Don’t Hold on to Guilt Over What God Has Already Forgiven
From the life of Jacob, we learn a lesson in how to receive God’s mercy.
After Jacob dies, Joseph’s brothers come to him. They’re worried he’ll hold a grudge against them for what they did to him when he was a teenager.
At that time, they had captured him, threw him into a pit, and sold him as a slave (Genesis 37:12-33). They fear he’ll punish them now for how badly they treated him then.
They tell him that before Dad died, he left them instructions. They were to go to Joseph and ask their brother for forgiveness.
When they do this, Joseph cries. His tears are likely tears of sadness because this proves his brothers hadn’t received the forgiveness Joseph had implicitly given them many years ago (Genesis 45:4-7).
It shows that they don’t trust him to treat them well now that Dad is dead.
This is despite that Joseph had not done anything to harm them or punish them in the intervening years. Instead, all his actions toward them have been of kindness and generosity.
What’s interesting is that the Bible never records Jacob giving the brothers this instruction. It’s most likely a ruse that the brothers made up for fear of Joseph and what he might do to them.
Had Jacob really said this, it would make much more sense for him to also tell Joseph directly and not just Joseph’s brothers.
The perfect time would’ve been when Joseph came to his father to receive a blessing for his two boys just before Dad died. Yet the Bible doesn’t record this happening.
In essence, the brothers committed a grievous sin against Joseph. He forgave them. He offered them mercy. He showed them grace. Yet they didn’t receive what Joseph gave them.
Instead, they held onto their guilt. They feared he would give them the punishment they deserved.
So it is with many today. Through Jesus, God forgives us of our sins. Yet I wonder how many of us hold onto our guilt and don’t receive his forgiveness.
We still think we deserve punishment and cling to it, even though God has forgotten it and moved on.
May we receive God’s mercy. May we not hold on to the guilt over what he has forgiven us. Let us bask in his mercy and grace.
[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Genesis 48-50, and today’s post is on Genesis 50:15-17.]
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.
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