Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus)

As servants in ministry, we have been involved in many funerals over the years.  Some funerals gave praise to God for a life lived well.  Some only praised the person for what they did.  Some were awkward and sad because the one who died professed not knowing God and chose not to put their faith in him.  But that didn’t matter, all funerals led by God’s servants, can proclaim the way to salvation so that those who remain behind can see God’s glory at work even in these times of mourning. 

It is also interesting to observe the mourners.  Some smiled through tears knowing with complete assurance that their loved one was now in the arms of Jesus.  They knew that the “tent” that housed the person was taken down in exchange for the “place that has been prepared for us” by Jesus in heaven.  Some mourners without faith came merely to pay respects with wonder what life will be like without the person who provided for them.  Some came woefully fearful and left empty because they did not know Jesus, who is Life eternal.  This is why Hope, who is Jesus, must be preached in times of mourning.

Joseph was a man of faith in God.  Joseph is mournful but hopeful as he weeps over his father, Jacob. He knows God is with him wherever he goes, just like his father.  His brothers, we will observe, are the mourners who are full of fear as they mourn, wondering what will happen next without their father’s protection and resources. 

Genesis 50

Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him. ² Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him, ³ taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.

⁴ When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court, “If I have found favor in your eyes, speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, ⁵ ‘My father made me swear an oath and said, “I am about to die; bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.” Now let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.’”

⁶ Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”

⁷ So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh’s officials accompanied him—the dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt— ⁸ besides all the members of Joseph’s household and his brothers and those belonging to his father’s household. Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen. ⁹ Chariots and horsemen also went up with him. It was a very large company.

¹⁰ When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly; and there Joseph observed a seven-day period of mourning for his father. ¹¹ When the Canaanites who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning.” That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim.^[b]

¹² So Jacob’s sons did as he had commanded them: ¹³ They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite. ¹⁴ After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.

Joseph Reassures His Brothers

¹⁵ When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” ¹⁶ So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: ¹⁷ ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.

¹⁸ His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.

¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? ²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. ²¹ So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

The Death of Joseph

²² Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father’s family. He lived a hundred and ten years ²³ and saw the third generation of Ephraim’s children. Also the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph’s knees.

²⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” ²⁵ And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.”

²⁶ So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Jacob died, and Joseph and his brothers, along with all Egypt, mourned deeply. But Joseph’s brothers feared that with their father gone, Joseph might repay them for their evil against him.

Joseph suffered greatly because of his brothers’ wrongs, but because he allowed God to work in his heart and free him from bitterness and resentment, he was able to forgive his brothers.

What we learn from God’s story through Joseph is how to respond to what has been done to us that was meant for harm—forgive them.  When we forgive, which is a process of maturity within our hearts, we are released from the bondage of bitterness.  We are set free to love all people like Jesus loves us—without conditions.  It’s a new day, with a new mind, and a fresh start when we forgive those who sin against us in Jesus Name.

Though Joseph is compared to Jesus in suffering, sacrifice, and forgiveness; Joseph was an imperfect human who learned perfect forgiveness that was so completely embedded by God in him; he began to live a life of forgiving! 

By God’s power, the same power that resurrected Jesus from death to life, active within us; we, too, can live a life of forgiving!  Forgiveness frees us from our own prisons of bitter grudge holding that hampers and stunts our growth in our intimate relationship with God and with others.  Seek first God’s gift of forgiveness!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

God’s forgiveness is the clean slate; erased and washed of all sins that we long for in our lives.  Running records of unrepented wrongs that we keep in our hearts are removed when we run to Jesus and ask Him to forgive.  He not only forgives; we are no longer held accountable for those sins!  AND those sins are remembered by Him no more!  This brand of forgiveness was given to us as a gift of God’s love for all who believe.  Paul speaks of this love, God’s love, that lives in us and guides believers’ responses;

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 

Max Lucado writes;

“When God gets in the middle of life, evil becomes good. Haven’t we discovered this in the story of Joseph? Saddled with setbacks: family rejection, deportation, slavery, and imprisonment. Yet he emerged triumphant, a hero of his generation. Among his final recorded words are these comments to his brothers: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.”  This is the repeated pattern in Scripture: Evil. God. Good.” (Lucado, Encouraging Word Bible)

May we praise God, grateful for what we have learned, as we close our study of Genesis.  Pray for His Holy Spirit to teach us more of God’s character that He wants to grow in us as we begin the Exodus of His people from Egypt.  After Joseph’s death; life in Egypt goes from bad to really bad for God’s people.  It’s going to be a wild, adventurous ride, so hang on!  God is still in control.

