The God of Manasseh

Fox News was on in the background last night as I was doing some work, and I overheard the following teaser: "Coming up next, is there a pill you can take that would actually act as a Mind Eraser?" I quickly turned around in my chair, focusing in on this crazy news story: Study Finds Blood Pressure Pill Could Erase Bad Memories. In summary, this Dutch blood pressure bill has been found to void out negative emotions associated with distress.

So, let's see ... Have you just experienced a bad breakup? Recently been fired? Tragedy in the family? Here you go! Just take this blood pressure pill ... You won't necessarily forget about the actual distressing situation, but you will no longer feel the 'sting.'

Yeah, scary.

I have been engulfed in the study of Joseph lately. I love him so much - His heart of discernment and leadership and humility. Joseph goes through much tragedy, beginning in Genesis 37. He experienced difficulties that could very easily have instilled in him a lifelong dose of pain and bitterness. He is thrown into a pit by his brothers, who want to kill him. He is then instead sold into Egyptian slavery. He is tossed into prison after being falsely accused by Potiphar's wife. He is forgotten for a whole 2 years by the King's 'Cupbearer' who has valuable information that could get him out of jail.

Finally, God gives Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) a dream - a dream that is in need of interpretation. No one in the whole kingdom could interpret it. The Cupbearer remembers Joseph! (Hmm ... Do you think God is a God who ordains the details of our lives, or what?) Joseph is brought before Pharaoh to interpret his dream. The Lord reveals the dream to Pharaoh through Joseph, and because of the wisdom and discernment Pharaoh sees in the young man, Joseph is placed in charge of Pharaoh's entire palace - He places Joseph in a position of leadership, to which only Pharaoh himself is superior.

In the course of time, Joseph gets married and has a baby boy, whom he names Manasseh: "Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, 'It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household'" (Gen. 41:51).

Joseph went through some tough stuff. Now in such a prestigious and powerful position in Egypt, he had an opportunity to 'get back' at all those people who had wronged him throughout the years. Revenge and vindication could have been his main priorities as he settled into his new position. A "Now look who's in charge! Bet you won't mess with me now!" attitude, could have risen up - and to the world, this may have been justified, even accepted ...

Joseph instead embraces forgiveness and humility. He names his baby boy Manasseh as a marker, a symbol, that God can take the 'sting' out of the difficult tragedies and wrongdoings in our lives. As the life of Joseph continues in Genesis, we see him come face-to-face with his brothers, embracing them and blessing them - never laying a hand on them, never asking for an apology or even as little as an explanation as to why they did what they did. In fact, he tells them NOT to feel bad for what they did to him! Don't believe me? (I wouldn't either.) Read for yourselves: "'I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you' ... And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him" (Gen. 45:4-5, 15).

When we can get to the point of recognizing God has a purpose in our hardships - that it's truly all about His purposes being accomplished - there is no place for bitterness, the desire for vengeance, the need for apology or explanation. Our God is the God of Manasseh. He can make us forget. I'm not talking about amnesia here. I'm talking about our God's ability to wipe away the pain, the 'sting,' freeing us up to forgive and get on with accomplishing His purposes. Like He did with Joseph, God wants to free you from your prison. Your prison of pain, of bitterness, of unforgiveness. Because let me assure you of this: When our hearts are truly set free, we will want nothing more than to run in His path (Psalm 119:32). It's pretty crazy - You will actually want to forgive those people who have hurt you. You won't just feel that you should forgive them out of obligation, but you will genuinely want to forgive them. No longer being overcome with a need for an apology or explanation. Not because we're so good or spiritual, but because God is so good in freeing us up to accomplish His purposes. Oh, and you know what else? You may find yourself wanting not only to forgive them, but also to love them. I know ... weird. But, it happens. I promise. Because our God of Manasseh ... He really can make us forget the 'sting.' And if you're wondering if He ever helps us to forget the actual hardship, the actual tragedy ... No. He doesn't. Why? Because He shapes our lives, our testimonies of His faithfulness, through those very hardships. He uses them - to accomplish His purposes.

If Joseph had forgotten about his past, his childhood, the hatred of his brothers, the awful scheme of Potiphar's wife, his lengthy time in prison ... Would his testimony of God's faithfulness in his life have been half as effective? Would his ministry have been half as powerful? You guessed it ... Nope. But because God took the 'sting' out of the past for Joseph, he was able to be freed up to accomplish the purposes of his God. (I just got chills.) Our God is so purposeful.

Are you still experiencing hurt or bitterness from a previous situation or tragedy? If given the chance, would you take things into your own hands and get revenge? Demand an explanation? Request an apology?

Or would you rely on Almighty God, the God of Manasseh, the Lord Jesus Christ - to wipe away the 'sting,' moving you on to a lifetime of forgiveness and freedom ... Your heart set free to accomplish the purposes of God?

Who needs a scary mind erasing blood pressure pill?

We have the God of Manasseh, thank you very much!