Throughout the saga that is Joseph’s Egyptian imprisonment, it’s nearly impossible to be in awe of his ability to make lemonade out of lemons. I’m not exactly sure how I would handle a betrayal of this sort, but I can only pray that, if I’m ever in this position, I’m able to approach it like Joseph in Genesis 45.
Remarkably, after he reveals his true identity, Joseph’s chief concern in Genesis 45 is that of his brothers’ consciences. He’s heard them talk now for several months about how they wished they hadn’t sold Joseph and how everything that’s happened is their rightful punishment.
In response, Joseph tells them that they shouldn’t “be grieved or angry” with themselves. That’s an odd sentiment; they had obviously sinned in selling Joseph, so why shouldn’t they be grieved over their actions. Aren’t we supposed to grieve over our own sins?
The reason, at least according to Joseph, is that their actions served a higher good. By selling Joseph into slavery, they inadvertently put the wheels in motion to save an entire empire. Joseph had to be in Egypt in order to help Egypt — and his family — through the famine.
There are some who will use this passage to say that God made the brothers sell Joseph, which, in effect, makes God an associate to the brothers’ sin. Genesis 45:5 does say that God was the one who “sent” Joseph to Egypt, so isn’t all of this His fault?
Not at all.
Joseph’s statement in Genesis 50:20 shows what really happened. The brothers “meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.” In other words, their intention was to destroy Joseph, but God was able to use that situation to further His own purposes.
It’s exactly the same situation as Jesus and Judas. Some argue that Jesus caused Judas to sin by picking him as an Apostle. I would argue that God knew exactly who Judas was to his core, and used what Judas would’ve already done anyways to serve the purpose of putting Jesus on the cross.
Is Judas innocent because he was a part of this process? Nope. In fact, John 6:70-71 and John 13 show Jesus putting the blame squarely on Judas’ shoulders.
What Joseph’s attitude reveals in Genesis 45 though is how he’s able to see the bigger picture at play. Yes, Joseph was sold to Egypt. Yes, that sale came by the hands of his brothers. Yes, everything about that event was wrong.
But without his presence in Egypt, they all might’ve died. That’s what Joseph knew, and it was why he was able to so freely forgive his brothers.
