Burunche’s Blog

Genesis 50:1-26  Mourning and Burial for Jacob

“Then Joseph fell upon his father’s face, wept over him, and kissed him. And Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So they embalmed him, taking the forty days required to complete the embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.

When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please tell Pharaoh that 5my father made me swear an oath when he said, ‘I am about to die. You must bury me in the tomb that I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.’ Now let me go and bury my father, and then return.”

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

Then Joseph went to bury his father, and all the servants of Pharaoh accompanied him—the elders of Pharaoh’s household and all the elders of the land of Egypt— along with all of Joseph’s household, and his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children and flocks and herds were left in Goshen.

Chariots and horsemen alike went up with him, and it was an exceedingly large procession. When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wailed loudly, and Joseph mourned for his father seven days.

When the Canaanites of the land saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a solemn ceremony of mourning by the Egyptians.” Thus the place across the Jordan is called Abel-mizraim. (“mourning of the Egyptians”)

So Jacob’s sons did as he had charged them. They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.

After Joseph had buried his father, he returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father.

Joseph Comforts His Brothers

“When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge? Then he will surely repay us for all the evil that we did to him.”

So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Before he died, your father commanded, ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I beg you, please forgive the transgression and sin of your brothers, for they did you wrong.’ So now, Joseph, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.”

When their message came to him, Joseph wept. His brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, “We are your slaves!”

But Joseph replied, “Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God? As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people. Therefore do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” So Joseph reassured his brothers and spoke kindly to them.

The Death of Joseph

Now Joseph and his father’s household remained in Egypt, and Joseph lived to the age of 110. He saw Ephraim’s sons to the third generation, and indeed the sons of Machir son of Manasseh were brought up on Joseph’s knees. (placed on his knees at birth)

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” And Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath and said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.” So Joseph died at the age of 110. And they embalmed his body and placed it in a coffin in Egypt.”

Jacob dies at the age of 147, and all of Egypt mourns with Joseph. Afte being dragged off to Egypt as a teen-age slave, Joseph has now become the savior of Egypt, revered, respected, and even loved. When Joseph’s father dies, the Egyptians give him the same honor they would give to one of their own nobles with forty days for embalming and seventy days of mourning in Egypt. Then when Joseph and his brothers are bringing Jacob’s body back to Canaan, the Egyptians send a high-level delegation to accompany the body and to witness the burial in the cave at Machpelah. “Then Joseph went to bury his father, and all the servants of Pharaoh accompanied him—the elders of Pharaoh’s household and all the elders of the land of Egypt— along with all of Joseph’s household, and his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children and flocks and herds were left in Goshen. Chariots and horsemen alike went up with him, and it was an exceedingly large procession. When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wailed loudly, and Joseph mourned for his father seven days.”

Viewed from the vantage of millenia, we might not appreciate the singular honor Pharaoh and his give to Joseph and his family. At this time, the Egyptians are one of the leading nations in the world scientifically, artistically, and militarily. The Egyptians have a very high opinion of themselves and a relatively low opinion of those from other nations; however, Joseph has so distinguished himself that the Egyptians treat him as one of their own nobles. Pharoah can’t leave Egypt but all his elders and the elders of the land make the long trip to Canaan and back, all to honor Joseph. The man who has named his son Manasseh because he is a “stranger in a strange land,” has found a second home in Egypt.

Once Jacob’s funeral is over, Joseph’s brothers become very worried. What if Joseph has been waiting all these years just to take vengeance once his father is out of the way? If Joseph had never suffered through years of slavery and imprisonment, his brothers’ fears might be justified. But Joseph has learned to forgive and to move on. Joseph has also learned how precious family can be and he wants to build family relationships, not destroy them. “Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God? As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people. Therefore do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” So Joseph reassured his brothers and spoke kindly to them.“

Joseph’s story is one with a series of satisfying and happy endings. God transforms the bratty little brother who begins by tattling on his older brothers into a leader who delivers not only his own family but the entire nation of Egypt as well as untold other surrounding nations when famine strikes the Middle East. After years of separation, Joseph is reunited with his family and painful relationships are healed. Jacob the patriarch witnesses the salvation of his family and is reunited with Joseph, even enjoying being a grandfather to Joseph’s children. Joseph himself lives to the age of 110 and enjoys his grandchildren. But Joseph always remembers that this stay in Egypt is temporary and causes his family to swear to carry his bones back to Canaan.

My husband and I have spent years as “strangers in a strange land.” We have served the people of our small town through our work at the hospital. My husband has helped found the Local Council of Churches and also regularly ministers to uniformed service personnel. Our lives are woven together with those of our friends and neighbors. We have already told family and friends that if we die in our little village, our friends should bury us here and honor us by spending the money they would uses for an elaborate funeral to educate young people. Our greatest joys come from celebrating the accomplishments of those around us.

We can testify that when you serve people, they will respond and you will have peace. Yes, there will be challenges and struggles and frustrations. But the same God who brought Joseph through all his problems can also bring you through as well.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust that when You call us to leave our own cultures and families, You will supply friends and families wherever You send us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.   

Genesis 49:1-33  Jacob Blesses His Sons

“Then Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather around so that I can tell you what will happen to you in the days to come: Come together and listen, O sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.

Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power. Uncontrolled as the waters, you will no longer excel, because you went up to your father’s bed, onto my couch and defiled it.

Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are weapons of violence. May I never enter their council;

may I never join their assembly. For they kill men in their anger, and hamstring oxen on a whim. Cursed be their anger, for it is strong, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will disperse them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.

Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you. Judah is a young lion—my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his. He ties his donkey to the vine, his colt to the choicest branch. He washes his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk. (Judah sounds like the Hebrew for praise.)

Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore and become a harbor for ships; his border shall extend to Sidon.

Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds. He saw that his resting place was good and that his land was pleasant, so he bent his shoulder to the burden and submitted to labor as a servant.

Dan shall provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. He will be a snake by the road,

a viper in the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward. I await Your salvation, O LORD. (Dan means he has judged or he has vindicated.)

Gad will be attacked by raiders, but he will attack their heels. (Gad sounds like the Hebrew for raid and also for band of raiders.)

Asher’s food will be rich; he shall provide royal delicacies.

Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.

Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring, whose branches scale the wall. The archers attacked him with bitterness, and aimed in hostility. Yet he steadied his bow, and his strong arms were tempered

by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, in the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, by the God of your father who helps you, and by the Almighty who blesses you, with blessings of the heavens above,

with blessings of the depths below, with blessings of the breasts and womb. The blessings of your father have surpassed the blessings of the ancient mountains (or of my ancestors) and the bounty of the everlasting hills. May they rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince of his brothers.

Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder.”

These are the tribes of Israel, twelve in all, and this was what their father said to them. He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable blessing.

The Death of Jacob

Then Jacob instructed them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site. There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and there I buried Leah. The field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the Hittites.” When Jacob had finished instructing his sons, he pulled his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and he was gathered to his people.”

Jacob is dying, and as is customary, he is pronouncing prophetic blessings over his sons. Obviously, Jacob has no illusions about the nature of his sons, as evidenced by the comments on Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. But notice the prophecy in verse 10 about Shiloh. These words embody one of the earliest prophecies about the coming Messiah, who will come from the tribe of Judah. “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.”

In Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, there are magnificent stained-glass windows created by Marc Chagall depicting the prophecies of Genesis 49 and Deuteronomy 33. For a good look at these windows, you can go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoirjEu4P60

 Reuben forced Bilhah, his father’s concubine, to have sex with him, hence the comments about lack of self-control. When Dinah, Jacob’s daughter was raped by the son of a local ruler from Shechem, Simeon and Levi were the ones who organized the destruction of Shechem. The tribe of Levi will wind up being dispersed because this tribe will handle the worship of Elohim and its members will be scattered throughout Israel to serve in temples.

The tribe of Simeon never amounts to very much once the Israelites return to Canaan. “Although the tribe did receive some land, it eventually ended up conflating with the Tribe of Judah. The Tribe of Simeon thus became one of the 10 Lost Tribes of Israel since, after the Babylonian Exile in 586 BCE, there is no evidence of what happened to the tribe and it probably assimilated into other cultures.” https://study.com/academy/lesson/tribe-of-simeon-history-symbol-facts.html#:~:text=Although%20the%20tribe%20did%20receive,probably%20assimilated%20into%20other%20cultures.

Eventually the tribe of Benjamin will produce many outstanding warriors, including King Saul. The blessings over Joseph are obvious and stem from his success in Egypt. But some of the other blessings are clearly prophetic and only future generations will see their fulfillment.

 Jacob prophesies over his sons and then dies, after having given specific instructions about the site of his burial. After a tumultuous life of 147 years, Jacob the supplanter and deceiver, has become Israel, the man who has struggled with God and prevailed. God has allowed Jacob to be reunited with Joseph and hopefully to have peace in the family before he dies.

As a surgeon, I have witnessed many different circumstances surrounding death. Among the saddest are those who die suddenly from accidents or heart attacks, leaving their loved ones no time to adjust to the idea of their dying and frequently leaving large amounts of family conflicts unresolved. More chronic diseases such as cancer are tragic; however, families have time to adjust to the idea that their beloved is dying. Frequently, family members of those killed in accidents are simply in shock, lost for words. When I was a surgical intern, I was on duty at an ER over a major holiday weekend. A pickup truck with several teen-agers was proceeding legally when a drunk driver crossed the center line, plowing into the pickup and killing its occupants. As the ER doctor, I was forced to call the father of the driver to inform him of his son’s death. This poor man kept repeating, “Lady, you must be kidding!” Sadly, I was not.

When my father was dying, I was in Ghana; however, two different sets of friends called on Dad on my behalf. One lady doctor had visited us in Saboba and was a farmer’s daughter from Iowa, so Dad and she got along beautifully. Another friend was a close personal friend from childhood and a leading member of our tight-knit community. Two days before Dad died, he called his pastor and outlined the program for his funeral, ensuring that each of the grandchildren would have a part of some kind. Dad chose the hymns to be sung and the scriptures to be read. It was a very moving service.

