Overview
Forgiveness is twofold: forgiving others, and forgiving ourselves. Joanne Baxter walks through what the biblical word for forgiveness actually means, to pardon, to let go, to leave something behind, and then spends most of the teaching in the life of Joseph in Genesis as the fullest picture of it in Scripture. Sold into slavery by his own brothers, falsely accused, and imprisoned, Joseph rises to become second in command of Egypt and, when his brothers come to him starving, forgives them completely rather than taking revenge. The teaching closes with a picture of forgiveness as bricks we carry, and the freedom that comes from setting each one down.
Transcript
What Forgiveness Really Means
Forgiveness is twofold. One, forgiving others, and two, forgiving ourselves. To forgive means to pardon, excuse, absolve, like in a court of law, all charges are dropped, you are free to go. It means to let go, to allow not to hinder, to not hold against anymore, like forgiving a debt, to go away or move forward and leave something behind.
God’s perspective on forgiveness is in Psalm 103:12: As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. That’s forgiveness.
There are other places this same word is translated differently, and they show the same idea. In Matthew 4:19-20, when Jesus asked Peter and Andrew to follow him and he would make them fishers of men, it reads, and they straightway left their nets and followed him. That word left is the same word translated forgive. They moved forward and left something behind, their nets. In Matthew 8:15, Peter’s wife’s mother lay sick of a fever, and it says Jesus touched her hand and the fever left her. That’s the same word again, left her.
Joseph Sold Into Slavery by His Own Brothers
The clearest example of forgiveness in the Old Testament is Joseph, and it takes some detail to see the full scope of it. In Genesis 37, Israel (also called Jacob) loved Joseph more than all his other children because he was a son of his old age, and made him a coat of many colors. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. Joseph then had a dream where his brothers’ sheaves bowed down to his own sheaf, and told it to his brothers, and they hated him yet the more.
Jacob sent Joseph out to check on his brothers and the flocks. When his brothers saw him coming, before he even reached them, they conspired to kill him. Reuben, the oldest brother, talked them out of killing him outright and had them throw him into a pit instead, planning secretly to rescue him later. When a caravan of Ishmaelite traders came by, Judah suggested selling Joseph instead of killing him, and his brothers agreed. Joseph was sold for twenty pieces of silver and carried down to Egypt. His brothers dipped his coat of many colors in goat’s blood and brought it to Jacob, who concluded that an evil beast had devoured his son, and mourned for him for many days, refusing to be comforted.
Joseph Prospers in Egypt Despite Betrayal
In Genesis 39, Joseph was bought by Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh. The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a prosperous man; Potiphar saw that the Lord was with him and made him overseer over his house and everything he owned, and the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake. God can bless our places of employment for our sake too, because we stand for God in that place.
Potiphar’s wife then tried repeatedly to seduce Joseph, and he refused her every time. When she caught him by his garment, he left it in her hand and fled, and she used the garment to falsely accuse him, getting him thrown into prison. Even there, the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and gave him favor with the keeper of the prison, who put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners.
From Prison to Second in Command
While in prison, Joseph interpreted dreams for Pharaoh’s chief butler and chief baker, correctly telling the butler he would be restored to his position, and asking to be remembered once that happened. It took two years. When Pharaoh himself had a troubling dream that none of his wise men could interpret, the butler finally remembered Joseph, and Pharaoh had him brought hastily out of the dungeon. Joseph told Pharaoh, it is not in me, God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace, refusing to take credit himself.
Joseph interpreted the dream as seven years of great plenty in Egypt followed by seven years of famine, and advised Pharaoh to appoint someone discreet and wise to prepare for it. Pharaoh set Joseph over all of Egypt on the spot, saying only in the throne will I be greater than thou. When the seven years of famine came, Joseph had stored enough grain that people from every surrounding country came to Egypt to buy corn, including his own brothers from Canaan, sent by their father Jacob, who did not recognize Joseph as the governor selling them the grain.
