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Hello everyone, Shalom in Christ! Welcome again to the devotional program, “Joseph at the Marketplace” by GLOBAL REACHOUT. I am Tom Nohelty.
Day 15: Forgiving the Unforgivable
Today, the Scripture is taken from: Genesis 37 and Genesis 39–50.
Theme verse:
“And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it.” Genesis 45: 2 (ESV)
For the next few days, we’re going to think about forgiveness, repentance, and reconciliation.
There are probably people in your life who have hurt you deeply. People in your workplace who have marginalized you or betrayed your trust. As you sort through what God expects from you, consider going through some of the following books. They are wise, compassionate, and practical, and they have helped many people like you.
You may also want to get help from a counselor as you seek healing. There is no shame in admitting you can’t sort through something on your own.
Joseph’s story will speak to your heart if you are hurting. His journey shows the challenge of forgiveness. And his life is a powerful example of responding biblically to damage others have done to you.
When you think about forgiveness, the first thing that comes to mind may be relationships outside your work. However, this topic has significant applications for the workplace.
Let’s cut to the chase: forgiveness is hard. As C.S. Lewis wrote, “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive.”5.
You can see Joseph’s strong emotions in these chapters from Genesis:
He turned away from them and began to weep (42:24). Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there (43:30). And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it (45:2).
Author Philip Yancey’s take on this part of the story is that Joseph teetered between forgiveness and revenge:
One moment Joseph acted harshly, throwing his brothers in jail; the next moment he seemed overcome with sorrow, leaving the room to blubber like a drunk. He played tricks on his brothers, hiding money in their grain sacks, seizing one as a hostage, accusing another of stealing his silver cup. For months, maybe years, these intrigues dragged on until finally Joseph could restrain himself no longer. He summoned his brothers and dramatically forgave them. I now see that story as a realistic depiction of the unnatural act of forgiveness. The brothers Joseph struggled to forgive were the very ones who had bullied him, had cooked up schemes to murder him, had sold him into slavery. Because of them, he had spent the best years of his youth moldering in an Egyptian dungeon. Though he went on to triumph over adversity and though with all his heart he now wanted to forgive these brothers, he could not bring himself to that point, not yet. The wound still hurt too much.6
This view of Joseph’s actions makes sense. It resonates with the emotional ups and downs we go through when dealing with difficult people. You think you’ve dealt with your anger and hurt, and then they pop up again like noxious and thorny weeds.
Are you struggling to forgive as Joseph seemingly did? Good news: God can handle that. He’s willing to walk with us through the upheaval of forgiveness and reconciliation. Look at the book of Psalms. David told God, “All my longings lie open before you, Lord. My sighing is not hidden from you” (Psalm 38:9). In Psalm 139, David expressed his anger with evil people:
If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Psalm 139:19–22
And that’s tame compared to some of the other Psalms.
God can handle your candor. Pretending before him is neither useful nor expected. Instead, invite him into your very real anger and hurt. Ask him for insight into what’s happening inside you, as David did later in Psalm 139:
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23–24
Forgiveness and reconciliation must involve acknowledgment of the harm done. It’s not about minimizing or making excuses. Taking a measured look at the extent of the harm done is a key step in the process.
It is written in Romans 5: 8, ‘but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Freely, we have received the love and forgiveness from the Lord. In what ways can we demonstrate it to others that have hurt us?
Let’s Pray:
Lord, please bless us with the power of the Holy Spirit to love and forgive as we see the sinful nature of humanity that causes hurt and handle it. We are in need of Your divine love to forgive and receive healing from You. In Jesus name’ we pray, Amen.
Time for Reflections.
1. Who is someone in your workplace and/or life whom you are having a hard time forgiving?
2. What will you tell God about their behavior that has been so hurtful or upsetting? Take time to share with your group.
3. Ask him to search your heart and help you navigate forgiveness. What will you like your group to pray for you?