Genesis 50:15-21 - Am I In The Place of God?

Redeeming Evil

 19  But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? - Genesis 50:19 ESV

Joseph had invited his brothers to join him in Egypt where he promised to take care of them during a famine that was decimating the nations at that time. His father Jacob was 130 years old when he arrived in Egypt (Genesis 47:9). He had not seen Joseph for twenty-two years. God, however, gave Jacob seventeen years with his son before he died at the age of 147 (Genesis 47:28).

The death of Jacob was a significant event. He asked his family to bury him in Canaan with Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and his wife Leah. Joseph had his father embalmed as was the custom of the Egyptians, a process requiring forty days. Genesis 50:7-8 tells us that when Jacob’s body was ready, the family travelled to Canaan for the burial.  They were not alone. Accompanying them were Pharaoh’s servants and the elders of Egypt. They left their children and flocks in Egypt. Arriving in Canaan, seven whole days were set apart to mourn Jacob.

There was another reason why the death of Jacob, the patriarch of the family, was significant. His death made Joseph’s brothers worried. Genesis 50:15 describes the cause of their anxiety:

 15  When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” - Genesis 50:15 ESV

Joseph’s brothers feared that he was being kind to them for their father’s sake. They were concerned that with the death of their father now, there was nothing holding Joseph back from getting even with them for selling him into slavery. For seventeen years, Joseph had cared for them and demonstrated nothing but compassion to them, but they were not convinced of the sincerity of his heart toward them. They were not sure he had truly forgiven them.

To address this potential problem, Joseph’s brothers sent a message to him, supposedly from their father, which read:

 17  ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.” …  - Genesis 50:17 ESV

While we have no record of Jacob giving this message to his sons apart from this verse, it is certainly possible that he was concerned that Joseph might change his mind about his brothers when he passed away. Notice in the note that Jacob recognized the evil his sons had done to Joseph. While everything ultimately turned out for good, the end result did not justify the sin. 

Joseph’s brothers also understood that they had done wrong. They followed up the message given to them by their father with the words:

 17  … “And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.”  - Genesis 50:17 ESV

Note the words, “Please forgive the transgressions of the servants of the God of your father.” They confessed to Joseph that they had sinned against him, and despite the blessings they bathed in that day, they were guilty of selling him into slavery. Their crime was a serious one in the eyes of the law, and one for which they may have possibly even been sentenced to death:

 7   “If a man is found stealing one of his brothers of the people of Israel, and if he treats him as a slave or sells him, then that thief shall die. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.  - Deuteronomy 24:7 ESV

It is important to note how Joseph’s brothers confess to a crime that ultimately brought great blessing and saved so many lives. All too many people believe that if everything turns out well in the end, they have nothing to confess. They somehow believe that God justifies their sinful actions by turning it into good. The confession of Jacob and his sons, however, shows us that even when things turn out for good, we are still accountable for our sin. 

There is something else we need to understand in this passage. Joseph was a boy of about seventeen when he was sold into slavery. He entered Pharaoh's service at the age of 30. His family arrived in Egypt nine years later (Genesis 44:6). This means that Joseph was 39 years old when his family arrived. Jacob lived in Egypt for seventeen years before he passed away at the age of 147 (see Genesis 47:28). Joseph was about fifty-six years old when his father died. This means that thirty-nine years have passed since Joseph had been sold into slavery. Notice what happens after thirty-nine years in verse 18:

 18  His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” - Genesis 50:18 ESV

Thirty-nine years later, Joseph’s brothers bow, broken before him, pleading for forgiveness, and offering to become his slaves for what they had done to him. They appear to be genuine in their repentance. It is never too late to confess our sin and be freed from its poison in our veins. Time does not erase the guilt of unconfessed sin. It only lingers and destroys us little by little, sapping away our strength and relationship with God.

Note Joseph’s response to his brothers in Genesis 50:19-21:

19  But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?  20  As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.   21  So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. - Genesis 50:19-21 ESV

Let’s consider three details in Joseph’s response to his brothers thirty-nine years after they had sinned against him.

First, note the words of verse 19:

19  But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?”  - Genesis 50:19 ESV

What was the concern of Joseph’s brothers?  Listen to what they said to each other when their father died:

 15  When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.”  - Genesis 50:15 ESV

Joseph’s brothers were concerned that Joseph “hated” them and “pay them back” for the evil they had done to him. They had sold him into slavery for twenty shekels of silver. They had acted on their hatred toward him. They had lied to their father and led him to believe that wild animals had killed his son. 

Imagine what Jacob must have felt about sending his young, seventeen-year-old son alone to his brothers. I can imagine that there would have at least been the temptation to blame himself for sending him. I wonder how many times he thought: If only I hadn’t sent him out, he would still be alive today. His brothers knew the special relationship between Joseph and his father, but they let him suffer because the truth was more bitter than the lie. 

With Jacob gone, Joseph’s brothers believed that nothing held Joseph back from seeking vengeance. Joseph was now in a position of power and had the ability to pay them back for their crimes against him. They feared serious repercussions at Joseph’s hand. 

Notice Joseph’s response, however, in the words, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?”  These words are important. They show us first that Joseph had no desire to take vengeance on his brothers. Second, they reveal that Joseph, as powerful as he was, knew that there were some things he did not have the right to do. One of those things was to take vengeance on someone who did him wrong.

