| FAMILY BATTLES |
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| with his brothers, whom he loved, but it was not easy. And until they had been pushed to the point of admitting and accepting their guilt, reconciliation could not occur. Their sins had planted deep-rooted bitterness, and only an emotionally wrenching struggle could pull it out. Seeds of Bitterness In this sense Josephs story is the story of God and his people - the struggle to root out the sin that began in Genesis 3. It does not happen automatically or easily. Ultimately, it demanded the death of God's son. Joseph's story points toward Jesus - a man God sent to save his people, who was hated and betrayed by them just as Joseph was. But God's will to save conquers all. As Joseph told his brothers, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish . . . the saving of many lives" (50:20). The Birth of a Nation Joseph closes one chapter in the story of Israel. The children of Abraham were transformed from a chain of individuals to a nation. God did not choose Joseph over his brothers, as he did Abraham over Lot, Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau. The brothers' reconciliation opened the way for them to become one family of 12 tribes - a single nation. But the story leads on. Prosperous and numerous thought he 12 had become, they still had no land. And so Genesis ends happily, but on a note of suspense: When will Joseph's bones go back to the land God promised? When will God's promises be fulfilled? Life Questions:Have you ever fought hard with a person close to you, and then experienced reconciliation? What process did you go through? |