God Meant It For Good

Several years ago, a hospice chaplain told a story about a family gathered around their father’s bed in his final hours.

Two brothers stood on opposite sides of the room. For decades they hadn’t spoken—harsh words, old wounds, years of silence.

As their father’s breathing grew shallow, he whispered, “Promise me you’ll take care of each other.”

That simple request broke the dam. The brothers embraced, tears streaming, realizing that their father’s last words weren’t about possessions or achievements but about reconciliation and faithfulness.

Last words matter.

They reveal what’s deepest in the heart.

They can heal old wounds, set a family’s direction, and anchor hope for the future.

Genesis 50 records the last words of Joseph, and through them, the last words of Genesis itself.

It’s remarkable that the book which begins with life in a garden ends with a coffin in Egypt.

Between those two points is the entire human story—life, sin, pain, redemption, and hope.

And yet, even at the end, Genesis whispers that death will not have the final word.

We began this series in Genesis 37 with a seventeen-year-old dreamer named Joseph.

He was betrayed by his brothers, thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and forgotten in prison.

Yet through every valley and every heartbreak, God was at work.

We’ve called this series Trusting God When Life Hurts because Joseph’s life shows us that God’s sovereignty doesn’t cancel suffering—it redeems it.

Now we’ve come to the closing chapter.

But before the light fades, God gives us one final picture of His sovereignty—a picture of promises kept, forgiveness offered, and hope sustained.

Main Idea: God redeems our pain to display His forgiving grace.

Let’s start with the first truth this passage shows us.

God’s Promises Anchor Our Faith Against Death (vv. 1-14)

Read Gen 50:1-14.

The chapter opens with Jacob’s death.

Verse 1 says, “Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him.”

Joseph had known loss before, but this was different.

No amount of power or position can shield us from the ache of death.

Joseph orders his father to be embalmed, a process reserved for Egyptian royalty.

The text says the physicians took forty days to complete it, and the Egyptians mourned seventy days—almost the same amount of time given to a Pharaoh (72 days)

Think of that!

Jacob, the wandering shepherd who lived most of his life in tents, is now honored like a king.

God has reversed his humiliation.

The shepherd of Israel dies as a prince of Egypt.

When the mourning is complete, Joseph asks Pharaoh’s permission to carry his father’s body back to Canaan.

Pharaoh not only agrees—he sends a royal entourage.

The text emphasizes this with repetition: “All the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt” went with him.

Even chariots and horsemen accompany them—a military escort.

When they arrive in Canaan, the Canaanites look on in astonishment.

They rename the place Abel-Mizraim, which means “the mourning of the Egyptians.”

Finally, Jacob’s sons bury him in the cave of Machpelah—the same place Abraham and Isaac were buried.

And with that act, the family fulfills their father’s dying wish.

Every step of this long journey from Egypt back to Canaan proclaims one thing: God keeps His promises.

Jacob may have died in Egypt, but he was buried in the land God swore to give his descendants.

Why does Scripture give us all this detail?

Because Jacob’s burial shouts that even in death, the covenant stands firm.

The land, the seed, the blessing—all of it rests on the faithfulness of God who cannot lie.

Jacob’s sons carefully obeyed his instructions because obedience in small details is an act of faith in a big God.

If we put ourselves in the sons shoes, during this time of mourning, they were probably wondering “What now?”

This act of faith answers: Now we trust the God who keeps His promises even when we can’t see them fulfilled.

We grieve, but we grieve in hope.

And notice something else—Jacob’s body rests in the land, but his descendants return to and remain in Egypt.

That tension sets up the next generation’s struggle.

God’s promises are sure, but their fulfillment often unfolds over time.

Faith must hold fast while waiting for sight.

Now, before we move forward, let’s draw the line to Christ.

Christ-Connection — Both Jacob’s and Christ’s burial were misunderstood by outsiders.

Outsiders misunderstood Jacob’s burial as Egyptian extravagance...Genesis 50:11 “Now when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning for the Egyptians.” Therefore it was named Abel-mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.”

The Canaanites saw all this and thought the Egyptians suffered a great loss...they misunderstood this was a Hebrew funeral.

Outsiders misunderstood Christ’s burial as defeat.

They thought they had eliminated a blasphemer, a rebel...they thought they defeated Him.

But both were seeds of greater hope.

Jacob’s burial pointed forward to Israel’s homecoming.

Christ’s burial pointed forward to resurrection morning.

Both proclaim that God’s promises don’t end at the grave.

The same God who brought Jacob home will one day bring all His children home.

God’s promise still holds...death does not end our story; it simply turns the page to glory.

First truth is God’s Promises Anchor Us in Death...second truth is

God’s Providence Transforms Guilt into Forgiveness (vv. 15–21)

Read Gen 50:15-21.

