Genesis 45:1-28 Joseph Reveals His Identity
“Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Send everyone away from me!”
So none of them were with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. But he wept so loudly that the Egyptians and Pharaoh’s household heard him.
Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?”
But they were unable to answer him, because they were terrified in his presence.
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near me.” And they did so.
“I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you. For the famine has covered the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God, who has made me a father to Pharaoh—lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Joseph Sends for His Father
“Now return quickly to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay. You shall settle in the land of Goshen and be near me—you and your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own. And there I will provide for you, because there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you and your household and everything you own will come to destitution.’
Behold! You and my brother Benjamin can see that I, Joseph, am the one speaking with you. Tell my father about all my splendor in Egypt and everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.”
Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept as they embraced. Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept over them. And afterward his brothers talked with him.
Pharaoh Invites Jacob to Egypt
When the news reached Pharaoh’s house that Joseph’s brothers had come, Pharaoh and his servants were pleased.
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do as follows: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan. Then bring your father and your families and return to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat from the fat of the land.’ You are also directed to tell them: ‘Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your young children and your wives, and bring your father and come back. But pay no regard to your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”
So the sons of Israel did as they were told. Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had instructed, and he also gave them provisions for their journey. He gave new garments to each of them, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothes. And he sent to his father the following: ten donkeys loaded with the best of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and provisions for his father’s journey.
Then Joseph sent his brothers on their way, and as they were leaving, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way!”
The Revival of Jacob
So the brothers went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. “Joseph is still alive,” they said, “and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!”
But Jacob was stunned, for he did not believe them. However, when they relayed all that Joseph had told them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob was revived.
“Enough!” declared Israel. “My son Joseph is still alive! I will go to see him before I die.”
There are many wonderful stories in the Bible, but few are more moving than the soul-satisfying story of Joseph’s reunion with his family. Suddenly, the obnoxious younger brother turns out to be the family hero. A grieving old man finds a sunrise of hope. Rather than slowly starving to death in Canaan, Joseph’s family can now look forward to abundant supplies because Joseph is the second most powerful man in all Egypt. As herders and shepherds, Joseph’s brothers have grieved the coming death of their animals from starvation; now their animals will also be saved. Joseph’s family is riding south on Egyptian wagons, bringing their flocks and herds with them but leaving their worn-out tents behind because Pharaoh is promising to abundantly supply everything they need.
One sad commentary on the dysfunctional family dynamics is Joseph’s warning to his brothers, “Do not quarrel on the way!” Joseph has observed his brothers during two visits and realizes that they still are jealous of one another and easily get into disputes. This family may be entering a new land, but they’re bringing their old relationship problems with them.
Remembering Joseph’s tribulations in prison, how many of us would be able to go through such an experience and then forgive those responsible for wrongly imprisoning us? How many of us are currently having friction with neighbors, colleagues, or family members and longing for escape? Part of the miracle of Joseph’s story is that God enables Joseph to forgive his father for favoring him and his brothers for selling him to slave traders. Joseph forgives Potiphar’s family. Bitterness and self-pity have no hold on Joseph; he’s too busy learning how to run an upper-class Egyptian household and then an Egyptian white-collar prison.
Why does God give Joseph those dreams when he’s a teen-ager? Without those dreams, Joseph might have given in and given up; those dreams have helped encourage Joseph through all these long years. There was nothing wrong with the dreams, but Joseph had no discretion and spoke about them when he should have remained quiet. Most of us would have made similar mistakes. It takes time to learn that messages from God are not to be broadcast indiscriminately.
God uses Joseph’s mistakes as a mouthy brat to irritate the brothers so that they fake his death and sell him into slavery. If the brothers hadn’t faked Joseph’s death, Jacob might have tried to send to Egypt to get Joseph back. Had Joseph returned to Canaan, his family would have eventually starved to death, and huge numbers of Egyptians would also have starved. One of the amazing things about God is that when we think He is focusing on us alone, meanwhile, He is impacting lives of people whom we will never meet.
These days, we hear a lot about the butterfly effect. What is the butterfly effect in simple terms?
The idea that something small, like getting coffee, can have much larger effects, such as altering your career is called the butterfly effect. The butterfly effect rests on the notion that the world is deeply interconnected, such that one small occurrence can influence a much larger complex system. https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/economics/the-butterfly-effect The story of Joseph is a perfect illustration of the butterfly effect. God starts with a tattle tale spoiled brat, incites his brothers to sell him into slavery, forces him to suffer while learning hands-on administration, and then, at the right time, promotes this man whom He has groomed into a position of power to deliver people from many countries plus his own family from starvation. Only God knows how many other people have been saved through Joseph’s efforts.
Many of us toil in obscure positions, little realizing the effect we may be having on those around us. Years ago, my mother went into the local lumber yard in our small town. That morning, Mom was suffering from one of her many sinus headaches and mentioned it to the manager, Barney Johson. Barney looked at Mom and said, “Well, I think most of the world’s work is done by people who don’t feel good.” That remark has stuck with me for nearly seventy years. I have had fibromyalgia for the last twenty-one years, and some mornings every bit of my body signs in on the pain roll call. My solution is to keep working, but sometimes when I am tempted to do less, I remember Barney Johnson, and I keep going.
Today, take heart! You have no idea how many people are watching you and taking courage from your example of faithfulness and excellence. Advertising experts tell us that people are 5 times as likely to complain about a bad experience as they are to compliment on a good one. Be assured that your efforts are part of the butterfly effect and that God is applauding them.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, thank You for using our efforts and multiplying them so that many people may be helped. Help us always to realize that when we are working for You, You will reward us in ways we cannot imagine. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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