Episode 325 - "Paul's joy from the believers at Philippi" - Philippians 1:3-11

Phil. 1:3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

After his greeting, Paul begins to share what is on his heart to the believers at Philippi. Paul thanks God for these believers through prayer as he remembers them. This “remembrance” is not simply a recollection of this group of people. These believers have made an impact on Paul. If someone asked you if there was someone who made a positive impact on your life, it likely would not be difficult to remember who that person or people were. They would immediately cause you to smile, and you could quickly describe why they were important to you. Why is that? It’s because you don’t forget them. They come to your mind often. This was the case for Paul concerning these believers.

Recall that Paul is currently incarcerated. His situation is not a happy one. Yet, Paul is filled with joy (a common theme in this letter) as he remembers the impact the Philippians have had and continue to have in his life and ministry.

He explains that their “partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” is a particular source of his joy and gratitude. What does that mean? Well, it would seem that it began when he first shared the gospel with them. They received it and, in turn, have helped him continue the ministry of sharing that gospel in the known world. This partnership, which we’ll learn about later in the letter, was financial or material support.

It would be easy to just say that he is thankful for the money they’ve given him for his support. But the letter seems to convey that Paul is aware and joyful that their gifts are more than just money. Notice in verse 9 that he recognizes their gift came from a heart of love.

Throughout his ministry, Paul experienced a wide spectrum of responses. Some wanted to and attempted to kill him. But these believers welcomed it and wanted to help the continuing spread of the gospel. This was not a one-time gift. They actively provided for him as he traveled to share the gospel and sent gifts to sustain him in his imprisonment. It seems fair to say that these believers had the same attitude about Paul as he had about them. Paul had made an impact on them by explaining the gospel of Jesus Christ to them, and their reception of it effected the love of Christ to Paul in response. That’s the way it’s supposed to work.

Paul writes that his prayer is that what God has done in their lives will continue to grow, and then affirms his confidence that as they continue to respond according to the love of Christ, they will be brought to the spiritual maturity the LORD has intended for them.

So, what can we learn from this? I believe the message is this. When we receive the love of God found in Jesus, it should effect in us a thankful and joyful heart such that we want to respond by acting in a loving way to others. That is the “fruit of righteousness” Paul speaks of, which leads us to mature in our faith and prepares us for Christ’s return.

Episode 324 - "Paul's letter to the church at Philippi" - Philippians 1:1-2

Phil. 1:1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

Phil. 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is a letter written by the Apostle Paul in the early 60s AD. It is one of four letters (Ephesians, Philemon, and Colossians) that he wrote while under house arrest. His incarceration was due to charges brought against him that stirred up people, and spoke contrary to the Jewish Law and against the temple. (Read Acts for Paul’s story of his conversion and ministry leading to his arrest.)

Some of Paul’s letters convey a clear message that his intended recipients have gone astray in their faith and worship and need correction. This letter to the church in Philippi (a city in Greece), is primarily a letter of encouragement.

He opens this letter by stating that this message is coming from himself and his disciple Timothy. Even though Timothy is younger and a disciple of Paul, Paul identifies them both as “servants of Christ Jesus.” This identifier is something we should not overlook. The Apostle Paul is often considered one of the most important and influential people in the Christian faith. Yet, he considers himself essentially a slave of Jesus Christ. In our society today, it is not uncommon for people to identify themselves with specific terms they believe elevate them as superior to others, rather than demeaning them. These identifiers might come in the form of denominational affiliation (Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Lutheran, etc.), systematic theological convictions (Calvinist, Arminian, other) or other terms that may reflect cultural tendencies such as “Christ follower” or Christian. Think about what would happen in our society if those of us who claim to believe in and follow Jesus thought of ourselves and acted as though our primary identity was to do whatever Jesus might want us to do, and not concern ourselves with being “better than” or “more right” than others around us.

Paul then addressed his intended audience. They are all the saints, including those who serve in a specific capacity to the church. What Paul is about to share in this letter applies to every single believer at Philippi. Given that the Church has identified this letter as inspired by God and to be treated as holy Scripture, it would seem reasonable to suggest that, whether Paul understood it or not, the LORD wants us to receive the message of this letter as well. As with any other Scripture written to a specific audience, we ought to use discretion and discernment in how we do that.

After addressing all the saints in Philippi, Paul gives us a summary of what is on his heart for these believers. He wants them all to receive and experience grace and peace “from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” What a concise, but amazing expression of encouragement from Paul.

I write this blog post on January 1, 2026. Often, at the close of one year and the beginning of another, we reflect on the past as we anticipate what may come. We are aware of the challenges and trials of recent years and understand that the new year will bring its own set of trials. Yet, we seek and desire hope. What better encouragement than to anticipate God’s favor and peace that He offers through Christ Jesus.

