Vayechi “And he lived”
Genesis 47:28–50:26
1 Kings 2:1–12
Luke 20 - 24

God Meant it for Good

Many years have passed since Joseph was sold into slavery, but the event remains quite vivid in the memory of eleven of Jacob’s offspring. In spite of the years, the happenings of that day still haunt these brothers. Each time they look at Joseph they remember him as a boy but now look up to him and his power over them. The dreams of Joseph have come to pass and these siblings are not sure of what is going through the mind of their brother. Now that Jacob is dead, they all wonder what will happen to them. Will Joseph now use this opportunity to take his revenge on them? Will he enslave them like they did him? They wonder and live in this fear daily.

After the funeral of their father the boys must have gotten together to discuss this issue. They come up with yet another of their famous plans. This one is designed to save them from what they think is certain vengeance by their brother Joseph. Cutting right to the point, they made up a lie! Jacob had never told them anything to tell Joseph, he would have told Joseph himself. But now that Jacob is dead who is going to know what was said and what was not?

When Joseph heard the words of the brothers I imagine he must have chuckled a bit to himself. He knew he not only had them on this day, but he now understood the captivity and anguish they had lived in through these years.

Joseph could have reached into his bag of tricks he had used when they had first shown up in Egypt and made them suffer a bit, but this was not the time. He now knew they were truly sorry for their actions and it was time for full restitution of the family relationship.

Joseph's words on that day told much about the man. He said that HaShem had used all things to work together for good in his life. He held no grudges, he saw the plans and purposes in all that had happened and he had already put it all in the past.

Many people in the Hebrew Roots, Messianic Movement could take a good lesson from Joseph today. We understand that today we are living out the words of Jeremiah 16:19-20. Indeed many of our family starting some seventeen hundred years ago gave to us doctrines and teachings that produced bondages and slavery for a time in our lives. Many of us know what it is to look back and see that well meaning people taught us wrong. But two wrongs did not make a right at the time of Joseph and the math has not changed.

As you and I continue on our path toward truth it would be good to take a lesson from the man Joseph. I still run into many people who look back over their spiritual teaching and become down right angry. They think that everything they were taught in Christianity was wrong and needs to be tossed out of their lives. They look back at people who are not on the road to Torah yet and talk about how spiritually stupid these people are and how they just do not "Get it." The words of Joseph would be good for these people to take to heart today, "God meant it all for good."

We can all learn from Joseph as we look back over our lives. We all share a road which has had potholes, bumps and hurts. It is when we can see each of these things as good, as Joseph did, that we are able to release the past and move on into the journey He has designed for us. As long as we dwell on the past, our forward movement will be hindered. Looking backward and forward at the same time is difficult.

Saul would pick up this theme in the Book of Romans and in fact may have been thinking about Joseph when he wrote that all things work together for good in Romans 8:28. Notice that Saul did not say all things were good, just as Joseph did not say being thrown into a pit and sold into slavery was a good thing. Both of these men understood the concept of Romans 8:29, even though Joseph had never read Saul’s words. There we see God's definition of good: whatever it takes to conform us into the image of Yeshua. In the life of Joseph the things that had happened to him through those "prison years" would conform him into the man who would handle the "palace years" in the likeness of Yeshua. He would then be able to treat his brothers the same way that Yeshua would treat him if and when he wronged Him.

Look back at the road you have walked through the years. Lies, falsehoods, hurts, and betrayals are all along the road. Are you willing to take the view Joseph would take as he looked back and do so not only with forgiveness, but also with thanksgiving? From his vantage point he looked at his brothers and was even able to give thanks because he knew he would not be where he was, and would surely not be who he was, if it had not been for the road he had walked.

Let us learn from Joseph and Saul this week. Look back over the road you have journeyed to get you to this place and not only let off the hook others who have wronged you, but forgive them and yes, be thankful for them. They have been part of the plan to make you and me look a bit more like Him.