My advice after a lifetime spent in medicine: make peace with your family members as quickly as possible and as thoroughly as possible! You can say “I’m sorry” to a tombstone, but it’s much better to heal relationships while the person is still alive. And if you are an older person with lots of belongings, follow my grandmother’s example. Grandma moved into town from the farm when she was 90, but she still had a lot of her little knickknacks. The last two years of Grandma’s life, when we visited, she would urge us to select something to take home with us. That way, people got what they wanted and Grandma didn’t have the burden of trying to divide up her things.

These days, one of the most common phrases I find myself using is “Bless you!” I bless people who have helped me in the theater(OR). I bless people who help me in stores. I bless people when I pray for them. Blessings are always appreciated and never wasted. The Bible advises us not to allow the sun to go down on our anger, in other words, settle all disputes by the close of the day. When Corrie Ten Boom was traveling with younger ladies as companions, she always insisted that they keep short accounts with each other, that they settle any small differences before they became larger ones. Corrie Ten Boom had survived German concentration camps after her family was arrested for hiding Jews in their home. Corrie had seen what could happen when people harbored grudges, and she wanted no part of it.

Keep very short accounts with your family and friends! 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 tells us, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs. Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” No matter how badly someone has hurt us, it is nothing compared to the pain we may suffer if we refuse to reconcile with them while they are alive.

I am re-reading a series of novels by Tony Hillerman about Navajo police officers. The Navajos are very concerned with maintaining hozho. Hozho is said to be the most important word in the Navajo language and is loosely translated as peace, balance, beauty, and harmony. To be “in Hozho” is to be at one with and a part of the world around you. (https://bluffutah.org/what-is-hozo-2/#:~:text=Hozho%20is%20said%20to%20be,of%20the%20world%20around%20you.) The Jewish word for peace is “Shalom,” implying something very similar to hozho. Today, I urge you to strive for Shalom, strive for hozho!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to settle family matters quickly so that we will live in peace and harmony. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 48:1-21 Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh

“Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed.

Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me and told me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you; I will make you a multitude of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’

And now your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here shall be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. Any children born to you after them shall be yours, and they shall be called by the names of their brothers in the territory they inherit.

Now as for me, when I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way in the land of Canaan, some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).

When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”

Joseph said to his father, “They are the sons God has given me in this place.”

So Jacob said, “Please bring them to me, that I may bless them.”

Now Israel’s eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly see. Joseph brought his sons to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.

“I never expected to see your face again,” Israel said to Joseph, “but now God has let me see your children as well.”

Then Joseph removed his sons from his father’s knees and bowed facedown.

And Joseph took both of them—with Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand—and brought them close to him. But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger; and crossing his hands, he put his left on Manasseh’s head, although Manasseh was the firstborn. Then he blessed Joseph and said:

“May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has redeemed me from all harm—may He bless these boys. And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth.”

When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he was displeased and took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s. “Not so, my father!” Joseph said. “This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”

But his father refused. “I know, my son, I know!” he said. “He too shall become a people, and he too shall be great; nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.”

So that day Jacob blessed them and said: “By you shall Israel pronounce this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” So he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. And to you, as one who is above your brothers, I give the ridge of land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.” (Shechem)

Few things are more important than a father’s favor and few things are more painful than a father who withholds favor and affection. After long years of separation from Jacob, Joseph gets to enjoy seventeen years with him before Jacob dies. Presumably, Joseph’s other brothers also enjoy more of their father’s favor now that Jacob has been reunited with Joseph and is no longer obsessing over that loss. Jacob blesses Joseph’s sons, claiming them as his own and promising that they will inherit along with Joseph’s other brothers. Finally, Jacob pronounces special prophecies over Ephraim and Manasseh, proclaiming that while Manasseh’s offspring will be great, Ephraim will become “a multitude of nations.” And Jacob promises that in the future, the Israelites will bless themselves by saying “May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.” 

These days, fatherhood is under attack. Fractured marriages generally lead to children living with their mothers but without a father’s love, care, and teaching. Many fathers have grown up without fathers to serve as examples and are unsure how to behave. Some proponents of the feminist movement have attempted to push the idea that fathers are unnecessary except as sperm donors; however, that is not true. God has instituted family units for many good reasons. All children need the male perspective as part of their rearing. If fathers are doing it right, they protect, guide, instruct, and teach. Our hospital General Manager consistently quotes his father’s traditional wisdom as part of the foundation for the manner in which he handles himself. Women who grow up with strong loving fathers value themselves and are not easily swayed by flattery or deception from men. Such women are less likely to wind up in abusive situations.  

I am a female surgeon functioning in a traditionally male specialty, but I have the greatest respect for good effective fathers. Many of my fellow female surgeons have come from families with strong father figures, but I have not. While my father was able to be effective in public, sadly, he spent much of his private life struggling with depression and only received proper treatment long after I was out of the house. When people speak of fathers as protectors, I have trouble relating because my clearest memories of my father are of a man whose emotional state was so fragile that my mother repeatedly warned us “not to worry your father.” My world might be falling apart; however, I couldn’t share my struggles because it might cause my father concern. It was my mother who held the family together and also interpreted my father for me. “Your father thinks….” It has taken much of my adult life for me to realize Mom was trying to provide what Dad could not, namely, approval and encouragement.

