Today’s Devotion
Topic: God Meant It For Good (Self Assessment 81)
Background: When patriarch Jacob died in Egypt, Joseph sought permision from pharoah to bury his father in the land of Canaan. That was his father’s dying wish. Pharaoh agrees and a whole entourage is sent to accompany Joseph carry out his father’s wish. But you remember how Joseph’s brothers treated him when they were young? Now that the man who single-handedly united these brothers of different mothers has passed, are they going to remain as united as they had been in recent times? Will this be the perfect time for Joseph to avenge the ill- treatments of his childhood? For answers to these and more, let’s delve straight into our weekly bible study.
Text: Genesis 50: 15-22
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died:
17 ’This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept. 18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.
19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. Amen
Questions
i. As a reminder, kindly explain the wrong that Joseph’s senior brothers did against him when they were with their father in the land of Canaan. (Genesis 37)
ii. In verse 15 of the passage above we see Joseph’s brothers still haunted by the guilt of sins of their past. What lessons can we learn from this in our dealings with one another. Will the negative manner in which we treat people haunt us when God vindicates them?
iii. Kindly read verses 16 & 17 again. What can you say about Joseph’s brothers? Why will they approach Joseph quoting their dead father in words that he may never have said?
iv. Verses 17b & 18 depicts a moment of true reconciliation for the brothers. What is the best way to ensure reconciliation with those we have offended in times past rather than assume that everything is okay?
v. Read verse 19 again. Joseph, in response to his brothers’ request that he should consider them as slaves, said, “Don’t be afraid, am I not in the place of God?” What does this tell us about people who hold on to grudges and refuse to forgive? Even worse, those who seek to revenge offenders by suppressing them when they have the power to do so?
vi. What lessons can we learn from verse 20. Especially when we face many hardships and setbacks because men mistreat and dislocate us from our truest heritage for being unique.
vii. In verse 21, Joseph assures his brothers that instead making them slaves, he will rather provide for them and their children. How beautiful is that? How is it possible for person who had been hurt to be able to do this for his offenders?
viii. What have you learnt from today’s bible study?
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