Watershed Moments: When God Reveals Purpose in Our Suffering

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And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them.” Genesis 42:8

I love a good story. There is something about reading or hearing a good story that helps us identify parts of our own story. The story of Joseph in Genesis is no different. So for those of you who have never read the full story from start to finish or just need a refresher, it is found in Genesis 30:24 and continues (off and on) until the end of Genesis. I’ll just touch upon some highlights.

Genesis chapter 37 starts off with a young, bold, teenage Joseph, the favorite son of his father Jacob, who along with his 10 older brothers and 1 younger brother, is found tending to his father’s flock. Scripture tells us he is the favored son, partly due to the fact Jacob had him late in life and partly due to him being the son of his beloved wife Rachel. He is given a robe of many colors which serves as a beautiful and very visible symbol of his father’s love, which makes his brothers envious and angry. Jacob seems to do little to mitigate this hostility or to protect Joseph. Then God gives Joseph an accurate dream of the future in which his brothers are bowing down to him and for whatever reason, Joseph tells his brothers which further fuels their jealousy!

“Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more.” Genesis 37:5

God then continues to send dreams about the sun, moon, and stars bowing down to him. Even his father is taken aback. Yet, this revelation from God at the time seemed to further anger his brothers and seemed to be the beginning of what had to be a confusing, devastating captivity. Fast forward over the next 2 decades, Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, taken from his home to a foreign land, falsely accused and imprisoned. One interesting thing I had never considered when reading this account is that Joseph would've likely heard early on the prediction from the Lord to Abram (Genesis 15:2) about the Israelites going into captivity for approximately 400 years in Egypt. However, it is uncertain if he understood this or knew that he was the vehicle in which this would happen. But scripture says God was always with Him, even when things did not make sense. Let’s linger in that truth. He never left him alone, even in his unbelievable suffering.

Then as one of the most incredible plot twists, Joseph becomes a leader in the land of his captivity, a Governor of Egypt. The second in command behind Pharoah alone. In chapter 42, we see Joseph’s brothers come into the story again during a worldwide famine seeking food in Egypt. But this time, Joseph is in a position of power, and they have come to seek his help as a leader in Egypt, not knowing this was the very brother they had sold into slavery.

“And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them.” Genesis 42:8

He remembers the dream. It then starts to make sense because of his current reality. The dream that got all this started. The dream that landed him in a world of hurt. He remembered.

The word for “remember” here is the Hebrew verb “Zakar”. It means to remind but also means to “make known.” Zakar lends itself to not just recalling something, but focusing on it in a way that leads to action. It is used nearly 200 times in the old testament. In the New Testament, the Greek word “Mnēmoneuō” appears 21 times and means to remember, be mindful of, or mention. It implies actively keeping something in mind, calling to mind past events, or holding someone in thought. In the Old Testament, it often came at a time when a situation seemed hopeless and the act of remembering by God turned everything around (i.e. Rachel, Hannah). Even in Joseph’s own life story, Joseph earlier in his life, asks the cupbearer to remember him (zakar) with Pharaoh after he interprets his dream. It takes the cupbearer two years to do it, but eventually his act of remembrance results in Joseph getting out of jail and being elevated to a Governor in Egypt. Joseph makes known the meaning of a dream to the cupbearer and asks the cupbearer to make him known to Pharoah. Chad Bird writes, “To zakar is to employ your hands and feet and lips to engage in whatever action that remembrance requires.”

So remembering in this sense wasn’t just mental recollection but connecting the dots in a way that leads to action, to meaningful life change. It’s allowing God’s truth to wash over you in a way that sticks. And it seemed to be the connection for Joseph in understanding his life purpose in God’s broader story, a holy turning point if you will. Joseph could’ve easily not revealed himself to his brothers and not participated in this part of the plan, but God helped him to understand the big picture.

In the new testament, this word often relates to recalling Jesus's words or instructing believers to actively remember spiritual truths. It’s not passive. Forgetfulness, on the other hand, does seem to be related to passivity.

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like." James 1:22-24

Action reminds us of who we are and our identity in Christ.

How incredible that after years of suffering and trauma, God chose to “make things known” to Joseph.That's God’s character. He wants to bring understanding and meaning to our lives, illuminating every dark part. This is the father’s heart. He does NOT want us to live in darkness. He is faithful to bring to mind what he is doing in our lives. Yet….this still did not happen right away. Even after God opened Joseph’s eyes, It would still take much more time for Joseph to process what God was doing in his story. I think a lie that can take root at times in modern society is that growth or knowing what God is doing in our lives will be instantaneous, but I don’t think that’s what the story of Joseph is showing us. His timing is surely different and doesn’t always align with ours. It would take more than 20 years to fully understand what God was doing in Joseph’s story. Even though God was with him, Joseph didn’t always comprehend the why until God brought it to mind at the moment of fulfilment.

Later, Joseph reveals the purpose God had made known to him to his brothers, his aggressors.

“And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life….so it was not you who sent me here, but God” Genesis 45:5-8

^“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.” Genesis 50:20

After this, Joseph was renewed. He then was restored, first to his brothers and then to his father. And next, he responded with nonsensical compassion. Holy spirit compassion. Compassion that was based on God’s comfort that he himself had received. Compassion that came from understanding. He responded by proclaiming God’s goodness.

There is a focus even for our secular culture in remembering to instill gratitude, which is great and needed, but there is an active piece to remembrance. Just as rest doesn’t mean the absence of doing anything, I don’t believe remembering is passive. It seems to be accompanied by an action. This active reminder shifts things, first inwardly and then outwardly. This kind of remembrance is not only a mental exercise, but a pivotal, game changing, intentional action that is rooted in the faithfulness of God.

What about you? How has God made himself known in your life? How has God moved actively in your life, either in the past or the present? How has God connected the dots in a way that helped you move forward with a new identity and purpose? How can we walk out what God has made known to us? Scripture tells us to proclaim those stories, to act based on the unshakeable truth. As true as anything else you see today. Here are some takeaways I believe we can hold onto from Joseph’s story.

1. I can be sure that God is working out a greater purpose through our suffering. Because of the past knowledge that Joseph had of the Lord’s covenant with Abram and the dream that God had given him of the future, Joseph could face every painful detail of today.

2. We will experience hardship in this life. We will be hurt, even by people who are close to us. Joseph was the object of his brothers’ hatred, almost from the very beginning.

3. In order for restoration to happen, we must risk sharing our heart with others who have hurt us.  When Joseph’s brothers reentered the story later, he did not trust them. He wasn’t the same Joseph that had unabashedly shared his dream earlier on with his brothers. He was changed. It isn’t until chapter 45 that scriptures tell us Joseph could not hold it together any longer. He was undone. “Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.”  So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it.” Genesis 45:1-2

4. Sometimes, restoration isn’t totally possibly in this broken world on this side of heaven, but it is our responsibility to try (Romans 12:18). Sometimes living peaceably with others requires addressing conflict in a healthy, safe way. Just as God took care of Joseph, it is my belief he will take care of us.

Sisters, I am so grateful that not only does God never leave us alone in our suffering, but that he helps us interpret our life through the lens of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. I am grateful that He is not wasteful and that He is faithful. That he used Joseph’s suffering and uses our suffering today to reveal new purpose and identity in Christ. Let us not hide, but take courage when working out the details of reconciliation, and let us share our own stories of how God acted powerfully in our lives to encourage one another to take that next step of obedience.