Listen to what the law of Moses says about vengeance in the book of Leviticus:

 18   You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. - Leviticus 19:18 ESV

The apostle Paul would repeat this teaching in his epistle to the Romans when he wrote:

19  Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”  - Romans 12:19 ESV 

Joseph understood that he had no right to exact vengeance upon his brothers. Vengeance belonged to the Lord alone. The question, “Am I in the place of God?” is one we need to ask ourselves every time we want to get back at someone for something they have done to us. We can seek vengeance in deed, or in words. Some of the most subtle forms of vengeance come in the form of spiteful and hateful words spoken against those who have offended us. 

Joseph understood his place. He recognized that his brothers had sinned against him, but placed this matter in the hands of God. He would not be his brothers’ judge. They would have to answer to someone higher than him for their actions. “Do not fear,” said Joseph. I am not your judge. 

Second, not only did Joseph recognize that God was the only one who could take vengeance, but he also believed that God was fully able to take what was meant for evil and change it into good. 

20  As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. 

Observe that Joseph knew his brothers meant evil against him. That is to say, what they did to him that day was not accidental. It was preconceived and intentional. Joseph’s brothers hated him and wanted to kill him. They agreed together to sell him into slavery and profited from it. He describes their intentions and actions as evil. Joseph recognized the seriousness and horrendous nature of what his brothers had done to him at the age of seventeen. Nothing could excuse those actions. They sinned against him, and acted with evil intent.  For this they were guilty.

While Joseph did not minimize the evil his brothers had done to him, he also knew that God had taken the evil of his brothers and used it for good in the end. We often think of evil as being unredeemable but consider what God did in your life and mine. He took a sinner and made him or her his child. In the case of the apostle Paul, God took a persecutor of the church and transformed him into one of the church's greatest apostles and missionaries. 

Consider the people of Israel, pursued by the Egyptian army after escaping from their bondage and slavery. If I were among those escapees, I could not have thought of anything worse that could happen at that time. Yet, God took the evil intentions of their pursuers and transformed it into good. By the time the Israelites got to the other side of the sea, they were rejoicing in a sovereign God of judgment as every Egyptian lay dead on the floor of the sea. What the enemy meant for evil, God transformed into incredible victory. 

One of the greatest examples of how God takes evil and transforms it into good, is the crucifixion of Jesus. The religious leaders hated our Lord. The Jews cried out for His crucifixion. But as Jesus hung on the cross, bleeding and dying, He took your sin and mine, and restored our relationship with the Father. What the enemy used for evil against Him, God used to bring us salvation.

Understand here that while God transforms evil into good, this does not make him a participant in evil. God may fix what we broke. He may use an evil deed that got us into trouble to get our attention. He will teach us through the things we suffer. He can stir up a passion in us by means of the tragedies of life to teach or comfort others in similar situations. In Joseph’s case, he used the evil his brothers did, to bring him into a position of great authority and power so that he was able to save his family from a famine that could easily have wiped them out. 

I don’t pretend to understand how God can sovereignly use the evil done to us to accomplish good. I do know that the apostle Paul understood this to be true when he said:

 28  And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28 ESV

Included in the “all things” Paul mentions here are the horrific tragedies of life and the offenses brought against us. In Joseph’s case, it was the hatred of his brothers, being sold into slavery, being falsely accused and imprisoned. All of these things worked together in the hands of a sovereign God for good. Yes, his brothers meant evil against him, but God used it for good. Be assured that God can use what you face as well to bless you more than you could ever know. There have been times when I have looked back at some of the most difficult moments of my life and gave thanks to God for what He accomplished through them in my life, ministry and relationships. How absolutely frustrating it must be to the enemy, when everything he does to us only draws us closer to God and makes us more powerful in service. 

Third, note how Genesis 50:21 begins with the word, “so.” 

21  So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. - Genesis 50:19-21 ESV

This little word is important and connects the verse to what Joseph has just said. Joseph had just told his brothers two things. First, only God had the right to vengeance. Second, He had changed the evil his brothers intended into good. The word, “so” speaks now of Joseph’s conclusion about these two facts. 

If taking vengeance was not his right, then it must be God’s purpose for him to help, for not helping would be to take vengeance. If God used what his brothers did to him to put Him in a place where he had the power to provide for their need, then it must be God’s intention that he do so. 

It is one thing to come to a conclusion, and another to commit yourself to act on that conclusion. The flesh cries out for vengeance. It wants to see those who hurt us suffer for what they have done. What we see in Joseph, however, is not the response of his flesh but of the Spirit of God giving him victory over anger, bitterness and unforgiveness. Joseph would bless those who hurt him as God had blessed Him. He appears to be at peace in what God had done for him through the trials of his life. 

Now maybe you look at Joseph’s story and say, “If God made me prince of Egypt, without a worry in the world, I would have his attitude as well.” What we need to understand, however, is that being forcibly removed from his family by brothers who hated him, was a very trying experience. Being forced to serve as a slave in the home of an Egyptian family was no picnic either. Losing his hard earned position through the false accusation of his master’s wife accusing him of sexual abuse, would have broken many men. Being held in prison on false charges had to be discouraging. Yet despite these tremendous trials, Joseph persevered. He rose to his position through overwhelming obstacles. Step by step he learned to have confidence in God. Overcoming bitterness and anger, he committed himself to follow God’s leading. He used the circumstances God placed him in for the glory of Lord. He left all vengeance with God. He allowed God to transform his circumstances into good. He concerned himself only with what God set before him, and lived obediently and confidently in that purpose. God did the rest.