I invite you to watch or listen to a message I preached at Hillsdale Baptist Church, Tampa, FL, on Sunday, May 7, 2023. Much of the sermon is narrative in style, but the content and applications are powerful.
Joseph’s brothers’ hatred brought him to Egypt, but God’s providence guided him from slavery and prison to serve as the ruler of Egypt and second only to Pharaoh. Two decades passed, and like many, Joseph’s brothers lived a lie and never confessed to their father that they had sold Joseph into slavery (left him believing a wild beast had killed his son). Yet, in the sovereignty of the LORD, Jacob’s sons would come face to face with their brother. (Genesis 42)
Text – Genesis 41-43
Topic – God’s Sovereignty and Providential Care
Series – “Logos: A Journey of Faith, Hope, and Love”
The following briefly highlights a message I preached at Hillsdale on Sunday, April 23, 2023. I am attaching a link to Hillsdale’s Sermon Audio page, which records the entire sermon. I also hope to provide a video of the message within the next day.
The topic was “A Tragic Story of Ambivalence, Moral Outrage, and Revenge.” The text for the sermon was Genesis 33-35:1. This sermon is taken from a chronological study of the Bible and is part of a two-year series I have titled “Logos: A Journey of Faith, Hope, and Love.”
I’m sharing here a brief summary for you to have an introduction and provide a student outline.
I observed in Jacob’s life a pattern of sin and spiritual impotence that is characteristic of many fathers, pastors, and institutional leaders of our day. Like Jacob, men who are supposed to be spiritual leaders have abdicated their spiritual authority and leadership.
Pastors, teachers, college boards, and college and university presidents have endangered their ministries by resigning their authority to youth and catering to their whims. They have deferred leadership to immature, inexperienced, foolish, idealistic men and women whose ideas and opinions are unproved and untested by time.
Spiritual leaders have compromised their moral authority and preferred peace over honor and obedience to God’s Word. The tragedy of their compromise has invited God’s chastening, and we are observing the bitter fruit of their unfaithfulness. All is lost if our institutions do not return to the unapologetic, bold declaration of God’s Word.
With the heart of a shepherd,
Travis D. Smith
Senior Pastor
Hillsdale Baptist Church, Tampa, FL
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“[When] Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people” (49:33).
Named Jacob when he was born, he fulfilled the definition of that name in the early years of his life, for through his mother, he had supplanted his brother and been a trickster and deceiver. His life, however, was altered at a brook named Peniel (32:27-30) when God changed his name to Israel. Transformed into a man of faith, he became a man upon whom the power of God could rest.
Jacob (Israel) had borne the weight of great sorrows, but at his death, was surrounded by his family and comforted by the embrace of his son Joseph, the second ruler of Egypt (50:1). Jacob was then embalmed in the manner of Egypt, and even “the Egyptians mourned for [Jacob] threescore and ten days” (50:3). Joseph requested, and received, Pharaoh’s blessing for his father’s body to be taken up to Canaan and buried in the ancestral tomb of his father Isaac, and his grandfather Abraham (50:4-6).
Imagine the funeral procession that came from Egypt and made its way to Jacob’s tomb (50:7-13).
His body, borne in an Egyptian coffin, was escorted by “all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father’s house: only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen” (50:7-8).
The Canaanite people of the region observed the royal procession of mourners and named the place Abel-mizraim, meaning a “mourning or meadow of Egypt” (50:11). Arriving at the tomb, the sons of Jacob buried their father (50:12-13), and then returned to Egypt (50:14). Understanding the evil they had committed against Joseph, his brothers feared in their father’s absence, he might exact revenge for their wrongs against him (50:15-17). Instead of revenge, however, “Joseph wept” (50:17b).
Though abused and rejected in his youth, Joseph had looked past his trials with eyes of faith and rested in the providence of God. He then assured his brothers and said, “Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive” (50:19-20). So he comforted them, and said, “fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them” (50:21).
Sold as a slave when he was seventeen, Joseph lived the rest of his life in Egypt. Though a ruler in Egypt, his heart longed for the land God had promised. In death, he assured his brethren: “God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob” (50:24). Joseph repeated the promise and requested, “ye shall carry up my bones from hence” (50:25). “So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt” (50:26).
Closing thoughts – I conclude this commentary and thank you for accompanying me on this journey through the Scriptures.
Beginning with, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1), and closing with Joseph’s death and the request that his bones be taken up and buried in Canaan (50:25-26), we have witnessed God’s sovereignty and loving devotion to those who turn from sin to Him. Joseph confessed to his brothers, “ye thought evil against me; butGod meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive” (50:20).
