The Story Of Joseph Part 22--Joseph Reveals His Identity

 Genesis 45: 1-15

The sons of Israel have come from Canaan to Egypt for the second time to buy food. The famine is still ongoing, and Joseph is done testing his brothers. He has learned that they have treated his little brother differently than they treated him, and are feeling guilty for what they did to him. And he is so joyful to have his family back, that he can hardly contain himself. 

Now here's the big moment.

(1) Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried, "Have everyone go out from me." So there was no man with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 

JOSEPH MADE HIMSELF KNOWN TO HIS BROTHERS! Now we will see how he did it.

(2) He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it. 

Joseph must have really been screaming-crying in finally releasing his pent-up passion for his family.

(3) Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. 

Then he just comes out with it, to the shock and surprise of his brothers, who realize that this brother they were so mean to now has the power over them to destroy them!

(4) Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come closer to me." And they came closer. And he said, "I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. (5) Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. (6) For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. (7) God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the Earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. (8) Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 

Joseph gives his brothers his own viewpoint on what has happened and why; that God was the one who sent him to Egypt, not his brothers, so that he could save a lot of people from starving to death. So he doesn't want them to blame themselves. God is the one who made Joseph the ruler in Egypt by giving him grace in Pharaoh's eyes, so that he would be able to do this.

(9) "Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph, "God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. 

Now he tells them to go get their father Jacob, and bring him down to Egypt, too.

(10) "'You shall live in the land of Goshen, and  you shall be near me, you and your herds and all that you have. 

Goshen is the best neighborhood in all of Egypt, the high-dollar district, as far from the slums as you could get. There they will be near Joseph, and the family can be together again.

(11) "'There I will also provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, and you and your household and all that you have would be impoverished."' 

Joseph says that he will be able to take care of them, as they could otherwise starve to death in Canaan because the famine will last another five years.

(12) "Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you. 

He tells them to believe their own eyes, that it really is him, their long-lost brother Joseph, telling them these things.

(13) "Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and bring my father down here." 

Then he tells them to hurry back to get their father, and explain to him that Joseph has all the wealth and authority to take care of them.

(14) Then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. (15) He kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him. 

And he hugged and kissed them all, and finally they were able to carry on a conversation with him.

If you remember, back when they first sold him to the caravan heading for Egypt, they were so blindly jealous of him that they couldn't even say a positive word to him. Now 22 years have elapsed, and they've had time to reconsider what they did, and realize what it did to their own father; and to treat his little brother who was in the same position he had been in as being Jacob's favorite, better, to accept the situation, and that Jacob loved them, too.

I wonder what Joseph would have done if his brothers had had the same attitude toward Benjamin that they'd had toward him. But, of course, God was working in their attitudes and relationships, and they all had their own families now, too, so they all had a little more wisdom with their increased age and experiences. 

And God had kept Jacob alive, too, to witness the reunification of his family, and to see his beloved, lost son again. 

O my Father, You are so good, and so wise, and so patient with us. You teach us Your patience when You let us wait on You to build in us the character qualities of Your dear Son. Sometimes it takes us a long time to learn, as You made Joseph wait so many years for his brothers to come to the point where they would be ready to reunite with him. 

My Father, You have had me waiting on You for many years, also. I wonder when You will break things loose for me, to be able to fulfill my dreams to serve You. Strengthen me to continue to serve You in the small ways I have been, as I grow in patience and longsuffering, developing Christ's character as a member of His body. 

O Father, send out Your children to witness to our neighbors and our cities and our nations, to demonstrate to the world Your love to counteract all the hatred being spewed out from our enemy. Wake up Your people, to see what is going on around them, and to understand the truth of what it means, so they will choose to respond in a righteous manner. Bring a great Awakening, and a huge revival, Father, so huge that the media cannot ignore it. 

And send out Your children as Your messengers and missionaries to tell the world of Your love in Your Son. Bring every child to the birth in Your family, and fill Your great house with all of Your uncounted progeny. 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus! 

The Story Of Joseph Part 21--His Final Testing Of His Brothers

 Genesis 44: 1-34

The brothers have returned to Egypt, this time with their little brother Benjamin, and they have had dinner at Joseph's royal house as his guests. But they still don't know who he is. 

