Released from a Life of Shame

Scripture: Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.” Genesis 42:37

Observation: Chapter 41 says Joseph was 30 when he stood before Pharaoh. The 7 years of plenty have then passed, and they are likely into year 3 of famine since other nations are having to seek aid, so Joseph is now 40. He was 17 when his brothers sold him into slavery, and at that time Reuben was going to save Joseph so that he could gain atonement from his father for the sin he had committed in sleeping with Bilhah.

It is 23 years later, and Reuben is STILL trying to find a way to make atonement with his father.

Reuben committed one (albeit, bad) sin, and he has spent the majority of his adult life trying to reconcile it. And he can't. How many times has a similar situation arose? Something goes wrong in the house of Jacob ... a herd of sheep is lost, or a stranger causes strife, or another local family threatens their property, or a storm destroys a barn ... and Reuben declares, "I will take care of it for you, father, a swear this on everything I own!" And Jacob says ... no, Reuben, there is no way for me to trust this to you.

It is in this model we understand that, when a person commits a terrible act against someone, there really isn't anything one can 'do' to undo it. Instead, there is only the possibility of forgiveness. If the victim won't forgive, then the perpetrator is without recourse for restoring the relationship.

Application: As the family and history of Israel is our revelation of God's love, Reuben is the example of the reason God's love is so critical. Reuben is the first born and should be the pride of the father, but he is instead untrusted and despised even after years and years and years of trying to make the situation right, and living with the shame that entire time. If this was the way God treated us, we would all languish in grief forever, or else give up and resent God.

Instead, God freely forgives through our faith and simple request. Knowing no action of ours can erase sin, God instead just erases it anyway.

I was reminded last week that God promises not only to forgive me for my past, but to remove my shame about that past. I can forget it! This is God's promise, not only that he forgets the sin, but that I can no longer dwell in it mentally or have remorse for it. God has completely erased it. He doesn't just forgive, he erases it from my life's story.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for the promise of removing my shame of my past. I will try to live in a manner that moves forward in your love. Reuben couldn't do that, but you created the way for me to do so. Thank you for your amazing, perfect love. Amen.