Genesis 47:1-13 – God is working the perfect outcome for each of us

Joseph had mustered the substantial skills in inter-personal relation. He was an astute reader of situations. He had foresight and could anticipate what was coming, a skillful leader. All these were borne out as he took five of his brothers with him to Pharaoh to inform him of the arrival of his father and family. He even knew what the king would ask. So he prepared them to answer in such a way that Pharaoh would grant them the land of Goshen. This part of Egypt was not only a rich pastureland but because of its location would keep them away from the Egyptians. Knowing that the Egyptians loathed shepherds, he counselled his family to let Pharaoh know that they were shepherds. His strategy worked perfectly, so the king granted them the land of Goshen.

In fact, Joseph had already settled them in Goshen before he went to see Pharaoh. Then when he went to see the monarch, he just mentioned it to him in passing. It was a subtle conditioning for the king to place them there. So in verse 1 we read, ^“Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers and their flocks and their herds and all that they have, have come out of the land of Canaan; and behold, they are in the land of Goshen.” He took only five of his brothers to see Pharaoh and true to his anticipation, the king asked, “What is your occupation?” So in one united voice, they answered, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers.” And “We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now, therefore, please let your servants live in the land of Goshen.”  Amazingly, the king agreed and even opened up opportunities for some of them to work for him to tend to his own flock.

Having successfully introduced his brothers to Pharaoh, the next thing Joseph did was to introduce his father to the king. The first thing Jacob did was to bless Pharaoh who then politely inquired of the patriarch’s age. Jacob response was, “The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor have they attained the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning.” In a moment, Jacob must have in mind all that he went through thus far. His life had been hard. He was thinking of the years of hardship he had endured. Remember, he had to flee from the threat of his brother Esau, only to suffer at the hand of Laban, his uncle, who cheated him on his wages many times. That same old uncle also duped him into marrying Leah, before he was given Rachel, the woman he truly loved. Then two of his sons, Simeon and Levi schemed to kill the people of Shechem in retaliation. They did it to avenge the shame Shechem had brought upon Dinah, their sister, in raping her. He also had to endure the shameful act of his eldest son, Reuben, who committed incest with his concubine. What about the sorrow he had endured for 20 plus years thinking that Joseph, his favorite son had died. Besides, the length of life in comparison with his father, Isaac and his grandfather, Abraham, his 130 years was pale in significance. His father lived till 180 years old and his grandfather 175 years old. Jacob ended his meeting by blessing Pharaoh a second time. This was the right thing to do considering how Pharaoh had blessed him and his family and allowed them to settle in Goshen. Here Joseph was able to provide for his father and family, both big and small. So amidst worldwide famine God preserved His chosen people and prospered them.

Like Jacob, our life is also a pilgrimage. Regardless of the circumstances, both pleasant and unpleasant, God is in the midst of it all, leading us in the journey. Enjoy the pleasant time gladly but also endure the unpleasant resolutely. In good time praise the Lord, in bad time trust the Lord. Why? Paul tells us in Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Notice, the first three words, “And we know….” It is not “And we guess” or “And we think” or “And we suppose,” it is “And we know.” Remember, faith is the substance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen. So trust God to work out the glorious outcome of your life for your good and for His glory!  

Genesis 46:31-34 – Being a community for God’s glory

Now Joseph knew he needed to inform Pharaoh of the arrival of his father’s family. Courtesy demanded it. So before he went to see him, he prepared his father and brothers on how to answer Pharaoh when they themselves would come to meet with the king. Joseph knew how the Egyptians felt about shepherds and used that knowledge to his advantage. He said to them, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me; and the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock; and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’”

Joseph’s instruction was strategic. By informing Pharaoh that they had brought along their livestock, he was making an impression on the mind of the king that they would not be an economic burden to Egypt. In informing Pharaoh that they were shepherds, they were subtly suggesting to Pharaoh that Goshen would be the best place for Israel and his family to settle in. Besides, the well-drained River Nile would be the perfect place for shepherding. Joseph also knew that Egyptians did not particularly like shepherds, so they would surely leave them alone and would not bother them there.

The whole idea of course was to keep them as a community together. However we can see, through all these, that Joseph was a true diplomat. He anticipated the question Pharaoh would ask. So he told his family, “When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ You shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ so that you may live in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is loathsome to the Egyptians.”

The strategy of Joseph worked perfectly as we shall see.  Goshen was the perfect place both to keep them as a community and also a place to keep them prospering. Here they could keep their distinctiveness as the chosen people of God, and yet at the same time be given total protection. It would be Goshen that God would shape and hone them spiritually yet keep them together nationally. It was here that they grew from a handful of people into a great nation according to the promise that God made to Jacob on his journey there.

