A New Beginning 

When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. (Genesis 50: 15 to 21) 

God revealed His will to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And they all submitted to God's will their whole lives. That's why the Bible says that God is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Not only that, but God also revealed His will to Jacob that He would grow a peculiar nation from him, Israel. Yet, God's will for Jacob's sons was even more extraordinary. First, Joseph's brothers sold Joseph and lied to their father that Joseph was killed by a wild animal. Then Joseph became the prime minister of Egypt. Not only that he saved Egypt and his family from the big famine but also collected the fortune of the whole Egypt to be Pharaoh's. In Joseph's mind, only God could make it happen. So, he could not hold a grudge against his brothers but submit himself to God's will.   

Joseph's achievements were incredible. But it's all started by his brother's atrocity toward him when he was young. What they did was evil and cruel and caused Joseph to suffer a lot. However, they also paid a great deal for their atrocity. First, they witnessed the sadness of their father when he heard that Joseph was killed. Then they blamed each other for what they did to Joseph when Joseph accused them of spying and demanded them to bring Benjamin to Egypt to prove their innocence. Because they were afraid of losing Benjamin too to cause their father even more pain. Now, Jacob is dead. They were afraid that Joseph would still not forgive them and punish them for what they did to him. So, when Joseph told them not to be afraid and promised them that he would provide for them and their little ones, he was giving them a new life, so that Israel would be started with a new beginning. 

Oftentimes, we are just like Joseph's brothers. We committed sins which we felt guilt and regret. Yet, we don't know how to be cleansed and forgiven. Then God provides us an answer as described in the Bible below. 

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; (Second Corinthians 5: 16 to 18) 

 If we are in Christ, then we are new creations. Then we could get a new start in life as Joseph's brothers. Not only that, but we also get an extra assurance as the Bible describes below. 

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (First John 1: 8 to 10) 

So, just admit our sins and repent and God will forgive and cleanse us again. Like Jacob's twelve sons, God wants to grow us into a holy temple as described below. 

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. (Ephesians 2: 19 to 22) 

This holy temple will be a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. That's why God wants us to confess our sins so that we could be forgiven and cleansed. Then we will become a new peculiar nation as the Bible described below. 

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (First Peter 2: 9 10) 

This is the foundation of New Jerusalem as the book of Revelation describes the second coming of Christ as we are looking forward to. Emmanuel. 

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