Theological
Commentary: Click Here
Joseph
unfolds his plan. He reveals himself to
his brothers. He is not dead; he is
their provider! In this we see an
incredible act of forgiveness and restoration.
For those reasons alone, this is a powerful chapter.
Today,
though, I want to look at the relationship between Pharaoh and Joseph. Remember that at one time Joseph was a forgotten
slave accused of thrusting himself upon the wife of a government official. Now, he has Pharaoh’s respect and
admiration. Pharaoh comes to Joseph’s
brothers and lavishes grace upon them.
This grace
comes because Joseph did not live his life in bitterness. He was able to forgive his brothers. He was able to move past the false accusation
of Potiphar’s wife. He was able to
overlook being forgotten in prison. He
was able to focus on what God set before him and do his best in those
circumstances.
However, as
we move to Genesis notice how this relationship changes. Right now, Pharaoh has respect for Joseph and
his God. He is willing to work with the
Hebrew people and support them because he is grateful for what Joseph has
done. But this will not remain the
same. A Pharaoh will come who will not
treat Joseph’s people as nicely.
I think what
we learn here is a good lesson on character. Joseph, in all of his forgiveness and patience
was a man of impeccable character. This Pharaoh
was a man of good character. That is why
this story has such a positive ending.
Men of good character are able to lead and produce good results. We’ll see what men of poor character produce
when we turn to the Exodus story.
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