The Life of Joseph - Lesson 30, Continuing the Life of Joseph in Egypt.

Genesis 45:8,  So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Men and women of faith see God's hand in everything that happens to them.

And when they see that hand they know that whatever their enemy brings their way they know that God will take it and make good to come from it.

People of God praise God in all things for all things are worked by God for good.

And unless you see God's hand in all things forgiveness will not come.

It was not you that sent me hither but God.

Reconciliation comes through forgiveness, and forgiveness is true forgiveness by recognizing the sovereignty of God.

Joseph, who was wronged by his brothers, saw these things as God saw and planned them, and communicated that to his brothers as the basis for his compassion and forgiveness.

And because of this reconciliation was possible.

Anyone who bears a grudge does not understand the sovereignty of God.

The same God who is jealous to keep to himself all vengeance.

So by the grace of Joseph he continues to amaze his brothers.

Have their mouths closed yet from this amazing revelation or do they continue to be awestruck?

Can they believe what they see or what they have heard?

No time to settle down for Joseph is in a hurry.

Genesis 45:9-15,  Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not: And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast: And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty. And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you. And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither. And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.

Such good news to rush home and tell Jacob.

But along with this good news the truth must now be told.

Go up to your father and say unto him,

Joseph? Jacob would ask in incredulity.

Joseph not dead but Joseph the lord of all Egypt?

How could this be?

How did Joseph get down to Egypt?

How did he escape death from the mouth of the beast?

Again the brothers mental stability was to be challenged.

Reckoning day was finally here when Jacob was to learn the truth and in learning the truth he was to learn again the deceitfulness and wickedness of the hearts of his sons.

22 years was not enough to hide their sin for their sin had found them out.

But their sin against Joseph had been forgiven and they were commanded to return to the father and tell him of Joseph's glory.

Genesis 45:16,  And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.

How good this shows the testimony of Joseph in Egypt.

How well esteemed was Joseph.

And how good and noble this shows the Pharaoh.

The Pharaoh was pleased at Joseph's good fortune in being reunited with his brothers.

But not only the Pharaoh was pleased but the servants were pleased.

Joseph was formerly a slave but now Egypt sees that he was from an important family of a near land.

How good it is to rejoice with those who rejoice instead of thinking yourself not so favored.

What about me is heard so much when others are blessed instead of enjoying their blessing with them and even making the blessing more blessed.

And also note that nothing was said about the brothers past sins.

All was forgiven as if those sins had never happened.

That is what true forgiveness is, it is forgetting about what happened and not letting what happened affect any part of the future.

Genesis 45:17-18,  And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.

Joseph had said to his brothers "Haste ye, and go up to my father," and bring him to me.

The Pharaoh validates this command and puts into place actions that will make this possible and efficient.

Again we are given proof of the Pharaoh's high esteem for Joseph, the esteem of a father to an obedient son.

This action expresses the Pharaoh's heart as a father to his son.

This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.

Genesis 45:19-20,  Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.

Joseph had told his brothers to return to Canaan and get all that thou hast.

Here the Pharaoh hastens this by offering them wagons for their little ones and a command to not worry to take all their stuff.

Don't be loaded down with stuff. I mean for you to come quickly.

This word stuff is from the Hebrew word keliy, kel-ee';

something prepared, any apparatus (as an implement, utensil, dress, vessel or weapon):--armour ([-bearer]), artillery, bag, carriage, + furnish, furniture, instrument, jewel, sack, stuff, thing, tool, vessel, ware, weapon, + whatsoever.

Regard not your stuff, don't attempt to take your stuff with you.

All the land of Egypt is yours.

Your stuff is not needed here.

Oh, how we think we need our stuff.

But do we really need our stuff?

How much of our stuff is really that important?

How much does stuff get in the way of doing God's will?

The New Testament Equivalent:

Philippians 3:13,  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,)

But the Pharaoh pinpoints that which is important.

Make sure you bring your little ones and your wives and your father but forget about your stuff!

Your stuff will simply hinder you, it will be an impediment, a hindrance, an obstruction to you in getting to Egypt.

Egypt has all the stuff you'll ever need.

That says something to those of us whom God has saved and will take us to heaven without any of our stuff.

Genesis 45:21-23,  And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way. To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment. And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way.

As the norm is with repentant sinners, in that God showers them with spiritual gifts, so we see here Joseph showering his repentant brothers with gifts.

As commanded by the Pharaoh the brothers leave with Egyptian wagons in which to bring their wives and children.

Wagons to these nomadic people were a treasure in themselves.

The Egyptian wagons will also help convince Jacob that Joseph is indeed in Egypt.

Joseph leaves nothing out of their provision.

He gives them changes of raiment which refers to festal garments.

A reminder of the fine white linen which will clothe the saints of Revelation as they prepare for the marriage of the Lamb.

He continues to favor Benjamin with extra shares of raiment and 300 pieces of silver.

This was to honor Benjamin as his full brother, the only brother to share the same mother.

Joseph had full right to favor Benjamin and to expect his brothers to accept this.

We are not to envy our brother but we are to rejoice in our brother's blessings.

Nothing is mentioned that they looked poorly on Benjamin.

Oh how he loved to be able to give gifts to his father.

How many years he had longed for this day.

His father had sent gifts to an unknown prince, a prince to be feared, hoping to soften his hand on his sons but Joseph sent gifts to his father because he loved him.

Note the possibility that Joseph added ten asses to the caravan that the brothers brought.

He sent ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt along with the ten asses laden with what they came to Egypt for, corn and bread and meat.

And at no cost!

How much more God gives us than what we expect.

We hold our hand out for ten and he gives us twenty.

Genesis 45:24,  So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.

So with this admonition Joseph releases his brothers to return to Jacob in Canaan.

Paul said it this way in Ephesians 5:2,  And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.)

See that you do not become agitated at each other.

He knew that there might be accusations and recriminations amongst them.

They would have time to think on the journey and they might begin to blame one another and to try to wiggle out of any responsibility in the sale of Joseph.

They would realize that the dreams of long ago had come true.

They would be thinking of the confessions that each would have to make to their father.

And even envying their brother Benjamin for the bountiful gifts he had received.

But Joseph's admonition is heeded for nothing is reported in the scriptures of any discord among the brothers.

Genesis 45:25-28,  And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father, And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not. And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived: And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.