Thursday, February 2, 2012

unscripted

when joseph's brothers 
came to egypt the first time. . .
 
God didn't send him a text 
or a memo 
or even a dream 
to warn him,
"today 
those 10 guys 
who wanted to kill you 20 years ago 
are going to show up."
 
he swore (more than once) 
"by the life of pharoah" 
what he was going to do to them.
he was serious.
 
they had wanted to kill him
for no good reason;
he would have been justified
if he wanted to kill them.
 
they had caused him to be a slave for over 20 years;
in justice, he could have enslaved them all.
 
instead, he told them 
that their situation couldn't be resolved 
unless one brought back their brother.
 
then he imprisoned them. . .
for three (short) days.
after which he summoned them.
 
and he said to them,
"do this, 
because i fear God. . ."
 
and i am just so relieved
to see that God put him in a position
where he
was forced
to react instinctively,
and he didn't know immediately how to react.
it was a li'l messy.
yes.  
it was.

but he took the time he needed
and focused on God,
and because he did that,
his response was much more lenient 
than what he had initially decided.
 
God didn't give him a chance to prepare his script 
for what we would read about him, 
oh, thousands of years later.
 
what he did 
is what God wanted to showcase.
and in the end, he was speaking kindly to them,
and comforting them,
and showing us all 
that even though they hated him 
and intended to do evil against him,
God all along had been planning 
for the good of all of them.

3 comments:

Christina said...

This is beautiful. Of course you know that the story of Joseph is one of my favorites... : ) I'm in the middle of reading it to the boys before bed right now.

Penny said...

Oh, Tammie, I love this insight. AND the way you express it.

The Imperfect Sojourner said...

So well explained as always - it is such a great story and it really is amazing how he reacted with such a heart as to show them grace and mercy and forgivness!! He really was close to the Lord and this was fruit showing in his character... what a great example he is to us. thank you x