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36_Repentance_the_foundation_of_faith

Gen 41 56 -42:3 When the famine was spread over the entire face of the earth, then Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 Then the people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the earth.

Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” 2 Then he said, “Look, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from [a]that place, so that we may live and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

Repentance lies at the very heart of our faith journey. D. L. Moody once observed, “Man is born turning his back on God. When he truly repents, he turns completely and faces God.” Repentance is not merely feeling sorry for what we have done. It is a complete change of heart and mind towards God.

God, in His boundless wisdom, often disrupts the comfortable status quo in our lives to draw our attention to sin and disobedience. In the story of Joseph, we see this divine disruption vividly. Genesis 42 recounts how famine forced “all the people of the earth” to Egypt to buy grain. This included Joseph’s brothers, who, however, encountered unexpected obstacles, unlike others. The difficulties we face are often God’s way of calling us to remember unconfessed sins.

As his brothers approached Egypt, none could have imagined that they would face the brother they betrayed years ago. But God, in His sovereignty, brings our buried sins to light. Proverbs 28:13 declares, “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” The brothers claimed to be honest men, yet their past was a litany of lies, betrayal, and hard-heartedness. They deceived their father, sold their brother into slavery, and showed callous disregard for God’s moral laws. Their sins were not just isolated acts—they revealed a deeper condition of the heart.

Joseph’s actions apparently disrupted the wellbeing of his brothers. However, he was not driven by a desire for vengeance. His goal was to lead his brothers to repentance and thus to restore the relationship. Otherwise, he could have thrown Potiphar and his wife into prison, punished the butler for his neglect, or condemned his brothers to prison for life.

We often fail to recognize our own sinfulness until God mercifully breaks our hardened hearts. Only when we see ourselves as we really are do we thirst for his grace. The Lord’s dealings with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 mirror this process. She eagerly responded to his offer of living water, saying, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty.” But he did not immediately respond by telling her he was the Messiah. He addressed the deeper issue: “Go and call your husband.” He gently but firmly exposed her hidden history. Before forgiveness and renewal, there must be honesty and repentance. Like the Samaritan woman, we often attempt to move forward while burying uncomfortable truths about ourselves. But confessing and forsaking sin before God is the only way to peace.

Joseph’s brothers, too, struggled to see God’s hand in their circumstances. They were consumed by fear and confusion as Joseph tested them, yet they failed to grasp that God was using these trials to bring about repentance. Often, when faced with adversity, we focus on managing the situation or escaping it, rather than pausing to discern what God might be teaching us. We see the immediate problem but miss the divine purpose behind it.

Joseph’s kindness confused and terrified his brothers. This fear was rooted in their unresolved guilt. As they recounted their trips to Egypt, they acknowledged their desperate circumstances but showed no evidence of remorse over their past crime. Joseph persisted in probing their hearts until they demonstrated genuine repentance. God persistently works in our lives, orchestrating circumstances that lead us to view our past sins in their true light. Philippians 1:6 assures us, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

The turning point came when Benjamin was in danger of being enslaved for the theft of Joseph’s cup. Judah, the very brother who prompted the others to sell Joseph into slavery, offered himself as a substitute for Benjamin. He would bear the punishment to spare his father further grief. This sacrificial act revealed a heart of love towards Jacob. Judah’s words moved Joseph to break down as he finally revealed his identity to his brothers. When we turn to God in true repentance, He reveals Himself to us, offering forgiveness and restoration.

Repentance is not an abstract theological concept. It is a personal uncovering of our sins before God without self-deception and false pride. When we let go of our sins, it manifests our submission towards God in place of our former rebellion. Then we begin to understand the meaning of our trials. Our brokenness becomes a pathway to healing, and our guilt is replaced with peace.

Repentance before God lays the foundation of restoration for our broken relationship with him and with others. Confessing the truth about our actions is essential, no matter how painful or humiliating. It challenges us to recognize our futility and wickedness by turning away from our self-centered ways to fall upon God’s mercy and his love. Christ, our Joseph, has abundant forgiveness and rich provision for his repentant brothers. He receives us into fellowship with himself, and thus we abide in God.

In our lives, are there sins we have tried to bury, hoping time will erase them? Are we resisting God’s call to repentance? Let us not harden our hearts. As God’s Spirit convicts us, let us be tender-hearted, confess our sins and turn away from them.

Repentance is not a one-time event at our conversion. It is a way of life, the foundation of the life of faith and truth. Let us walk in humility as the light of His truth falls on us. Turning from our sins, no matter how deeply rooted, let us live in the newness of life before Him who alone is worthy of all praise.