Like the people of Israel, the church is also a community of people chosen and called out of the world. Second Peter 2:9 said that we are “… a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you (we) may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you (us) out of darkness into His marvelous light.”  And as a community all of us are “living stones of God”, and He now uses us to build “…a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Let’s do our part for His glory!

Genesis 46:28-30 – Peace experience through reunion

Jacob with his entourage, and the wagons with the provisions made by Pharaoh, were on the way to Goshen in Egypt. Meanwhile Judah was sent to Joseph to seek direction to it, and they finally reached their destination. When news came to Joseph that his father and his whole clan were in Goshen, Joseph dressed his best and sped there. The anticipation of the reunion must have brought both pleasure and apprehension to the father as well as the son. Bear in mind that they had not met for more than two decades.

As soon as Joseph met his father, Israel, he fell on his neck and wept. It was a tearful moment but the tears shed were tears of joy. It was a substantially long hug between father and son. Everyone looked on with real joy. Finally the patriarch lifted up his head, focused on his son and said, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive.” This time around the word “die” takes on a different meaning. Since news of Joseph’s supposed death, he had a sorrowful death wish. Now that Joseph was well and good, he was prepared to depart this earth in peace. It’s a declaration of satisfaction and delight.

Reunion is always a joyful experience. If reunion with an earthly father is satisfying, just consider how much more satisfying it would be when we are reunited with our Heavenly Father. Like the father in the parable of the prodigal son, God is always seeking for our return to reunite with Him. Sin always put a wedge between us and the Heavenly Father. When left undealt, with the passing of time, coming back to the father is a loathsome thing. Hence, we must keep short accounts of our life so that the union with the Father will not be affected. Reunion with the Father was and still is the desire of Jesus for us. John 17:21 captures His desire for us. He prayed “…that they (meaning us) may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” Our unity with the Father has the potential to make great impact in the lives of others.

Genesis 46:5-27- With God we form the majority

The first four verses of Genesis 46 tell us that Jacob set out for Egypt. While still a distance from his destination, he paused at Beersheba to offer a sacrifice and worship to God. Two reasons why he did that at Beersheba. He was, firstly, fearful because of the uncertainty of what’s ahead. Secondly, he was grateful to know that Joseph whom he thought was dead, was in fact still alive. In response to his worship, God appeared to him in a vision and called out tenderly to him. And what God said to him must have eased his mind and allayed his fear. Having been assured by God, Jacob was now set to continue on his journey to Egypt.

Fully assured by the vision and God’s comforting words, “…Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob and their little ones and their wives in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. They took their livestock and their property, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him: his sons and his grandsons with him, his daughters and his granddaughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.” Jacob was fully assured that Egypt would provide the preservation for him and his family. And they would also emerge from there a great people and nation. This was God’s promise to him. So he confidently looked forward with full faith and vigour.  

The list of Jacob’s family delineated for us, in verses 8-27, indicates that this movement from Canaan to Egypt was a historic and significant moment. The number of children born to Jacob added up to seventy. Notice that his two wives Leah and Rachel both bore to him twice as many descendants as their maids. Leah gave him thirty-three but her maid Zilpah, sixteen. Rachel gave him fourteen while her maid Bilhah, seven. Adding the figures we get a total of seventy people. On closer examination we know that only sixty-six of them went to Egypt. How do we know that? Verse 12 tells us Er and Onan, the sons of Judah died and were buried in Canaan. And Joseph and his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim were already in Egypt. Take away these five we get only sixty-five but when we add Jacob himself, the total would be sixty-six. The number seventy that came to Egypt in verse 27 is more a representation than a literal figure.  

Think further, the number should rightly be seventy plus one. The figure seventy did not factor God. When God is added in, the number should be rightly seventy-one. The point is this: we need to have God with us in the journey. When we have Him, we can be one or seventy, we will always form the majority. We cannot afford to leave God out of our life. He must always be included in everything. Our ability to stay on track and experience fulfilment and fruitfulness depends largely on His presence in our life. Let us make God a part of our journey. With Him we will not fail.       

Genesis 46:1-4 – Making worship a priority

When Jacob first heard that Joseph was still alive, he went numb. He couldn’t believe his ear. He must have thought it was another story his sons had fabricated. However, he could not deny the evidence of the wagons of goods sent by Joseph to him. When he saw all that, his soul became alive again. And with great zeal, Jacob declared in Genesis 45:28, “I will go and see him before I die.” So he set out for Egypt with all that he had. However, when he came to Beersheba, which was still quite a distance from his destination. Jacob paused to offer a sacrifice to the God of Isaac, his father. What better way to respond to God than to do so in worship. So he worshipped God at Beersheba.