While depression can rob children of proper fathering, so can obsessions with work, gambling, alcohol, etc. Even worse, some fathers are emotionally, sexually, or physically abusive. Joseph’s story graphically illustrates the results of a father with tunnel vision who lavishes all his love on the sons of one wife while neglecting ten other sons. God uses a bad situation to move Jacob’s family to Egypt; however, had Jacob been a better father, God could have undoubtedly worked that out some other way.    

What can you do if you have grown up without a strong father figure? Ask God to reveal Himself as your Father. Also ask God to send you men who can model good fathering for you. God longs for all of us to be emotionally healthy, and He has unlimited means of bringing that to pass. If your earthly father has not blessed you, ask your Heavenly Father for His blessing.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us long for a father’s love, approbation, and encouragement. We need a father’s protection. You have proclaimed in Your Word that You are a father to the fatherless. Please come into our lives and provide the fathering we all need. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 47:1-31

Jacob Settles in Goshen

“So Joseph went and told Pharaoh: “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen.”

And he chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.

“What is your occupation?” Pharaoh asked Joseph’s brothers.

“Your servants are shepherds,” they replied, “both we and our fathers.”

Then they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live in the land for a time, because there is no pasture for the flocks of your servants, since the famine in the land of Canaan has been severe. So now, please allow your servants to settle in the land of Goshen.”

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your father and brothers have come to you, the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land. They may dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know of any talented men among them, put them in charge of my own livestock.”

Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

“How many years have you lived?” Pharaoh asked.

“My travels have lasted 130 years,” Jacob replied. “My years have been few and hard, and they have not matched the years of the travels of my fathers.”

Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and departed from his presence.

So Joseph settled his father and brothers in the land of Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. Joseph also provided his father and brothers and all his father’s household with food for their families.

Joseph’s Leadership during the Famine

Yet there was no food throughout that region, because the famine was so severe; the lands of Egypt and Canaan had been exhausted by the famine. Joseph collected all the money to be found in the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan in exchange for the grain they were buying, and he brought it into Pharaoh’s palace. When the money from the lands of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our funds have run out!”

“Then bring me your livestock,” said Joseph. “Since the money is gone, I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock.” So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, the animals of their flocks and herds, and their donkeys. Throughout that year he provided them with food in exchange for all their livestock.

When that year was over, they came to him the second year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord that our money is gone and all our livestock belongs to you. There is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Purchase us and our land in exchange for food. Then we, along with our land, will be slaves to Pharaoh. Give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.”

So Joseph acquired for Pharaoh all the land in Egypt; the Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields because the famine was so severe upon them. The land became Pharaoh’s, and Joseph reduced the people to servitude from one end of Egypt to the other. However, he did not acquire the priests’ portion of the land, for it had been given to them by Pharaoh. They ate the rations that Pharaoh supplied; so they did not sell their land.

Then Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh this day, here is seed for you to sow in the land. At harvest time, you are to give a fifth of it to Pharaoh, and four-fifths will be yours as seed for the field and food for yourselves and your households and children.”

“You have saved our lives,” they said. “We have found favor in our lord’s eyes, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.” So Joseph established a law that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh, and it is in effect in the land of Egypt to this day. Only the priests’ land does not belong to Pharaoh.

The Israelites Prosper in Goshen

Thus the Israelites settled in the land of Egypt, in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and became fruitful and increased greatly in number. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years, and the length of his life was 147 years.

When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise to show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, but when I lie down with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me with them.”

Joseph answered, “I will do as you have requested.”

“Swear to me,” Jacob said.

So Joseph swore to him, and Israel bowed in worship at the head of his bed.”

By the time Joseph’s family reaches Egypt, the famine has been on for two years with five years left to go. Because of the cost of food, the Egyptians have sold all their livestock to Pharoah, plus making themselves Pharaoh’s slaves. But while one-fifth of the seed is to go to Pharaoh, the Egyptians are to keep four-fifths of it to feed themselves and plant in the coming year. While these measures might seem draconian, Joseph is helping sustain an entire nation. If Joseph reduces the price of food for Egyptians, those from other nations may complain. Also notice that although the Egyptians sell all their animals to Pharaoh, Joseph’s family keeps their animals while occupying Goshen, and the family multiplies, forming the nucleus for a new nation.

Jacob lives for twelve years after the end of the famine, dying at the age of 147. When Jacob is dying, he makes Joseph put his hand in the same place the angel touched while wrestling with Jacob so many years ago. Joseph swears that he will bury Jacob in Canaan and not in Egypt. Jacob bows his head in worship and dies.

Joseph has fulfilled his God-given task of saving the Egyptians and his family. Why does God move Jacob and his family to Egypt for four hundred years? Weather patterns in Canaan may be unfavorable for their herds. In addition, there is the statement God made to Abraham so many years ago that “the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” Looking back on Abraham’s story, we realize that Abraham had close friends who were Amorites and evidently faithful men. God is protecting the Israelites from the influence of the Canaanite religions, although the Egyptian religion has many failings as well.

Many times, we ask God for things and expect instant answers, even though our timing may be totally wrong. God is the One who knows the end from the beginning and He is the One who knows when things need to happen. Had Joseph never suffered in prison or learned how to run an upper-class Egyptian household or a prison, he would not have matured as an administrator. Joseph’s sufferings in prison honed him and perfected him for the job God had for him. Joseph’s brothers needed to live without him to witness their father’s grief and to realize that eliminating Joseph would not solve their family relationship problems.