May God’s favor and peace be upon you this coming year.

Episode 323 - "Joseph models the mercy and compassion of the LORD" - Genesis 50:15-26

Gen. 50:15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” 16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: 17 ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.’” And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. 21 So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Gen. 50:22 So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father’s house. Joseph lived 110 years. 23 And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph’s own. 24 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

There are certain stories throughout the Scriptures that move me every time I read them. The stories of Ruth, Mary, and the unnamed Samaritan woman at the well are such examples. These are each people of faith and courage. In this passage, we witness the compassion, humility, mercy, faithfulness, and love of Joseph toward his brothers.

Keep in mind that many years have passed since his brothers committed their treachery against him and sold him as a slave. It has been 18 years since the family was reunited and he demonstrated compassion and forgiveness toward them and showed great wisdom in his understanding of God’s sovereign work.

Nevertheless, when their father died, the thought and fear was that Joseph had only shown them compassion out of respect to his father. Now that Jacob was dead, they surmised that he might finally exact revenge for their actions against him. So, they first send a message to him begging for forgiveness, and then approach him offering to be his slaves. Joseph’s immediate response was to weep. Why?

I believe that the grief shown by Joseph is a reflection of God’s compassion, mercy, and love toward people. What this story reveals is that, even though Joseph had forgiven his brothers long ago and explained that their actions were motivated by evil, God used them to preserve all of them. Joseph had not pretended as though they were guiltless. He acknowledged that their actions were evil. Yet, he was not going to hold it against them and told them “not to be angry or distressed with yourselves” (Gen 45:5). In other words, Joseph had forgiven them. What has become evident after Jacob’s death is that his brothers have never really accepted that forgiveness. How tragic!

This is the kind of challenge many believers face today. Perhaps someone comes to the understanding that they are “sinners” and need forgiveness from the LORD. Perhaps they hear the gospel, come to faith in Christ, and understand that their sins are forgiven. Others may have come to that decision earlier in their life. But past struggles still tempt us, and we are faced with memories of our thoughts, words, or actions, living with the shame of them and confessing them again. This may even be a repetitive cycle. Is it not possible that our refusal to truly accept God’s forgiveness for our sins might grieve our loving and compassionate God?

I think the LORD understands our weaknesses. He also will not diminish the reality and seriousness of our sin. God’s grace is not to deceive us into thinking that our actions were really not all that bad. No. We must call evil what it is. Yet, in the awareness of that reality, we should not continue living in fear that God is just waiting for the opportune moment to smack us down. He is truly gracious and compassionate.

So, with that understanding, how should we respond to such compassion, mercy, and love? The answer is with gratitude, thanksgiving, and praise. God wants us to enjoy the fullness of the peaceful and encouraging relationship he wants with us. We cannot do that if we’re always living in the shadow of fear that retribution is about to come.

This first book concludes with Joseph’s death at age 110. The end of Joseph’s life is marked in the same way that characterized most of his life. He spoke God’s promises to his family. He reassured them that the LORD would someday deliver them from Egypt, according to the promise he had made to Abraham. Like Jacob before him, his family was made to swear not to leave his bones in Egypt, but to take them back to Canaan. Joseph not only provided evident examples of God’s compassion and mercy to his brothers, but he also testified to the certain, future fulfillment of God’s promise to deliver them out of Egypt.

These Israelites, whose parents had been delivered out of Egypt, were about to enter the land promised to them. Unlike their parents, however, they needed to trust that the LORD was good and able to do everything he had promised. Our need to learn the same lesson is no less true.

Well, this brings us to the end of Genesis, but not the end of the story of Israel and his descendants' presence in Egypt. The next book, entitled Exodus, reveals what happens after Joseph died. For that matter, the four books that follow Genesis tell us more about the LORD’s dealings with the Israelites leading up to their re-entry into the Promised Land. I am not going to blog on any of these books just yet. But I would encourage you to read Exodus at least and see how the relationship between a later Pharaoh and the Israelites changes. Does the promised Seed appear? Who might it appear to be? Why or why not would that person be the Seed?

Episode 322 - "The Death of Jacob" - Genesis 49:38-50:14

29 Then he commanded them and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah— 32 the field and the cave that is in it were bought from the Hittites.” 33 When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people.

Gen. 50:1 Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him. 2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.

Gen. 50:4 And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, 5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “I am about to die: in my tomb that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.” Now therefore, let me please go up and bury my father. Then I will return.’” 6 And Pharaoh answered, “Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear.” 7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen. 9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company. 10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and grievous lamentation, and he made a mourning for his father seven days. 11 When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim; it is beyond the Jordan. 12 Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them, 13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. 14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

At first glance, one may wonder what significance this story has for the Israelites who were entering into the land of Canaan 400 years later. Perhaps even, we would ask what significance it has for us. There are a few things in this story that strike me as interesting.

