Saturday, November 16, 2019

Genesis 45 - Joseph Makes Himself Known

Joseph, Pharaoh's Number 1 Man https://www.casualenglishbible.com/genesis-45/


Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com/2019/10/genesis.html
"Joseph sends everyone out of the dining room of his house except his brothers.  He weeps loudly and tells them that he is Joseph.  He forgives his brothers and said that everything that happened in the past was ordained and planned by God.  Joseph tells them that they can move everything they own to Egypt in the land of Goshen.  They will be able to survive the next five years of famine there.  Joseph tells his brothers to deliver this message to their father, Israel, and to bring him back to Egypt.  Pharaoh, upon hearing about Joseph's story, tells Joseph that Israel's family can live on the best land in Egypt, and can eat from the richness of the land.  Pharaoh gives Joseph's brothers wagons to help with the move.  He also gave them provisions for the journey, clothes, silver, 20 donkeys, and various products and food.  Israel is revived to see his sons along with the message from Joseph that they have brought back.  Jacob is stunned to hear that Joseph is still alive!  Jacob is overjoyed to go see Joseph in Egypt before he dies."

Some key verses from the Amplified Bible (AMP) version..

  • "Joseph wept aloud, and the Egyptians [who had just left him] heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it. Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless, for they were stunned and dismayed by [the fact that they were in] Joseph’s presence." v.2-3
  • "And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me.” And they approached him. And he said, “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me ahead of you to save life and preserve our family. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five more years in which there will be no plowing and harvesting. God sent me [to Egypt] ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on the earth, and to keep you alive by a great escape. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt." v.4-8
  • "When the news was heard in Pharaoh’s house that Joseph’s brothers had come, it pleased Pharaoh and his servants." v.16
  • "So he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “See that you do not quarrel on the journey [about how to explain this to our father]. So they went up from Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father, and they said to him, “Joseph is still alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” But Jacob was stunned and his heart almost stopped beating, because he did not believe them. When they told him everything that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. And Israel (Jacob) said, “It is enough! Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.” v.24-28

My personal observations and reflections...

  • MOMENT OF TRUTH. Followed by Judah's speech to Joseph in the last chapter, and the brothers showing a changed and repentant heart-- Joseph who could not hold it anymore, commanded all his men to leave, before revealing his identity to his 11 brothers. After 22 years, the brothers finally found out what had happened to Joseph, and it 'dismayed' them at first. Dismay is "a strong feeling of fear, worry, or sadness that is caused by something unpleasant and unexpected." Joseph being alive was good news! But I guess, the brothers initial reaction was understandable considering how stunning and  shocking things were. They may have felt afraid (possibility of punishment) and shamed as well (as they got reminded of their past sin towards Joseph).
Joseph's uncontrollable weeping was so loud it was heard by his men and household of Pharaoh. Joseph asked immediately about his father, and although his brothers already said before that their father was alive and well-- Joseph seems to confirm it again.

* Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik: 
"b. Joseph made himself known to his brothers: This perhaps means that Joseph told them he was Joseph and showed his brothers that he was circumcised. Jewish legend says the brothers could never believe this high Egyptian official was Joseph unless he showed he was circumcised.

c. But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence: Because of the punishment they anticipated, the great emotion of Joseph, his manner of revelation, and the total shock of learning Joseph was not only alive but right in front of them, the brothers were dismayed. The ancient Hebrew word for dismayed (bahal) actually means, amazed or frightened or even terrified. 

ii. Their dismay was a shadow of what will happen when the Jewish people see Jesus for who He is again: And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10) "
  • JOSEPH COMFORTED HIS BROTHERS. Just like the prodigal son who was not able to speak when his father welcomed him home, the brothers were not able to respond to Joseph or even say sorry. Instead of bitterness, Joseph spoke words of life and faith to his brothers. He acknowledged God's work of sending him to Egypt to 'save life' and 'preserve' their family. What a great faith! Surely, Joseph didn't know exactly what will happen before, aside from the 'dreams' God gave him-- but he trusted God all the way, in his journey. Sometimes, when bad things happen in our life, we tend to lose our faith and get discouraged, but what we need to do is trust and surrender our lives to God, because He sees the 'big picture.' He knows what's best for us, even if it means we have to suffer or learn the hard way sometimes.
"Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.