C.H. Spurgeon said in one of his sermons that when it was time for the Jews to leave Egypt, God would not keep them there a single second longer. God’s timing is always perfect; we are the ones who are impatient.

After years of grieving over Joseph, Jacob has the satisfaction of being reunited with him for seventeen years before dying, and Joseph is the one who closes Jacob’s eyes at his death. Joseph has probably been longing for this opportunity as well. In December 2011, my father was slowly succumbing to heart failure from an old cardiac injury. I longed for the chance to be with my father when he died; yet, I was the only doctor for our hospital and Christmas was approaching. At Christmas and New Year’s all the doctors from small district hospitals in our area leave their posts to return home. Our facility is one of the few that remains ready to perform emergency operations. I couldn’t possibly leave Ghana at that point. From noon to 12:30 pm on December 16^th I had the most severe chest pain I had ever felt, and then it suddenly left me. Later that afternoon, I received word that my father had died at 6:30 AM, the same time at which the chest pain disappeared. I firmly believe that God allowed me to share in the pain of my dad’s last heart attack as a way of being with him.

Are you frustrated and fidgety, feeling that your life is going nowhere fast and opportunities are passing you by? Ask God to show you what He wants you to learn from your present situation. Certainly, Joseph would never have chosen to be a prisoner for more than a decade or to be falsely accused; yet, the suffering he underwent made him the leader he eventually became. During God’s interview with Moses at the burning bush, God asked Moses, “What is that in your hand?” Moses was carrying his shepherd’s staff. Using that staff, Moses did miracles, bringing plagues on Egypt and eventually leading the Israelites through the Red Sea. Moses used that staff to bring water from rocks and to bring victory to the Israelites over the Amalekites. But the staff was only an ordinary piece of wood. Perhaps there is something in your situation that God wants to use, but you have ignored it because you thought it was too minor to be of any use. Ask God.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us feel frustrated, assuming that we should be further along in our careers or somewhere else. Open our eyes to see the resources You have built into our current situations. Help us to stop disdaining little things and to appreciate them instead. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 46:1-34 Jacob’s Journey to Egypt

“So Israel set out with all that he had, and when he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. And that night God spoke to Israel in a vision: “Jacob, Jacob!” He said.

“Here I am,” replied Jacob.

“I am God, ” He said, “the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely bring you back. And Joseph’s own hands will close your eyes.”

Then Jacob departed from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel took their father Jacob in the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him, along with their children and wives. They also took their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt.

Those Who Went to Egypt (Exodus 1:1-7)
Jacob took with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons, and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring…All those belonging to Jacob who came to Egypt—his direct descendants, besides the wives of Jacob’s sons—numbered sixty-six persons. And with the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family who went to Egypt were seventy in all.

Jacob Arrives in Egypt
Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When Jacob’s family arrived in the land of Goshen, Joseph prepared his chariot and went there to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, embraced him, and wept profusely.
Then Israel said to Joseph, “Finally I can die, now that I have seen your face and know that you are still alive!”
Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and inform Pharaoh: ‘My brothers and my father’s household from the land of Canaan have come to me. The men are shepherds; they raise livestock, and they have brought their flocks and herds and all that they own.’
When Pharaoh summons you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ you are to say, ‘Your servants have raised livestock ever since our youth—both we and our fathers.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”

When Jacob left his parents, fleeing from Esau, he traveled alone without even a donkey. Now Jacob has arrived in Egypt with a family of seventy people. Even though Jacob/Israel has not been the greatest father, God still blesses him by speaking to him and assuring him that God is going to make his family into a great nation, that Joseph will close his eyes when he dies, and that his descendants will eventually return to Canaan.

When Jacob and his family arrive in Egypt, Joseph gives them a royal welcome and advises them to inform Pharaoh that they are shepherds and herdsmen. Although the Egyptians certainly eat meat, they disdain those who care for livestock. Joseph’s canny advice ensures that his family will locate in an area with rich grazing and that they will remain separate from the Egyptians, maintaining their identity. Joseph has spent long enough in Egypt that he is less than thrilled about the Egyptian religion with its obsessions about death.

Even though Joseph’s brothers have mistreated him badly in the past, Joseph realizes that God has used all those events to fit him for his current position. Now Joseph does his very best for his family, locating them in a choice spot. Truly, Joseph has matured into an able leader.

Joseph’s story can serve as an example for all of us. Face it, most of us have to deal with difficult people, whether relatives, acquaintances, or colleagues at work. Throughout Joseph’s struggles, he continues to learn as much as possible, refusing to descend into bitterness. Were Joseph to succumb to self-pity, his story might have ended far differently. But Joseph forgives and moves forward.

One of the most important life lessons we can learn is to become un-offendable. As long as we respond to irritations by being offended, we are handing someone our heads on a platter, giving Satan control over our emotions. The key to Joseph’s success lies in his refusal to descend into bitterness or dreams of retaliation. May we learn this lesson early, well, and permanently!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to focus so much on You that we refuse to take offense, no matter how strong the temptation. We ask this in the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

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.