Why did he choose Beersheba to offer his worship? It was probably because of its spiritual significance. Here in this place many memorable things had taken place. In Genesis 21:31 we are told that it was Abraham who had named this place Beersheba after he had made a covenant with Abimelech. We are also told in Genesis 21:33, he planted a tamarisk tree here and called on the name of the Lord. According to Genesis 22, it was here that his faith took an upward turn when he was willing to offer Isaac, his only son to God.  Beersheba was also significant in Isaac’s sojourn. It was here that God appeared to Isaac. Genesis 26 reveals that Isaac built an altar to God and was assured by the Lord three times that He would be with him. And Jacob probably also knew this place well. In Genesis 28:10 it says that he lived here before he went on to Haran.  So right here in Beersheba, Jacob offer a sacrifice.  

We know the significance of the place but what could be Jacob’s reasons for offering this worship to God at this juncture? Two good reasons come to mind. Firstly, it was because the road ahead was unknown to him. From what God told him later, we can sense that he entertained fear. He was setting out into territory that he had yet to chart. The uncertainty of the unknown always bring some degree of trepidation. So what better thing to do than to commit one’s life to God again. Secondly, it must be the knowledge that Joseph whom he thought was dead, was still alive. It was sort of a thanksgiving. The moment Jacob surrendered to God in worship, the Lord reciprocated by appearing to him with deep assurance to allay his fear. God came to him in a vision calling out to him.

When he responded to the tender voice of God, he was told, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes.” God re-iterated the plan which his father was given. Here we see four reasons why Jacob should take heart and not be fearful. Firstly, God made a promise to make him a great nation. This was the same promise God first made to His grandfather Abraham, then to his father Isaac. God promised him that He would bring it to pass.  Secondly, God promised to personally go with him. He told Jacob, “I will go down with you to Egypt.”  What better companion can we have in any journey? So there would be no necessity to fear. As with Jacob, God also will travel with us when we are deeply connected with Him. Thirdly, God promised to personally bring him out of Egypt again. There would be no impossible situation with God. He has the capacity to lead us out of tricky situations unscathed. And fourthly, the son he loved dearly, would be there to attend to his death. The point is this, worship is the best remedy to fear. For in worship, we will feel the presence of God and be assured of His promises. Yes we can experience God deeply in worship. Let’s live a life of worship!

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Genesis 45:14-28 –Reconciled, redeemed, and restored

The brothers were finally reconciled. Emotionally Joseph fell upon the neck of Benjamin, his brother, and wept. Then one by one he kissed his brothers and wept upon them. Just imagine the joyful scene, guilt and bitterness were replaced by forgiveness and love.  Joseph talked non-stop with each one. There was plenty to catch up for they had been apart for twenty years. 

Though Pharaoh was not present at the scene, he heard concerning what had happened. When he was told that Joseph’s brothers had come to Egypt, he was truly glad for him. And he made a generous offer. He told Joseph to load their animals and return to Canaan and bring his father and his household to Egypt. He promised them the best place in Egypt so that they could live in prosperity. Truly when a man’s way pleases the Lord, he made everyone, even his enemies, to be at peace with him.

So in verses 24-25, we see their departure. Joseph bade them farewell as they prepared themselves for their departure home to bring Jacob with them to Egypt. Joseph took liberty and did as Pharaoh had instructed. So he gave to them wagons and provisions for their journey home. Everyone received a change of clothes. But to Benjamin five changes of clothes and three hundred shekels of silver. And for his father he sent the following items: ten donkeys loaded with good things from Egypt and ten female donkeys loaded with grains, bread and provision for him to come to Egypt. The clothes were intentional. Remember it was the multi-coloured tunic that the father gave Joseph that had started the jealousy and squabbles. Now the giving of changes of clothes signifies forgiveness and reconciliation. Benjamin had five and none of his brothers was jealous. Joseph was truly generous, so much like our Saviour, who gave us generously our clothes of righteousness. What Joseph gave to them were physical clothes, but what Jesus our Saviour gave to us are spiritual clothes – the clothes of righteousness.  

Sensing that the brothers could begin to point their fingers at each other and try to deflect the blame from themselves for how they had cruelly treated Joseph, so he gave them a piece of sound advice for their journey. He told them not to quarrel on the way to Canaan. Nothing could be more needful and appropriate. Here he was telling them to chill. And soon they were on their way home with joyful and gladden hearts. Their journey home could not be any sweeter as they carry the good news to their father.