Lord, Savior of our souls, Father of all that is good,

Thank you for forgiving us, cleansing our hearts, renewing our minds to think more like you, refreshing our souls with your tender, daily mercies that we need, and for restoring the joy of your salvation at work with us, reminding us we are yours and you are mine.  There is no one like you.  You are Life.  I trust in You.  Thank you for being our present help in times of trouble.  Thank you for being with us always!

In Jesus Name, Amen

Imagine you are employed by a boss who carries great influence with even greater power because of his position as the top leader of the nation in which you live!  This would be like getting an invitation to the White House for us to meet and greet the President!  As family members, we don’t want to embarrasses the one who is employed so we do exactly what the one employed tells us to do.  Meeting the boss is intimidating enough without causing a scene by not knowing what to do when we meet him!

Joseph prepared his family for meeting Pharoah, his boss, as soon as all the family got settled in the land of Goshen. At the end of Genesis 46, Joseph tells them plainly; “When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ you should answer, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.” Genesis 46:33-34

Joseph has learned the Egyptian culture well and has learned to navigate it because God is with him.  God guides him with wisdom through the challenging circumstances.  Pay close attention to how the famine affects all the inhabitants of Egypt and Canaan.  This is the precursor to what lies ahead for the Hebrews and other Egyptians living under Pharoah’s control as they become slaves under his reign because of the famine. 

To say alive, they must give up all they own.  Becoming a person owned by another human not of your faith will become humbling with all dignity stripped from their being.  Their new boss will be in control of every minute of every day as they work hard to pay back what they owe to him to stay alive.  Hold that thought as we continue the story of God through His Chosen.

Genesis 47

Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen.” ² He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.

³ Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?”

“Your servants are shepherds,” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” ⁴ They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants’ flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.”

⁵ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, ⁶ and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock.”

⁷ Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed Pharaoh, ⁸ Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?”

⁹ And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.” ¹⁰ Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence.

¹¹ So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. ¹² Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their children.

Joseph and the Famine

¹³ There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. ¹⁴ Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace. ¹⁵When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is all gone.”

¹⁶ “Then bring your livestock,” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.” ¹⁷ So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock.

¹⁸ When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. ¹⁹ Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.”

²⁰ So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, ²¹ and Joseph reduced the people to servitude, from one end of Egypt to the other. ²² However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.

²³ Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground. ²⁴ But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children.”

²⁵ “You have saved our lives,” they said. “May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”

²⁶ So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt—still in force today—that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh’s.

²⁷ Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.

²⁸ Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven. ²⁹ When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, ³⁰ but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”

“I will do as you say,” he said.

³¹ “Swear to me,” he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

By the time the famine ended and farming could begin again, Pharaoh possessed all the money in Egypt and owned all the people and all their property, except the land of the priests, and the farmers had to pay a fifth of the harvest to Pharaoh as an annual tax. Not only had Joseph saved the nation from starvation, but also he had set up an economic system that enabled Pharaoh to control everything.  If we were playing Monopoly, the board would be owned by Pharaoh!

Consider this thought—

Pharaoh was a pagan ruler who worshiped a multitude of false gods, and yet the Lord worked in his heart and used him to care for Jacob and his family. Too many Christian believers today think that God can use only His own people in places of authority, but He can work His will even through unbelieving leaders like Pharaoh, and others to follow such as Cyrus (Ezra 1:1; Isaiah 44:28), Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 25:9; 27:6), and Augustus Caesar (Luke 2:1).

Jacob’s descendants flourish in the famine

“Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.”  (verse 27)

Later, these ever-increasing numbers of God’s Chosen will be of great concern to the “bosses” who reign over them in Egypt.  A clear line of prejudicial distinction will be drawn between the Israelites and Egyptians. The Israelites lives will never be their own—until they leave.  Oh yes, so much more to come!

Jacob’s last testimony and blessing— “take me home!”

