Comfort foods for the soul (2): But God meant for good

Anger usually is short term.
But it could be brewed into hatred.
Morphed into vengefulness.

It’s rare to be able to let go.
It’s even rarer to be able to see a purpose and a role in it.

That would be an antidote to the venom of anger.
Definitely a secret to happiness.

I found it.
Correction: not that I got it; but I found someone who’s got it.
A real flesh and blood person.

In the real life story of someone who has long since been viewed as an inconvenient appendix to the Big Three of Abraham, Issac and Jacob!

Ever heard of Joseph?

Ever thought his life story deserved to occupy a place in the First book of Genesis, alongside the patriachs of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?
And ends it too?

Joseph’s life was one of twists and turns.
One that is boosted by hopes of elevation and depressed by scheming and persecution.
From where did Joseph manage to navigate from a teenager to a middle age person remained a mystery.
From where he drew strength and patience to weather all negative and unfair treatments was not revealed, but could only be inferred.
And above all, by whose strength could he manage to turn anger and vengefulness into forgiveness, I never knew.

His story begins from a teenager in Genesis 37.

There’s no need to retell his whole story here.
It’d take up too much space.
Go read from Gen 37.

Suffice it to say that he was sold off as a slave by his elder brothers (some even wanted to kill him) out of jealousy.
As if that wasn’t hurtful and devastating enough, Joseph went from slavedom to prison.
From cell, he eventually rose to the number 2 in the entire Egypt.
He helped Pharaoh steer clear the territory wide famine to become the “food bank” of neighbouring nations and tribes.

That’s when Joseph faced a real challenge.
Now he could have forgotten about past unhappiness and settled as a powerful and rich person in Egypt.
No old wound needed revisiting.

But fate had it that his brothers came for loan of food.
Joseph didn’t waste the opportunity to play a little prank with them but eventually revealed his identity without condemnation.
He even sent them back with loads of food and an invitation to return to settle down in Egypt with Jacob.

Joseph recognized by his brothers, by Léon Pierre Urbain Bourgeois, 1863 oil on canvas, at the Musée Municipal Frédéric Blandin, Nevers (Léon Pierre Urbain Bourgeois, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Jacob and his children did, and he spent his remaining years in Egypt.

His death exacerbated the fear in Joseph’s brothers minds for to them the only person holding back Joseph’s long stored vengefulness now was gone.
Threats to their families, even lives, loomed large.

Really it could have been a perfect time for Joseph once and for all to avenge things and cleared the decks.
His father would not see his treatment of his brothers however cruel.
Years of anger, if indeed it was there, would be vented.
Like a gloomy sky cleared by strong winds and a bright sun.

Why not?

But here lies what’s so admirable about Joseph that convincingly justifies him being in the company of the patriarchs in Genesis.

He called out their fears.
He didn’t whitewash their evils.
He straight out said they harmed him in bad will.
But he went on and said something profound, something precious, something that could heal so many souls suffering since 2019, from real harms, loss of freedom, career, and family——even PTSD.

But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them (Gen 50:19-21, NET) .

A more literal rendering of “harm” is “evil” in the Hebrew language.
So the antithesis is stark in Joseph’s words.
Good triumphs over and through evil, not in the absence of.
The clarion sound of “good” way back in Genesis 1:31 when it was declared “very good” echoed in Joseph’s statement in the end of Genesis, poetically. (Gen 1:31 “God saw all that he had made—and it was very good!”)

Oh how wise Joseph!
How insightful and rewarding to see his role in the epic struggle of good vs evil.
How happy Joseph’s life must have been unburdened by the “evils” done to him by people dearest and closest, and still manages to forgive.

Not just forgive, but seeing the “good” meant by God.
Such wisdom.
Such knowledge of God.
Such comfort for the soul.