If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him. But he must ask [for wisdom] in faith, without doubting [God’s willingness to help], for the one who doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea that is blown about and tossed by the wind. For such a person ought not to think or expect that he will receive anything [at all] from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable and restless in all his ways [in everything he thinks, feels, or decides]." James 1:2-8
* Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik: 
"a. God sent me before you to preserve life: Joseph did not diminish what the brothers did (whom you sold into Egypt). Yet he saw that God’s purpose in it all was greater than the evil of the brothers.

i. When we are sinned against, we are tempted to fail in one or both of these areas. We are tempted to pretend that the offending party you never did it, or we are tempted to fail to see the over-arching hand of God in every circumstance.

ii. It is fair to ask, “Why was Joseph in Egypt? Was it because of the sin of his brothers or because of the good plan of God?” The answer is that both aspects are true.

b. God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance: All Joseph’s sorrows were for a purpose. God used them to preserve his family and provide the conditions for it to become a nation. Joseph was a victim of men, but God turned it around for His glory. None of it was for a loss.

i. If this family did not go into Egypt, then they would assimilate among the pagan tribes of Canaan and cease to become a distinctive people. God had to put them in a place where they could grow, yet remain a distinctive nation. 

c. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God: Joseph realized God ruled his life, not good men, not evil men, not circumstances, or fate. God was in control, and because God was in control all things worked together for good."
  • MESSAGE TO FATHER JACOB. Using their original language of Hebrew, Joseph asked for his father to go and live in Egypt, for there was still 5 years of famine in the land. After a very heartfelt moment of crying with his brothers, especially to his full-blooded brother Benjamin-- Joseph's brothers were finally able to talk with him. What a release and reconciliation was this! God's love and forgiveness reigned over pain and hatred.
  • FAVORS FROM PHARAOH. Because of the whole Egypt and Pharaoh being blessed by God through Joseph, it's no surprise that Pharaoh was kind and generous to Joseph and his brothers. This was a stark contrast of Moses' time in Egypt. Anyway, Pharaoh welcomed Joseph and his whole family (of Israel) in Egypt.
* Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik: 
"The sons of Israel received transportation, provision, garments, and riches because of who their favored brother was. Pharaoh blessed the sons of Jacob for Joseph’s sake.
i. “To return to Canaan with ‘carts from Egypt’ was the cultural equivalent of landing a jumbo jet among a tribe of isolated savages. It would be the stuff legends are made of.” (Boice)"
  • HEART-STOPPING. For the last time, Joseph comforted and assured his brothers, to not be afraid of telling the truth to their father. The most important thing was, that Joseph was alive and ruling in Egypt, they can all move on, and live in a better land (even though it is not yet the Promised Land.) At first, Jacob could not believe it-- for 22 years he thought his favorite, dearly loved son was dead. But upon hearing Joseph's message, and seeing the Egyptian wagons, Jacob's spirit got revived! This father and son, and family reunion is exciting!
* Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik: 
"a. He did not believe them: Jacob was told Joseph was dead and believed it. Then he was told Joseph was alive, and he did not believe it until his sons told him the words of Joseph and showed him the blessings that came to them through Joseph. Then he believed Joseph was alive, though he had not yet seen him.
i. By analogy, we can say that the only way people will know Jesus is alive is if we tell them His words and show them His blessings in our lives. 

b. It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive: Knowing that the favored son was alive – back from the dead, as it were – changed Israel’s testimony from all these things are against me (Genesis 42:36) to it is enough.

i. This testimony of faith comes from Israel, not Jacob. When Jacob was in charge, we saw a whining, self-pitying, complaining, unbelieving type of man. In contrast Israel, the man God had conquered, had a testimony of faith."
A lot of foreshadowing about Jesus ❤️
"This identity reveal of Joseph is similar to the identity reveal of Christ Jesus in his second coming to Earth.  From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee, "Let me repeat that the day is coming when the Lord Jesus Christ is going to make Himself known unto His brethren, the Jews.  When He came the first time, "he came unto his own, and his own received him not (John1:11).  In fact, they delivered Him up to be crucified.  But when He comes the second time, He will make Himself known to His own people.  "And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands?  Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends" (Zech. 13:6).  Christ will make Himself known to His brethren.  And "in that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness" (Zech. 13:1).  It will be a family affair between the Lord Jesus and His brethren.  The episode of Joseph revealing himself to his brothers gives us a little inkling of how wonderful that day of Christ's revelation will be."

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