The funeral is over.

The long caravan has returned to Egypt.

The crowds have gone home, the music has faded, and the brothers are left alone with their thoughts.

Genesis 50:15 “When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!””

Can you hear the trembling in their voices?

Decades have passed since that day at Dothan when they sold their brother into slavery, yet the memory still haunts them.

The brothers fear that Joseph’s kindness was only for their father’s sake, that now—with Jacob gone—the mask will drop and revenge will begin.

So instead of coming on their own, they command someone else to go to Joseph...

Send = commanded, ordered

Genesis 50:16 “So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father charged before he died, saying,”

Interesting to think did Jacob really do this or was this a fabrication to persuade Joseph?...no record of this anywhere...

Then they come in person, fall before him, and say, “Behold, we are your servants.”

Notice their posture.

The dream from Joseph’s youth is fulfilled yet again—they bow before him.

The dream that once divided them now becomes the setting for reconciliation.

Verse 17 says, “Joseph wept when they spoke to him.”

Those tears tell us volumes.

They are the tears of a man whose heart has already forgiven.

He’s not fearful—they are.

He’s not enslaved—they are.

They’re still living in the prison of guilt, but Joseph has been set free by the sovereignty of God.

Then Joseph speaks words that echo through Scripture and across time: Genesis 50:19–20 “But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”

The sovereign God who rules over every human act—even evil ones—redeems them for His saving purpose.

Joseph does not minimize their sin; he magnifies God’s grace.

“You meant evil … but God meant it for good.”

That phrase is the hinge of the entire Joseph story, maybe of the whole book of Genesis.

Evil is real, but it is never ultimate.

Human intent is never the final word—God’s intent is.

Joseph sees his suffering through the lens of divine providence.

Every betrayal, every tear, every prison night was part of a plan designed not to destroy but to deliver.

His faith interprets pain through the character of God. And that is what allows forgiveness to flow.

Christ Connection...Joseph foreshadows Jesus in multiple ways, especially with his act of forgiveness.

Joseph was betrayed by his brothers; Jesus was betrayed by His own people.

Joseph was sold for silver; Jesus was sold for silver.

Joseph was falsely accused and imprisoned; Jesus was condemned though innocent.

Joseph was exalted to the right hand of Pharaoh to save his family; Jesus was exalted to the right hand of the Father to save His creation.

And now Joseph extends forgiveness to the very ones who caused his suffering—just as Christ offers forgiveness to us who caused His.

The grace he received becomes the grace he gives.

That’s what forgiveness does—it doesn’t just remove guilt; it restores relationship.

Now let’s go a little deeper theologically.

Our forgiveness of others is to be patterned after God’s forgiveness of us...Eph 4:32.

Ephesians 4:32 NASB95

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

This rests on four pillars of truth.

Forgiveness Acknowledges Sin Without Absolving the Cost

Forgiveness is not pretending the offense never happened or saying, “It’s okay.”

True forgiveness looks sin in the eye and names it clearly: “You meant evil.”

God never forgives by pretending sin isn't serious; He forgives by paying its cost.

Forgiveness Releases the Right to Revenge

When we refuse to forgive, we are trying to sit on the throne that belongs to God alone.

This is the question every wounded heart must answer: “Am I in the place of God?”

Forgiveness is saying, “I trust that God will do what is right, so I don’t have to make you pay.”

This is exactly what God does for us in Christ.

On the cross, the Judge of all the earth absorbed our debt instead of collecting it.

Every act of true forgiveness echoes Calvary, where God bore the cost so that we could be set free.

Joseph could forgive because he believed God’s sovereignty was bigger than his brothers’ sin, foreshadowing Christ's mercy on the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Forgiveness is a Work of Grace, Not Human Strength

Let’s be honest—some of us have been deeply hurt by betrayal or words that cut to the bone, and we’ve felt, “I can’t forgive that.”

Friend, the truth is, we can’t in our own strength.

But God can through us.

Forgiveness is releasing the right to revenge because we trust that God is both just and good.

Paul reminds us in Romans 12:19 “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.”

That means we can let go of bitterness because God will settle every account rightly.

Forgiveness Reflects God’s Redemptive Purpose

God doesn’t just cancel sin; He transforms it.

He takes what was meant for evil and works it toward good.

Joseph’s words—“You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good”—are the core of the Gospel.

The cross says both at once: humanity meant it for evil, but God meant it for the greatest good—the salvation of many souls.

God’s sovereignty doesn’t excuse sin, but it does transform guilt into grace.

Every offense we forgive reflects God’s grace and mercy in forgiving us.

There is no sin or offense committed against us that is greater than our own sin against Christ.

Joseph’s suffering preserved his family from famine, and through them, God brought forth the Messiah.