Jacob’s desire was that his burial would be a clear witness that he was not an idol-worshiping Egyptian but a believer in the true and living God. Joseph not only promised to fulfill his father’s wishes, but later he also asked his brothers to make the same promise to him that he made to their father (Genesis 50:24–26).

May our final testimony be our clear and unchanging allegiance to our Lord and Savior!

Lord,

Through joyous celebrations and in suffering through hard challenging times, you are with us.  When we succeed, you have provided.  When we fail and have fallen, you pull us out the pit, cleanse us, and set us free on level ground to learn from our mistakes.  When we wonder, you provide a way.  When we wander, you come for us and bring us back in your loving arms of compassion.  Yes, you are God.  We are not. To you be the glory, honor, and praise! Continue to mold and shape us into all you created us to be!  I’m yours.  Where else would I go but you?  I trust you with my life for you are Life!

In Jesus Name, Amen

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13

As believers, we’ve heard it said many times that God will turn bad things around to good—ALL things—for those who love Him.  We can love God in the good times rather easily with praises that ascend to the heavens to Him.  But when we are sick and weak, in prisons of doubt and despair, crying out for healing in a hospital bed or when seeking God’s help when a loved one betrays us, we wonder how long God will take to turn things around. How patient are we in the wait for the good to come from God? How deep and unconditional is our love for God?

What we do in the wait shows the depth of our belief and faith in the God we say we believe, love, trust, and obey. 

God was truly with Joseph and Joseph was with God. This is the continuing story of God coupled with the testimony of praise for what God did in the life of Joseph. Joseph, the rejected, younger brother who was abused then sold as a slave by his brothers, the same brothers who lied about him to their father, Jacob, saying he was dead, now makes himself known to them. 

But there is much more to the story than reconciled relationships within a family who God has called and chosen to lead His people in succeeding generations.  Read on…

Genesis 45

Joseph Makes Himself Known

45 Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. ² And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.

³ Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.

⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! ⁵ And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. ⁶ For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. ⁷ But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

⁸ “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. ⁹ Now hurry back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay. ¹⁰ You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. ¹¹ I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’

¹² “You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. ¹³ Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.”

¹⁴ Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. ¹⁵ And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.

¹⁶ When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come, Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased. ¹⁷ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan, ¹⁸ and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land.’

¹⁹ “You are also directed to tell them, ‘Do this: Take some carts from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. ²⁰ Never mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours.’”

²¹ So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts, as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey. ²² To each of them he gave new clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothes. ²³ And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey. ²⁴ Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, “Don’t quarrel on the way!”

²⁵ So they went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. ²⁶ They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.” Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them. ²⁷ But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. ²⁸ And Israel said, “I’m convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

The man, Joseph suffered much but God was with him, “called according to God’s purposes; with a plan to prosper him”.  The life of Joseph is often compared to the life of Jesus Christ by theologians who enjoy diving deeper into the message from God to us.  However, the main point of the comparison between Joseph, a man whom God called and the Son of God, Jesus, whom God sent was forgiveness.  Both demonstrated the love of God with complete forgiveness offered freely without conditions. 

Joseph tested his brothers’ sincerity before he revealed himself to them. He realized that they were genuinely sorry for their sinful plot to get rid of him.  Joseph exemplified God’s forgiveness without holding on to the grudge of past pain. As we study the life of Joseph in detail, we watched how God worked forgiveness into his character as a result of his circumstances.   Because of forgiveness; A family is reconciled.  Those connected to Joseph see what is happening with awe and wonder.  Pharoah, a non-believer is impressed enough to bless Joseph with riches.  God never left Joseph and his family through it all.  He blessed them with abundance in the middle of a famine.  Only God, God our Provider.  And it all began with a dream…

Jesus, Son of God, offers complete forgiveness of all our sins for all who believe. By His sacrifice on the cross He removed all sins past, present, and future, once and for all who call on His Name with a repentant heart. This was God’s Plan from the beginning!  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”—God’s Plan accomplished by Jesus, His Son—for us. (John 3:16-17) 

Max Lucado expresses the love and forgiveness of Jesus tenderly—

“Our Savior kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives. But rather than recoil in horror, he reaches out in kindness and says, “I can clean that if you want.” And from the basin of his grace, he scoops a palm full of mercy and washes away our sin.