(1) Then he commanded his house steward, saying, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack. (2) Put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his money for the grain." And he did as Joseph had told him. (3) As soon as it was light, the men were sent away, they with their donkeys. (4) They had just gone out of the city, and were not far off, when Joseph said to his house steward, "Up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good? (5) Is not this the one from which my lord drinks and which he indeed uses for divination? You have done wrong in doing this.'" (6) So he overtook them and spoke these words to them. 

Now Joseph is going to bring them back to him, by planting his silver cup in Benjamin's sack, to see the brothers' response to this. He is still testing them.

(7) They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing. (8) Behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house? 

Now they have to defend themselves, and they remind him that they even returned the money from before, so why would they steal anything, they're honest men!

(9) "With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves." 

Now they're so sure of themselves, they pronounce this severe sentence on themselves.

(10) So he said, "Now let it also be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and the rest of you shall be innocent." 

Then the chief manservant of the vizier pronounced the just sentence, rather than the severe results they imagined.

(11) Then they hurried, each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. (12) He searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. 

Of course, it was in Benjamin's, as Joseph told his servant to do. 

(13) Then they tore their clothes, and when each man loaded his donkey, they returned to the city. 

So they turned around and went back.

(14) When Judah and his brothers returned to Joseph's house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him. (15) Joseph said to them, "What is this deed that you have done? Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed practice divination?" 

Joseph was waiting for them. He wants to hear what they will have to say, what are their attitudes toward him and their father and Benjamin.

(16) So Judah said, What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold we are my lord's slaves, both we and the one in whose possession the cup has been found." 

Judah said that they would all be willing to be his slaves.

(17) But he said, "Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father." 

Joseph presents the "reasonable" consequence. Will they go back without Benjamin?

(18) Then Judah approached him, and said, "Oh my lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord's ears, and do not be angry with your servant; for you are equal to Pharaoh. (19) My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Have you a father or a brother?' (20) We said to my lord, 'We have an old father and a little child of his old age. Now his brother is dead, so he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.' (21) Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me that I may set my eyes on him.' (22) But we said to my lord, 'The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.' (23) You said to your servants, however, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.' (24) Thus it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. (25) Our father said, 'Go back, buy us a little food.' (26) But we said, 'We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.' (27) Your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons; (28) and the one went out from me and I said, 'Surely he is torn in pieces," and I have not seen him since. (29) If you take this one also from me, and harm befalls him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.' (30) Now, therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad's life, (31) when he sees that the lad is not with us, he will die. Thus your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. 

And Judah recounts the whole story of what happened since they got home the last time, with the whole situation with their father.

(32) "For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame before my father forever.' 

Now he finds out that Judah is defending Benjamin, his brother. This is good.

(33) "Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. (34) For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me--for fear that I see the evil that would overtake my father?" 

Now Joseph can understand that his brothers are not persecuting his brother as they did him, that they treasure him and respect the bond their father has with him. 

This is what he's been wanting to see. They are not wanting to get rid of Benjamin like they did him, and they are repenting of treating Joseph the way they did. 

How will he now respond to this? 

O my Father, You are so good to Joseph to show him how his brothers have grown, and You are so good to all of Your children. Even when it seems that there are years of waiting, and betrayals by those we love the most, You use it all for our benefit and our good, and You receive the glory. 

O Father, grow up all Your children, and send us all out in our own ways to share with the world how much You love us all! Let every living person hear and know that You have already met their deepest needs, and let Your Love counteract all the hatred that is spewing out all over world. 

Father, bring all Your children to the birth into Your family, and grow us up so that we all will attain to the stature of the Son of God. 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus! 

The Story Of Joseph Part 20--Joseph Served Like Jesus

Genesis 43: 26-34

We've followed this story along to when the brothers had to return to Egypt for more food, because the famine outlasted the grain they bought before, and they had to bring Benjamin with them so they wouldn't be arrested as spies by the stern, suspicious lord over the grain and the country. 

