Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” Throughout The Book of Genesis, conflict reveals the imperfection of God’s creation of man; however, forgiveness is what proves that man is not completely evil. Whether the conflict be man vs. man, man vs. society, man vs. God, etc., forgiveness is never an easily accomplished task. The acts of begging for or providing forgiveness can take extensive amounts of time to build strength to do. The concept of forgiveness in The Book of Genesis teaches that the act of forgiving requires audacity on both ends of a conflict in the stories of Jacob/Esau and Joseph.
Both Jacob/Esau and Joseph end up having to endure the challenge of forgiveness as a result …show more content…
In response, Esau says he will come, with the company of 400 men. This leaves Jacob to be incredibly apprehensive as to what his near future could look like as well as instilling the fear of possible death in him. Sure enough, Esau arrives with 400 men alongside him, but his reaction to Jacob is completely contradictory to what is expected: “And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept” (33:4). In chapter 37, Joseph is sold at 17 as a slave to Potiphar, one of the Pharaoh 's officers, by his eleven brothers. Joseph suffers for years from harsh treatment and false accusations, until he is able to redeem himself through his skill of interpreting dreams. Having knowledge of a coming famine, Joseph gathers all of the food/grain he can, and he eventually moves to Egypt to provide for all of the countries suffering from starvation. To his surprise, in chapter 42, his brethren arrive, and he accuses them of being spies. To prove they are not spies, they are to bring their youngest brother Benjamin back. When they do, “...he fell upon his brother Benjamin 's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. Moreover he kissed all his …show more content…
Cultures who study this text religiously are more likely to have this bravery to forgive or be forgiven, as many people of the culture apply how the characters function to their own lives. They may have better relationships with the people in their lives than other cultures because of this. In both stories, courage is displayed within both sides of each conflict; while one perspective is always distinct from the other and different types of courage are displayed, they share the same message. This is that forgiveness from either standpoint in a conflict requires confidence to feel able to take a risk that can change their lives forever. Marianne Williamson once said, “Forgiveness is not always easy. At times, it feels more painful than the wound we suffered, to forgive the one that inflicted it. And yet, there is no peace without forgiveness.” Despite the pain that can come with forgiveness, it is what heals wounds and allows people to accept their flaws and learn from their wrongdoings. If there is anything that a culture who does not study the stories of Genesis should take from the book, it is the power of forgiveness, and how forgiveness is never not
Both Jacob/Esau and Joseph end up having to endure the challenge of forgiveness as a result …show more content…
In response, Esau says he will come, with the company of 400 men. This leaves Jacob to be incredibly apprehensive as to what his near future could look like as well as instilling the fear of possible death in him. Sure enough, Esau arrives with 400 men alongside him, but his reaction to Jacob is completely contradictory to what is expected: “And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept” (33:4). In chapter 37, Joseph is sold at 17 as a slave to Potiphar, one of the Pharaoh 's officers, by his eleven brothers. Joseph suffers for years from harsh treatment and false accusations, until he is able to redeem himself through his skill of interpreting dreams. Having knowledge of a coming famine, Joseph gathers all of the food/grain he can, and he eventually moves to Egypt to provide for all of the countries suffering from starvation. To his surprise, in chapter 42, his brethren arrive, and he accuses them of being spies. To prove they are not spies, they are to bring their youngest brother Benjamin back. When they do, “...he fell upon his brother Benjamin 's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. Moreover he kissed all his …show more content…
Cultures who study this text religiously are more likely to have this bravery to forgive or be forgiven, as many people of the culture apply how the characters function to their own lives. They may have better relationships with the people in their lives than other cultures because of this. In both stories, courage is displayed within both sides of each conflict; while one perspective is always distinct from the other and different types of courage are displayed, they share the same message. This is that forgiveness from either standpoint in a conflict requires confidence to feel able to take a risk that can change their lives forever. Marianne Williamson once said, “Forgiveness is not always easy. At times, it feels more painful than the wound we suffered, to forgive the one that inflicted it. And yet, there is no peace without forgiveness.” Despite the pain that can come with forgiveness, it is what heals wounds and allows people to accept their flaws and learn from their wrongdoings. If there is anything that a culture who does not study the stories of Genesis should take from the book, it is the power of forgiveness, and how forgiveness is never not