Tag Archives: Anxiety

Jehovah-nissi: The LORD My Banner (Exodus 16-17)

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(Additional languages available upon request by emailing HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com.)

Scripture reading: Exodus 16-17

We have considered the faithlessness of the children of Israel who, after the miracle of the Red Sea crossing, turned from celebrating Egypt’s defeat to murmuring “against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?” (15:24).

Exodus 16

Daily Complaining, Daily Manna, and Daily Meat

In Exodus 15, the people complained about a lack of water; in Exodus 16, they complained about a lack of food. When the people left Egypt, they must have packed enough provisions for a month; however, when their supplies were exhausted, they began to murmur against Moses and Aaron. The people complained that they would have been better off dying in Egypt than following Moses into the desert only to starve and die (16:2-3). (Notice how soon they forgot God’s miraculous provision of water, Exodus 15.)

Once again, Moses cried to the LORD. God responded and promised to “rain bread from heaven” (16:4), sufficient for a day that He might “prove [the people], whether they will walk in my law, or no” (16:4). The LORD promised on the sixth day he would provide twice the daily manna, that the people might store enough for the Sabbath (16:5). Moses and Aaron encouraged the people, how the LORD would provide them bread in the morning, and “in the evening flesh to eat” (16:6-8). Moses also taught a spiritual truth all believers should understand and God’s faithful ministers should remember: “The Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord” (16:8b).

Faithful to His promise, quail covered the camp each evening and provided the people with meat. Each morning they found a small round bread they called “manna” (16:15). Moses then instructed the men to gather only enough for their households, “every man according to his eating” (16:18). Moses also admonished, “Let no man leave of it till the morning” (16:19).

What lesson did the LORD teach Israel by providing them daily provisions?

He taught the people to look to Him for their daily needs; yet, some failed to trust the LORD and hoarded more manna than they could eat, and “it bred worms, and stank [rotted]” (16:20). As promised, the day before the Sabbath, the LORD provided enough for the day and the day after (16:22-26). Thus, the people did not need to seek provisions for the Sabbath, “so the people rested on the seventh day” (16:30). As a reminder of God’s faithfulness, Moses directed Aaron to “take a pot” and store “manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD to be “kept” as a lasting “Testimony” (16:33-34).

Closing thought:

Thus did the LORD provide for Israel for “forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan” (16:35).

Exodus 17

Israel continued her journey in the “wilderness of Sin” and encamped in Rephidim, where “there was no water for the people to drink” (17:1). Once again, the people questioned, “Is the LORD among us, or not?” (17:7). Again, they accused Moses of bringing them out of Egypt to kill them (17:3). The criticism became so vicious, that Moses feared the people were “almost ready to stone” him (17:4). The LORD then commanded Moses to take the rod he carried when the waters of the Red Sea were divided, and stand “upon the rock in Horeb; and… smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink” (17:5-6).

Israel witnessed the LORD’s compassion and provision for their needs; however, the Gospel of John reveals a greater truth. While the “rock in Horeb” supplied water to Israel, it was merely a type, a prophetic picture of Jesus Christ. The water that flowed from the rock in Horeb quenched the temporal thirst of Israel. Christ, however, promised He could give water so that a soul might “never thirst,” for He was the “well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14).

Israel’s First War (17:8-16)

After departing Egypt and crossing the Red Sea, the children of Israel encountered their first enemy when the Amalekites, descendants of Esau (Jacob’s twin brother), came to war against them (17:8). Moses summoned Joshua. He commanded him to choose men in Israel to “fight with Amalek” (17:9).

While Joshua led Israel to war in the valley, Moses stood on the “top of the hill with the rod of God in [his] hand” (17:9). When the arms of Moses were outstretched, Israel prevailed. Still, when his arms grew heavy, the battle went against the nation (17:11). Finally, sitting down on a rock, Moses’ brother steadied one arm. At the same time, a man named Hur held the other aloft (17:12). Thus, Israel prevailed, and “Joshua discomfited [defeated] Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword” (17:13).