So Jacob relented and decided to let them bring Benjamin; and if he lost this son, too, then he would just die in grief! He put them all in God's hand, and learned to trust God more with this difficult step he had to take. 

Then when the brothers all arrived in Egypt, Joseph didn't even let them come far into the market, but had his men escort them directly to his own royal house for lunch. This scared the brothers, thinking that he wanted to pick on them and accuse them of stealing the other grain, so they approached the head manservant and asked him to explain to this ruler what had happened. 

(26) When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which was in their hand and bowed to the ground before him. 

They still didn't realize who this Egyptian ruler was. They're confused about all the "coincidences" that are happening, but they're still doing their best to appease this suspicious lord, with the gift from Canaan their dad had them bring. And they all bow down before him again. 

(27) When he asked them about their welfare, and said, "Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?" 

Joseph wants to know that his father is still alive, he is very old by now, he's 130 years old (see 47: 9)! 

(28) They said, "Your servant our father is well; he is still alive." They bowed down in homage. 

And they assure him that Dad is still kicking! And they again bow down to him. 

(29) As he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, he said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?" And he said, "May God be gracious to you, my son." 

When Joseph looked over all his brothers, and saw his little full brother among all his half-brothers, he spoke to him, welcoming him. 

(30) Joseph hurried out for he was deeply stirred over his brother, and he sought a place to weep; and he entered his chamber and wept there. 

He was so overcome with emotion he had to get out of there and find a private place where he could vent some of this overwhelming joy, so he ended up all the way into his private bedroom where he could cry his eyes out! These Middle-Easterners are a very passionate people, which shows us how passionate our God is with us! 

(31) Then he washed his face and came out; and he controlled himself and said, "Serve the meal." 

Now that he's been able to take the edge off, he cleans up and steels himself to be the Egyptian ruler, and commands the feast to begin. 

(32) So they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with them by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is loathsome to the Egyptians. 

This must be a large dining room, as each group is sitting at a separate table from the rest; so Joseph is sitting by himself at his table, his brothers are all at their own table, and the other Egyptians who normally ate the midday meal with their lord are at their own table, also. Evidently the Egyptians had a problem with having that close an association with this other, Hebrew culture. 

(33) Now they were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment. 

When Joseph had his brothers seated at their table, he lined them up all in birth-order. And his brothers were even more confused at this "coincidence." How would this foreigner "just happen" to put their places at the table in the precise order? Weird! 

(34) He took portions to them from his own table, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they feasted and drank freely with him. 

Now this lord is serving them! He doesn't tell his servants to serve them, the servants put all their food on Joseph's table, and he got up and served them their dinners. And he gave extra honor (more food) to his little brother, because he was the only one who had the same mother as Joseph. 

Joseph is a prototype of Jesus, demonstrating that our Lord Jesus came to serve us. So we are also to serve one another as He did. 

Jacob, who the Lord renamed Israel, had 12 sons, by 4 women. Two of these women were sisters, who were his wives, and the other two were the sisters' maids, servants. It is very interesting that Joseph and Benjamin are the sons of Jacob's favorite wife, Rachel, who is the girl he fell in love with, and worked for seven years to marry her. But the girls' father Laban put his other daughter, Leah, in the tent on the wedding night, instead of Rachel, and made him work another seven years. So Rachel was the only one he wanted to be his wife, and the sisters gave him their slave-girls to be his concubines and have children when they weren't having sons. (All this is recorded in Genesis 29, 30, and 35.)

So Leah ended up giving him 6 sons and a daughter, and the two maid-servants and Rachel each had two sons, making twelve sons to become the twelve Tribes of Israel. 

And it was Leah's sons, Reuben, Simeon and Judah, who spoke up in Joseph's and Benjamin's defense. None of the concubines' sons. I find this interesting. Not only the father, but the mother is also important, because she is the one who provides their children's first education. Then when they are older, they are taught by their father. 

These twelve boys all had the same father, but their mothers provided their basic moral foundation. 

