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After both writing about, and preaching from the book of Genesis over the past few weeks, I couldn’t help but remember this message from chapter 19. It is one of the most difficult passages to comprehend, yet it contains tremendous application if we are brave enough to internalize it. Play or download the file below.

Download The Tragedy of Lost Influence MP3

(This sermon was originally published in January of 2007.)

Our pastor asked that I fill in for him during the Sunday morning service last week, as he was out of town visiting family. I chose to preach on the subject of forgiveness, from the story of Joseph (Genesis 37 through 50). Play, or download the message below. The congregation had just finished singing “Is Your All on the Alter”, therefore I began by discussing how its lyrics related to the topic.

Download The Forgiveness Perspective MP3

Much of the material for this sermon was gathered while preparing our daily devotions series from Genesis. Download a PDF copy from our Catalog page.

I am glad to finally be finished with the long book of Genesis. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. There are some terrific lessons to be learned within the book, and I only hope the journey day by day helped us to learn them. The full text of every Genesis entry is now available via PDF download on our Catalog page. We pick up another leftover series in Acts tomorrow, starting our reading in chapter 15.

“And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” The question in verse 19 is key to understanding the theme of forgiveness. To hold a sin against another, or to take vengeance for their evil is to put one’s self in the place of God. Sins are self-centered actions; by their very nature they put us in a place (in our own minds) of equality with God. By indulging ourselves in sin, we are making ourselves preeminent. When we do this, we are both acting against our own best interest, and rejecting the potential for a wonderful working of God. Joseph chose not to put himself first, and, in God’s reverse logic, therefore obtained a greater benefit. Can’t we see like Joseph that by doing what we want we are working against God? He had a magnificent plan in mind for this young man sold into slavery. Let us not automatically assume all difficult things are bad for us. Certainly it will be hard to see good at the moment of pain, but if we take a moment to observe the bigger picture, we may realize that our Lord indeed works in the most evil of circumstances.

“Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.” When a man has a heart of anger and unforgiveness, typically all he can think about is himself. He rehearses the offense over and over in his mind, remembering his pain, and dwelling on the wrong that was done him. The important thing is that the offender pay for what they have done, no matter how unjust or inequitable the payment may be. Joseph was not such a person. Here he chooses the antithesis of sin. Instead of dwelling on himself, he thinks only of the well-being of Egypt, his father, and the very brothers that wronged him. What’s even more astonishing is that he dismisses the offense, even to the point of comforting his brothers by acknowledging God’s plan to turn it around! While this is a right and holy action, it is certainly not instinctive. Our flesh automatically demands we defend and protect ourselves, laying all blame on others. This is why we must look to God for help in matters of forgiveness. His will is that we instead act after the example of Joseph.

“And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.” The action of this all-powerful leader may seem impulsive and reckless at first reading. He is choosing to elevate to the second most powerful position in his administration a man who is not only of foreign origin, but also a former slave and prisoner. The potential ramifications of this decision, if it were wrong, could have been monumental. A man that were secretly set against Pharaoh could have supplanted and destroyed him, by wielding the very power he had yielded to them. No leader would have willingly opened himself to these possibilities without the intervention of God. That is clearly what we see occurring here. God has intervened in this situation to provide blessing for Joseph, in fulfillment of His plan. No person can manufacture this type of development in life. Our only hope lies in following our Savior down His path of leading. We will not know where our path will finally lead, but we know for certain that God works together for our good. Let us look to Joseph as a delightful example of this truth.

“And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.” One of my favorite phrases in all the Bible appears in this verse. Joseph “got him out”; what a wonderful, righteous action. He didn’t fool himself into believing he could pluck up the courage to resist, he just ran. I’m afraid some people believe that truly great men were made of mightier stuff than we are. The truth is, they just took God at His word. In this case we understand that God demands we “flee youthful lusts”; simple instructions that are eminently effective in avoiding sin. There are no religious supermen by nature, there are only men who choose to follow God’s instruction, and men who choose to go their own way. Anyone confronted by a situation similar to this one would be well served not to rely on inner strength. He should turn on his heels and run! If you have an inflated sense of your own ability to resist, you need to rethink it right away. The Bible describes Joseph as a man of great character, but when sexual temptation came, it was not his character he relied on; it was his feet.

“And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.” Men who are faithful to the Lord make good employees, and are often first to be promoted for their diligence. The attributes of a Godly person are even recognized by the lost, especially in the context of business. Hard work, attention to detail, obedience and loyalty are traits all employers are looking for, and traits every believer should develop. Let us not fail to also acknowledge God’s direction. Joseph had certainly displayed righteous character, but it was also true that the Lord had a purpose in mind for him. No one will ever know what may have happened if Joseph had not been sold into slavery. What we do know is that God used this man’s character in the midst of the slavery to prosper him. If we seek to build character simply for the sake of success, we may well be disappointed. Let us rather seek to please our Savior by joyfully following any path He sets before us.

“Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.” As we begin the story of Joseph, we can’t help but feel somewhat sorry for his brothers. It was clear that Jacob loved him most, and we recognize how parental favoritism often creates resentment, therefore we are tempted to give the brothers a pass. The truth that shakes us from our momentary empathy is that all relational sins have a cause. The fact is, we are often prompted to sin against another because of something they have done (or been) to make us angry. This is no excuse whatsoever for sin. Certainly Jacob was wrong; and I would not be surprised if Joseph took a moment to flaunt his coat, which would also have been wrong. Still, no man can use another man’s evil to justify his own. Be careful not to use the actions of others as justification. Let’s be hard to offend and quick to forgive, so as not to follow in the footsteps of Joseph’s brethren.

“And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.” God does not forget His promises. While we are often in need of a reminder, God never lets anything slip His mind. I think we sometimes read a promise in scripture, affirming it intellectually as a fact, but not really believing it. That is why we often lack the faith to turn the difficult things over to God. I suppose a man that is informed by God that kings will be numbered among his offspring might let a moment of doubt enter in. That doubt is from the flesh; because we know God is perfectly trustworthy in all things. God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is still valid, and though much of it has been fulfilled, there is still more to come. The land belongs to Israel, and we can be absolutely certain they will have it. If we consider God’s character when examining a promise, we should have no difficulty fully believing it. All that our Lord says we can count on, so let’s embrace His word without even a momentary doubt!