GOD'S ECONOMY
Gen 50:10-21 And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days. 11 And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called Abel-mizraim, which is beyond Jordan. 12 And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them: 13 For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre. 14 And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father. 15 And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. 16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, 17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. 18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. 19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
Today's lesson is very powerful in that it teaches us another very important principle when operating in God's Economy. After They return from burying their father, Jacob, Joseph's brothers are afraid that he is planning to get revenge for what they did to him. This is the world's system. You get me and I get you back. In some cases, I may get you before you get me. However, in the Word's System, we must forgive and forget. The Word of the Lord declares: Matt 6:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matt 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Mark 11:25-26 And when ye stand praying, forgive , if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if ye do not forgive , neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Luke 17:3-4 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
Forgiveness is a very, very important principle when operating in the Kingdom of God. If you don't forgive a person, you hold them in bondage and you also hold yourself in bondage. You are blocking their blessing and you are blocking your own blessing. You may say, you don't know how bad they treated me, or how deep they hurt me. Yes, I know people can do some low down, evil, nasty things, but Jesus said you must forgive them so He can forgive you, and you both can move forward. Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers. This lead to him being sold again into slavery down in Egypt; thrown into prison; and forgotten. But God...delivered him and he was promoted from the pit to the palace in one day. He became the Governor of Egypt, only second in command to Pharaoh, and saved his family from the famine. Note his response to his brothers. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. 18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. 19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
Friend I can not over emphasize how important this is in order to move forward. I encourage you to stop today and take inventory and see if there is any unforgiveness in your heart. The Word of the Lord declares: Matt 5:23-24 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Mark 11:25-26 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