It was God who worked to save Jacob, his sons, and the Tribes of Israel so that He might fulfill His Covenant Promise to Abraham that “in [him] shall all families of the earth be blessed” (a promise fulfilled in Jesus Christ who died for the sins of the world, 12:3; John 3:16). It is God who desires all men would be saved, and “is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
God is working, and He invites you to “confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus” and “believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9). I invite you to share your decision of faith or thoughts with this author by emailing HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com.
Questions to consider:
1) How did Joseph and his brothers honor their father after his death, and what lessons might we take from their examples? (Genesis 50:1-14)
2) Why did Joseph’s brothers fear him after Jacob, their father, died? (Genesis 50:15)
3) Rather than seeking vengeance and being bitter for the wrongs he had suffered from his brothers, Joseph expressed confidence in God’s sovereignty and faith in His providences. What did Joseph say? (Genesis 50:19-20)
4) Are you angry or bitter because someone wronged you? How would your life change if you adopted Joseph’s confidence in God’s sovereignty and providence?
5) What was Joseph’s dying wish? (Genesis 50:24-50)
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His father’s strength had been waning, and when Joseph received news his father was sick, he hastened with his sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, to Jacob’s bedside (48:1). Learning Joseph was approaching, Jacob (Israel) “strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed” (48:2). Joseph is about 56 years old when he comes with his sons to his father’s bedside.
Raising himself from his bed, Jacob reminded Joseph of the covenant promises God had imparted to him in Canaan and said: “Behold, I [God Almighty] will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession” (48:4).
Jacob’s thoughts then turned to pronounce God’s providential inclusion of Joseph’s sons among his own (48:5-6). Ephraim, the younger, and Manasseh, the older, were foretold to be equal to Jacob’s sons and would therefore inherit a portion of the birthright blessings in place of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, who forfeited their portion through sinful choices (48:5b; 1 Chronicles 5:1; Numbers 26:28-37; 1 Chronicles 7:14-29; Hebrews 11:21). Reuben had morally sinned against his father (35:22), and Simeon and Levi had disgraced the family by their anger and violence (34:25-31). Though these sons were loved by their father, their sins had been so egregious that they were rejected from their full blessing and inheritance.
Joseph put forward Manasseh, his oldest son; however, Jacob took Ephraim in his right hand and insisted that the firstborn’s blessing would fall on him (48:8-19). Though he would die in Egypt, Jacob foretold that Joseph and his sons’ inheritance would not be in Egypt, but in Canaan (48:21). Thus, Joseph’s faithfulness to the LORD and his care of his father and family were rewarded, and he received through his sons a double portion of the inheritance (48:22).
Jacob’s final words to his sons and prophetic insight into their lineages were recorded in Genesis 49. The words of that dying man were both a blessing and sobering (49:3-15).
Jacob’s firstborn, Reuben was a strong leader; however, the shame of his lying with his father’s concubine shadowed his life (49:3-4). Simeon and Levi, the second and third-born sons, were reminded of their angry, vindictive spirits and told their lineages would be scattered among the tribes in the Promised Land. The tribe of Levi would be priests to the LORD (49:5-7). Judah, the fourth-born son, would become a royal lineage, of whom David and Jesus Christ would be born (49:8-12). Zebulun’s family, the tenth-born son of Jacob, would settle along the Mediterranean coast (49:13). Issachar, the ninth son, would become an agricultural people (49:14-15).
Bilhah, one of Jacob’s concubines, gave birth to two sons of Jacob. Dan was the fifth-born son; his name means “Judge,” and his lineage would judge the tribes of Israel (49:16-18). Naphtali, Jacob’s sixth son, would father a line said to be like a “hind let loose,” a swift female deer, and gifted in words (49:21).
Gad, son of Bilhah, was Jacob’s seventh son, and his lineage would be known as great warriors (Joshua 22:1-6; 1 Chronicles 12:8). Asher, the eighth born, would become a wealthy tribe and supply the other tribes with “bread…[and] royal dainties” (49:20).
Rachel, Jacob’s first love, was the mother of Joseph, the eleventh son (49:22-26), and Benjamin, his twelfth son (49:27).
Jacob described Joseph as an overcomer who, though suffering the arrows of accusations from his brothers, had become a “fruitful bough” (49:22-23). As a result, God elevated him, and he became the shepherd of his family and the “stone (or rock) of Israel” (49:24). Though he had been separated from his father and brothers, Jacob promised God would bless Joseph “with blessings of heaven above” (49:25-26).
