SESSION 12 OVERCOME AN EARTHLY MINDSET GENESIS 50:15-17 (15) And when Josephs brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. (16) And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, (17) So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. After the death of their father, the brothers became afraid that Joseph finally would seek his revenge against them. Joseph had cared for his extended family for 17 years (Gen.47:28), continually ensuring their safety and provision. Every indication is that the family - and everyone in it - greatly prospered under Josephs watchful care in Egypt. Jacobs closing years were spent in security with his sons and their families. But still, the whirlwind of fear and the storm of disgrace threatened the fabric of healing. After Jacob died, his 12 sons took his body back home and buried him with his wife and ancestors. Shame and fear returned to the brothers. Afraid at first to come in person, the brothers sent a somewhat deceitful message to Joseph to again seek his forgiveness for their terrible sin. The Bible tells us Satan walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour (1 Peter 5:8). He looks for any crack - any way he can enter, steal our peace, and cause alarm. The brothers could have chosen to plot against Joseph again, but they didnt do so. Instead, they sought forgiveness - again! - for what they had done. As they did, they acknowledged their actions as sin. Joseph was tremendously affected by the confession of his brothers. Even after all these years, they still had such fear of him and thought he had not truly forgiven them. Joseph discovered that reassurance was still needed. Past issues have a way of coming back around again, especially if we have not dealt completely with them. They key to surviving a return attack of the enemy is to deal with it head-on. Take determined action not to allow past hurts to regain traction.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 16:00:06 +0000
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