Manric Tan (LMPM): The Life of JosephHalimbawa

To Be Fruitful, Leave the Past Behind Now in position of great power, Joseph looks back and acknowledges God’s hand in all the circumstance of his life. As Joseph acknowledges that it was God working behind, he made it more evident in the name he gives his two sons. Manasseh simply means ‘’ forget.’’ He forgave and left all the troubles of the past behind. However, it may not always be true that if one forgives one forgets. I have yet to see the biblical teaching on this. Forgiving someone eases away pains but it does not necessarily makes you forget the offense he has done to you. Biblically, to forget, simply means to let go. Let go and forego of the bitterness caused by a wrong done to you. Some offenses require restitution or justice to prevail, but deep down, we should free ourselves from anger and bitterness that can consume our soul. To forgive is to allow God to vindicate you and to leave everything in God's hands. After our ‘’Manasseh moment’’, we must close that door and never look back. Get ready to open another door where we will meet our Ephraim. Ephraim means ‘’twice fruitful.’’ Not just fruitful, but twice fruitful. In ancient times, a male child is considered a great blessing; therefore to have two males is considered a double blessing. Remember, Joseph's brothers’ first intention was to kill him. It was only later that they decided to sell him (Gen. 37:19-28). The passage in Joel 2:25a is certainly true of Joseph, ‘’I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten...’’ And God repaid Joseph indeed! God did not only restored freedom for Joseph, but He also promoted him and gave him power and authority next to Pharaoh. God bestowed him blessings beyond his comprehension. I believe that Joseph’s forgiving heart unlocked the blessing and gave God the opportunity to restore and to repay him with everything that has been lost. God is not only the Redeemer, but also the Restorer. He restores everything that the enemy has stolen from us. When we see how much God has blessed us back, we remember our past but we can no longer remember the pains caused by those who wronged us.