Written by: Christine Gore – Church Army
Genesis 45 v 4-8
So Joseph said to them, “Come close to me.” When the brothers came close to him,
he said to them, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold as a slave to go
to Egypt. Now don’t be worried or angry with yourselves because you sold me
here. God sent me here ahead of you to save people’s lives. No food has grown
on the land for two years now, and there will be five more years without planting
or harvest. So God sent me here ahead of you to make sure you have some descendants
left on earth and to keep you alive in an amazing way. So it was not you who
sent me here, but God. God has made me the highest officer of the king of Egypt.
I am in charge of his palace, and I am the master of all the land of Egypt.”
Notes
Some who saw “The Return of the King”, the final episode of “The Lord of the
Rings”, were puzzled as to why it didn’t end when the story seemed to reach
its climax, with the crowning of the king. Instead it continued for at least
another thirty minutes! The same can be seen in Joseph’s story, for today
it reaches its climax and yet it’s not the end. The climactic revelation
is that Joseph was alive and standing before his gobsmacked and terrified
bothers. In spite of their wicked deeds, God had worked out His good purposes,
not only in the life of Joseph and his family, but also in the land of Egypt
and beyond. When Joseph first had his dream it was all about him - his power
and prestige. Now, when all was revealed some 22 years later, he was able
to see that really it was all about God and His saving purposes.
Was it God who caused all these bad things to happen to Joseph so that he would be in this place of influence? Did God make Jacob spoil Joseph, his brothers hate him and Potiphar’s wife sexually harass him? If so, what sort of god is this God? Brueggemann’s response is this: “the purposes of God have been at work ‘in, with and under’ these sordid human actions” (from Genesis by Walter Brueggemann, page 346, John Knox Press).
God in His sovereignty makes use of even the worse situations, for “in everything God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8 v 28). There will always be a tension between divine sovereignty and human responsibility, but even in the messiest of human situations God is at work, whether it is obvious to us or not – just look at the cross!
Prayer exercise
Think of a messy or difficult situation in your own life. Can you see any signs
of God being in the mess? Ask God today to show where He is at work and to
enable you to trust that He is working out His good purposes for you “in,
with and under” this situation.
Genesis 45 v 9-15
“So leave quickly and go to my father. Tell him, ‘Your son Joseph says: God
has made me master over all Egypt. Come down to me quickly. Live in the land
of Goshen where you will be near me. Your children, your grandchildren, your
flocks and herds, and all that you have will also be near me. I will care
for you during the next five years of hunger so that you and your family
and all that you have will not starve.’
“Now you can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that the one
speaking to you is really Joseph. So tell my father about how powerful I have
become in Egypt. Tell him about everything you have seen. Now hurry and bring
him back to me.” Then Joseph hugged his brother Benjamin and cried, and Benjamin
cried also. And Joseph kissed all his brothers and cried as he hugged them.
After this, his brothers talked with him.
Notes
Now that the past had been put behind him and the air cleared, Joseph was keenly
aware that there was another loose end that badly needed to be tied up –
i.e., Jacob. You can tell that Joseph was a man used to making quick decisions
and giving orders; he hardly drew breath as he organised his family’s future!
I wonder how his brothers felt about this? Still reeling from the revelation that the most powerful man in Egypt was actually their kid brother, and here he was living out the dream that got him - and them - into trouble in the first place! Do you think there was a moment of irritation when Joseph said to them, “tell my father how powerful I have become”? Almost as if Joseph sensed their discomfort, he stopped acting like Pharaoh’s second-in-command and started acting like a long-lost brother – hugging and kissing all of his brothers as he wept with joy.
Joseph was able to forgive his brothers because he was able to see God’s overruling, and because he was also able to see that his brothers were changed men who regretted their past and all the harm they had caused. Reconciliation is always costly, for it involves repentance, generosity, and the willingness to move on and not keep note of old scores. It also requires honesty and vulnerability – as we acknowledge our own wrongdoing and the effect it has on others. Joseph’s brothers were soon to be confronted once more with the consequences of their actions, for going back to fetch their father meant that they would have to come clean about their part in Joseph’s Egyptian exile and face up to Jacob’s disappointment, grief and anger.
Do you need to say sorry to, or forgive someone? What’s stopping you?
Prayer
Lord God, thank You that You are generous, gracious and forgiving. Thank You
for all the times You have forgiven me for my wrongdoing – when I have wronged
You and hurt or harmed others. Help me to forgive those who have hurt me.
Help me also to have the courage to say sorry when I need to and face up
to the consequences of my actions. Amen
Genesis 45 v 16-20
When the king of Egypt and his officers learned that Joseph’s brothers had
come, they were very happy. So the king said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers
to load their animals and go back to the land of Canaan and bring their father
and their families back here to me. I will give them the best land in Egypt,
and they will eat the best food we have here. Tell them to take some wagons
from Egypt for their children and their wives and to bring their father back
also. Tell them not to worry about bringing any of their things with them,
because we will give them the best of what we have in Egypt.”