But that’s not all he does. Because he lives in us, you and I can do the same. Because he has forgiven us, we can forgive others. Because he has a forgiving heart, we can have a forgiving heart. We can have a heart like his.” –Lucado, Encouraging Word Bible

Seek the heart of Jesus.  “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13 

Hold nothing back.  Be ready to let go, and let God’s power of forgiveness change the way we think and respond.We may say, “I’ll never forgive them for what they have done to me.”  On our own steam; we are right.  We cannot forgive the pain others have inflicted upon us.  However, we can have a forgiving heart when we seek to have the heart of Jesus.  By His power, the resurrection power that raised Him from death to life, we can forgive!  We can have a heart like His when we seek Him and ask!

What does it mean to have a heart like Jesus? It means to kneel as Jesus knelt, bending down to touch the messy, grimy parts of the people, feeling their hate but responding with compassionate love.  It means responding to their unkindnesses with kindness. The Apostle Paul says it simply:

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” Ephesians 4:32.

Lord,

I am seeking you with all my heart as I offer all of me to you.  Transform the messy in my life to your message of redemption.  Cleanse my heart, remove that is not you.  Renew my mind, transform my behaviors.  Refresh my soul with your new, tender mercies.  Restore the joy of your salvation at work within me, molding and shaping me until my heart beats in sync with your heart.  Thank you, Lord for turning things around for our good and for your glory!  I trust you with my life—because you are Life!

In Jesus Name, Amen

What God wants most from us is not offerings of money, doing good works, or obeying all the laws and traditions of the land.  What God wants most is us.  He wants us to love him back without conditions.  God wants us to stop making bargains with Him.  He wants us to come to Him, commune with Him daily, hear Him and stop trying to manipulate God with offerings only meant to pacify our almighty God for the purpose of getting what we want—or think we need. 

God wants us to know Him, really know Him with a heart that empties of self so it can be filled with the love of God.  God wants us.  God loved us before we were born.  God loves each one of us now.  We are always on God’s mind.  God is for us, not against us.  God knows us better than we know ourselves and he still loves us.  “…God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

God also knew we would need a Savior to redeem us from our sins.  He knew we could not continue our lives without Him.  We are lost without His forgiveness of our sins that weigh us down, hinder our growth, hamper our relationships with Him and with others, and keep us bound up and restrained with fear and anxiousness.  Because God so loved, He gave us His Son to save us and set us free!  Jesus, God in flesh, came to seek and to save the lost.  He came to serve, not to be served.  He represented and demonstrated who God is with how to love Him back.

God will soon reveal and demonstrate what He has done in the life of Joseph to his long-lost brothers.  Joseph wants to reveal who he is to his brothers but he waits for God.  Joseph is so moved and overcome with emotion at seeing Benjamin the youngest, born to his mother, Rachel, that he must leave the room to get himself together!  We ask ourselves, is Joseph grieving over the past hurts while rejoicing over being reunited with his brothers, especially Benjamin?  We would imagine this moment of meeting is bittersweet.  Joseph has been dreaming of this moment and now the time has come.  What will happen next?

Genesis 43

The Second Journey to Egypt

Now the famine was still severe in the land. ² So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”

³ But Judah said to him, “The man warned us solemnly, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ ⁴ If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you. ⁵ But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”

⁶ Israel asked, “Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?”

⁷ They replied, “The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. ‘Is your father still living?’ he asked us. ‘Do you have another brother?’ We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”

⁸ Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die. ⁹ I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. ¹⁰ As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice.”

¹¹ Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds. ¹² Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. ¹³ Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. ¹⁴ And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”

¹⁵ So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin also. They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. ¹⁶ When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare a meal; they are to eat with me at noon.”

¹⁷ The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph’s house. ¹⁸ Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, “We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys.”

¹⁹ So they went up to Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. ²⁰ “We beg your pardon, our lord,” they said, “we came down here the first time to buy food. ²¹ But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver—the exact weight—in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us. ²² We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don’t know who put our silver in our sacks.”

²³ “It’s all right,” he said. “Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

²⁴ The steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet and provided fodder for their donkeys. ²⁵ They prepared their gifts for Joseph’s arrival at noon, because they had heard that they were to eat there.

²⁶ When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground. ²⁷ He asked them how they were, and then he said, “How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living?”

²⁸ They replied, “Your servant our father is still alive and well.” And they bowed down, prostrating themselves before him.

