THIRD QUARTER 2021
SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #7
AUGUST 14, 2021
“REST, RELATIONSHIPS, AND HEALING”

 

 

Our lesson study this week is on the topic of healing and forgiveness in the story of Joseph and his band of brothers – the ones who sold Joseph into slavery.

While we may not know exactly when Joseph “forgave” his brothers, we can see from the story, that by the time his brothers came to obtain food for their family, due to the famine across the Middle East, he clearly had forgiven them. The key point here is that Joseph had forgiven his brothers before they asked for forgiveness.

Is forgiveness possible, before someone asks for forgiveness? Is it possible, that God, like Joseph, forgives before we ask Him for forgiveness?

Notice the following verses:

• “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’” Matthew 23:34

• “The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father Who dwells in Me does the works.” John 14:10

• “I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you;” John 16:26

 

Several significant points about God’s attitude of forgiveness to us should be noted as we put these verses together. One, Jesus is forgiving those who are crucifying Him – AND THEY HAVE NOT ASKED HIM FOR FORGIVENESS.

Two, when Jesus speaks those words, He is not trying to convince God the Father of something, because as we see in John 14:10, the very words that Jesus speaks are given to Him by His Father!

Finally, Jesus comes right out and says that His ministry is NOT to pray on our behalf to the Father – why?? – because as He goes on to say in John 16:27, “because the Father Himself already loves you”!!!

So, we can see from these verses, that from God/Jesus perspective, They are holding nothing against us. There is no hostility or animus in Their hearts towards us. The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, are all united in their attitude of grace and forgiveness towards us – BEFORE WE RECOGNIZE OUR NEED OF THAT FORGIVENESS!

If God is already relating to us from a position or stance of forgiveness, then why confess our sins? The issue is that until we see and appreciate God’s forgiveness towards us, that forgiveness of God can’t do a healing and renewing work on our hearts.

Notice the experience of Joseph with his brothers. While Joseph had already forgiven his brothers in his heart long before they showed up in his court, they still lived with a weight of individual and collective guilt, shame, and fear. They were unaware of Joseph’s forgiveness, and thus continued to carry the weight of their sin. Finally, when they saw Joseph’s generosity and love towards them, they realized that Joseph had forgiven them – and then the weight of sin and guilt could be removed from their conscience.

So it is with us. While God has “forgiven” us, until we see and experience that forgiveness, we will continue to struggle with guilt and the weight of sin. However, when we see that God has forgiven, or redeemed us, before we ever took notice of Him, then we are changed – freed – liberated – both from the guilt and shame of sin, but also from the power of sin over our daily lives. Still tempted, but strengthened to be victorious within the parameters of God’s forgiveness for us, before we ever asked to be forgiven.

As 1 John 1:9 expresses, when we confess our sins, God is faithful to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This is the experiential aspect of forgiveness. When we confess, God forgives us in the sense that now we experience the freedom, cleansing, and healing from the burden of sin.

Two aspects to God’s forgiveness:  One – God’s forgiveness in His heart towards us before we ever saw it or took a step towards Him, and, Two – God’s forgiveness that cleanses and frees us when we see His pre-existent forgiving of us. As Romans 2:4 says, it’s God’s goodness (forgiveness, etc.), that leads us to repentance (forgiveness experienced).

Notice how Isaiah 44:22 brings out this point that we have been considering:

“I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, And like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”

Which comes first – our “returning” to God, or His “blotting out” our transgressions/sins and redeeming us? Clearly, Isaiah is saying that before we return to God (repent, ask for forgiveness), God has already, from His heart’s perspective, blotted out our sins and transgressions, and “redeemed” us! Incredible! Remember ALWAYS – our returning or repenting or confessing or asking for forgiveness, is ALWAYS based on what God has already done for us – apart from us!

Now, let’s see if we can see these same ideas that we have been studying in God’s forgiveness of us – and in Joseph’s experience with his brothers - and apply them to our forgiveness of others.

In order to answer these questions, we need to see forgiveness from both the perspective of the offender and from the perspective of the victim – or forgiver.

We should establish one vital premise here from the beginning. To forgive someone, is NOT to approve of what they have done, to minimize what they have done, or to extend trust and friendship towards the one being forgiven. It is entirely possible to “forgive” someone, and still fully disavow what they have said or done, and also to not trust them with your friendship or with any responsibility that would allow them to violate or offend again.

For example, if the church treasurer embezzles money from the church, it is entirely justified, within the parameters of forgiveness, to see that the person pays the money back, perhaps goes to prison, and is not allowed to be a handler of other people’s money ever again.

We can relate to those who have offended or violated us without a sense of animus, or hostility, or retribution – we have forgiven them – but not trust them and not protect them from the results of their prior actions.

Furthermore, while we can articulate the high calling of forgiveness that victims are called to, we should be extremely sensitive that the pain caused when one is violated may hinder one’s ability to forgive, and thus we need to give victims great latitude to express their feelings of pain and fear and revenge or hostility. It may take a long time, even a lifetime, for someone to forgive another who has damaged them. They may commonly need the emotional space to express their feelings on the journey to healing and forgiveness.

While Joseph clearly had forgiven his brothers (Genesis 42:22-24 – Joseph weeping for brothers), he still tested them to see if they were worthy of being trusted. He tested them to see if they still had the same jealousy and hatred for Josephs’ full brother Benjamin, as they had had for him. Again, forgiveness doesn’t necessitate trust.

All of this has been said to lay the foundation for the truth that when someone is violated by another, they have a choice. They can choose to hang on to a sense of animus and revenge towards the offender – which is understandable to all of us, or they can choose to reject the feelings of hostility and desires for revenge, and instead forgive the one who has offended/damaged them.

If one chooses not to forgive, the harmful effects of pent-up hostility and frustration and stress will bear self-destructive fruit, as the old saying goes, “an inability to forgive is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies”. The ability to forgive, allows the dissipation of the stress and pain that comes with being violated and hurt – and that is why God encourages us to forgive – both for our benefit, as well as the benefit of the offender when they come to know your forgiveness towards them.

May we be empowered and liberated and healed by God’s pre-existent forgiveness of us, to experience that same forgiveness towards those who have violated us. “This is love – not that we loved God. But that He loved us and sent His Son”.

 

~Bob Hunsaker