Notes
Egyptians on the whole didn’t like foreigners - they considered it detestable
to eat with them. Consequently, Joseph ate his meal by himself and his brothers
ate theirs by themselves, while Joseph’s Egyptian household ate together
(Genesis 43 v 33). Yet, in spite of being a foreigner, Joseph was held in
very high regard. He had earned Pharaoh’s respect and admiration for his
leadership skills, wisdom, ability to get on with the job, and because “God’s
Spirit is truly in him!” (Genesis 41 v 38). So when Joseph wanted to bring
more foreigners like himself into Egypt, Pharaoh and his officers were “very
happy”, so happy that Pharaoh promised them “the best of what we have”.
To many people Christians are “foreign”, with strange customs, strange laws and a strange language. Consequently they are suspicious of them – and who can blame them with all the bad press the church and Christianity seem to get these days? So how do we win the favour and trust of those outside the church? By being people of integrity, like Joseph – people who do their jobs well, who can be trusted and, most importantly, people in whom the Spirit of God is seen to live.
Being foreign is part of being a Christian – in the world but not of the world. However, if we reflect the character of the God in whose image we are made, then even though we are different from those around us, we will earn their respect and a hearing when we speak of things that are important to us. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5 v 22-23). Pray that God will help you to be “fruit-full” so that others might be drawn home to Him.
Prayer activity
At the end of today think about the good things and the “bad” things that have
occurred. How “fruit-full” were you in these situations? With hindsight,
what would you do differently and what wouldn’t you change? Bring these things
to God in prayer and let Him challenge or encourage you as necessary.
Genesis 45 v 21-28
So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them wagons as the king had ordered
and food for their trip. He gave each brother a change of clothes, but he
gave Benjamin five changes of clothes and about 300 pieces of silver. Joseph
also sent his father ten donkeys loaded with the best things from Egypt and
ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and other food for his father
on his trip back. Then Joseph told his brothers to go. As they were leaving,
he said to them, “Don’t quarrel on the way home.”
So the brothers left Egypt and went to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.
They told him, “Joseph is still alive and is the ruler over all the land of
Egypt.” Their father was shocked and did not believe them. But when the brothers
told him everything Joseph had said, and when Jacob saw the wagons Joseph had
sent to carry him back to Egypt, he felt better. Israel said, “Now I believe
you. My son Joseph is still alive, and I will go and see him before I die.”
Notes
I have a confession to make – I love the British TV programme “What Not to
Wear”! For the uninitiated, two style gurus - Trinny and Susannah – pounce
on some unsuspecting person nominated by their friends or family for their
appalling dress sense, and then they help them see what they could really
look like if only they shopped according to their rules. Like proverbial
fairy godmothers, they change many a reluctant Cinderella into a princess!
In our culture, clothes are very important parts of our lives, for we feel they tell people something significant about us and they make us feel important, powerful, sexy, comfortable and attractive. The same was true in Joseph’s day. The young Joseph’s coat of many colours visibly singled him out as someone special and important – as his older brothers were only too aware! Now more than twenty years later he lavished a whole new wardrobe on his younger brother Benjamin – while his half-brothers got a single new outfit each. No wonder he told them not to quarrel on the way home – though I do wonder if it was said with his tongue firmly in his cheek!
How important are clothes to you? What do you think of people whose clothes you really like or don’t like? We can be very quick to judge people by their appearances and make big decisions about whether or not they are the sorts of people we want to know or be seen with. Wherever you are today note how you label people according to their appearance and then ask Jesus to help you see them as He sees them. Also, think about how much money you spend on clothes. Could you use some of that money to help others, e.g., sponsor a child through school in a developing country?
Prayer
Father God, I thank You that You see me for who I really am and are not distracted
by what I wear or how I look. Help me to have the same generosity of spirit
with others. Help me also to see them as You see them, remembering that each
person is created in Your image and that Christ died for all people. Amen
Genesis 46 v 1-7
So Israel took all he had and started his trip. He went to Beersheba, where
he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. During the night God
spoke to Israel in a vision and said, “Jacob, Jacob.”
And Jacob answered, “Here I am.”
Then God said, “I am God, the God of your father. Don’t be afraid to go to
Egypt, because I will make your descendants a great nation there. I will go
to Egypt with you, and I will bring you out of Egypt again. Joseph’s own hands
will close your eyes when you die.”
Then Jacob left Beersheba. The sons of Israel loaded their father, their children,
and their wives in the wagons the king of Egypt had sent. They also took their
farm animals and everything they had gotten in Canaan. So Jacob went to Egypt
with all his descendants - his sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters.
He took all his family to Egypt with him.
Notes
It was only natural that Jacob/Israel would want to see Joseph immediately,
and leaving behind famine-ridden Canaan for food and pasture in Egypt made
a lot of sense. But why go via Beersheba – why not head straight for Egypt
as quickly as possible? Beersheba was a significant place for the son of
Isaac for here his father, and his father’s father (i.e., Abraham) called
on the name of the LORD (Genesis 21 v 32-34 & 26 v 23-25). Beersheba
meant “the well of the oath” – so named because it was there Abraham made
a treaty/covenant with a Philistine king. This association of Beersheba with
both covenant and the presence of God is highly significant. Leaving the
Land of Promise for Egypt was a very big step for Jacob. Was he putting the
covenant with Abraham in jeopardy? Would God see it as a sign of failure
or unbelief on Jacob’s part? If he left the Land of Promise would he be leaving
behind the God of Promise too?