Closing thoughts:

Israel’s first battle in the wilderness served as a reminder that the LORD was on their side. The LORD commanded Moses to write the victory in a book and exhorted him to rehearse the victory “in the ears of Joshua” (17:14). As a memorial to the victory, Moses “built an altar, and called it Jehovah-nissi,” meaning “The LORD is My Banner” (17:15).

Questions to consider:

A sinful pattern of failing to obey and trust the LORD has emerged in our study of Israel. Therefore, let me encourage you to consider that those who complain are like Israel and are given to exaggeration and accusations.

1) Of what evil did the people accuse Moses? (Exodus 16:3)

2) Why did the LORD warn the people not to hoard daily manna? (Exodus 16:4b)

3) On what day was Israel not to gather manna? (Exodus 16:23-26, 30)

4) What did God command Moses to do that the people might have water to drink? (Exodus 17:5-6)

5) What lesson was Joshua to learn from his first battle with the Amalekites? (Exodus 17:13-16)

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

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The Passover: “Behold the Lamb” (The Institution and Significance of the Passover, Exodus 12) – Part 2 of 2 daily devotions.

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Scripture reading: Exodus 12

The Passover was instituted in Exodus 12 and took its name from the LORD, sparing His people the plague that struck the firstborn of Egypt (12:1-14, 27-28). The LORD instructed Moses and Aaron to speak to the people and say, “2This month shall be unto you the beginning of months…3In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb…5Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: 6And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening” (12:2-6).

Moses instructed the people to put the blood of the sacrifice on the side posts and lintel [top of the door facing] of the houses (12:7). The LORD promised, saying “when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt” (12:12-13).

The Sacrificial Lamb (Exodus 12:8-11, 14-19)

Specific instructions were given for the sacrificial lambs (12:8-11, 14-19). We are reminded that the lambs were a “type,” meaning a picture of the ultimate sacrifice for sin, the Messiah, whose name they did not know and who would come in the Father’s time. Israel would have to trust in the substitutionary blood on their doorposts and know by faith that it represented God’s provision, sacrifice, and covenant with Abraham. The lamb was to be roasted whole (12:8-9), and the bones were not to be broken. (Jesus Christ’s death on the cross fulfilled that condition, John 19:31-37; Psalm 34:20). He was the perfect, sinless, spotless “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” John 1:29).

A second element of the Passover was “unleavened bread” (12:15, 17-20). Leaven, the equivalent of yeast today, was not used in bread during the Passover season.  (The leaven used in ancient times was from fermented dough left over from the previous day.) Taking a pinch of fermented dough, and kneading it into a fresh batch of flour, would, in time, permeate the whole of the dough and cause the bread to rise.

The permeating nature of leaven is a symbol in the Scriptures of the nature of sin. Sin in our lives functions the same as leaven in the dough, for “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (Galatians 5:9). In the same way that leaven was not to be in Passover bread, a believer is not to tolerate even a “little sin” in his life.

The Night of the Passover (Exodus 12:29-34)

The night of the Passover came, and “at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh… [to] the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle” (12:29). Pharaoh and all Egypt cried in anguish, “for there was not a house where there was not one dead” (12:30).

The king then sent for Moses and Aaron and charged them, “Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said. 32Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also” (12:31-32).

The same urgency took hold among the Egyptians, who urged Israel to depart “out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men” (12:33). As God had commanded, the children of Israel required “of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: 36And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians” (12:35-36).

Delivered Israel Out of Egypt (Exodus 12:37-51)

Thus, Israel was thrust out of Egypt. The people who began the exodus numbered 600,000 men, not including women and children (12:37). We also read that a “mixed multitude” went out with them. However, they were not of the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (12:38). Those non-Hebrew people would become a curse to Israel in her wilderness journey (Numbers 11:4).

The years of Israel’s stay in Egypt had been “four hundred and thirty years” (12:40). We read, “at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt” (12:41). The sparing of the firstborn and Israel’s exodus from Egypt is memorialized in a perpetual observance of the Passover (12:43). Also, the circumcision of males was to continue as a sign of that nation’s consecration to the LORD (12:44-48). Whether Hebrew or of the mixed multitude, there would be “One Law” that would serve the people (12:49).

