“It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” Genesis 50:15
When Jacob died, the brothers were gripped with a new fear: What if Joseph turns against us? Maybe he was just being kind to us to please the old man. Now we are going to find out how he really feels about us. Maybe he hates us and is planning to pay us back!
Seventeen years had passed since the marvelous day when the brothers were reconciled with Joseph. Since then Joseph’s love has been lavished on these men. Joseph provided food and homes for the brothers and for all of their families. But now after seventeen years, the brothers are thinking, Maybe in his heart of hearts he really hates us.
When the brothers talk about “all the evil that we did” it means that even though they have been forgiven, the memory of what they did still haunts them. The old sins came to mind and caused these men to doubt the reality of their reconciliation.
This is a common experience in the Christian life. You came to Christ some time ago. It may be that you trusted Him as your Savior and crowned Him as your Lord 17 years ago. Or 7 years ago. Or 70 years ago. Christ forgave you. You were reconciled to Him. And since then He has guarded you, provided for you, and walked with you.
But when something hard happens in your life, you say, “I wonder if God is punishing me.” Why would you say that? Because somewhere deep in your heart, in your awareness of your own sin and unworthiness, there lurks a deep suspicion that what God is really going to do is pay you back for the evil you have done.
Have you ever said this or thought this?