Verses 25-28 narrate for us what took place when they reached home. They couldn’t wait to tell their father the great news. There was no necessity to draw lots on who should be the bearer of the news. Unlike when they had to tell the father that Joseph was devoured by a wolf, now everyone jostled to tell the father the good news. We can imagine the scene that they all tried to speak at the same time till Jacob had to say, “Please speak one by one, sons.” When Jacob heard what they said, he went numb. He could not believe what he had heard. He could not believe his eyes, Simeon and Benjamin returned intact. Eagerly he listened to their account of how Joseph had treated them in Egypt.  That day, the spirit of Jacob who died with the news of Joseph’s death was revived. Jacob was exuberant once again. His mind could have returned to the dreams of Joseph. And he was about to make his journey to Egypt, and to the fulfillment of the dreams God gave to Joseph.

We can’t help but see that Joseph served a merciful and gracious God. Besides, He also answered his father’s prayer. Remember, Jacob prayed to Him for his sons to experience mercy and Joseph treated them mercifully. Yes mercy beyond their wildest imagination. In this account, we can see that this God not only controlled the events in Joseph’s life and that of his brothers’, but He also controlled the world. Even nature was at his behest. And to think that we are also serving this same God: merciful, gracious, forgiving, and prayer answering. Whether it be a mountain, a troubled sea or a desert experience, He will use them all to help us lay a hold of us and make His dreams for us come true. What a glorious God!          

Genesis 45:1-12 –Magnanimously forgive

Joseph had come to the point in the test that he had orchestrated, where he had discovered all that he needed to know from his brothers. He saw and knew that they had indeed changed since selling him to Egypt. Fully convinced of that fact, he could no longer keep up with his acting. Unable to control any further, Joseph cried out for everyone to leave the room except his brothers. So when there was no other man with him, Joseph then made himself known to his brothers. It was a tear jerking moment, as Joseph wept and wailed uncontrollably. It was so loud that the Egyptians, including the household of Pharaoh, heard of it. 

It must have been quite a sight as the brothers stood speechless, in fear and astonishment as they watched Joseph wailed and sobbed uncontrollably. They must have stood trembling and wondering what in the world had happened. Then Joseph told them “I am Joseph!” And continued to inquire “Is my father still alive?” Every one of his brothers must have stood there dumbfounded and dismayed at his presence when they heard that. As Joseph looked at their petrified faces, he beckoned to them to please come closer to him. And when they drew near to him, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.” What they heard, instead of allaying their fear, must have intensified it. But graciously Joseph assured them. He said, “Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.” They must have expected to be chided but instead were receiving very encouraging words from the one they had cruelly treated. Joseph was virtually telling them that he had forgiven them. He was seeking to relieve them of their guilt. Oh what a sight! What magnanimity!

In the two decades that he was away from his brothers, Joseph must have prayed and thought through much about his situation. He came to see the purpose of God in all that had happened to him. Without a smidgeon of doubt, he knew he was right smack in the centre of God’s will. So he insightfully revealed that it was God who had sent him to Egypt. In verse 5 he said, “…for God sent me before you to preserve life.” In verse 7 he said, “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.” In verse 8 he told them, “…it was not you who sent me here, but God….” and then in verse 9 he assured them that “God has made me lord of all Egypt.” Joseph knew for sure that it was the hand of God behind everything he went through. He wasn’t giving a lecture on theology to straighten their thinking. He was comforting a bunch of trembling brothers whose hearts had been transformed by God’s grace. He showed them that what they did with intention to hurt Joseph as well as their father, God had used to preserve the people. God gave Joseph tremendous wisdom and here he was doing all he could to allay the fear of the brothers, and to effect a reconciliation with them.

Having forgiven and reconciled with his brothers, he now set out to do the next thing i.e. to bring the father to him. They were told to do so quickly.  So in verses 9-12 he commissioned his brothers to return to Canaan and bring their father to Egypt. They were told to bring back the good news that he, Joseph, was still alive. He even apportioned Goshen, a rich fertile land and good for shepherding, for them to live in. And also promised to provide for all their needs. Joseph concluded by assuring his brothers that what they were seeing and hearing was not just a dream but a reality.

We can be sure that Joseph’s brothers did not expect to have such positive reception from a brother whom they had treated so cruelly. Like most people, they probably expected him to retaliate and seek revenge for what they did to him. But what they got was forgiveness and magnanimity. These qualities can still be cultivated in our lives today. How? By looking at the example of our Lord Jesus. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that we can do so by “…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”