²⁹ As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” ³⁰ Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there.

³¹ After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, “Serve the food.”

³² They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians. ³³ The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each other in astonishment. ³⁴ When portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as anyone else’s. So they feasted and drank freely with him.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Ah, we are left with cliffhanger!  Yes, there’s much more to come!  Having a good meal together is not the ultimate goal!  But for now, let’s go over the details of how God is at work, moving in the lives of people.

God moved Jacob to let go of Benjamin for the greater good of getting through a famine.

God moved Judah’s heart.  Judah knew what they must do—obey what Joseph said they must do without knowing what Joseph really wanted.  Judah is willing to risk his life to go back, willing to take responsibility for his brother Benjamin, as well as honor his father’s command to take peace offerings to sweeten the deal for more grain. 

God moved all the brothers to go back with Judah leading them.

God moved Joseph’s heart.  Joseph, who sons were named because the memory of hurt was so great.  Manasseh, the name of his first-born son means; “remember it no more.”  And now, the source of that pain is sitting at his table!  Yes, God moved Joseph from resentment and bitterness on a path to forgiveness and reconciliation with his brothers. God healed Joseph’s wounds and moved him to love his brothers—all of them.

God moves our hearts, renews our minds, and refreshes our souls with forgiveness that is given quickly and freely because of His relentless, unending, never changing love for us.  God offers mercy and grace right in the middle of our mess.  All we must do is come to the Table with a repentant heart.  It is then that the feast of Living Water and the Bread of Life is served!  We are filled forever all because of His love, mercy, and grace demonstrated though Jesus, His Son, who sealed the deal of our salvation.  We thirst and hunger no more because we have found the Source of forgiveness—Jesus!

Pause to reflect and pray—

When people wrong us, we often turn to retaliation rather than forgiveness and restoration. But we must trust in God’s plan to set us free.  God sees a Joseph in each one of us. “Forgive as I have forgiven you,” says our Savior.  “Freely give as I have freely given to you!” (Matthew 10) 

Then as a follow-up, Jesus explains complete forgiveness in a sermon to thousands gathered on a mountainside: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14-15  Notice there is no offerings to sweeten reconciliation or a manipulative plan to coerce forgiveness—just forgive, honestly and completely forgive as God forgave us.  (Ephesians 4:32)

We have experienced the pit of despair.  We have landed in jails of discontent.  It is then that God speaks to us; “Come, sit with Me.”  What will our answer be?  But Lord, you don’t know what they have said about me and done to me!  Or will we pray what Jesus taught us to pray?  “God forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”

Trust God. No, really trust Him. He will get us through it all. He always has and always will because he loves all of us and wants His best for us.  Will it be easy or quick? We hope so, but rarely is. Yet God will make good out of the mess we created; while molding and shaping us to be more like Him.  Because that’s HIS work..

Many in our world, including us, are broken by the “un’s”; unrighteousness, unkindness, unmerciful, undone by unholiness.  How can we be instruments of God’s peace that brings hope and love to the hurting and oppressed?  Forgive as Jesus has forgiven us.  Tell the world who He is and what He has done!   We will discover changes in us as we follow Jesus.  This transformation comes from the power of His Holy Spirit within us, guiding us to all Truth.  We find ourselves quicker to forgive, more kind, showing more mercy, demonstrating more love—all because Jesus is more than enough who lives in us!

Lord,

You have moved my thoughts to places that call me to repentance seeking to forgive as you have forgiven me.  Thank you for cleansing our hearts through your Word that removes the unclean thoughts of the world around us.  Thank you for renewing our minds with higher, greater, more holy thinking. Thank you for refreshing our souls with your daily, fresh new mercies. Thank you for restoring the joy of your salvation at work within us.  To you be the glory!  Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

In Jesus Name, Amen

We all have things we dream of but think will never happen.  We might think there will never be a mate for us; then we meet that special someone, a relationship develops into a love that we longed for all our life.  We are giddy with delight every time we see them.  We wonder if we will have children. Then later we are blessed with not one but three at just the right time.  We are blessed, although anxious at times in the management of life, but still blessed. 