Benjamin, Jacob’s twelfth son, was described as ravenous as a wolf (49:27). His tribe would be fearless warriors (Judges 20:15-25), and numbered among his lineage would be Saul, the first king of Israel, and the apostle Paul (Romans 11:1; Philippians 3:5). Benjamin’s tribe, along with the tribe of Judah, would be faithful to the LORD.
With his dying breaths, Jacob repeated his request to be buried in Canaan and the ancestral tomb where Isaac and Abraham were buried. Then we read, “When Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people” (49:33).
Closing thoughts – Jacob’s death marked the end of an era, but not the end of our study. Now named Israel, the old patriarch was given the burial honors of a ruler; however, Joseph’s brothers feared that upon his father’s death, he would exact revenge for the evils they had committed against him.
Questions to consider:
What was Jacob’s (Israel’s) final request before he died? (Genesis 47:29-31)
What two covenant promises did Jacob rehearse with Joseph? (Genesis 48:4)
The lineages of Joseph’s two sons would become two of the Twelve Tribes of Israel (in the place of the two sons of Jacob whose sins disgraced his household). What were the names of the two sons of Jacob who were displaced? (48:5-6).
Joseph was blessed with a double portion of inheritance for his faithfulness through his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. (48:20-22)
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Pharaoh’s Provision and Meeting with Jacob (Genesis 47:1-10)
With his family established in Goshen, a place known for its lush grazing land, Joseph chose five of his brothers “and presented them unto Pharaoh” (47:2). As he expected, Pharaoh questioned the men concerning their occupation. They answered, saying, “Thy servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers” (47:3).
Joseph’s brothers made it clear that their business in Egypt was temporal, for they were there “to sojourn in the land…for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan” (47:4a). Showing themselves men of humility, they asked, “let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen” (47:4b).
When his interview with Joseph’s brothers concluded, Pharaoh granted Joseph and his father a private audience (an indication of Pharaoh’s respect for Joseph). Pharaoh asked Jacob, “How old art thou?” (47:8). Jacob answered the king’s inquiry, giving not only his age, but his testimony: “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage” (47:9).
One hundred thirty years was a long life; however, not nearly as long as his grandfather Abraham, who lived to be 175, or his father Isaac, who lived to 180 years old (47:9). When his meeting concluded, Jacob parted with a blessing before he “went out from before Pharaoh” (47:10). The form of that blessing is not known; however, I believe it was a verbal one, and perhaps a prayer of praise and thanksgiving for Pharaoh’s kindness.
Exercising the privilege of his office, Joseph ensured his family would enjoy “the best of the land…as Pharaoh had commanded” (47:11). While all of Egypt suffered famine, he “nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father’s household, with bread, according to their families” (47:12).
The famine continued for seven years and inevitably caused the people to become impoverished. With no crops to harvest, the people spent all their money to purchase grain (47:13-15). When the famine continued, the Egyptians were forced to part with their livestock and sold their cattle to Pharaoh (47:16-17). When the second year of famine was finished, the people came to Joseph, offered their lands, and finally became Pharaoh’s servants (47:18-20, 23-26b).
There were two exceptions to the ravages of famine. First, the priests, a politically powerful presence in Egypt, were given grain by Pharaoh and exempted from selling their lands (47:22, 26b). The second was Joseph’s family, his father, brothers, and their households, “had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly” (47:27).
God blessed Jacob, and he enjoyed the company of his son Joseph another seventeen years after moving to Egypt (47:28). When he was 147 years old, and knowing his death was imminent, Jacob summoned Joseph to his bedside. The private conversation that passed between them was recorded. Though he was Joseph’s senior in age, Israel’s (Jacob’s) manner deferred to his son’s office and made his parting request.
Genesis 47:29b–31 – “If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt: 30But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he [Joseph] said, I will do as thou hast said. 31And he [Jacob] said, Swear unto me. And he [Joseph] sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed’s head.
Joseph honored his father’s request and vowed to return Jacob’s body to Canaan, where he would be buried with his father, Isaac, and his grandfather Abraham. (47:31).
Closing thoughts – Genesis 48 records Jacob’s parting words, caution, and counsel to his sons and their families. Meditating on this passage reminds me that wise men and women plan for death and the inevitability of God’s judgment.