Closing thoughts:

In conclusion, we are reminded that God is intolerant of sin among His people. As the leaven was put out, and forbidden in the households during the Passover (Exodus 12:15, 19-20), so should our sins be addressed and confessed in our lives and homes. Drawing a parallel between leaven and sin, Paul wrote in his first epistle to the believers in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 5:6b–8 – “Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

Questions to consider:

1) What conditions did God give for the Passover lamb? (Exodus 12:5)

2) What were God’s instructions for the blood of the lamb? (Exodus 12:6-7)

3) What did God say He would do on Passover night? (Exodus 12:12)

4) What did Pharoah do after his son died? (Exodus 12:30-32)

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* 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 to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

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Spiritual Challenge: Never Ignore the Prospects of a Pandemic (Exodus 9; Exodus 10)

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Scripture reading assignment: Exodus 9-10

Our study in the Book of Exodus continues with the contest between Moses, God’s messenger, and Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Four judgments have befallen the nation, and each has been followed by Pharaoh hardening his heart and refusing to let the children of Israel go so that they “may serve” the LORD.

Exodus 9

The Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Plagues (9:3-35)

The fifth plague that befell Egypt afflicted the “cattle which [was] in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep” (9:3). The disease was “a very grievous murrain,” an epidemic so severe that “all the cattle of Egypt died.” But, as a testimony of God’s sovereignty and love of His people, none of the livestock of Israel perished (9:4-7). Yet, “the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go” (9:7b).

The sixth plague began when Moses gathered “handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and [sprinkled] it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh” (9:8), and boils broke out on man and beast (9:8-11). The affliction of the boils was so painful that even Pharaoh’s magicians “could not stand before Moses” (9:11). And yet, “the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had spoken unto Moses” (9:12).

The seventh plague destroyed all the crops of Egypt when the LORD rained down hail upon their fields (9:13-35). This time, however, some of Pharaoh’s servants believed the warnings of Moses. They made their servants and livestock take shelter in their houses (9:20). Pharaoh confessed, “I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked” (9:27). The king promised to let Israel go; however, when the hail ceased, “the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the Lord had spoken by Moses” (9:35).

Exodus 10

The Eighth and Ninth Plague (10:2-29)

Egypt’s crops and livestock losses brought the suffering of hunger and famine. Perhaps you have wondered why the LORD did not simply deliver Israel from bondage rather than judge Egypt with ten plagues. The answer is found in Exodus 10.

Exodus 10:2 – “And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD.”

More than delivering His people from slavery, the LORD wanted Israel to know and remember through successive generations all He had done in Egypt.  His dealings with Pharaoh were to serve as a lasting testimony of God’s person, power, and presence among His chosen people.  Israel was a nation of slaves, but their God was the Creator and Sovereign of nature. He would bring the greatest ruler and the most powerful country in the ancient world to her knees.

The eighth plague of locusts devastated Egypt and devoured what was left of the nation’s vegetation (10:3-20).  Heavy darkness was the ninth plague that befell Pharaoh and Egypt (10:21-29), and the Egyptians were oppressed and frightened by the darkness. Yet, Israel was spared, and God’s people enjoyed the warmth of the light in their dwellings.

Pharaoh then sought a compromise with Moses and would have allowed the people to depart, but not with their livestock (10:24-25). Moses, however, refused (10:26), and “the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go” (10:27). Furious with Moses, Pharaoh warned, “take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die” (10:28).

Conclusion

Strong and confident in the LORD, Moses answered the king and declared: “Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more” (10:29). The stage was set for the final judgment and the humiliation of Pharaoh.

Questions to consider:

1) What message did God send Pharaoh when the fifth plague killed all the cattle of Egypt? (Exodus 9:3-7)

2) The king confessed, “I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked” (9:27). How can we know Pharaoh had not sincerely repented? (Exodus 9:34-35)

3) What purpose did the ten plagues that befell Egypt serve? (Exodus 10:2)

4) What spiritual purpose could a plague or pandemic serve in our day?