We dream of owning our own home but we are still working our way through college, so we wonder if it will ever happen.  And then it does.  You are finishing college when you are chosen for a position in the few months before graduating, another dream we were not sure if it would happen.  So, how does all these things of life happen?  In all of life, the Giver and Sustainer of Life has a plan and unique purpose for each one of us.  God is always watching over us, allowing circumstances both good and bad, to mold and shape us into all He created us to be and do.  It is awesome to think of the great, relentless, never-ending love that God has for us as He guides us in all the details or our lives!

We must remember that at the center of it all—God is.  God didn’t bring us this far to leave us.  God will never leave, betray, or forget us.  God is always at work on our behalf even when we don’t see Him doing what God does best.  Consider this thought; God makes things happen that He planned before we were born!  Trust in God leads us to His will.  Obedience to God demonstrates our love, respect, awe, and faith in Him.  God was, is, and always will be, God.

RECAP: God was with Joseph from the pit to the palace.

Genesis 42

Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt

When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at each other?” ² He continued, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”

³ Then ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. ⁴ But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him. ⁵ So Israel’s sons were among those who went to buy grain, for there was famine in the land of Canaan also.

⁶ Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. ⁷ As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. “Where do you come from?” he asked.

“From the land of Canaan,” they replied, “to buy food.”

⁸ Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. ⁹ Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected.”

¹⁰ “No, my lord,” they answered. “Your servants have come to buy food. ¹¹ We are all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.”

¹² “No!” he said to them. “You have come to see where our land is unprotected.”

¹³ But they replied, “Your servants were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”

¹⁴ Joseph said to them, “It is just as I told you: You are spies! ¹⁵ And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. ¹⁶ Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” ¹⁷ And he put them all in custody for three days.

¹⁸ On the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God: ¹⁹ If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. ²⁰ But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die.” This they proceeded to do.

²¹ They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come on us.”

²² Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood.” ²³ They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter.

²⁴ He turned away from them and began to weep, but then came back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes.

²⁵ Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man’s silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. After this was done for them, ²⁶ they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left.

²⁷ At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack. ²⁸ “My silver has been returned,” he said to his brothers. “Here it is in my sack.”

Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”

²⁹ When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. They said, ³⁰ “The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as though we were spying on the land. ³¹ But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies. ³² We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.’

³³ “Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go. ³⁴ But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.’”

³⁵ As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his pouch of silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened. ³⁶ Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!”

³⁷ Then Reuben said to his father, “You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back.”

³⁸ But Jacob said, “My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Backstory:  Joseph had dreams as a teenager.  Joseph, 11^th of twelve sons to be born to Jacob, told his dreams to his brothers.  His brothers were already filled with jealousy and envy of Joseph because of the favor Jacob, their father, displayed for him; so they despised his dreams.  One dream told of 11 bound up stalks of grain all bowing down to one of the stalks.  As a teen, Joseph may have thought the dream interesting and curious because he was bullied often by his older brothers. 

The brothers were filled with anger over the dreams.  Anger led them to throwing their dreaming, favored, younger brother into a pit and left there to die. But then an even better plan presented itself. The brothers brought him up out of the pit and sold him as a slave to passing merchants on their way to Egypt. 

Always at work; God was in control. God had a plan. God was with Joseph.  God never left him on his own.  God had a greater plan for this young man who went from the pit to the palace.  Watch how God’s plan is now unfolding. Read to discover God’s ultimate plan to demonstrate the power of Godly forgiveness by Joseph to his brothers who hated and mistreated him.  This forgiveness will lead to the restoration of Godly relationships within Jacob’s family. 

God’s plan will demonstrate the forgiveness God has waiting for all who believe in Jesus and call on His Name.  All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  None of us deserve God’s mercy or grace, but because of His compassionate love and forgiveness we are set free from the punishment we do deserve—kind of like Joseph’s brothers! 

Don’t miss the main point of the story of God in Joseph as we read how God makes happen what Joseph never dreamed of happening—restored relationships with his father and his brothers!  God’s grace wins every time!  God’s mercies are new each day.  God wants us to know this truth about Him.  It is God’s desire that no one perish but have eternal life. Believe in Jesus and be saved from death. 

Lord,

We know there’s even more to the story, but for now we pause to thank you for saving our souls from death and giving us the gift of eternal life. Thank you for the power of your Holy Spirit who lives in us to remind us of our new redeemed life with guidance to become more and more like our Redeemer, YOU!