The same divine logic runs through the cross: the darkest day in history became the brightest dawn of grace.

If God can redeem Calvary, He can redeem what happened to us.

The pain doesn’t vanish, Jesus still has the scars...but His scars have purpose;

Jesus was wounded for our transgressions and by His stripes we are healed...

We can now forgive others because we’ve been forgiven

Joseph showed his forgiveness was genuine by taking care of those who hurt him.

Truth #1 — God’s Promises Anchor Us in Death

Truth #2 — God’s Providence Transforms Guilt into Forgiveness

Truth #3....

God’s Plan Sustains Our Hope Through Transition (vv. 22–26)

Verse 22 shifts the scene once more: Genesis 50:22 “Now Joseph stayed in Egypt, he and his father’s household, and Joseph lived one hundred and ten years.”

That was considered the ideal lifespan in ancient Egypt—long enough to see the fullness of life and legacy.

The text adds that Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation, and the children of Machir, Manasseh’s son, were counted as his own.

It’s a snapshot of contentment—Joseph lived long enough to see his family growing...

If Genesis ended there, we’d call it a happy ending. But God isn’t finished yet.

Genesis 50:24 “Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.””

Those are his final words—a confession of faith, not fear.

The man who once ruled Egypt is not trusting in Egypt’s pyramids or treasures.

He’s trusting in God’s promises.

Twice he says, “God will surely visit of you.”

NASB = take care, ESV = will visit...hss multiple meanings...first used in Gen 21:1 when God “took note of Sarah” and did for Sarah what He had promised...

It this context it carries the idea of paying attention to them and caring for them.

Joseph doesn’t know God’s full plan, but He does know God...

That’s what faith does—it clings to the certainty of who God is even in the uncertainty of time.

Think about what Joseph is saying.

He has spent nearly ninety years in Egypt.

It’s been his home, his place of blessing, the site of his greatest victories and most painful memories.

Yet, as he nears death, his heart still points north toward the land of promise.

In verse 25, Joseph makes his family swear an oath: “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”

That might sound like a strange request, but it’s profoundly theological.

Joseph’s bones become a testimony of faith.

They declare that Egypt is not our final resting place.

This is a remarkable event in Israel’s history...

Gen 50:25 Joseph makes them promise to take his bones back to the promised land...

Exodus 13:19 — “Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.’”

Joshua 24:32 — “As for the bones of Joseph, which the people of Israel brought up from Egypt, they buried them at Shechem, in the piece of land that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money. It became an inheritance of the descendants of Joseph.”

It wasn’t until Joshua conquered the Promised Land which meant Joseph’s bones were being carried around while they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.

Faith always looks beyond the present to the promise.

Joseph believed that what God had promised would one day come true, even if he wouldn’t live to see it.

That’s hope that transcends circumstance.

When the text says in verse Genesis 50:26 “So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.” we see a pledge of deliverance.

Every time an Israelite child passed by that coffin, they were reminded: “God will visit us. This is not our home. We’re going to the land of promise.”

The same God who sustained Joseph through betrayal, slavery, and prison would sustain His people through centuries of bondage.

Christ-Connection...The ultimate visitation of God came when Jesus stepped into the story.

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

He entered our Egypt, bore our sin, and rose again to lead us out of bondage into the true Promised Land.

And when Christ returns, He will carry our bones—not to Canaan but to a new creation where death will be no more.

Let’s bring this home.

Genesis 50 doesn’t just close a book; it closes a generation.

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and now Joseph—they’re all gone.

Yet the promise of God continues. That’s the point.

The people die, but the covenant lives.

God’s faithfulness stretches across generations.

Lesson for Life: Trust Him with the chapters we can’t control.

As we close this series, think back on Joseph’s journey.

He was betrayed, enslaved, forgotten, exalted, and finally reconciled.

Through it all, one truth never changed: God was sovereign, and His grace was sufficient.

Joseph trusted God when life hurt—and because of that, his life became a testimony of redemption.

We live in a world full of suffering and hurt...

We’ve been wronged, we’re waiting, or we’re grieving.

Genesis 50 stands as God’s reminder: He hasn’t forgotten us.

When life hurts, when relationships fracture, when seasons change, and when death draws near—God is still writing.

Use tapestry illustration...

The same God who was faithful to Joseph is faithful to us.

When the story feels unfinished, remember that forgiveness—and not pain—is how God writes the final chapter.

The promise of Genesis 50 that God will surely visit you, still stands...

And we know this because He already did...in Christ.

Through Christ, God redeems our pain...

In Christ, God redeems our story...

Faith lives today in the assurance that tomorrow belongs to God.

And one day, just as Joseph’s bones were carried home, so will we be.

Until then, we trust Him—through every hurt, every loss, every waiting season—knowing that God redeems our pain to display His forgiving grace.