these things were placed there and proclaimed the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
God gave Joseph dreams, which produced hatred in his brothers. This hatred and their sinful nature caused them to desire to kill their brother. It was pity, which caused the brothers to sell him into slavery. It was God who lifted Joseph up to high position as a slave and a prisoner. It was God who provided Joseph with the interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams. It was God who brought a famine upon the land of Egypt and Canaan.
These brothers sinned. They have been sinners from birth. So has Joseph. God saved all these sinners from death in a famine. God provided for other sinners even as he saved these sinners. God will continue to provide and take care of these sinners. He will offer others sinners the blessing of life.
He will sell his own son into the hands of sinful people. They will kill him. And what those sinners intended as a wicked and awful act, became the salvation of many souls. Jesus Christ died for your life. He is God and he forgives you of all your sinful deeds and even your sinful nature.
I recently was looking at something that reminded me that God places everything in its proper place. When God threw the stars and planets into the sky, each of them were put in a proper place and on a proper path for a proper purpose. All these things were placed there and proclaimed the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
God gave Joseph dreams, which produced hatred in his brothers. This hatred and their sinful nature caused them to desire to kill their brother. It was pity, which caused the brothers to sell him into slavery. It was God who lifted Joseph up to high position as a slave and a prisoner. It was God who provided Joseph with the interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams. It was God who brought a famine upon the land of Egypt and Canaan.
These brothers sinned. They have been sinners from birth. So has Joseph. God saved all these sinners from death in a famine. God provided for other sinners even as he saved these sinners. God will continue to provide and take care of these sinners. He will offer others sinners the blessing of life.
He will sell his own son into the hands of sinful people. They will kill him. And what those sinners intended as a wicked and awful act, became the salvation of many souls. Jesus Christ died for your life. He is God and he forgives you of all your sinful deeds and even your sinful nature.
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