Jan.15 - Genesis 42 - 45

Today, you and I have just read one of the most fascinating and emotional stories we'll ever read! I couldn't stop at chapter 44. I needed to go on to chapter 45 (which makes 4 chapters of reading today), because the story is JUST TOO GOOD! Every time I read the story of Joseph I cry! Tomorrow...we'll read about the wonderful and highly emotional reunion Joseph has with his father! But, for now let's look at some interesting Power Points from these chapters!

Anger needs a "cooling off" period! One can only imagine the flood of emotions Joseph must have experienced the moment he recognized his brothers standing in line to receive food. Genesis 42:7 says, "Joseph instantly recognized his brothers!" Only Joseph himself could tell us exactly how intense the battle of thought and emotions that flooded his entire being at that special moment! The Bible does give us some clues:
- The first thing Joseph experiences are his memories! - Genesis 42:9 says, "And he remembered the dreams he had about them many years before." When anything traumatic happens to an individual, the first thing a person does is relive their memories.
- The second thing Joseph experienced is anger! Notice how he jumps to his feet and condemns them by saying, "You are spies. You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become!" In fact, he's so angry he argues with them further and puts them into prison for 3 days!
- The third thing Joseph experiences is a cooling off of emotion! It took Joseph 3 days to cool his anger, frustration, hurt, and all the other stuff that goes along with being betrayed by his own brothers! In the last half of chapter 42, you and I see Joseph having a more calm demeanor towards his brothers - he sends them back with all their money being returned to them. But, he does have a plan also!
- Another glimpse into Joseph's emotions can be seen in the names he gives his own sons: His first son is Manasseh, which means "forgetting". Joseph said, "God has made me forget all my troubles and everyone in my father's family. His second son was named "Ephraim" meaning "doubly fruitful". Joseph said, "God has made me fruitful in this land of my grief." From the names Joseph gives his two sons, we learn that he was deeply acquainted with grief - just like Isaiah says of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The rest of the story doesn't really need any explanations - they are self-evident! However, there's some additional things we can take from this story:
- God is in control of everyone's destiny! Notice how Joseph reassured his brothers Genesis 45:5 saying, "Don't be angry for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives." Joseph realizes that God caused this unusual set of circumstances to occur in order to save lives! Not much different than our Lord, who was born in the insignificant and obscure town of Bethlehem, laid in a cow trough, wrapped in burial clothes (swaddling clothes), and only experienced a short 3 1/2 years of ministry before being crucified!
- It's important to save for future adversity! Joseph, under God's revelation, realizes the need to take advantage of income opportunity and to save for what may happen in the future!
- Bad things happen to Godly people...but ultimately it's for a good purpose! Joseph, although an interpreter of dreams, could not and did not know his future. He simply dealt with the circumstances that unjustly imprisoned him in the best way he could. In Genesis 45, we realize that he has comes to grips with the reality that God had not left him, rather God was preparing him to be a savior to the world! Wow!

What's God preparing you for? Think about it!

Have a God-blessed day!