James 4:14 – 14Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
How about you, are you ready? “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
Questions to consider: After he counseled his brothers (Genesis 46:31-34), Joseph was discreet as he approached Pharaoh and interceded for his family (Genesis 47:1-2).
1) What lessons can we take from Joseph’s approach to and relationship with Pharaoh, his authority?
2) What decision did Pharaoh make after meeting Joseph’s father and his brothers? (Genesis 47:5-6)
3) What was Israel’s (Jacob’s) last request before he died? (Genesis 47:29-31)
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Today’s devotion will come in two parts. This devotion is part 1 and a brief review, followed by a study of Genesis 46. The bonus devotion that follows will focus on Genesis 47.
Review (Genesis 43-45)
Jacob had charted an astonishing journey in life. His spiritual walk was so evidenced in his daily life that God changed his name from Jacob (“trickster”) to Israel (“God wrestles,” 32:28), for he was a man who had power with God.
Though blessed by the LORD, Jacob’s life had not been without disappointments and sorrows that invariably afflict us all. Years passed and we find Jacob now in his twilight years, shadowed by the grief and deaths of his wives and the loss of two sons (he believed a wild beast had killed Joseph, and Simeon was a prisoner in Egypt). Famine forced Jacob to send his sons, including his youngest son Benjamin, to Egypt. Meanwhile, he resigned himself to the worst outcome (43:14).
One day, as Jacob waited to hear from his sons, he saw a caravan in the distance. His sons greeted him, bringing news from Egypt that caused the old man’s heart to nearly stop: “Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt” (45:26-27).
Though old and frail, the news that Joseph was alive revived his spirit (45:27). While the journey to Egypt would be challenging, the anticipation of being reunited with Joseph stirred Jacob’s heart. He looked forward to death with the contentment of a man whose life had been satisfied (45:28).
Beersheba was located at the southernmost point of Canaan before one crossed into the Arabian Peninsula, and it held a significant place in Jacob’s life. Israel (Jacob) began his journey to Egypt, but not before going to Beersheba, where he “offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac” (46:1; 21:30; 22:19; 26:23, 32-33). There God appeared to him and quieted his fears saying, “I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: 4I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes” (46:3-4). So, knowing the LORD’s leading, Jacob and all his family made their way from Beersheba and arrived in Egypt (46:5-7).
Genesis 46:8-27 – Jacob’s Family Roster: The Twelve Sons of Jacob
Altogether, sixty-six men were identified among those who traveled to Egypt (46:8-26). Including Jacob, Joseph, and his sons, Manasseh and Ephraim; Jacob’s lineage numbered seventy souls (46:27).
Traveling with a large family, including livestock and belongings, made for a slow, arduous journey. When they arrived in Egypt, Jacob sent Judah, his fourth-born son, to Joseph, who “made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while” (46:29).
Imagine the moment Joseph embraced his father and the tears of joy that coursed down their cheeks as twenty-two years of separation were bridged by the love of a father and son. Then, “Israel (Jacob) said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive” (46:30). The son he had believed was dead was not only alive, he was the second ruler of Egypt!
We also learn that the Egyptians looked upon shepherds with loathing (46:34). Therefore, Joseph wisely prepared his family for their interview with Pharaoh (46:31). Knowing his brothers had also tended cattle, Joseph counseled them to answer questions concerning their trade, saying: “Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians” (46:32-34).
Joseph’s love and care for his father were commendable, as they should have been. Though he was a ruler of Egypt, there was no greater privilege than to be the son of Israel, a man who had power with God!
Questions to consider:
What did Jacob (Israel) do before he entered Egypt with his family? (Genesis 46:1)
Perhaps Jacob feared what the future might hold for him and his family. What assurance did God give to comfort Jacob as he departed Canaan? (Genesis 46:2-4).
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Unable to contain his emotions, Joseph cried out suddenly, “Cause every man to go out from me” (45:1b). With only his brothers present, he wept so forcefully that his servants and those of Pharaoh’s household heard of it (45:2). Speaking for the first time without an interpreter, Joseph cried out in Hebrew, “I am Joseph; doth my father yet live?” (45:3)
Imagine that moment! They had betrayed and sold their brother as a slave, but now he stood before them. He was a powerful ruler in Egypt and a man to whom they bowed in fear and reverence. With the authority of a sovereign, and the compassion of a brother, Joseph stated in their tongue, “Come near to me, I pray you” (45:4a). With fear, awe, and dread, his brothers drew near, and he confessed, “I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt”(45:4b).