5) According to 1 John 1:9 and 1 John 2:3-5, two things prove the sincerity of our confession and repentance of sin. What are they?

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* 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 to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

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The Tragedy of a Hardened Heart (Exodus 8)

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Scripture reading: Exodus 8

“And [the LORD] hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as [He] had said.” (Exodus 7:13)

Throughout the contest between Pharaoh and Moses, a defiant pattern and consequences emerged in the narrative. Moses contended with the king of Egypt, Pharaoh rejected him, and the LORD hardened the king’s heart through the natural consequences of his refusal to heed God’s Word.

What is the nature of a hardened heart?

A spiritually hardened, insensitive heart rejects God’s Word so that it becomes calloused to Truth. On the other hand, a hardened heart is spiritually cold and often openly rebellious. So, when we face trials and troubles, we choose whether to humble or harden our hearts.

Pharaoh’s Heart (7:13-22)

Pharaoh’s heart was proud, stubborn, and defiant. Through each plague, Pharoah continued to bristle against Moses’ words, thereby hardening his heart to God (7:13). When God turned the fresh waters of Egypt to blood, the stench of decaying flesh filled the land (7:20-22). For seven days, the waters of the Nile were blood-red and a testimony of the power and superiority of Israel’s God, yet Pharoah did not turn his heart.

Exodus 8

Frogs Filled the Land (8:1-15)

The time between the first plague and the second contest between Moses and Pharaoh is uncertain. Finally, the day came when the LORD commanded Moses to go before Pharaoh, and should he fail to let the children of Israel go, the land would be filled with frogs (8:1-4).

When Aaron stretched forth his rod as Moses commanded, frogs came out of the rivers, streams, and ponds until all the land of Egypt was filled with frogs (8:5-7). Frogs were in the houses, on their beds, in the ovens, and in flour-kneading troughs. Pharaoh begged Moses to appeal to the LORD to remove the frogs, and he promised to “let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the Lord” (8:8b).

Rather than appeal to the LORD to instantly remove the frogs from the land, Moses deferred to Pharaoh and invited him to name the time when he should ask the LORD to “destroy the frogs” (8:9). Proud and stubborn, rather than seek immediate relief, the king chose the next day for the frogs to be purged from the land (8:10).

The following day, “Moses cried unto the Lord… and the frogs died…14And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank” (8:13-14). Pharaoh, however, hardened his heart and would not allow Israel to go and offer sacrifices to the LORD (8:15).

Lice Infested the Land (8:16-19)

When Pharaoh failed to keep his word, Moses commanded Aaron to smite the dust of the land. Then the LORD sent “lice throughout all the land of Egypt” (perhaps some form of a gnat or other biting insect, 8:17). However, unlike other miracles, which the magicians emulated, they failed to turn dust into lice. Then they counseled Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God” (8:19a). Yet again, “Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said” (8:19b).

Swarms of Flies Plague Egypt (8:20-31)

Harassed by flies, Pharaoh suggested a compromise to Moses. The king said he would allow Israel to offer sacrifices to “God in the land” (8:25), but not permit the people to go beyond the borders of Egypt. However, Moses refused Pharaoh’s proposal. He suggested he feared Israel’s sacrifices would be seen as an “abomination” to the Egyptians, who would then stone the people (8:26).

Moses demanded that the people be allowed to go on a three-day journey into the desert. The king accepted, and offered a compromise that the people “shall not go very far away” (8:28). Moses promised to pray for the LORD to remove the flies, but only if Pharaoh would not default on his vow to release Israel to go and sacrifice to the LORD (8:29a), yet when the flies were removed; Pharaoh “hardened his heart” and would not “let the people go” (8:32).

