The Word | Daily Bread MAR/29/12 |
| Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen |
| Thursday, 29 March 2012 14:01 |
|
Genesis 50:17 - "So shall you say to Joseph, 'I beseech you, forgive now the trespass of your brothers and their sins, for they dealt evil to you.' And now we pray, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. How important is the subject of forgiveness? Probably the most important subject of all; for if there is no forgiveness, then there is no hope of redemption and no hope of escaping the wrath that is to come. Jesus demanded that we forgive one another from our hearts. He warned that if we would not forgive one another, then neither would our Heavenly Father forgive us (Matthew 6:15; Matthew 18:35; Mark 11:25-26). There are those who create a threshold of what they will forgive, but the Lord says: "If your brother trespass against you, rebuke him; and if he repents forgive him" (Luke 17:3-4). Now, the forgiveness that God demands extends far beyond once or twice, and enters into the realm of what men would consider ridiculous - 490 times a day! The story of Joseph's forgiveness towards his brothers describes for us the righteous behavior of a man who knew how to forgive from his heart. The big question that was in the minds of Joseph's brothers was, "Has he really forgiven us?" Surely Jacob had forgiven them, for there was no mention of that sin in his final address to his sons. Even though they had broken his heart and deprived him of his dearest son, he tells them to petition Joseph on his behalf to forgive them. They had made Joseph's life a living hell - by first throwing him into a pit, and then selling him into slavery, which ultimately landed him in prison with a life sentence. How was Joseph ever to get past such treatment? The Hebrew word used for "forgive" is 'nasa', which means "to lift off" or "to carry away." It was within the power of Joseph to lift off the burden and the judgment of the sins and trespasses of his brothers. Yet, now that his father was dead, why not make them pay for their wrongdoing? Why not teach them a lesson, so that they could really grasp how wrong they were for what they had done? Instead, Joseph's response was one of deep compassion and love for his brothers. It was truly an example of forgiving from the heart! Where did Joseph find it within himself to be so compassionate and merciful? God blessed Joseph with the ability to know Him. It was said of Joseph that he was a man in whom the Spirit of God dwelled (Genesis 41:38). It was the Spirit of the Lord - that not only gave him the ability to interpret dreams and have a superior wisdom to other men - but it was also the Spirit of the Lord that infused him with the divine character of God. God is compassionate and merciful (Deuteronomy 13:17; Psalm 86:15; Psalm 145:8). He is a God of forgiveness, who removes the transgression and sins of those who ask (Psalm 86:5; Psalm 103:12; Exodus 34:9; Numbers 14:19-20; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Jeremiah 36:3; Daniel 9:9). True forgiveness restores the relationship with the one who has trespassed against us. There are many who say that they have forgiven, but there was no restored relationship with the one who repented; therefore there was no true forgiveness. Today there is to much unforgiveness in the congregation of the Lord. Each person must realize that if they allow unforgiveness towards another, then neither will God forgive them. Therefore, people assemble as the saints of God, when in reality they are offering up a sacrifice of praise in unrighteousness; and the only way that they are going to be heard and accepted by God is to go and make it right, and be reunited in a restored relationship with those who did them wrong (Matthew 5:24; Matthew 18:15; James 3:14; James 5:16). If forgiveness does not flow freely from us, then we can be certain that we have lost the divine character and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. |
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