Then, he calmed their anxieties and consoled his brothers, saying, “be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life” (45:5).
Take a moment, and meditate on the last phrase: “God did send me before you to preserve life” (45:5).
Rather than bitterness, and vengeance, Joseph’s words conveyed a reassuring spirit of faith and forgiveness. He had come to see the hand of God’s providences in his life. He confessed his faith and said, “8So 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 [with power and authority] throughout all the land of Egypt” (45:8).
Knowing there were yet five years of famine (45:6, 11), Joseph commanded his brothers, “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” (45:9). He then assured his brothers, “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” (45:10).
When he finished speaking, Joseph “fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him” (45:14-15). Imagine the conversation that must have passed between Joseph and his brothers. Through tears and laughter, Joseph conveyed all that had passed in his twenty-two years apart from them.
The news of Joseph’s reunion with his brothers reached Pharaoh’s household, and the king of Egypt was pleased (45:17-18). The king decreed that wagons should be taken to Canaan, and the children, wives, and Joseph’s father conveyed to Egypt (45:19). Pharaoh promised that the “good of all the land of Egypt” would be theirs, and they would have need of nothing (45:21-25).
Imagine the scene as an Egyptian caravan came within sight of Jacob’s encampment in Canaan (45:25). Jacob was told not only was Joseph alive, but he was “governor over all the land of Egypt.” We read the old man’s “heart fainted, for he believed them not” (45:26). Yet, seeing the wagons and all the provisions that were sent to him by his son, Jacob’s spirit was revived (25:27). “Israel (Jacob) said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die” (45:28).
Jacob was content. The LORD had preserved his life into old age and answered the longing of his heart: He would be reunited with Joseph.
Closing thoughts – Take a moment and reflect on God’s providences in Joseph’s life.
While there was often cause for sorrow, in looking back, Joseph saw the LORD orchestrate events that together worked for good (Romans 8:28). He was a teenager when his mother died giving birth to his brother Benjamin. His brothers resented, hated, and would have killed him had they not sold him as a slave. In Egypt, he was wrongly accused by his master’s wife. He became a prisoner until the LORD moved on Pharaoh’s heart to promote him second only to himself in Egypt. Though rejected, tried, and forsaken by man, Joseph accepted the hand of the LORD was ever upon him!
Friend, perhaps you find yourself in a place of rejection, afflictions, and sorrows. Take inspiration and hope from Joseph, and trust the LORD. God’s Word promises, “19Many are the afflictions of the righteous: But the Lord delivereth him out of them all” (Psalm 34:19).
Questions to consider:
Why did Joseph wait to identify himself to his brothers? (Genesis 42:7-8; 43:26-30; 45:1-4)
Why didn’t Joseph harbor bitterness and take the opportunity to seek revenge against his brothers? (Genesis 45:5-8)
What spiritual lessons can you take from Joseph’s response to the trials and troubles he suffered?
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The famine had continued in Egypt and neighboring countries, and Israel (once named Jacob) realized the grain his sons had carried from Egypt would soon be depleted (43:1-2). So, telling his sons, “Go again, buy us a little food” (43:2b), Judah, the fourth-born son, reminded his father, saying, “The man [Joseph] did solemnly protest [warned sternly] unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your [youngest] brother be with you” (43:3).
Judah stated plainly that he would return to Egypt only if Benjamin traveled there with them (43:4-5). Jacob, frustrated with his sons, impugned them for revealing to the Egyptian ruler (Joseph) that they had a younger brother (43:6). Of course, had they failed to answer Joseph’s questions honestly, the circumstances in Egypt would probably have gone badly for them (43:7). Judah entreated his father for Benjamin. He pledged himself as surety should he fail to return (43:8-9) and complained that they should have already departed for Egypt (43:10).
Reluctantly, Israel (Jacob) accepted Judah’s plea and ordered his sons to bear gifts and double the money (supposing their money having been returned to them on their first journey was “an oversight,” 43:11-12). Then, with Benjamin in their company, Israel (Jacob) blessed them and resigned himself to the LORD, saying, “God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother [Simeon], and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved” (43:14).
Arriving in Egypt, the brothers “stood before Joseph.16And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon” (43:15b-16).
What thoughts and emotions must have swirled through the brother’s hearts when they were taken from the granaries to Joseph’s house? (43:17) The answer is made known to us when we read, “And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph’s house” (43:18).
