Forgiveness ~ The Joseph Test

 Jennifer Lynn Joy © 2006

There were two friends walking through the dry, hot, sandy desert. During some point of the journey they had a misunderstanding, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was devastated and deeply hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand, TODAY MY FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.  They kept on walking in perseverance until they found a beautiful, green oasis with tall palm trees and cool refreshing water. They decided to bathe in the healing waters and the one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved her. After she recovered from the near fatal drowning, she carved in a stone, TODAY MY FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE. The friend who had slapped and saved her friend asked her, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you carve in a stone, why?" The other friend replied, "When someone hurts us, it needs to be written in sand where the winds of forgiveness will erase it away. Yet, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind will ever erase it."  

     Forgiveness, repentance and reconciliation are the three interwoven threads essential in the design of a relational tapestry without out holes, tears and frayed places. Each day we are given the opportunity to express the love of YESHUA through forgiveness. 

            The Anchor Bible Dictionary describes forgiveness as, “the wiping out of an offense from memory; it can be affected only by the one affronted. Once eradicated, the offense no longer conditions the relationship between the offender and the one affronted, and harmony is restored between the two” (II-831). Forgiveness may occur between mankind and God, individuals and society/groups/organizations/individuals and individual and self. The story of Joseph includes all formats of forgiveness. Psalm 105:19 notes this about Joseph’s life,  “Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the Lord tested him.”  Another meaning for the word tested is to be tried, which also means to melt, purify, purge away and refine. Therefore, one might conclude that GOD will refine us until we pass the test, until all the dross has been skimmed off the top. When we invite the Holy Spirit to come and clean out the drawers in our spirits and the closets of our souls and then line them with HIS truth and love,  HE is faithful to purify us until we have passed the test.

            The account of Joseph is in Genesis chapters 43-50 and Genesis 50:17 is the first time forgiveness is used in the Bible.  Have you ever wondered like it be like to have the kind of life that was a model on teaching forgiveness for 2-3 thousand years?

            One of the ways that God tests our faith is to bring us to places where there is no known precedent in our lives. A place we have never walked. An experience we have never known.  This is much more about our response to Him than it is to the circumstances.  All sin is against God first. God may allow us to encounter difficult circumstances such as being homeless, jobless, without transportation or experiencing a church split, a divorce, a betrayal, a false accusation…the list is endless as are His ways as He refines us according to HIS will for HIS glory (Isaiah 55).

            After his brothers into slavery sold Joseph into slavery, he learned about Egypt – a new place to reside, a new culture to adjust to and a new language to learn. Joseph also learned about Potipher’s wife – a new place of employment. He learned about jail – a new place of challenging confinement. Some things he learned in the journey and some things he learned in being a slave. And after a little more than 20 years, Joseph knew how to forgive.

            The Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:32  exhorts us to, “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (NAS). Forgiveness is the fullness of the love of Jesus Christ demonstrated through HIS death on the cross.  One way to help us understand more clearly what forgiveness is ….is to look at what forgiveness isn’t. Forgiveness is not self-pity, self-promotion, self-righteousness, self-seeking, demanding, filled with anger or rage, is not impatient, does not blame others, is not defensive, does not insist on its own way and is not arrogant or proud.

            Joseph had history with his brothers that needed to be forgiven in order for reconciliation and restoration to take place. Like Joseph, we all have histories, some more traumatizing than others. Yet, the only history that truly impacts each of us is the story, the history of Jesus Christ. Without HIS story there is no eternal repentance, forgiveness or reconciliation. In looking at Joseph’s life there were some things that happened that were probably easier for him to forgive than others, which is true for each of us. In our 21^st century I find that it is easier for me to forgive the person that bumped into me with their grocery cart than to forgive the man who with intent murdered my best friend. Just as Jesus gave 100% of His life on the cross, He forgave all…not 10%, not 20%, not 95%…He forgave all. How can we as His disciples do less? The Apostle Paul reiterates this mandate in his letter to the church at Colosse, “Therefore as the elect of GOD, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, bearing one another, and forgiving one another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do”  (Colossians 3:12-13 NAS).  Paul did not write could do, as you felt like it, or might do when you get around to it, he said, “MUST DO!”  It is essential. There are no alternatives. The word forgiving in this Scripture means to do a favor, show kindness, grant forgiveness, forgive freely and is from the same root word as grace. Paul also writes in Acts 17:30 "...but now HE charges all people everywhere to repent” (NAS). One might paraphrase the word repent like this: to change my mind for the better and to heartily to amend my ways, with abhorrence of my past sins.

            On a personal level, I have found without Jesus, there is no forgiveness. That I in myself do not possess what it takes to immediately forgive anyone, but through the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His redemptive work in my life, I am equipped by His grace and mercy to forgive. As with healing, forgiveness may be a process over time. Like the peeling of an onion, some of the layers are very thin and you may not notice when the LORD removes a paper-thin layer of bitterness or resentment from your heart. Some of the layers are thicker and more noticeable when the Holy Spirit reveals something at this level.

            When Potipher’s wife wrongly accused Joseph of acting with impropriety towards her and then was jailed because of this woman’s lies…it seems that he might have struggled with the unfair results of his faithful service to Potipher at this time (Genesis 39). Yet, it  is in these types of situations that our response reflects the maturity and the nature of Jesus Christ within us. This is when, in the parable of the onion, instead of the Holy Spirit removing a fine thin layer, He has removed quite a chunk and we are left facing ourselves.