Closing thoughts

Pride stood in the way of Pharaoh’s failure to humble himself, and the king’s unwillingness to acknowledge Israel’s God as LORD paved the way to increasing sorrow and death. Tragically, the king of Egypt learned a proverb King Solomon would later teach his son: “Pride goeth before destruction, And an haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

Questions to consider:

1) Why did Pharaoh refuse to keep his promise and allow the Hebrews to go into the wilderness and worship the LORD?

2) Pharoah was proud. Can you identify areas of pride in your life?

3) Pharoah refused to hear and heed God’s Word through God’s servant Moses.  Are you resisting God’s Word in your life?

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* 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 to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

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Harden, not Your Heart! (Exodus 6; Exodus 7)

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Scripture reading: Exodus 6-7

We have already considered the first clash of wills between Pharaoh and Moses (Exodus 5). Moses turned to the LORD and prayed when he was accosted and accused by the ones he loved and came to deliver (5:22-23). Pharaoh, however, turned a deaf ear to Moses’ requests and remained unmoved and unwilling to let the people go.

Exodus 6 

God Heard and Answered Moses’ Prayer

Moses had to remember that the LORD is faithful to hear and answer prayer. So, the LORD assured him: “Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong [mighty] hand shall he let them go, and with a strong [mighty] hand shall he drive them out of his land” (6:1). The LORD promised to not only deliver Israel from slavery, but assured Moses when He was finished dealing with Pharaoh, the king would drive Israel out of Egypt!

What was Moses learning about God and his commission to serve Him?

He learned that Israel’s liberation depended not on him, but on whom he served. So we read, “God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord [Yahweh; eternal, self-existent]: 3And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty [El Shaddai], but by my name JEHOVAH [Yahweh] was I not known to them” (6:2-3). Though Israel had lost faith in God, He had not forgotten His covenant with them (6:4-5). In a series of “I wills,” the LORD reminded Moses of all He had promised (6:6-8).

Yet, when Moses spoke to the people all the LORD conveyed to him, “they hearkened not unto [him]” (6:9). The LORD then came to Moses and instructed him to go to Pharaoh and command the king, “let the children of Israel go out of his land” (6:11). Moses, however, was discouraged by the rejection of his people. He wondered aloud if his people spurned his words, why should Pharaoh hear him, a man “of uncircumcised lips [i.e., poor speech]?” (6:12)

Three Genealogies: Reuben, Simeon, and Levi

Notice that the dialog between the LORD and Moses was interrupted by the genealogies of three sons of Jacob: Reuben, Simeon, and Levi (6:14-27). The Scriptures remind us how Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob, committed incest with his father’s concubine (6:14; Genesis 35:22). Simeon, the second, and Levi, the third-born son, had raged against the Shechemites and revenged the rape of their sister Dinah by murdering the men of Shechem (Genesis 34).

Thirdly, the lineage of Levi is of particular interest in our narrative, for Moses and Aaron were sons of the tribe of Levi, the priestly tribe. The LORD had chosen the tribe of Levi to represent the people before Him (6:16-27).

Exodus 7

Exodus 7 recorded the second dramatic confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh; however, there was already a dynamic change in the relationship between the two. For the LORD had magnified Moses’ standing and “made [him] a god to Pharaoh” (7:1). Then, the LORD instructed Moses to command the king to “send the children of Israel out of his land” (7:2). God, however, cautioned Moses saying, He would “harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply [His] signs and…wonders in the land of Egypt” (7:3).

Proud and obstinate, Pharaoh and Egypt would suffer God’s judgment in a series of ten plagues that brought that nation to its knees and revealed that the God of Israel was the God of Heaven (7:4-5).

Moses and Aaron, with God’s power and His Word as their authority, stood before Pharaoh, and “Aaron cast down his rod before [the king], and before his servants, and it became a serpent” (7:10). Undeterred the king’s advisors, displayed the power of evil and cast down their rods which also became serpents (7:11-12a). Finally, the rod of Aaron, now transformed into a serpent, displayed the supremacy of Israel’s God and devoured the rods of Pharaoh’s magicians (7:12).

What was Pharaoh’s response?

