Hard Hearts, Few Words
“They hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.” (Genesis 37:4)
The beginning of Joseph’s life begins as another old, familiar story. Joseph enters the scene as a lad loved by his father. In this short chapter, the love of Jacob is seen in how he crowns Joseph in the richest of garments and weeps for him with the most sorrowful tears. The dear love of a father provoked nothing but hatred in his other sons. We tend to minimize the intensity of this passion, yet hatred arms the tongue for war. How do I know we make little of hatred? Because we lessen our own hatred of God.
Paul reminds us that “the mind set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.” (Rom. 8:7) James tells us that friendship with the world is enmity with God (James 4:4). We may cloak it in language of busyness, indifference, or (my personal favorite) “not being religious.” This would make sense if we were talking about pumpkin spice lattes or our favorite kind of deer sausage, but we aren’t talking about preferences. We are talking about God Almighty, the Creator, most glorious, most blessed, most eternal. Every word that dilutes His glory, every beat of our heart that doesn’t pulsate with love for Him is an act of war. Is this not the chief sin for which Paul accosts mankind (Rom. 1:21-23)?
Mankind finds themselves, we find ourselves, in an impossible situation. What shall we do? In the life of Joseph, it was only after his descend into the pits, his exaltation to Pharaoh’s court, and his gift of forgiveness that would transform these hateful brothers. Isn’t the same true for us? Jesus was humbled, yet exalted. Now, He freely extends forgiveness, granting us a new heart by the working of the Holy Spirit. His enthronement in heaven ensures that we will have a new law written on our heart and a new song upon our lips. In light of an impossible situation, we have been granted a Savior who makes all things possible. If you find your own heart hard as steel, plead with Him and find His sovereign mercy a sweet salvation.