O my Father, You pay attention to every detail of our lives, and You direct our steps in the paths on which You have placed our feet. You were directing Jacob, the deceiver, to grow into Israel, the Prince with God. And You were directing Laban to provide to Jacob his wives and their maids to be the mothers and first teachers of each of his sons, to become the nation of Israel. 

Father, It was this blood-line that You used to bring Your only begotten Son into the world to be our Savior. Now You are calling to Yourself those from every nation, every tribe, every family, every place; to be Your own children. You have made us all to be one race of Mankind, and You offer Your wonderful gift of Salvation to every living person. 

O Father, please send out all of Your children as Your messengers and missionaries to tell everyone how much You love us all. And draw all of those seeking You into Your own family, to fill Your great house with all of Your uncountable children. 

Because every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, our Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus! 

The Story Of Joseph Part 19--Joseph's Consistent Witness

 Genesis 43: 16-25

Jacob is becoming Israel (from the "Deceiver" who couldn't trust, to the "Prince with God"), and he let the brothers bring Benjamin with them back to Egypt to buy more food, despite the dangers, leaving them all in God's hands. 

(16) When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his house steward, "Bring the men into the house, and slay an animal and make ready; for the men are to dine with me at noon." (17) So the man did as Joseph said, and brought the men to Joseph's house.

Joseph didn't even talk to them out in the marketplace this time, he just instructed his manservant to bring them all to his house and prepare a feast. We must assume that his personal servant was fully aware of who these men were and what his master was doing, having been involved in this drama from the beginning.

(18) Now the men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph's house; and they said, "It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in, that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us, and take us for slaves with our donkeys." 

The brothers still didn't know what was going on, though, and being ushered into the royal house of this stern and suspicious Egyptian ruler was very scary. They assumed that they would be accused of stealing the former grain, just so this foreigner could take advantage of them.

(19) So they came near to Joseph's house steward, and spoke to him at the entrance of the house, (20) and said, "Oh my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food, (21) and it came about when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and behold, each man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full. So we have brought it back in our hand. (22) We have also brought down other money in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks." 

As soon as they got there, they approached this servant who was in charge and tried to explain their predicament to him, hoping he'll put in a good word for them, before anything else happened to them.

(23) He said, "Be at ease, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them. 

Now they are probably surprised at what this head servant said to them. I am sure that Joseph, who initially witnessed to Pharaoh himself, also told all his household servants who his God is, and they all saw how he lived his life before them. I'm sure some of them even believed in God instead of all their Egyptian idols. 

Now his head manservant is telling Joseph's brothers that he is the one who facilitated the return of their money the first time, and he credits their God who is also the God of their father. And he also reunited them with Simeon, too.

I think this unnamed servant also worshiped the Lord God Almighty, through Joseph's witness.

(24) So they prepared the present for Joseph's coming at noon; for they had heard that they were to eat a meal there. 

The brothers are still going to give him the present their dad told them to bring, of all the balm and honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, and the pistachio nuts and almonds, to soften his stern attitude toward them.

(25) When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which was in their hand and bowed to the ground before him. 

Then when Joseph came home for lunch, they lost no time in presenting this gift to him, and they further fulfilled Joseph's dream by bowing down to him. 

I wonder what they thought of these Egyptians talking about their God. They knew that there was a whole pantheon of Egyptian gods that they all worshiped, how would this head steward even know about their God, and especially, why would he give Him credit for putting their money back? They must have been very confused at this point of the story. 

I am impressed with Joseph even more, seeing how he has maintained his faith in God and his witness for Him among this pagan nation he is helping to govern under Pharaoh. It looks to me that he talks of his God every time he has an appropriate opening, and his words and lifestyle are supporting what he says about this God. 

If anyone had "reason" (an excuse) to turn from God, Joseph would be the one. At every turn in his life, when he did "the right thing," it turned out bad for him, three times, and God seemed to be so distant for so many years. Yet Joseph never waned in his trust in God. We never see in any of his story that he made a wrong decision, or lost his way on the path he was following, even when it seemed darkest for a long time. 

If Joseph could maintain his dedication to God and his witness to others in his surroundings, then what could ever happen in my life to cause me to lose my faith, either. 