Joseph Reveals Himself and Forgives His Brothers
Joseph tested his brothers over two trips to Egypt, at one point holding Simeon back and requiring them to bring their youngest brother Benjamin the next time. When Joseph finally saw Benjamin again, his bowels did yearn upon his brother and he had to leave the room to weep in private, not yet ready to reveal himself.
On the next visit, Joseph could not refrain himself any longer. He sent everyone else out of the room and said to his brothers, I am Joseph, doth my father yet live? His brothers could not answer him, they were too troubled at his presence. He told them, now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither, for God did send me before you to preserve life. It was not you that sent me hither, but God. He wept over Benjamin’s neck, and kissed all his brothers, and wept upon them, and after that his brothers talked with him.
Years later, after their father Jacob died, the brothers feared Joseph would finally take revenge, and sent word asking him to forgive the trespass of thy brethren, for they did unto thee evil. Joseph wept when they said this, and his brothers fell down before him. Joseph answered, 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. He comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
Letting Go of the Bricks We Carry
Joseph’s story points forward to Ephesians 4:32: and be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. It’s easier to forgive when we remember what God has already forgiven us for. That word forgiving means to extend grace, and that’s what we do, we extend that grace to others.
If people hurt us once, we don’t have to let them hurt us again and again by refusing to forgive them, by continuing to bring it back up in our minds. We forgive for our own sake too, so that it doesn’t become a root of bitterness that festers and makes us more and more angry.
Picture forgiveness like carrying bricks. One brick represents something that happened ten years ago that someone did to hurt us and we can’t forgive. Another represents something we did five years ago that we can’t forgive ourselves for. Another represents something painful from two years ago. Before long we’re carrying so many bricks we can hardly move. But we can choose to set one down, and then another, and before we know it we’re not weighted down anymore. We are lighter, and we can move freely.
That’s what Joseph did. He could have sat in that prison thinking, it’s because of my brothers that I’m here, I can’t forgive them, I can’t believe they did this to me, and let bitterness fester in him. Instead he let it go, and the Lord was with him, and caused everything he did to prosper, because he wasn’t weighted down by unforgiveness. We want to forgive others, and forgive ourselves, so we can move freely, just like Joseph did, leave it behind, and move forward. That is the greatness of forgiveness.
Key Takeaways
- Forgiveness is twofold: forgiving others and forgiving ourselves.
- To forgive means to pardon, to let go, and to leave something behind and move forward, not to hold something against a person any longer.
- Joseph’s story in Genesis 37-50 is the fullest Old Testament picture of forgiveness: sold by his own brothers, falsely accused, and imprisoned, yet he refused to let bitterness take root.
- Joseph told his brothers that what they meant for evil, God meant for good, to save many lives.
- It is easier to forgive others when we remember how much God, through Christ, has already forgiven us.
- Refusing to forgive keeps us carrying weight, like bricks, that keeps us from moving freely; letting go, one brick at a time, brings freedom.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to forgive someone, biblically?
To forgive means to pardon, excuse, absolve, like in a court of law where all charges are dropped and you are free to go. It means to let go, to not hold something against a person anymore, and to move forward and leave it behind.
How does Joseph’s story in Genesis show forgiveness?
Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers, falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, and imprisoned, yet God was with him and prospered him. When his brothers came to Egypt years later starving, Joseph told them, 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, and forgave them completely instead of taking revenge.
Why is it easier to forgive when we remember what God has forgiven us?
Ephesians 4:32 says to be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. It’s easier to forgive when we remember what God has already forgiven us for, and that word forgiving means to extend grace, which is what we do for others.
Scripture References
Psalm 103:12; Matthew 4:19-20; Matthew 8:15; Genesis 37:3-36; Genesis 39; Genesis 40; Genesis 41; Genesis 42; Genesis 43; Genesis 45:1-15; Genesis 50:15-21; Ephesians 4:32