Knowing the story’s outcome helps us enjoy the humor of the moment when Joseph’s brothers approached his steward to plead their case (43:19-23). The steward’s response suggested the influence of Joseph’s testimony in his home, for his servant answered, “Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money” (43:23). The steward’s assurance was immediately followed by a family reunion when “he brought Simeon out unto them” (43:23). How baffling it must have been for Joseph’s brothers when they, and their animals were given the “royal treatment” (43:24)!
Anticipating the arrival of the Egyptian ruler, Joseph’s brothers made ready their presents (43:25). When he entered the house, they “bowed themselves to him to the earth” (a fulfillment of Joseph’s dream from his youth, 43:26). Through an interpreter Joseph asked concerning his father’s welfare. Again, they bowed to him (43:27-28).
The dreams and visions of Joseph’s youth were being fulfilled as the LORD promised (37:5-11). So then, when Joseph “lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son” (43:29a), he asked, “Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son” (43:29b).
No longer able to contain his emotions, Joseph rushed from the room and “entered his chamber, and wept there” (43:30). (Remember, Joseph had not yet made himself known to his brothers. Instead, he had continued to speak to them through an interpreter and maintained the conduct and manner of an Egyptian ruler.)
Joseph then returned to his brothers and commanded that lunch be served. Now, knowing “the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians” (43:32), Joseph was careful to dine at a table apart from his guests. He then commanded his brothers to sit at the meal according to their birth order. Perplexed and amazed, they “marveled one at another” (43:33) as Joseph directed that Benjamin’s meal would be five times as much as their own (43:34).
When the meal ended, Joseph commanded his servants to fill his brother’s sacks with grain. Once again, he commanded “every man’s money in his sack’s mouth” (44:1). Then, Joseph covertly made an additional request: that his silver cup should be placed in Benjamin’s grain sack (44:2).
The brothers set out on their journey and were soon overtaken by Joseph’s steward, who accused them, saying, “Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?” (44:4)
The brothers protested their innocence (44:5-8) and vowed, “9With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bondmen” (44:9). A search was made, beginning with the eldest, until coming to Benjamin’s sack where the silver cup was found (44:10-12). Then, overwhelmed by emotions, the brothers “rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city” (44:13) and fell on the ground before Joseph (44:14).
To this point, Joseph continued to speak through an interpreter and confronted his brothers as such, demanding, “What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?” (44:15)
Remembering how Judah had taken responsibility for his youngest brother’s care, true to his word, he confessed his brother’s sin saying, “God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found” (44:16). Joseph prolonged his brothers’ agony, vowing that Benjamin would be his servant (44:17), and sending them away to their father.
Judah approached Joseph humbly and pled for him to consider the grief his father would suffer should Benjamin not return. He reminded the Egyptian ruler (Joseph) that their father had lost one son whom he presumed was dead (referring to Joseph, 44:18-28).
Then, in a dramatic moment of contrition, Judah begged to become Joseph’s servant in Benjamin’s stead. He explained that he desired to spare his father a sorrow that might send him to his grave (44:30-34).
Closing thoughts – Our study of Joseph’s life and God’s providences will continue in our next devotional (Genesis 45). For today, however, I encourage you to remember that the same LORD who worked through Joseph’s life has promised: “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Questions to Consider: Fearing prison themselves, Joseph’s brothers dared not return to Egypt without Benjamin, their youngest brother. (43:3)
Why was Israel (i.e., Jacob) reluctant to allow Benjamin to accompany his brothers to Egypt? (Genesis 42:38)
How did Joseph’s brothers respond when they found their money in their sacks and Joseph’s cup in Benjamin’s? (44:11-13).
What did Judah fear would become of his father if he returned to his father’s house without Benjamin? (Genesis 44:31)
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We concluded our study of Genesis 39, leaving Joseph imprisoned for a false charge by Potiphar’s wife (39:11-20). Remembering that Potiphar was “an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard” (39:1), I think that he did not fully trust his wife’s word, for indeed, her charge of attempted rape would have been a capital offense (some scholars believe Potiphar was Pharaoh’s executioner).
Rather than a sentence of death, Joseph found himself in prison. Characteristic of his deep faith, he did not allow his circumstances to dictate his outlook. We read, “the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper” (39:23). Joseph understood what the psalmist observed when he wrote, “As for God, His way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30). The truths he learned of the LORD from his father, and the dreams and visions he was given in his youth (Genesis 37), continued to resonate in his soul.