No matter what happens, no matter how long I must "wait on God" to fulfill my dreams to serve Him, I know that He is trustworthy, and that He wants His love to be broadcast over the whole world. And if He wants to use me in a little part of that, then I am available, and will endeavor to be faithful with the small tasks He lays before me each day. 

O my Father, please send out all of Your children, to share in all the ways You enable each of us to share, how much You love everyone You made; and that You are not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to the repentance of realizing we all deserve death; and that You sent Your own, only begotten Son to fulfill that Personal Sacrifice (Leviticus 1), as the Lamb of God, for each of us.

O Father, bring all of Your children to the birth into Your family, and fill Your great house with all of Your uncountable progeny. And no one else will have any excuse. 

For every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign, soon-coming King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus! 

The Story Of Joseph Part 18--Israel Learns To Trust God More

 Genesis 43: 1-15

We have seen that Joseph is selling Egypt's grain to everyone in the world who can come to buy it, as well as the locals, and his brothers have come also for food. He recognized them, but they didn't realize that this Egyptian ruler was their long-lost brother. So Joseph put them to the test, and let them go home with the grain to feed their families. 

Joseph told his brothers not to come back without his little brother Benjamin, under pain of accusation as spies, a very serious charge. But Jacob is still finding it hard to trust, to let Benjamin go. 

It's most likely a year later, and Joseph is still waiting on God to reunite his family.

(1) Now the famine was severe in the land. (2) So it came about when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, "Go back, buy us a little food." 

This famine is lasting longer than one or two years, and they've eaten all the bread they were able to make from the grain they bought, and they're out of food again. So Jacob tells them to go buy some more. 

(3) Judah spoke to him, however, saying, "The man solemnly warned us, 'You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.' (4) If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. (5) But if you do not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, 'You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.'" 

Judah is speaking for the brothers, and reminds his dad that if they go without Benjamin, then the Egyptian ruler will accuse them of spying and probably execute them all. So they have to bring Benjamin.

(6) Then Israel said, "Why did you treat me so badly by telling the man whether you still had another brother?" 

Now Jacob is taking this personally, as though his sons are conspiring against him!

(7) But they said, "The man questioned particularly about us and our relatives, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?' So we answered his questions. Could we possibly know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down'?" 

They are reminding him that this Egyptian was questioning them closely, asking for detailed personal information that could be verified. As though he would investigate them to see if they're spies. If they lied, they would be found out, and they had no reason to lie anyway, they're honest men. They had no idea that he would ask them to bring their little brother. 

(8) Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the lad with me and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, as well as you and our little ones. (9) I myself will be surety for him; you may hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame before you forever. (10) For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice." 

Judah is appealing to his father Israel, the "Prince with God," rather than Jacob, the "Deceiver" who can't trust anyone else. He's saying to trust him to protect Benjamin, and to make sure he's safe the whole trip; and that he will take responsibility for him, so that if anything happens to him at all, then Judah will take the blame. And they've already been debating the issue for so long now that they could have made the trip twice.

(11) Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and carry down to the man as a present, a little balm and a little honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, Pistachio nuts and almonds. (12) Take double the money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was a mistake. 

So Israel (not Jacob) rises to the occasion and advises them to bring a gift to this stern Egyptian ruler to soften his heart toward them, and to bring twice the price for the grain they want to buy, as well as the money that was returned last time. He didn't want to take any chances.

(13) "Take your brother also, and arise, return to the man; 

And he even relents and lets them take Benjamin with them. This is huge for him.

(14) "and may God Almighty grant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved." 

And he decides to trust his children to God Almighty, the only One who ultimately can protect all of them and bring a positive result. This is a big step of faith for Israel, in all his years of knowing God, he's learning to trust Him more in his own circumstances. But is he leaving to God the disposition of his children, or is still not trusting Hm enough to bring them home safe?

(15) So the men took this present, and they took double the money in their hand, and Benjamin; then they arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. 

So they journeyed again to Egypt to face this stern Egyptian lord, hoping that the present and the money and Benjamin will convince him to be lenient and not think they're spies. 