            We become acutely aware of our weaknesses and HIS working in our lives. Our type of our relationship with God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit becomes crystal clear. All tests reveal our heart towards God first. Rick Joyner wrote in one of his many books, “Every trial or test from the Lord is designed to show you something about yourself that you didn’t know that He want you to know and submit – to give fully and freely to Him”.

            R.T. Kendall writes in his book, God Meant it for Good that total forgiveness is when someone demonstrates that they do not want anybody to know what has been done wrong. Our human nature is to tell at least 10 people every time we have been wronged. Forgiveness sometimes is just simply being quiet. Kendall also imparts that total forgiveness makes the other person feel completely at ease.  Obviously this is easier said than done. But Jesus did this and He is our model. Additionally, total forgiveness does not allow the other person to feel bad or angry with themselves. This means that we must encourage them to forgive themselves. Total forgiveness makes it easy for that person to forgive themselves, and means that we keep someone’s sin from the person who means the most to them. 

            Psalm 103:12 reiterates Kendall’s total forgiveness thesis. “As far as the east is to the west, so far HE has removed our transgressions from us.”  We need to do the same. Once forgiven, never repeated. Sometimes we think we have forgiven someone one moment, and then the next day we find ourselves justifying our self-pity and personal hurt, blaming others and displacing our anger. If you find yourself responding in anger (especially to innate objects) then search out the root of your anger, as it may be un-forgiveness. If Jesus Christ is your personal LORD and Savior then HIS love is dwelling in you and your life will be the representation of His character. Therefore, it would be impossible for you not to forgive.

            Before one makes the decision to forgive, there is always that temptation to repay just a little, return the unkindness just a bit and take upon ourselves the need to make it fair from our perspective. The truth is that life is not fair and the Lord says in Deuteronomy 32:35 that vengeance is HIS. Completely and totally His. Not for sale, not for give away. Totally HIS possession. It is the absolute and complete trusting of GOD with the results on earth and in heaven.

            Forgiveness is based in obedience to the Word of God, it is not based in what one feels, thinks or wants. One self-test that the Holy Spirit gives me on occasion is to monitor how many times a day I say, “I want,” “I like,” or “I think” in comparison to “Jesus says,” “My Father prefers,” or “The Holy Spirit  teaches.” This is not to negate our personalities, likes, dislikes or personal preferences. This is to determine the focus of our hearts…Jesus or self. When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, HE made a decision that affected the world for eternity. I am certain our lives would be radically different if Jesus had based His decision about the cross on HIS personal feelings. Philippians 2:8 declares that Jesus was obedient to the Father’s will including death on the cross. Isn’t forgiveness about the obedience of Jesus Christ being a reality in our lives?

            Bob Jones of White Dove Ministries shares this insight regarding unforgiveness.

The Holy Spirit has also made it clear that un-forgiveness along with anger is a predominant stronghold inhibiting many from entering into their heritage and greater intimacy with the LORD. Un-forgiveness has a traveling companion named rejection. Rejection will blind us to the love the LORD has for us and HIS plans for our welfare. Although many of us have been hurt, abused, and maltreated by parents, teacher, neighbors or others with whom we have had contact in the past, to harbor un-forgiveness only prevents our high calling and GOD’s best for us. The LORD keeps good books. HE knows all that has been done against us and all that we have done against HIM. We must sow grace at every opportunity in order to reap a harvest of abounding grace. We have each been forgiven much and should therefore be willing to likewise forgive. In doing so we will discover our own freedom as we release to GOD any and all wrongs done to us. 

            Genesis 50:17 records that before his death, Joseph’s father sent a message begging that Joseph forgive his brothers. Joseph responds as hopefully we would all respond, with forgiveness, grace, humility, love and kindness. Jesus models for us in Matthew 6:12 the prayer of forgiveness, “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (NAS). The word forgive in this Scripture has these possible meanings: cry, forgive, lay aside, leave, let alone, let be, let go, omit, put away, send away, remit, suffer and yield up. Verse 14-15 continues, “For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions” (NAS).

            The thread of forgiveness in the tapestry of our lives is connected to all other threads, affecting the fullness of our life, our relationships, our ministries, our livelihood and our health. The Scriptures are woven with the thread of forgiveness from Genesis  to the letters of the Apostle Paul. In closing, two final questions: Will we have passed the Joseph test when we have finished our work on earth? Will we know how to forgive?

Bibliography

Alexander, David and Patricia Alexander, Editors. Eerdmans’ Handbook to the Bible. England: Lion Publishing, 1973.

 Bevere, John. Breaking Intimidation, How to Overcome Fear and Release the Gifts of God in Your Life. Florida: Creation House, 1995. 

Bevere, John. Victory in the Wilderness. Florida: Messenger Press, 1992. 

Brown, Raymond. An Introduction to the New Testament. New York: Doubleday, 1997.

Freedman, David Noel, et al. The Anchor Bible Dictionary: Volume 4. New York: Doubleday, 1992.

Jackson, John Paul. Needless Casualties of War. Streams Publications, 1999.

Jackson, John Paul. The Veiled Ploy. Texas: Streams Publications, 2000.

Joyner, Rick. The Surpassing Greatness of His Power. North Carolina: MorningStar Publications, 1996.

Meeks, Wayne A. et al. The HarperCollins Study Bible. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1993.

Sheets, Dutch. The River of God. California: Gospel Light, 1998.

Strong, James. The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1984.

Scripture References: Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 2:12-13, Mark 2:5, Mark 4:12, Luke 6:37, Luke 5:20, Luke 7:47-48, Ephesians 4:32, Psalm 105:19, Genesis 50:17, Psalm 103:12, Deuteronomy 32:35, Acts 17:30 and Matthew 6:12.

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