Genesis 44:1- Benjamin and the Silver Cup

“Then Joseph instructed his steward: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver in the mouth of his sack. Put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.”

So the steward did as Joseph had instructed.

At daybreak, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, “Pursue the men at once, and when you overtake them, ask, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil? Is this not the cup that my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!’”

When the steward overtook them, he relayed these words to them.

“Why does my lord say these things?” they asked. “Your servants could not possibly do such a thing. We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found in the mouths of our sacks. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? If any of your servants is found to have it, he must die, and the rest will become slaves of my lord.”

“As you say,” replied the steward. “But only the one who is found with the cup will be my slave, and the rest of you shall be free of blame.”

So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest—and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. Then they all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.

When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.

“What is this deed you have done?” Joseph declared. “Did you not know that a man like me can surely divine the truth?”

“What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed the iniquity of your servants. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one who was found with the cup.”

But Joseph replied, “Far be it from me to do this. The man who was found with the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may return to your father in peace.”

Judah Pleads for Benjamin

Then Judah approached Joseph and said, “Sir, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are an equal to Pharaoh. My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’

And we answered, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’

Then you told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so that I can see him for myself.’

So we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.’

But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’

Now when we returned to your servant my father, we relayed your words to him.

Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy us some food.’

But we answered, ‘We cannot go down there unless our younger brother goes with us. So if our younger brother is not with us, we cannot see the man.’

And your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. When one of them was gone, I said: “Surely he has been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since. So if you take this one from me as well and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.’

So if the boy is not with us when I return to your servant, my father—his life is wrapped up in the boy’s life— when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. Indeed, your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will bear the guilt before you, my father, all my life.’

Now please let your servant stay here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him return with his brothers. For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the misery that would overwhelm him.”

Well, Joseph is finally taking a small revenge on his brothers for their heinous act of selling him into slavery. Each one of these men long for their father’s approval, and they have belatedly realized the only way they might get it is to protect Benjamin as much as possible. Too bad these guys didn’t feel the same way about Joseph! Joseph fully realizes what’s happening and devises a trap by putting his brothers’ silver into their sacks and placing his personal drinking cup in Benjamin’s sack. Joseph then dispatches his steward to pursue his brothers and arrest the one in whose sack the cup is found. Notice the description of that cup: “Is this not the cup that my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!’”  Whether or not Joseph actually uses that cup for divination, it’s obviously a common practice among Egyptian nobles, and the steward assumes Joseph observes that practice.

When Joseph’s cup is found in Benjamin’s sack, the brothers tear their clothing in despair and return to Joseph. Now Judah is begging that Joseph make him a slave instead of Benjamin, even though Judah originally advised his brothers to sell Joseph to the Midianite slave traders. “Now please let your servant stay here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him return with his brothers. For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the misery that would overwhelm him.” When the brothers originally sold Joseph into slavery, they thought they were merely ridding themselves of a pesty nuisance and that now the affection and love Jacob had lavished on Joseph would come to them. But this plan failed drastically because Jacob grieved for Joseph as though Joseph and Benjamin were his only sons while the others were simply glorified servants. Even though Jacob doesn’t seem to love his other sons, his other sons still love him and long for his affection and approval.

At this point, Joseph’s brothers are bitterly regretting their former sins against him and facing the possibility that one or more of them will remain as slaves in Egypt forever. Given the restrictions that Jacob has placed on the brothers as they have set out, these men are probably wondering if it’s worth it to return to Canaan. If Joseph has hoped for revenge, he is getting it. But is it worth it?

Actions always have consequences. During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus advised his listeners, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48)

James 1:19-20 tells us, “My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.” If someone has hurt you badly and you do everything you can to destroy him or her, what if you have misjudged that person? There’s a story told in one of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books about a lady who had a pen pal at a time when people would write into newspapers and the correspondence would be published. This lady had a neighbor whom she despised; meanwhile, she loved the woman with whom she was corresponding and longed to meet her. Imagine this lady’s remorse when her neighbor died and she found copies of their correspondence at her neighbor’s house. The very woman this lady despised was her beloved pen pal friend! This woman had wasted years of spite and bitterness when she could have enjoyed a loving relationship, and now the opportunity was lost forever. Friends, let all of us be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger! Our anger will not bring about righteousness and we are in danger of grieving God, our Father.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to forgive quickly and leave grudges alone. Help us also to remember that we may be judging on the basis of misinformation and it is far better to be patient with others rather than to retaliate, hurting someone needlessly. We ask these things in the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 43:1-34 The Return to Egypt with Benjamin

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

But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you. But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”

“Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another brother?”

They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”

And Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will go at once, so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children. I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life. If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.”

Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds. Take double the silver with you so that you may return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once. May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.” So the men took these gifts, along with double the amount of silver, and Benjamin as well. They made their way down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

Joseph’s Hospitality to His Brothers

When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon.” The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to Joseph’s house.

But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”

So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. “Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food. But when we came to the place we lodged for the night, we opened our sacks and, behold, each of us found his silver in the mouth of his sack! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us. We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.”

“It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys.

Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon. When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.

He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?”

“Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.

When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Then he declared, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”

Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep. Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.”

