God meant all for good

Reflections on GENESIS 50:15-21

The penitent words of Joseph’s brothers led Joseph to one of the finest theological points of his life and indeed, of much of Genesis. He told them not to be afraid, for he would not retaliate for their mistreatment of him. “Even though you intended to do harm to me,” he told them, “God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones” (Gen. 50:20-21). Joseph’s reference to “numerous people” echoes God’s covenantal promise to bless “all families of the earth” (Gen. 12:3). From our vantage point today, we can see that God sent far more blessings than Joseph could have ever asked or imagined (see Ephesians 3:20).

God’s work in and through Joseph had real, practical, serious value —to preserve lives.  If we ever have the impression that God only wants us in the workplace so we can tell others about him, or if we get the impression that the only part of our work that matters to God is building relationships, Joseph’s work says otherwise. The things we make and do in our work are themselves crucially important to God and to other people.  Sometimes this is true because our work is a piece of a bigger whole, and we lose sight of the result of the work. Joseph took a larger perspective on his work, and was not discouraged by its inevitable ups and downs.

This is not to say that relationships at work aren’t also of the highest importance. Perhaps Christians have the special gift of offering forgiveness to people in our workplaces. Joseph’s reassurance to his brothers is a model of forgiveness. Following his father’s instruction, Joseph forgave his brothers and verbally released them from guilt. But his forgiveness—like all true forgiveness—was not just verbal. Joseph used the extensive resources of Egypt that God had placed under his control to support them materially so that they could prosper. He acknowledged that judging his brothers was not his role. “Am I in the place of God?” (Genesis 50:19), he asked. He did not usurp God’s role as judge, but helped his brothers to connect with God who had saved them.

The relationship Joseph had with his brothers was both familial and economic. There is no clearly defined boundary between these areas; forgiveness is appropriate to both. We may be tempted to think that our cherished religious values are primarily meant to function in identifiably religious spheres, such as the local church. Of course, much of our work life does take place in the public realm where we must respect the fact that some others do not share our Christian faith. But the neat division of life into separate compartments labeled “sacred” and “secular” is foreign to the worldview of Scripture. Forgiveness is a sound workplace practice.

There will always be plenty of hurt and pain in life. No company or organization is immune from that. It would be naïve to assume that nobody deliberately means to cause harm by what they say or do. Joseph acknowledged that people did intend to harm him; we can do the same. But in the same sentence lives a larger truth about God’s intention for good. Recalling the point when we feel hurt helps us to bear the pain and to identify with Christ.

Joseph saw himself as an agent of God, instrumental in effecting the work of God with his people. He knew the harm that people were capable of and accepted that sometimes people are their own worst enemies. He knew his family stories of faith mixed with doubt, of faithful service mingled with self-preservation, of both truth and deceit. He also knew of the promises God made to Abraham, of God’s commitment to bless his family, and of God’s wisdom in working with his people as he refined them through the fires of life. He did not paint over their sins; rather, he absorbed their sins into his awareness of God’s grand work. Our awareness of the inevitable providential successfulness of God’s promises makes our labor worthwhile, no matter the cost to us.

Of the many lessons about work in the book of Genesis, this one in particular endures and even explains redemption itself—the crucifixion of the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8-10). Our places of work provide contexts in which our values and character are brought to light as we make decisions that affect ourselves and those around us. In his wise power, God is capable of working with our faithfulness, mending our weakness, and forging our failures to accomplish what he himself has prepared for us who love him.

From Theology of Work Project. Image: Ludwig Knaus, “Potato Harvest.” Courtesy of the Grohmann Musuem at the Milwaukee School of Engineering.