God “hardened” his heart (7:13), as He had said He would (7:14). (In effect, Pharoah hardened his heart when he rebelled against the Lord. Incidentally, we do the same when we disallow God’s Word in favor of our will and become hard-hearted and self-willed.)

The first of a series of judgments then followed (7:14-12:36).

The first plague was the waters of the Nile River were turned to blood (7:15-18), the fish died, and the stench of their rotting flesh filled Egypt (7:19-21). Nevertheless, Pharaoh’s magicians seemed to duplicate the water turning to blood (7:22), and Pharaoh turned away, and his heart was hardened (7:24).

For seven days, the people were plagued with thirst and hunger (for the fish of the Nile was a primary source of food, 7:24-25). The king, however, refused to humble himself and set Israel free.

Closing thought

When Moses turned the water of the Nile River to blood, he displayed the sovereignty and power of Israel’s God over one of Egypt’s gods (for the Egyptians worshipped the Nile). Nevertheless, although they could not escape God’s wrath, Pharaoh and Egypt defied the LORD. Indeed, nine more judgments would follow before Pharaoh humbled himself and acknowledged Israel’s God was LORD.

Questions to consider:

Moses had asked the LORD, “when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?” (Exodus 3:13) In Exodus 6, God answered Moses’ questions in a series of revelations concerning His name.

1) By what names did God reveal Himself to Moses? (Exodus 6:2-3)

2) What had God promised to do for His people? (Exodus 6:6-8)

3) Moses feared he was inadequate to speak to Pharaoh. What was God’s answer to his fear? (Exodus 7:1-2)

4) What fears do you use as an excuse not to obey and serve the LORD?

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* 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 to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

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“God Meant it Unto Good” (Genesis 50)

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Scripture reading – Genesis 50

“[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; but God 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)

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* 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 to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

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Hope Revived: Joseph is Alive! (Genesis 46)

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Scripture reading – Genesis 46-47

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).

Genesis 46:1-7 – Journey from Beersheba

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).

Genesis 46:28-34 – Jacob’s Reunion with Joseph

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:

  1. What did Jacob (Israel) do before he entered Egypt with his family? (Genesis 46:1)
  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).

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* 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 to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

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Forsaken by Man, But not By God! (Genesis 45)

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Scripture reading – Genesis 45

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).

Stunning News: Joseph is Alive! (45:25-28)

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:

  1. Why did Joseph wait to identify himself to his brothers? (Genesis 42:7-8; 43:26-30; 45:1-4)
  1. Why didn’t Joseph harbor bitterness and take the opportunity to seek revenge against his brothers? (Genesis 45:5-8)
  1. What spiritual lessons can you take from Joseph’s response to the trials and troubles he suffered?

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* 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 to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

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Mailing Address:
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Remember: It’s Darkest Before Dawn! (Genesis 43-44)

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Scripture reading – Genesis 43-44

Genesis 43

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).

Genesis 44 – A Crisis and a Confession

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)

  1. Why was Israel (i.e., Jacob) reluctant to allow Benjamin to accompany his brothers to Egypt? (Genesis 42:38)
  1. How did Joseph’s brothers respond when they found their money in their sacks and Joseph’s cup in Benjamin’s? (44:11-13).
  1. What did Judah fear would become of his father if he returned to his father’s house without Benjamin? (Genesis 44:31)

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* 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 to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

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Mailing Address:
Heart of A Shepherd Inc
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What Do You Call A Divine Appointment? – “Providence” (Genesis 40; Genesis 41)

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Scripture reading – Genesis 40-41

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.

Genesis 40 – No Time for Prison Blues

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).

Genesis 41 – Forgotten by Man, But Not by God

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).

From a Slave in Egypt to the Savior of Egypt (Genesis 41:16-57)

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

  1. 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?
  1. “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)
  1. 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)
  1. What can we learn from Joseph’s rise to power and prominence? (Genesis 41:42-44)

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* 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 to HeartofAShepherdInc@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

You can email HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com for more information on this daily devotional ministry.