They served Joseph’s brothers separately from him and the Egyptians who ate with him, because Egyptians would not eat with Hebrews, since that was detestable to them. They were seated before him in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at each other in astonishment. When the portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph.”

You have to feel sorry for Jacob’s ten older sons. It’s been said that as we age, we become what we always have been, only more so, as if our personalities are becoming more concentrated in the dehydration process of aging. Now it’s becoming unfortunately apparent that Jacob has not valued his older sons, but only his two sons from Rachel, his one true love. Jacob’s sons are middle-aged and old enough to have families and herds of their own; yet, Jacob doesn’t respect them or their opinions. Notice that Judah must argue long and hard before Jacob finally relents, and then it’s only because the entire family will starve if they don’t secure food from Egypt. Notice also Jacob’s self-pitying remark, “If I am bereaved, I am bereaved.” What a send-off for these men facing the arduous journey to Egypt!

By contrast, Joseph receives his brothers royally, assuring them that they do not owe anything, receiving them into the house, giving them water to wash their feet and fodder for their donkeys. Joseph also frees Simeon from prison so he is reunited with his other brothers. Then Joseph arranges a feast for the brothers, although as an upper-class Egyptian, Joseph must eat separately. But the food comes from Joseph’s own table, a singular honor. So far, Joseph is treating his brothers far better than they have previously treated him.

How do we treat people who have seriously offended or hurt us? The thirst for revenge is always strong; however, once we start on the path of vengeance, we may find that a little vengeance isn’t enough and that we want more. We will be drawn further and further into the darkness, never realizing that we are damning our own souls. God is giving Joseph the grace to avoid this pitfall.

The exchange of courtesies between Joseph and the brothers is also significant and a great example of how carefully the writer of Genesis has been to describe the scene accurately. As I am writing this, I have just returned from a sister clinic further north where part of the clinic land is in dispute. For the better part of two days, a delegation from our hospital has been part of the negotiations, including several meetings with chiefs and opinion leaders. It’s striking to realize that protocol in ancient Egypt closely resembles the protocols we have just observed during these meetings. We have had to consider such things as whether or not we need to remove our shoes as a sign of respect (sandals come off, and flip-flops are absolutely forbidden), whether or not my husband needs to remove his Navy Veteran ball cap (no for the ordinary meeting but yes for the meeting with the chief of the town), and when to kneel and clap hands in respect and approval.

Even body language while sitting and the misuse of cell phones can silently offend. One of those claiming the clinic land seriously damaged his standing with local authorities by removing his sandals when he should have left them on, then sitting with one leg crossed over another so that the bare sole of his foot was at knee level, thus silently indicating his contempt for everyone else in the meeting. (Throughout 80% of the world, showing the sole of your foot indicates you think all those around you are under your feet and therefore unworthy of respect.) To make matters worse, this same individual kept fumbling with his cell phone and then rushing out to receive calls, as if he was too important to remain in the meeting and give respect to the rest of the group. The traditional chiefs who were part of the general meetings severely criticized this man for his disrespectful behavior. This man was not a native of the town and had previously built somewhere else and had had the building demolished because he didn’t bother to get proper papers.

Joseph shows us a near-perfect example of forgiveness in the face of previous mistreatment. As we go on, we’ll see that Joseph does succumb to a bit of temptation, but he remains as a great demonstration of faith and forgiveness.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to forgive those who have hurt us, even when we have suffered for years as a result of their sins. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 42: 25-38 Joseph’s Brothers Return to Canaan

“Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out, and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed.

At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack. “My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.”

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

When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they described to him all that had happened to them: “The man who is the lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.

But we told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies. We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’

Then the man who is the lord of the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go. But bring your youngest brother back 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.’”

As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed.

Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is happening against me!”

Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.”

But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”

You must feel really sorry for the remaining nine brothers! Ten men went to Egypt and now they have returned without Simeon. To make things even worse, Jacob lambasts them for losing Simeon, as if they had a choice, and for the request to bring Benjamin and return to Egypt. Jacob refers to Benjamin as “my son,” but all these other men are also Jacob’s sons. Now it’s obvious that Jacob really only values Rachel’s children, disdaining those born of Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah. More now than ever, Jacob demonstrates his failings as a father and grandfather. Tragically, Jacob behaves as if he only has two sons and the remainder of his progeny are simply hired servants. To Jacob, these other sons are useful for herding animals and running to Egypt to bargain for grain, but he doesn’t love them. Even though Reuben is willing to give his own sons into Jacob’s care and allow Jacob to kill them if Benjamin doesn’t return, Jacob doesn’t care. Obviously, Jacob also doesn’t love his grandchildren either.

Few things are more painful than being born to an unfavorite wife in a polygamous family. During our first missionary term, we lived with a businessman who had three wives-one was a virtual prisoner in the house, one was the youngest and the favorite, and the remaining wife had separated from this man but remained dependent on him for her children’s expenses. We once watched as that wife was forced to stand nearly two hours in the blazing noonday sun before this man would deign to give her the money for her children’s school fees. Another friend was the child of an unfavorite wife. When the results of the Senior Secondary School leaving exam were cancelled the year he wrote the exam, his father refused to pay the exam fees the next year, leaving him without the results he needed to go on for further education. Yet another friend, a hospital administrator, and the son of an unfavorite wife, had had to earn his high school fees by selling tea and bread at the roadside. Years later, when our friend was succeeding, he happened to meet his father. This man’s father was so out of touch that the only help he offered this man was a job weeding on his farm. Even in cultures where polygamy is uncommon, families may be shattered by repeated divorces. Family members may be unsure of anyone’s love because the family dynamics are in a continual state of flux.

