Month: February 2014

Today we’re going to look at the second half of Genesis 42 (it’s below). This continues the part of the story where one of Joseph’s dreams from his early years finally comes true — his brothers bow down before him.

Instead of the situation making Joseph want to celebrate, he actually becomes very sad.

He’s reunited with his brothers (although they don’t know that yet), he knows now that his father and only full-brother are still alive, and he’s in a position to save his entire family from starvation. And during today’s passage, he is so overcome with the situation that he has to take a break and go weep and then come back to deal with his brothers.

Now I understand this is a very emotional time, but personally I think there may be something else going on.

In today’s passage, the brothers discuss among themselves — and in front of Joseph — why they think they’re in this situation . . . being accused of being spies and spending 3 days in prison and now having to leave one brother here in prison in order to go home and get Benjamin so they can come back and buy more grain.

They’re blaming their current situation on how they treated Joseph 20 years ago. And Joseph understood what they were saying. He was just pretending to need an interpreter.

I think Joseph broke down because he was reliving that horrible day when they threw him in the pit and then sold him as a slave. But I think there was another reason. I think Joseph realized that now his brothers are in the pit . . . not literally like he was years ago . . . but mentally and emotionally and spiritually. I think Joseph saw that the tables had been turned. His brothers had thrown him in a pit 20 years earlier. But now his brothers’ guilt over what they had done to him was keeping them in a pit.

They had lived 20 years with the guilt of how they had treated Joseph and how they had lied to their father. And it looks like now they view any bad thing that happens to them as God’s punishment for what they had done.

I think Joseph realizes how much better off he is than his brothers. How defeated and demoralized they are.

In fact, I think Joseph actually feels sorry for them. And I think that’s something he wasn’t expecting.

We see more of the brothers’ thought patterns when one of them finds his money in his feed sack on the journey back home. “What is this God has done to us?”

When they report back to their father, they sound like whiny little boys complaining about the neighborhood bully.

But they got it honest, didn’t they. Listen to how Jacob responds to the demand they take Benjamin back with them if they want to buy more grain. He rehearses all the bad things he’s lived through and then talks about the “what if” that has ruled his life for 20 years. Then he says, “All these things are against me!”

Reuben adds more drama by telling his father he can kill his two sons if Reuben doesn’t bring Benjamin back safe and sound.

But Jacob still refuses because if something were to happen to Benjamin, he believes he would die of grief.

There’s no perspective. Just drama. Because Jacob is ignoring the fact they’re all going to die of starvation anyway if they can’t go back to Egypt and buy more grain.

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Here are a few truths I saw:

– Unforgiveness will keep us in a pit until it’s dealt with. Even when God forgives us, we still have to forgive ourselves.

– Other people’s lives are rarely what we imagine they are. If we heard some of their private conversations, we’d understand they have their own problems.

– Moving away from home gives us a different perspective. It can make us more sensitive to the real issues in our families.

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Application Questions:

– Who do I need to forgive? What do I need to forgive myself for?

– When something bad happens to me, who/what do I blame it on? Why?

– Whose life am I envious of? Why?

– How has my perspective changed after living away from home?

Today’s passage starts off back in Canaan, Joseph’s homeland.

The famine has now hit hard in Canaan, too, and Jacob (Israel), Joseph’s father, has learned that there’s grain for sale in Egypt. He accuses his sons of just staring at each other instead of figuring out how they were going to keep themselves and their families alive!

Later in the passage, I love how Joseph extracts information from his brothers that he already knows but has to pretend he doesn’t know. Reading through this part of the story, I can almost hear the wheels turning in Joseph’s head. He’s having to figure out how to keep his emotions in check, how to find out if Benjamin and his Dad are still alive, how to get Benjamin to Egypt, and later how to get the entire clan to move there so they’ll survive the famine.

The passage we’re covering today (Genesis 41:1-20) is further down, for your reading pleasure.

Here are the truths I saw in these verses:

(1) Dysfunction doesn’t just go away with the passing of time. In fact, it may get worse if not dealt with.

–  In the first couple of verses it sounds to me like Jacob was still treating his sons like misbehaving children.

– And he wouldn’t let Benjamin (Joseph’s only full brother) go with them on the trip to buy grain because he was afraid something would happen to him.

(2) Our God-given dreams sometimes happen decades later and in a way we would have never guessed — but we will know them when we see them come true.

Application Questions:

What dysfunction in my life and in my family needs to be dealt with?

What fears are still ruling my life? The life of a loved one?

What dreams am I still waiting to see happen?

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Genesis 42:1-20 / Amplified Bible (AMP)

Today we get a taste of what kind of boss Joseph now reports to. I don’t know your history, but I’ve worked for many bosses . . . and their styles have been varied. I’ve worked for bosses who were critical and some who were encouraging. I’ve had supervisors who micro-managed and some who hardly managed. I’ve worked for people who were easy to talk to and some who were totally unapproachable.

I think Pharaoh’s style of supervision we see in today’s passage is excellent. He makes the decision (with input from his team) to give Joseph the responsibility of planning, executing, and following through with a program to save Egypt during the coming famine. Then he allows Joseph the privilege of actually carrying out his plan . . . without interference. What a novel idea!

In verse 55 we see the trust Pharaoh had in Joseph and his plan. When the famine finally hits home, the Egyptians naturally run to Pharaoh to save them. Instead of (1) panicking and second-guessing his earlier decision or (2) seizing the opportunity to be the hero and save the day (and take the credit), Pharaoh told the people to go to Joseph and do whatever he said.

That’s one good boss!

Here is today’s passage.

Genesis 41:53-57 / Amplified Bible (AMP)