Charged with the responsibility of “all the prisoners that were in the prison” (39:22), Joseph was serving when two prominent servants of Pharaoh’s house, “the chief of the butlers [and] the chief of the bakers” were sentenced to prison (40:1-2). The nature of the offense those men committed against Pharaoh was not revealed, but in the providence of God, Joseph was charged by the captain of the guard to serve them (40:4).
The chief butler (most likely the cupbearer and the most trusted of Pharaoh’s servants), and the chief baker, both “dreamed a dream” (40:5-11) and were greatly disturbed by what their dreams might foretell. Neither time nor space permits an exhaustive study of the dreams; however, Joseph’s interpretation (40:12-23) left the chief butler optimistic that he would be restored to his post in three days (40:12-13). Joseph requested that the butler remember him and appeal to Pharaoh on his behalf (40:14-15). Unfortunately, the interpretation of the chief baker’s dream was not so optimistic, for Joseph interpreted that in three days, the baker would be hanged “on a tree; and the birds…eat [his] flesh” (40:18-19).
Three days passed, and the chief butler was restored, while the baker was executed according to Joseph’s interpretation of his dream (40:20-22). Joseph’s desire to be remembered by Pharaoh’s butler appeared to end in disappointment, for we read, “Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him” (40:23).
Two years passed before the butler gave any thought to the man who interpreted his dream in prison (41:1a). Surely, that would demoralize most men; however, there was no hint that it affected Joseph’s service. On the contrary, he was faithful to his task until God was ready to promote him. In the providence of God, “Pharaoh dreamed” (41:1), and the dreams were so disturbing that the king “was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh” (41:8).
Thus, the stage was now fully set for Joseph. When Pharaoh’s spirit was troubled, and his expert advisors could offer no help, the butler confessed to the king of Egypt, “I do remember my faults this day” (41:9). Giving credibility for his recommendation, the butler recalled how his and the baker’s dreams were interpreted and came to pass as Joseph prophesied (41:10-13).
Anxious to know the interpretation of his dreams, Pharaoh commanded Joseph to be brought from prison and to his throne (41:14). Imagine what a glorious moment in Joseph’s life! So in an instance, at a time providentially appointed by the LORD, Joseph hastened to prepare himself to stand in the presence of the most powerful figure in the world (41:14). “And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it” (41:15).
Deflecting any praise for himself, “Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace” (41:16). Pharaoh then shared his dreams of seven emaciated cows devouring seven healthy cows (41:17-21) and seven blighted ears of grain consuming seven healthy ears (41:22-24). Finally, the king confessed, “I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me” (41:24).
Then, God sovereignly revealed the significance of Pharaoh’s dreams to Joseph, who gave the interpretation to the king and advised him to “look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt” (41:33). Joseph went further, and suggested the administration necessary to implement storing grain. All this was to save Egypt and her neighbors from starving when the famine persisted for seven years (41:34-37).
Pharaoh recognized Joseph was not only wise, but he was also “a man in whom the Spirit of God is” (41:38). The king then appointed Joseph to serve Egypt second only to himself (41:33-44). Though only thirty years old when he was promoted (41:46), Joseph was entrusted with the granaries of Egypt as that nation prepared for seven years of famine that would follow seven years of plenty (41:45-57).
Genesis 41 closed with a revelation: “All countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands” (41:57).
Closing thought – The dreams of Joseph’s youth were on the cusps of being fulfilled.
Questions to Consider
Despite the chief butler’s promise, he forgot Joseph after he was restored to serving Pharaoh. (Genesis 40:14, 21, 23). How did Joseph respond to that disappointment?
“Two full years” (Genesis 41:9) passed before the butler told Pharaoh he knew a man who interpreted dreams (Genesis 41:10-15). How do we know Joseph’s faith in God had not wavered? (Genesis 41:16)
Eleven years passed from the time Joseph was sold into slavery to when he was promoted the serve Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. What qualities did the king see in Joseph that caused him to trust him? (Genesis 41:38-40)
What can we learn from Joseph’s rise to power and prominence? (Genesis 41:42-44)
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Genesis 37 concluded with Joseph’s brothers returning to Canaan with his bloodied tunic. Deceiving their father and breaking his heart, they led him to believe Joseph was dead (37:29-35). Meanwhile, Joseph was transported to Egypt, and there he was sold to an Egyptian named “Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, and captain of the guard”(37:36).
Genesis 38 – Judah, an Inauspicious Beginning of a Royal Lineage
The study of Joseph’s life was intersected briefly as the focus shifted to Judah (29:35), the fourth-born son of Jacob (38:1). Although his lineage will be a royal one of whom king David and Jesus Christ will be born (Mary and Joseph were both descendants of Judah), our introduction to Judah in Genesis 38 is an ignoble one.