When we're between a rock and a hard place, what will we do? Jacob found himself and his family between the hard place of starvation and the rock of the Egyptian ruler who seems so suspicious of them. So he's trying to soften the rock. He's relying more on God than before, but he's still not taking any chances, which is probably wise. We are to do what we can, and leave the rest to God. 

O my Father, You are so good to us! You are teaching Jacob to be Israel, to trust You with his children, where a parent's deepest fears lie. You are teaching him that You are not only trustworthy, but will grant him blessings beyond his imagination, right here in this life. 

My Father, You will also grant me blessings, the color and flavor of which I don't know, but I'm sure I will be surprised and satisfied beyond what this world can give. So I want to trust You, too. 

O Father, teach all of Your children to love You back and trust You with their greatest fears and insecurities. We all have different cares, and You are sufficient for all of us, each with our own particular need. 

Father, send out all Your children, to share with all the world how much You love us all, and have already met all of our various and sundry necessities. We all do have some common needs, being broken humans, and these are the deepest most fundamental issues that You have taken care of first, through Your Son. 

Give Your children the words to tell and write and communicate with those who are looking for You, to bring every developing embryo to the birth into Your family. 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come with haste, Lord Jesus! 

The Story Of Joseph Part 17--Simeon, Reuben, And Jacob's Despair

 Genesis 42: 29-38

Now that Joseph's dreams are coming true, and Pharaoh's dreams are coming true; Joseph is opening the grain bins to everyone in the world who can come to buy some, so his own brothers show up to also get food for their families among all those in the Canaan caravan. When they are recognized by Joseph, he is greatly encouraged, but he has to test them first. And he really wants to see his little brother, too, after 20+ years. So he keeps Simeon in the elite jail he had been in, to encourage them to bring Benjamin to Egypt.

(29) When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them, saying, (30) The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly with us, and took us for spies of the country. (31) But we said to him, 'We are honest men; we are not spies. (32) We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no longer alive, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Canaan.'

They are recounting their adventures in Egypt, and they tell their father that they were truthful to this stern ruler, admitting their family relationships, only this time they mention Joseph being "dead" before telling of Benjamin. 

To the "foreign" lord of Egypt they named the living before the "dead," but to their father, they listed them in birth order.

(33) "The man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me and take grain for the famine of your households, and go. (34) But bring your youngest brother to me that I may know that you are not spies, but honest men. I will give your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.'"

They left out that this lord of Egypt was going to keep all of them, and only let one go home to get the little brother. They seem to be unaware of this ruler's graciousness in letting them all go home and just keeping one for insurance, and allowing them to bring food for their families.

(35) Now it came about as they were emptying their sacks, that behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were dismayed. 

Not only the one who discovered his money in his sack on the way home, but all of them found that none of them actually paid for their grain! Now will they be accused of robbing the Egyptians? Things seem to be going from bad to worse!

(36) Their father Jacob said to them, "You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me." 

And Jacob is going into despair! Oh, woe is me! Everything is going wrong! And you guys want to make it even worse! Not only will I never see Joseph again, now I'll never see Simeon again, either! And you want to take my little Benjamin, too!

(37) Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my care, and I will return him to you."  

Then Reuben, who talked his brothers out of killing Joseph, is now sticking up for Benjamin, too, putting his own sons on the line if he can't bring their little brother back safely to their father.

(38) But Jacob said, "My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should befall him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow." 

But Jacob doesn't want to lose any grandchildren, either! He just doesn't trust that they can keep him safe, he feels that he must protect this "little one," the only other son of his favorite wife Rachel, who is now also dead. He's the last one from her. 

I wonder what the brothers were thinking, with Jacob's favoritism. This is what prompted them to get rid if Joseph in the first place. 

But it's now over 20 years later, and they have all grown older and had their own families, and maybe they're coming to accept the dysfunction in their family, or have come to the conclusion that Jacob is Jacob, and will never change. 

Now Jacob is thinking that things will just continue to go as they've been going, and he has to try to make sure nothing can happen to this last child of Rachel. That his other sons will just keep on grieving him until he dies.

