So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.
Genesis 45:4-5 (ESV)
Joseph’s story is a classic rags-to-riches story. Sold into slavery by jealous brothers, he rose to a position of authority in Egypt. And he then had the opportunity to exact vengeance on the brothers who had sold him and caused him so much grief for many years.
But Joseph did not respond to his brothers in the way we might have expected. Or even done if we were in his shoes. Joseph did test them to find out if they had changed over the years, and they seemed to have. But, in the end, Joseph forgave his brothers for their actions. And he provided for them in their need.
But Joseph went beyond forgiveness. He recognized that God had been at work in all that had happened. God had used even the sin of his brothers to bring about the deliverance of Joseph’s extended family and the furtherance of God’s plan for Abraham’s descendants.
This does not excuse the sin and guilt of Joseph’s brothers. What they did was wrong and inexcusable. And the terror they felt when Joseph revealed himself to them was well deserved.
But this does demonstrate God’s sovereignty, even over our sins. Even in our rebellion, humans and angels alike, God can and will use our sin to accomplish his purpose.
This is revealed most clearly in Jesus’s crucifixion. God used Satan, Judas, the Jewish religious leaders, and the Roman authorities to hang Jesus on the cross. They were all guilty. But God used what they did, despite their intentions, to bring about the salvation of many.