Failing to evidence the character of a righteous man, we find Judah had a close friendship with “a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah” (38:1). Adullam was located in the pastoral lands of southern Judah. It was probably while shepherding his father’s flocks that he became an acquaintance of Hirah. Judah’s questionable friendship led to an interest in a woman named Shuah, a Canaanite, and not one God or his father would have approved (38:2).
Judah took Shuah as his wife, and she conceived three sons (38:3). The firstborn was named Er (38:3), the second son was Onan (38:4), and the third-born son was Shelah (38:5). Er, Judah’s firstborn, took a wife named Tamar; however, before she conceived, the LORD slew him because he was “wicked in the sight of the LORD” (38:6-7). Following the custom of a man marrying his brother’s widow to perpetuate his lineage, Onan, Judah’s second son, rejected Tamar. As a result, the LORD “slew him also” (38:10). Twice a widow, Judah then sent Tamar to her father’s home, vowing she would be given an opportunity to marry his youngest son, a promise he had no intent to keep (38:11).
Learning Judah was a widower (38:12) and realizing he had deceived her, Tamar set on a course to ensnare her father-in-law. Concealing her identity and posing as a prostitute (38:14), she tempted Judah. Unfortunately, he foolishly turned aside and negotiated a price for her favors (38:15-17). Tamar, however, was a shrewd woman, and until Judah could fulfill her fee, she demanded a pledge, a deposit, that would serve as her security. Judah then presented her with personal items that would be easily identifiable: a “signet” that would be used to seal documents, his bracelets, and his staff (38:18).
“She conceived by him.” (38:18b). Although a simple, four-worded phrase, it serves as a reminder that actions have consequences. Three months after she conceived, Judah learned that Tamar was with child, and he was told that “she [was] with child by whoredom” (38:24).
Hypocritically, Judah condemned Tamar to “be burnt” (38:24b); however, she produced the personal items he had left with her: “the signet, and bracelets, and staff” (38:25). Acknowledging they were his, he confessed, “She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah, my son. And he knew her again no more” (38:26).
Tamar conceived twin sons by Judah; thus, Pharez, the older son, and Zarah became his heirs. He evidenced sincere repentance when he confessed his sin, which was seen in his withdrawal from her (38:26b).
The story of Judah and Tamar is a testimony of God’s grace and forgiveness, for their sons are named in the lineage of kings and Christ (Matthew 1:3). Pharez, the firstborn son, is in the direct line of the Messiah.
Genesis 39 – The Providence of God: The LORD is with us!
Following the life of Joseph is akin to a spiritual rollercoaster with incredible highs, followed by events that would threaten to plunge most men into a slough of despair.
Rather than give in to despondency and bitterness, Joseph’s faith in the LORD remained unshaken, and he rose from slave to steward over Potiphar’s household (37:36). Even when his master’s wife endeavored to entrap him in her lusts (39:7), Joseph refused her advances. He reasoned, “how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (39:9)
Although a young man, Joseph did not rationalize sin and instead resisted it (39:9-11). When Potiphar’s wife thrust herself upon him, he ran from her embrace, leaving behind the garment she had seized from him (39:12-13). When she falsely accused him of indiscretion, Joseph held his peace and was sentenced to prison (39:19-23). Yet, when he was a prisoner and wrongfully accused, he prospered. Why? “Because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper” (39:23).
Closing thoughts – I look forward to sharing the rest of the story, the testimony of God’s providences in Joseph’s life, and how the LORD made him prosper even in the darkest times!
Questions to Consider
1) Did you notice the double standard Judah and his culture held for men as contrasted with women? (Genesis 38:24-36)
2) How do a person’s actions reveal their character?
3) When Joseph resisted Potiphar’s wife’s advances, how did she react to his refusal? (Genesis 39:13-18)
4) Why did Joseph continue to prosper, even when falsely accused and imprisoned? (Genesis 39:20-21)
* You can subscribe to the Heart of a Shepherd daily devotionals and have them sent directly to your email address. Please enter your email address in the box to the right (if using a computer) or at the bottom (if using a cell phone). You may also email your request toHeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com
The Internal Revenue Service recognizes Heart of A Shepherd Inc as a 501c3 public charitable organization.
Mailing Address:
Heart of A Shepherd Inc
7853 Gunn Hwy
#131
Tampa, FL 33626-1611
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