So Jacob went to Beersheba to worship God and seek His guidance. God did not disappoint. He came to Jacob and reassured him that the move to Egypt was the right thing to do and that He would not leave or forsake His people, or His Covenant promise to them to make them into a great nation. The move to Egypt was not permanent – they would return to the Land of Promise – but for now they were to go, taking all of their possessions with them.
“I will go with you” – God is not tied to one particular people or place. There is nowhere we can go that God cannot. There is nowhere we can go where God is not already. Ask God to help you see His presence wherever you are.
Prayer reflection
God… I’m an open book to you;
even from a distance, you know what I am thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
I’m never out of your sight.
You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you’re there,
then up ahead and you’re there, too –
your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful –
I can’t take it all in!
Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
to be out of your sight?
If I climb to the sky, you’re there!
If I go underground, you’re there!
… you’re already there waiting.
(Psalm 139 v 1-10, from “The Message” by Eugene Peterson, Nav Press)
Genesis 46 v 28-30
Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to see Joseph in Goshen. When Jacob and his people
came into the land of Goshen, Joseph prepared his chariot and went to meet
his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as Joseph saw his father, he hugged
him, and cried there for a long time.
Then Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, because I have seen your
face and I know you are still alive.”
Notes
As I write there has been news of a little girl reunited with her mother after
six years. The story goes that a neighbour stole the baby girl and then set
fire to the mother’s house to cover up the dreadful deed. It was only when
the mother saw her “long dead” daughter at a party and recognised her that
all was revealed!
The reunion between Jacob and his “long dead” son – more than twenty years later – is a moving scene. Jacob’s heartache and grief at losing his favourite son had made his life miserable, and as he got older he viewed the future pessimistically. But now he was reunited with Joseph he would die happy and content. Jacob’s words sound very like the words of Simeon when he saw the eight day old Jesus in the temple, and as then, there is a sense of fulfilment and hope. The beloved son that was dead was alive – the long awaited one had now come. There are so many gospel echoes in the story of Joseph, and Simeon’s words could easily have been Jacob’s: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2 v 29-32, New International Version).
The story of both beloved sons is one of God’s amazing love, and grace - the salvation of not only the people of God but also those who were considered to be outsiders. All people are God’s beloved children and His heart still yearns to be reunited with them – so He waits, like the father of the prodigal son, for them to come home.
Prayer
Father God, I name before You those people that I know and love who have yet
to find their way back home to You. Thank You that You are there watching
and waiting – ready to run out to welcome and embrace all who seek You. May
they, this day, take one more step towards you and Your loving arms. Amen
Genesis 46 v 31-34
Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s family, “I will go and tell the
king you are here. I will say, ‘My brothers and my father’s family have left
the land of Canaan and have come here to me. They are shepherds and take
care of farm animals, and they have brought their flocks and their herds
and everything they own with them.’ When the king calls you, he will ask,
‘What work do you do?’ This is what you should tell him: ‘We, your servants,
have taken care of farm animals all our lives. Our ancestors did the same
thing.’ Then the king will allow you to settle in the land of Goshen, away
from the Egyptians, because they don’t like to be near shepherds.”
Notes
What are your personal prejudices? Be honest! Why are you prejudiced in this
way? Is it a gut reaction or do you have a reason? Have you ever experienced
someone’s prejudice against you?
Egyptians not only didn’t like eating with foreigners, they didn’t like shepherds either - probably because these urban dwellers distrusted rural nomadic peoples, rather like some people today distrust gypsies and travellers. A real double whammy for Joseph’s family then! Well actually, in the topsy turvy economy of God, this worked out very well for them. Goshen was good grazing land in the Nile delta, close to the Egyptian border and therefore closer to Canaan. It would have suited Jacob and the others very well - they didn’t want to live in an Egyptian city. The Egyptians themselves were just glad that Joseph didn’t want to overwhelm their civil service with his strange relatives or camp them in their smart suburbs – so Goshen was a great option for everybody! For once prejudice worked in the refugees’ favour!
It’s very easy for us to be prejudiced against people who are different from us, people we don’t understand or identify with. One of the things I like most about the church, and yet find very challenging, is that anybody and everybody is welcome (should be welcome!). So often the people we would normally avoid turn out to be actually ok, and in fact more than ok, when we take the time to get to know them. It’s only as we have the courage to engage with people as individuals and not as a label (“homeless”, “old”, “asylum seeker”, etc) that we discover the joys and pleasures of difference. Difference enriches our lives, and if we only ever stick with familiar things and people we will be much the poorer.
Prayer exercise
Spend some time thinking about your own prejudices. Ask God to help you understand
why you feel the way you do. Then ask Him to help you overcome your prejudices
and, if you have the courage (!), to be part of His great reconciling plans
for our world. Unity and diversity are part of His will for His church and
His creation.
word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken from the Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993 by Word Publishing Milton Keynes