Gaining peace under such circumstances is a near-impossibility as long as you are looking for peace from family members. Only God can truly give us peace. Perhaps you have come out of a highly dysfunctional situation, one in which you have never known peace. But God knows everything about your struggles, and God can give you His deep abiding peace, a peace that nobody can take away.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us feel torn up inside by family problems. We have no peace and no idea of how to get it. Please help us to look to You and allow You to heal us and soothe our souls. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 42:1-24  Joseph’s Brothers Sent to Egypt

“When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”

“Look,” he added, “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.”

So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him.”

So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan. Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.

When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked.

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

Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”

“Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your servants have come to buy food. We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.”

“No,” he told them. “You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”

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

Then Joseph said to them, “Just as I said, you are spies! And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be confined so that the truth of your words may be tested. If they are untrue, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!”

So Joseph imprisoned them for three days, and on the third day he said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God. If you are honest, leave one of your brothers in custody while the rest of you

go and take back grain to relieve the hunger of your households. Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.”

And to this they consented.

Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”

But Reuben replied: “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!”

They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them. And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.”

Well, the day of reckoning has finally arrived, that day Joseph dreamt about so long ago. Joseph is now the second most important man in Egypt, the one controlling grain sales, and his brothers have come bowing before him to buy grain. At first, Joseph questions them and accuses them of being spies. On the basis of that accusation, Joseph imprisons his brothers for three days. At this point, Joseph might be excused for thinking that a small taste of prison won’t hurt his brothers after the years he has already suffered. But then Joseph relents, releasing all the brothers apart from Simeon, and ordering the remaining brothers to return to Canaan and bring their youngest brother to him.

Why does Joseph choose Simeon as the hostage? Remember that years ago, Simeon did something wrong and Joseph reported Simeon to their father Jacob. Simeon likely retaliated by urging his brothers to sell Joseph to the slave traders. Joseph may be reveling in a bit of payback time. But is Joseph really enjoying all this? Granted, Joseph speaks roughly to his brothers; however, when Joseph hears his brothers discussing his capture and realizes that Reuben tried to save him, he retreats into another room and weeps bitterly.  

Joseph can’t leave Egypt; he’s up to his neck in responsibility. If Joseph is to see his brother Benjamin and his elderly father, he must create a situation that will force both of them to come. What Joseph is doing is very necessary, but he isn’t enjoying this process nearly as much as he has anticipated. After years of being in Egypt and listening to the Egyptian language, Joseph’s brothers’ speech is music to his ears. The familiar cadence and the expressions are stirring forgotten memories in Joseph’s heart. Now Joseph is remembering good times he has enjoyed with these men and revenge is swiftly losing its appeal. To learn that Reuben was never involved in the plot against him and wanted to save him brings a kind of healing Joseph has never anticipated. But he has to play the part of the harsh aristocratic Egyptian official, no matter his actual feelings.

If someone has hurt us deeply and we then have opportunity to get revenge, what will we do? There is a saying that “Revenge is a dish best served cold,” but really, revenge only creates more problems. Matthew 6:14-15 tells us, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.“

James 1:19-20 also says, “My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.” Jesus even advised his disciples that if someone slapped them on one cheek, they should turn the other, so that their adversary could slap that as well.

Tribalism is one of the curses of Africa. No matter how honest a person might be, if a tribe mate or a family member comes requesting special favors, it is very difficult to refuse them. By the same token, human resource managers in various companies might favor those from their tribe over others who are equally deserving of promotion. At the same time, there are long-standing frictions between various tribes that go back hundred of years. Recently, one speaker in a large meeting referred to another one of the guests from a different tribe as his “slave.” And here in Ghana, if a member of one tribe refers to a member of another tribe as his “playmate,” I look for the closest exit. It’s not play that’s being referred to here, but conflict.

God is the Author of peace and God is not a God of confusion. Revenge only brings confusion and a reaction from the opposite party. Such conflicts never die down but escalate, hurting untold numbers of innocent people. And once the demons have succeeded in creating conflict in one location, they can spark conflict in other places as well. During the Northern Ethnic Conflict of 1994, places in southern Ghana that had been peaceful for years suddenly erupted with chieftaincy disputes and land disputes. As I am writing this, a village about 50 miles north of us has become a “no-go” zone because of a chieftaincy conflict. Health workers have had to withdraw for fear that they may become casualties.

In today’s lesson, Joseph sees his dreams come true, but the experience is anything but enjoyable. Reality is not matching the mental pictures Joseph has been cherishing during his years of prison. Truly, paybacks don’t bring peace.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, some who are reading these words may have been badly hurt and may have been considering ways they can get revenge. Speak to their hearts and calm them. Let these loved ones know that revenge is unnecessary and will only lead to worse problems. Give them peace. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.