Title: Reconciliation of believers (Genesis 50:15-21)
Contents
When anyone experiences something terrifying, it continues to have an impact in their lives and settle in the corner of their mind. Someone said that he had experienced near death by the communist army, and it was so terrifying that he lived with the fear of death for the rest of his life. It means that you will have many dreams of waking up after being chased by communist forces from among your dreams.
Joseph had several desperate life experiences. Perhaps even after Joseph became prime minister, he had many dreams begging his brothers to spare him. Perhaps he sometimes dreamed of going to prison because of Potiphar's wife. And you must have experienced through your dreams what you suffered in prison. Perhaps there were many things that were relieved while waking up and resting.
Joseph was hated on several occasions. First, I was hated by my brothers. There were three reasons why Joseph was hated by his brothers. One (Genesis 37:2) says, “This is the scriptures of Jacob: Joseph, a young man of seventeen years old, was with his brother while shepherding the sheep, with his father's concubines Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, and he brought their fruits to his father. told him.”
Next, Joseph had a dream, and the content of the dream was to be hated by his brothers. The story of his brothers' sheaf bowing to Joseph's sheaf around his own sheaf was certainly reason to be hated from the perspective of the brothers. And Joseph was treated differently from his other brothers by his father Jacob. Unlike the other brothers, he not only wore nice clothes, but also received special love from his father.
And the object Joseph hated was Potiphar's wife. Potiphar's wife seduced Joseph. (Genesis 39:10) The woman asked Joseph every day, but he did not listen, and he did not lie with him, nor was he with him.” I was tempted every day. Potiphar's wife was so tenacious that she could not think of anything other than seducing Joseph. But Joseph did not listen, he did not lie with him, nor was he in the house with him.
Potiphar's wife, after failing in temptation and being humiliated for her blatant approach, now turned into hatred and framed Joseph. For a truly terrifying plot, Joseph was sent to a special prison. Joseph didn't do anything that would be hated. Rather, he did his best in Potiphar's house and went to prison after trying to keep his faith and live a clean life. The hatred that Joseph received was not due to Joseph's cause, but rather, the problem was on the part he hated.
First, the Bible shows us that we will be blessed if we put up with our grievances with faith.
If you were like a normal person, you would be able to complain to God like this at this time. If God truly lives, I would say that this cannot be done. If God exists, you might think that you should have your brothers come to Egypt, not you. If God really exists, he would have thought that Potiphar's wife should be here instead of going into prison.
Joseph must have felt more resentment against God for putting him in this situation than the shame of being a slave or the pain in prison. Rather, if God had not given me a dream, I would not have been sold to Egypt. He overcame temptation by telling Potiphar's wife, How can I do this evil and sin in the sight of the Lord? is.
Second, the Bible says many times that hating is not the problem with the one receiving it, but the problem with the one who hates it.
In today's message, there was a problem not with the hated Joseph, but with the hated brothers and Potiphar's wife. If you look at all the hateful events in the Bible, it shows that the hated side has more problems than the hated side.
Saul hated David. The problem was not with the one being hated, but with the one being hated. Cain hated Abel. The problem was not with the hated Abel, but with the hated Cain. The Jews hated Stephen and threw stones at him. The problem was not with the one being hated, but with the one being hated. The king hated the Israelites. The hated Pharaoh had a problem. The problem was not with the hated Elijah, but with the hated Jezebel and Ahab.
The Lord said that the saints can be hated in the world. (Matthew 10:22) “And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:9) 』 This is not to say that the hateful saints are not the problem, but that the world that persecutes them has a problem.
Third, the Bible shows that those who hate others are victims of that hate.
Joseph's brothers said that after his father Jacob died, maybe Joseph might hate us and repay us for all the evil we had done to him. Haters show that they have a fear of hate. If we are to live without fear of hating, we must live without hating others. When I see people who hate others, they have a fear that others hate them. You don't know how terrifying this is.
Saul hated David. But the victim of that hatred was Saul, not David. So is Cain. He hated his brother and killed him. But from then on he lived in fear that everyone would hate him. That is why there is a scene where everyone who meets me is crying out to God, thinking that he will kill him.
Fourth, the secret to overcoming hate is to release the fear in your heart.
Joseph wept when he saw his brothers trembling in fear. And don't be afraid. A believer should not be a person who makes others afraid. The Bible says that rulers are not a fear of good things, but of evil things. The Bible says, masters, stop threatening your servants. It is not the attitude of a saint to treat others with fear.
A saint must be a fear reliever. Jesus is the one who relieved the fear whenever the disciples were afraid. He is the One who relieved us of fear even in times of storm and even after the resurrection. He said not to be afraid even after the resurrection. The Lord is the one who freed man from the many fears of life.
Here Joseph is the one who relieved fear. It's a way to let go of fear. First, I tried to relieve the fear in the hearts of my brothers with tears. Joseph was afraid and cried when he heard what his brothers were saying. The second confession of faith. Shall I take the place of God? You tried to harm me, but God turned it into a good one to save the lives of all people as it is today, so do not be afraid. Faith is the key to overcoming fear. And finally, the power to overcome fear is love. I will bring up you and your children, and I comforted them with earnest words. Love is about letting go of fear. Become a fear-dissolver This is the life of a child of God. Don't be a fearful person.