AS we continue our meditation on these verses in Genesis 50 we come to the words of Joseph when his brothers were grovelling in fear before him. His words are 'Don't be afraid ...' There was only forgiving love in the heart of Joseph to his brothers even though they had treated him so badly. Here we have an expression of the heart of the soul that knows the meaning the words in the Lord's prayer which read 'forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us'. Joseph knew the forgiving love of God for him, and in these words 'don't be afraid' he is expressing to his brothers that in his heart he had the same forgiving love that he had received from God for his brothers. Although in the narrative of his life we read in Genesis we may run away with the idea that Joseph had little to be forgiven, and that he was more sinned against than sinning, underneath this outward appearance he knew that even if his outward actions looked good, this did not reflect the deep sinfulness of his heart. Having been forgiven much, he wanted to express such love to his brothers.
In this understanding Joseph knew that he had no right to condemn. Only God is holy and has the right to condemn, and this is expressed in his words 'Am I in the place of God'.
In verse 20 Joseph expresses a very profound truth. This is the truth of the overall sovereignty of God in all things. He expresses the truth that he had been taught through all his trials, and with the faith that had been given by God, that though his brothers meant evil against him, God was working his purposes for good in it all. The evil of Joseph being sold into slavery, and the trials he had to experience, and the fight he had to exert to keep faithful to God in all these trials, were all working forward to Joseph being exalted to the office of a ruler in Egypt, and provided by God to be a saviour of the world when the famine engulfed Egypt and the surrounding nations all around that part of the world. In a word it is plain that God was behind all that happened to Joseph in order to fulfil the purpose of God in the future, and prepare him for this great task. Behind it all was the safety of the chosen people of God, through whom God would provide the ultimate and complete Saviour for the world, the promised Messiah, even Jesus Christ who was given by God to save sinners from everlasting damnation, and to be saved to be the bride of Christ for all eternity.
In this history of Joseph we have illustrated the truth of Romans 8: 28 'And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose'. Throughout history from the beginning of God's promise in Genesis 3: 15 God has been working his purpose out for the salvation of those he has chosen before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1: 4), and preparing them for glory in heaven. We love him because he first loved us, and gave his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Joseph shows in his life the fullness of the all things. They include everything we who are being saved experience, even the trials, which like the purpose of God for Joseph, are preparing us for our exaltation in to becoming members of God's family in heaven for all eternity.
Satan was active in the malice of Joseph's brothers against him, which found its action in selling him to slavery in Egypt, but Satan's malice to circumvent the purpose of God was no match for the sovereign power of God in his sovereign purposes for the salvation of sinner through the gift of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. The brothers of Joseph's first desire was to kill Joseph, but God circumvented this evil, and turned it in Joseph being sold into slavery. This appeared to be to Joseph's brothers the end of Joseph where they would hear of him no more. However God's purpose in the life of Joseph had already been made known in the dreams Joseph was given, and in spite of Satan's purpose expressed in Joseph's brothers action, in fact God was, in sovereign power and purpose, working his eternal purpose, which Satan had no power to circumvent, and which God used to work his good.
Throughout the history of the Israelites in the Old Testament Satan's work to destroy the purposes of God for the provision of the promised Saviour who would crush Satan's head, that is his power and purpose, which seemed so powerful and all pervading in the way Israel turned from God to idols, yet in it all God was almighty, and all this evil purpose of Satan to destroy salvation for sinners, never destroyed the purpose of God, and the remnant in Israel were always preserved, and God fulfilled his promise of providing the Saviour, Messiah, even Jesus when he was born in Bethlehem. Even then Satan worked his malice to destroy the Saviour, and circumvent all God's plans in seeking to destroy the new born king, and though Satan thought he had won when he got his satellites, the Jewish leaders, to obtain the death of Jesus, Satan was defeated, as the death of Jesus was the propitiation for sinners, and the everlasting salvation was achieved for all who believed on Jesus as their sin-bearer and Saviour. God is working his purposes out as year succeeds to year in spite of all Satan's activity which seems so powerful and successful.