So as it stands, Joseph is considered dead by his father, but is waiting again, Simeon is locked away in a foreign jail, and, even though they can now feed their families, they will have to bring Benjamin with them if the famine continues longer than their grain will hold out. 

And Jacob doesn't see any light at the end of the tunnel. 

Joseph never did give in to the circumstances he found himself in, but was able to see the good in it, and turn it around into prospering. Even three times that he did right, but it resulted negatively, he turned it into a positive. 

Now Joseph is trying to see if his brothers have learned anything. It looks like each character in this play is still maintaining their personalities throughout the performance. Joseph is still joyfully faithful. Simeon is still maintaining his support of Joseph. His brothers are feeling the guilt of what they did to him. And Jacob has dropped into a morose stubbornness to try to hang on to what he feels he has left.

O my Father, Your ways are so far above our ways! You will let Your favorites go through so much sorrow and trouble and dismay. You have told us that You will scourge every son that You receive into Your family (Hebrews 12: 6), so we see You leaving these precious sons of Yours in adverse circumstances for great lengths of time before they are resolved. But when they continue to trust in You, in spite of their surroundings, and even when they just sit in their own misery, You will still bring the resolution in Your time. 

My Father, Your timing is perfect. You are never early or late. We cannot usually see how You're going to work out our troubles, but I want to continue to trust Your timing in my life, too. Help me to keep on keeping on as I wait for Your next step on the path You have placed my feet. Let my patience and perseverance that You are building in my character have a positive influence on others whose lives touch mine in any way. Let my efforts to promote Your kingdom bear the luscious fruit of new births and growth to maturity in those who encounter my works that You planned before time for me to accomplish. 

O Father, continue to lead me every day to do what needs to be done each day, so that I can be responsible and gracious and generous. Keep building the character of Christ in me, and enable me to reach all of everyone who needs to hear what You are having me say. 

And Father, send out all of Your children to share with everyone in every nation, so that every living person will be able to hear and perceive Your great love for each of us, in providing for all we need to be saved from ourselves and redeemed from this Earthly life, through Your only-begotten Son, Christ Jesus. 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus! 

The Story Of Joseph Part 16--He Finally Sees His Brothers

 Genesis 42: 1-28

The dreams that Joseph has interpreted for Pharaoh are coming to pass, and the seven years of plenty have past. Now the famine has come to the whole area, not just Egypt. Since Joseph stockpiled a fifth of all the grain produced in Egypt during the seven years of bounty, now the only food that was to be had in all the known world of the day is in Egypt. 

Joseph does not limit his sales of the grain to only Egyptians, but anyone from the rest of the world who can travel to Egypt is welcome to also buy grain, since there is enough to go around.

(1) Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, 

Back in Canaan, also under drought conditions, Jacob got the news that there was food to be had in Egypt.

and Jacob said to his sons, "Why are you staring at one another?" (2) He said, "Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die." (3) Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt. 

Jacob tells his sons to stop standing around and do something before we all starve! Go on down to Egypt and buy some of that grain they have there. So the ten brothers take off for Egypt.

(4) But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, "I am afraid that harm may befall him."  

Since Jacob lost his favorite wife's son Joseph, he was afraid of also losing her other son, who she died in childbirth with, so he made him stay home. He didn't want to take any chances.

(5) So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also. 

Since the famine was everywhere, people from all over Canaan were traveling to Egypt for food, and the sons of Jacob (Israel) joined the caravan trekking through the desert, to Egypt.

(6) Now Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 

This refers back to the last chapter, that Joseph was vizier, second in command from the king himself. So Joseph was overseeing the sales of the grain to all of the crowds of people coming to buy. And when his brothers came in, they, like everyone else in line, gave honor to the man in charge by bowing to him. 

This is Joseph's dreams starting to come true!

(7) When Joseph saw his brothers he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, "Where have you come from?" And they said, "From the land of Canaan, to buy food." 

Joseph immediately knew his brothers, but as an Egyptian now, he maintained his foreign persona and proceeded to question them.

(8) But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him. 

Joseph had the drop on them, because he knew who they were, but they didn't know him; they never expected to see their brother again.

