In my reading of the Joseph story, I see it being a story not just about the Jacob family, but about God’s family with God as our father, we as his children, and therefore each other as brothers and sisters. It is as if whoever gathered that story and included it in their writing of Genesis, did so with the aim of making the point that, just as Joseph desired reconciliation with his brothers, so God desires reconciliation with us. And furthermore, the way Joseph went about that is not dissimilar to the way God goes about it with us. Why? Because just as Joseph’s brothers were estranged from him through their sinful actions toward him and their father Jacob, so we, in our unredeemed state, are estranged from our heavenly brother Jesus and our Father God.
So how does it work?
Before I go any further, let me make it clear
that the only way the penalty of our sins before God is removed, is through the
atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ at Calvery. His death is sufficient and
acceptable to God the Father, once and for all, so that we do not have to
suffer eternal separation from him. And there is nothing we can do about that
of our own making. God does it for us. Just as there was nothing the brothers
could do to remove the penalty of their sin against Joseph. He had to do it for
them.
Joseph had every right to cut them down.
His power over them as prime minister of Egypt was absolute. But he didn’t. He
loved his brothers and forgave them the moment he set eyes on them. Now while
Joseph had already forgiven his brothers, they still had to learn who he was,
and the art of re-conciliation and re-communion, if they were all to enjoy that
close brotherly fellowship that once was. It is
the same with us. True that the penalty of our sins is removed once and for all
at Calvery, but we still need to learn the art of re-communion with our heavenly
brother and our father God. And that is a process; it does not come naturally
to us.
So how does it work?
Joseph’s actions, his testing of his
brothers, his desire for shalom with them, eventually unlocked their own love
for him, which for so long had been incarcerated by jealously and envy. They had
to be transformed before their brother could show himself fully for who he was.
That is why Joseph did not disclose to them who he was until they were ready. It
is the same with ourselves and God. We must be transformed by the metamorphosis
of our minds, souls, and hearts before we can be completely restored to God’s
shalom. Yes, the penalty of our sins is taken away once and for all by the
atoning death of Jesus and his resurrection, but we are not there yet. And if
that means we must endure a time of trial, a time of going through the
refiner’s fire – as it were – then so be it. God will permit that, even though
at the time we doubt it being his will. We must pray about it, submit, and
persevere.
It is a bit like two people getting
married. Yes, the once and for all ceremony declares them married, but that is
just the beginning, isn’t it. The journey towards marital shalom begins and
continues until husband and wife are able to stand fully and selflessly
disclosed in the peace of each other’s presence.
The psalms, such as 17 and 139, contain
invitations for God to search hearts and see if there is any wickedness there.
The psalmist is willing to become vulnerable to God’s scrutiny and the time of
testing that often goes with that. God knows us better than we know ourselves,
and he will bring us exactly to where he wants us, though we may not recognize what
is happening during the process.
Joseph severely tests his brothers, not out
of revenge or malice, but out of love for them. They had to confront their past
and deal with it before their hearts could be transformed. Joseph is proceeding
along the principle that real connectedness between people lies not in the
mind, but in the felt experience of the heart. Psalm 139 is seminal here, and I
encourage you to read it slowly and carefully. So Joseph searches and tests his
brothers by examining their reaction to a situation in which he places them,
not dissimilar to the one in which they placed him all those years ago, only
this time they are in his power. They are forced to confront the question of
what they are about. Are they truly repentant about what they did to Joseph?
How transformed have they become over the years? And do they truly honour their
father Jacob, whereas before they lied to him and covered up their sin?
It is the same with us and God. Sin
alienates us from God, and we cannot enjoy full fellowship with him because of
it. And even though the atoning death of Jesus removes its penalty and declares
us forgiven, there is still work to do before our heavenly brother steps out
into his wonderful light that fully illuminates our lives. Until then, he might
remain hidden or even silent. This is God’s loving way to bring us about, to
bring us back into fellowship with him. And Jesus used it a number of times
during his ministry on earth.
For example, the Syrian woman who cried
after Jesus and yet he remained silent, at first, until she came round with
that wonderful surrendering statement, yes Lord yet even this little dog is
happy with your crumbs. Only then was he fully disclosed to her and her
daughter’s illness. And again, on the road to Emmaus with two disciples. Jesus’s
identity remained hidden until after they were at table fellowship with him and
he broke bread with them. Only then were their eyes opened and they recognized
him.
And so Joseph, after searching his
brothers’ hearts to see if there was any remining evil towards him or their
father Jacob, and how they were with each other, finally discerns the moment to
disclose himself to them. I am Joseph whom you sold into slavery. These are not
words of comeuppance, but words bathed in the heart of brotherly love. The
estranged men once again become Joseph’s brothers. Their shalom with him is
restored. Then he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. And afterward
his brothers talked with him.
What then did the
brothers leave behind?
The brothers leave behind the enduring
impact and consequences of their trauma of having sold Joseph into slavery and
then lying to their father about it. Now, new meaningful attachments arise.
Life can begin again. But that meaning can only be realized by the brothers
participating in the whole story. It cannot have happened if they had simply
returned to Jacob after their first encounter with Joseph in Egypt and not gone
back with Benjamin. Then their sin of abandoning a brother to fate would have
been repeated by them leaving Simeon behind in an Egyptian jail.
That is why the grace of Joseph shown
towards his brothers (and of God shown towards us sinners) is a transforming
power that shines most brightly in the context of restored relationship, and
one that can deal with brokenness and sinfulness. And it is transformative love
that achieves this; Joseph’s love for his brothers and God’s love for us.
Philip Starks
Published under Creative Commons Copyright Licence
