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SGA Chapel - 4/2/2026 — 4/2/2026 10:00 AM
Today's chapel is led by Cedarville University's Student Government Association. SGA Chaplain Ethan Foster teaches from Genesis 42-50 that God’s supreme sovereignty and glorious goodness call us to forgive.
Notes
When Jacob died in Genesis 50, Joseph’s brothers were terrified that Joseph would finally take revenge on them. Fearfully, they asked for his forgiveness. Many of us have been hurt like Joseph. He held a high position of power, so he could have treated them in any way he wanted. Yet, he chose to forgive his brothers. How could he make such a difficult choice? The answer is that God’s supreme sovereignty and glorious goodness call us to forgive.
Supremely Sovereign
God’s sovereignty led Joseph to forgive. He recognized that while his brothers had meant evil against him, God had meant it for good.
Joseph did not say, “God used it for good.” This would imply that God had a different and easier plan for Joseph, but when his brothers ruined the plan with their evil actions, God changed things up in a way that still caused everything to turn out good.
This is not how God works. He is not reactionary. His plan for Joseph began before creation and never changed. God knew everything that would happen, and He actually meant for Joseph to be betrayed and forgotten. Various verses in the Bible confirm that God is supremely and intricately sovereign over every inch of the earth. He plans everything for the good of His people and for His own glory.
God did not entice the brothers to do evil. James 1:13 tells us that He never tempts people to sin. This is where God’s sovereignty and the responsibility of people are hard to reconcile. Things become even harder when we consider that God is also gloriously good.
Gloriously Good
God’s goodness led Joseph to forgive. Joseph said that God’s plan kept many people alive. He worked everything out for good.
As we think about this, we also must remember that we live in a sin-cursed world, and there is a time to say that evil is evil. Sometimes, we try to counsel friends through a hard time by promising them that everything will turn out for good without ever recognizing sin for what it is. We need to acknowledge the hurt while also resting in God’s sovereignty and goodness.
When we don’t understand how all these fit together, we need to just sit and trust that what He says about Himself is true and that we don’t need to figure out how it all works. This is what Joseph was doing. He told his brothers, “It’s not about what you did; it’s about what God has done and is doing. I know my God is sovereign and good; therefore, I forgive you.”
If you’re harboring bitterness and unforgiveness in your heart, you’re not seeing God for who He is. We have a God of forgiveness. Like Joseph, Jesus was betrayed by one of those closest to Him. Jesus knew the Father had a good plan. And Jesus ultimately forgave those who caused Him to suffer. We have the ultimate example of forgiveness. We forgive because we have been forgiven.