(9) Joseph remembered the dreams which he had about them, 

Joseph is remembering how the dreams went, and he sees now that his brothers are bowing down to him, just like he dreamed.

and said to them, "You are spies; you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land." 

Joseph is going to pick on them, to see what their reaction would be.

(10) Then they said to him, "No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. (11) "We are all sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants, not spies. 

They start to defend themselves, and reveal a little bit about who they are.

(12) Yet he said to them, "No, but you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land!" 

And Joseph continues to egg them on. 

(13) But they said, "Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive." 

Joseph isn't going to let them go yet.

(14) Joseph said to them, "It is as I said to you, you are spies; (15) by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here! (16) Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies." 

Now Joseph is going to test his brothers, to see how honest they are. And he really wants to see his little brother!

(17) So he put them all together in prison for three days. 

Joseph is going to let them stew in their own juices for a while. This is probably the elite jail he had been in, not the common one for the criminals.

(18) Now Joseph said to them on the third day, "Do this and live, for I fear God: 

Here Joseph gives them a hint: he doesn't worship the multiple gods of Egypt, but the same Lord God that his brothers believe in. So he's decided to be more lenient on them.

(19) "if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in your prison; but as for the rest of you, go, carry grain for the famine of your households, (20) and bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be verified, and you will not die." And they did so.  

Instead of sending only one back, he tells them he will send them all back, except for one; but they must bring their little brother to get him out of jail. Otherwise, if they're lying he would be executed. This put "the fear of God" into them, because they had to agree with him, and they talked about it among themselves.

(21) Then they said to one another, "Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us." (22) Reuben answered them, saying, "Did I not tell you, 'Do not sin against the boy'; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood."  (23) They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them. 

They felt free to converse in his presence, because he was using an interpreter, and they thought he couldn't understand their language, so Joseph heard them confess what they had done to him, and that Reuben said, "I told you so!" in defending him back then. Now Joseph heard "the rest of the story" of who did what while he was in that pit.

(24) He turned away from them and wept. 

Joseph was so moved by their sorrow that he had to leave to cry his eyes out with all the emotion he felt.

But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. 

Then when he came back, he chose Reuben, because he's the one who stood up for him, and tied him up so they could see how serious this Egyptian official was. 

(25) Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and to restore every man's money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. And thus it was done for them. 

Since Joseph was still speaking in Egyptian, his brothers didn't know that he was telling the servants how to take care of them, returning their money and giving them provisions.

(26) So they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there. (27) As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money; and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. (28) Then he said to his brothers, "My money has been returned, and behold, it is even in my sack." And their hearts sank, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, "What is this that God has done to us?" 

These brothers are scared now. They don't know who this stern official is who doesn't trust them, and now they find that one of them didn't even pay for his grain; what kind of trouble will they be in now! And Simeon is still in jail in Egypt, too, what about him?

Joseph has hope now, with seeing his brothers, he expects to also see his little brother. And he is seeing how his own dreams are starting to come true. So exciting! 

And he has to wait again. 

O my Father, You have grown Joseph's patience and perseverance through all the waiting he has already endured. And he will be ready whenever it is that his brothers will return. 

O Father God, You are sovereign over Your whole creation. You have already decided the whole Plan of the Ages, and each one of our stories as part of it. You know what You're doing, and You let us know day-by-day and step-by-step where You are leading us. 

You had Joseph deal with his brothers in a way that would bring them to the place You wanted them, to reunite this family and bring Your judgment on Egypt when the time was right. Father, You are never too early or late, You're always just on time! 

And Father, You are just in time for me, too. Help me to do each day the things You would have me accomplish, to be strengthened in Your thoughts and ways, and to always do for others what You know they need from me, whether it be my words, my finances, my attitude, my material belongings, whatever it is You have given me to share. 

O Father, send me out, send out all Your children in the way each of us can go, to tell the world how much You love us all, so that every living person in all the nations will be able to hear, and open their minds and hearts to understand the gracious and generous gift You are offering us all in Your Son. 

Fill Your great house will all of Your uncountable children, and let no one have any excuse for neglecting or refusing Your amazing Salvation. 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!