In Jesus Name, Amen

We love this story of Joseph being set free from prison at last!  We applaud God for setting things right for Joseph after being sold all those years ago by his brothers.  We cheer God on when Joseph is put in charge of Potiphar’s household as a servant held in high esteem.  But then we boo when Joseph is threatened, humiliated, and eventually falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and thrown into prison. The kid can’t catch a break!  He’s in a foreign country with no rights or help—or so it seems. 

Genesis 41

Pharaoh’s Dreams

41 When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile, ² when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. ³ After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. ⁴ And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

⁵ He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. ⁶ After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—thin and scorched by the east wind. ⁷ The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream.

⁸ In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.

⁹ Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. ¹⁰ Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. ¹¹ Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. ¹² Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. ¹³ And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.”

¹⁴ So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.

¹⁵ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”

¹⁶ “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”

¹⁷ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, ¹⁸ when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds. ¹⁹ After them, seven other cows came up—scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt. ²⁰ The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. ²¹ But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.

²² “In my dream I saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk. ²³ After them, seven other heads sprouted—withered and thin and scorched by the east wind. ²⁴ The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but none of them could explain it to me.”

²⁵ Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. ²⁶The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. ²⁷ The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.

²⁸ “It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. ²⁹ Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, ³⁰ but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. ³¹ The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. ³² The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.

³³ “And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. ³⁴ Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. ³⁵ They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. ³⁶ This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.”

³⁷ The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. ³⁸ So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?”

³⁹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. ⁴⁰ You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”

Joseph in Charge of Egypt

⁴¹ So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” ⁴² Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. ⁴³ He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and people shouted before him, “Make way!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.

⁴⁴ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.” ⁴⁵ Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.

⁴⁶ Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt. ⁴⁷ During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. ⁴⁸ Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. ⁴⁹ Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.

⁵⁰ Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. ⁵¹ Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” ⁵² The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”

⁵³ The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, ⁵⁴ and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food. ⁵⁵ When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.”

⁵⁶ When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. ⁵⁷ And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Joseph has been given a prophet’s gift of interpreting what God says with what He will do. Joseph had previously interpreted the dreams of the king’s cupbearer and baker in detail, with complete accuracy.  What Joseph predicted would happen to them—happened!  Now, Pharoah, the king of Egypt, has dreams that trouble him.  The cupbearer, by his side, finally testifies; “I know a man who can interpret dreams!” 

It is God who put the dreams in the mind of the king. It is God who speaks through Joseph of God’s seven-year plan.  But the greatest thing about this story is not Joseph’s amazing ability to interpret with precision and wisdom; but the credit and praise Joseph gives to God!  “I cannot do this…God does this!” This young man is growing the wisdom of God through all the trials and suffering.  The life of Joseph is often compared to the life of Jesus by many theologians.  Jesus testified often about God, His Father.  He told people I only speak what the Father wants me to say and do only what I see my Father doing.  This message permeates the gospel writings.

Our human nature wants to shout, “Take that, you evil brothers of Joseph!”  We like having the tables turned on those who hurt us so deeply and profoundly.  We like it when God intervenes and provides justice to an unfair situation.  But, in thinking this we might miss the main message of the story of God—He is always with us.  God will accomplish His will.  God is always in control of every situation.  God’s timing is always the best timing. By God’s power at work within us through the trials and sufferings we learn His character which is being embedded into our being.  Seeds of integrity, wisdom, are some of the seeds planted that produce the fruits of His Holy Spirit as we grow to be more like Him. 

We are created by God for God to complete His purposes and ultimate plan.  Life will make more sense when we believe this about God.  Joseph does believe God.  Joseph’s humbled, obedient life to God is going to take some interesting turns that will lead to the ultimate forgiveness of his brothers.  Joseph’s life will come full circle back to his family. 

Ah, but we get ahead of ourselves!  Let’s take this huge story in smaller bites so we don’t miss the flavors of God’s endless work in us.  We see how God is working in Joseph when we hear what he named his first two sons;

Manasseh— “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” 

Ephraim—“It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”

Joseph and God are in close communion while growing an intimate relationship of love, mercy, and grace.  God is helping Joseph move forward with Him.

Lord,

Your goal is to know us personally and intimately. I am humbled by that truth often.  May I never forget the benefits of knowing you and growing in my relationship with you. 

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen