Kejadian 45:5

45:5 Now, do not be upset and do not be angry with yourselves because you sold me here, ¹  for God sent me ²  ahead of you to preserve life!

Kejadian 50:20

50:20 As for you, you meant to harm me, ³  but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day. ⁴ 

[45:5]  ¹ tn Heb “let there not be anger in your eyes.”

[45:5]  ² sn You sold me here, for God sent me. The tension remains as to how the brothers’ wickedness and God’s intentions work together. Clearly God is able to transform the actions of wickedness to bring about some gracious end. But this is saying more than that; it is saying that from the beginning it was God who sent Joseph here. Although harmonization of these ideas remains humanly impossible, the divine intention is what should be the focus. Only that will enable reconciliation.

[50:20]  ³ tn Heb “you devised against me evil.”

[50:20]  ⁴ tn Heb “God devised it for good in order to do, like this day, to preserve alive a great nation.”