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Joseph’s brothers went to Egypt because of a famine. We know that their “going to Egypt” was part of God’s plan, even though God generally warned his people about assimilating into any of the cultures around them. Perhaps God knew they were better off being in Egypt as a people to themselves than being in Canaan among a people they could not conquer.
God used the circumstances surrounding the drought to accomplish good things for everyone, despite their faults. Jacob refusing to send Benjamin demonstrates that he still valued some of his sons over others, and we see a lack of faith in God. When Joseph’s brothers arrived in Egypt, Joseph acted like he did not know them, accused them of being spies, and put them in prison. His intention was to test them, to see if they were as selfish and hateful as in the past. At this point, Joseph’s brothers feared Joseph more than they feared their God. In the midst of Joseph’s interaction about Simeon being kept in prison until they bring Benjamin back, the brothers talked among themselves, thinking they were experiencing divine judgment for their mistreatment of Joseph. This is how guilt about the past tends to work. We can also see that Joseph was a trauma survivor. Time does not resolve guilt, and time does not automatically heal trauma.
Applications for Today
- God can work with pessimists. Jacob was a pessimist. He mourned for Joseph and refused to be comforted. God does not require that we are gloriously happy all the time, but we are called to be joyful. People who don’t have a divine perspective tend to fall into an abyss of darkness.
- Everything happens according to plan. In this story, God uses even the negative things that happen to accomplish a good end.
- Trauma does not resolve on its own. The solution to real trauma is not to forget what you have been through. How long it takes to deal with a traumatic event or a series of traumatic events depends on the person, the events, and how deeply the person experienced those hurts. There are no easy fixes to traumatic events. Healing requires a community of caring people and someone trained in helping people deal with difficult experiences. Becoming a Christian will not automatically deliver a person from the effects of trauma.
Jesus invites us to rest in him. We also need people in our life who understand us and give us a safe place to belong.