First, the repetition of the specific location where Jacob insists on being buried. It’s in the same cave or cave system where his parents and grandparents are buried and where he had previously prepared an area for his own body. What’s the big deal? He’d lived the last 18 years of his life in Egypt. Why go through the trouble of taking his body all the way back into Canaan? The simple answer is that Jacob’s identity was strongly tied to what the LORD had done for him and promised him. One of those promises included the land. This was not land acquired through military conquest but rather purchased through a favorable agreement. As someone raised on land that had been in my father’s family since the 1850s, I understand the sense of connection to that land. When my dad died, I knew my mom wouldn’t be able to manage all of that land on her own, and none of us four children were in a place to take it over. We had to sell it. It was very difficult, and we all still have a longing for it today.

Perhaps more importantly, the relationship that is evident between Jacob and Egypt. The LORD ordained a peaceful and mutually beneficial relationship between Egypt and Israel. Joseph was used by the LORD to sustain Egypt through the terrible famine and was able to provide for his own family as well. Jacob and his entire household moved to Egypt and were provided for during that time. They continued to abound in Egypt long after the famine was over. I don’t think Pharaoh misunderstood the value that Israel’s presence meant to Egypt and himself. When Joseph sought his approval to take his father’s body to Canaan for burial, he told Pharaoh that he would return. In fact, the whole family returned. It might have been tempting when they got back “home” to just stay. But they had left their children in Egypt. Things were going well, and there was no risk of offending Pharaoh by failing to return. So far, God’s promise of blessing to those who blessed the covenant line of Abraham has worked out exactly as the LORD had promised.

What the LORD had told Abraham a few generations earlier is bearing itself out to be true. Yet, for those who are not aware of what is yet to come, there is an ominous foreboding that the mutual benefit is not going to last. The Israelites are in a foreign land, and things seem to be going well. But the generation to whom Moses wrote these things knew all too well that their parents' time in Egypt was not all good. This story serves to remind them that the LORD knew well in advance what would transpire, yet he was and is in control with their good in mind. They can trust him.

There are few principles throughout the Scriptures that I need to be reminded of often. That the God of the Bible is trustworthy is one of them. Otherwise, I quickly decline into worry and try to manage it all on my own.

Episode 321 - "Jacob's pronouncements on his sons" - Genesis 49:1-28

Gen. 49:1 Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come.

Gen. 49:2 “Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob,

listen to Israel your father.

Gen. 49:3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,

my might, and the firstfruits of my strength,

preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.

4 Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence,

because you went up to your father’s bed;

then you defiled it—he went up to my couch!

Gen. 49:5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers;

weapons of violence are their swords.

6 Let my soul come not into their council;

O my glory, be not joined to their company.

For in their anger they killed men,

and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen.

7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce,

and their wrath, for it is cruel!

I will divide them in Jacob

and scatter them in Israel.

Gen. 49:8 “Judah, your brothers shall praise you;

your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;

your father’s sons shall bow down before you.

9 Judah is a lion’s cub;

from the prey, my son, you have gone up.

He stooped down; he crouched as a lion

and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?

10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,

until tribute comes to him;

and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

11 Binding his foal to the vine

and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,

he has washed his garments in wine

and his vesture in the blood of grapes.

12 His eyes are darker than wine,

and his teeth whiter than milk.

Gen. 49:13 “Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea;

he shall become a haven for ships,

and his border shall be at Sidon.

Gen. 49:14 “Issachar is a strong donkey,

crouching between the sheepfolds.

15 He saw that a resting place was good,

and that the land was pleasant,

so he bowed his shoulder to bear,

and became a servant at forced labor.

Gen. 49:16 “Dan shall judge his people

as one of the tribes of Israel.

17 Dan shall be a serpent in the way,

a viper by the path,

that bites the horse’s heels

so that his rider falls backward.

18 I wait for your salvation, O LORD.

Gen. 49:19 “Raiders shall raid Gad,

but he shall raid at their heels.

Gen. 49:20 “Asher’s food shall be rich,

and he shall yield royal delicacies.

Gen. 49:21 “Naphtali is a doe let loose

that bears beautiful fawns.

Gen. 49:22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough,

a fruitful bough by a spring;

his branches run over the wall.

23 The archers bitterly attacked him,

shot at him, and harassed him severely,

24 yet his bow remained unmoved;

his arms were made agile

by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob

(from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),

25 by the God of your father who will help you,

by the Almighty who will bless you

with blessings of heaven above,

blessings of the deep that crouches beneath,

blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

26 The blessings of your father

are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents,

up to the bounties of the everlasting hills.

May they be on the head of Joseph,

and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.

Gen. 49:27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf,

in the morning devouring the prey

and at evening dividing the spoil.”

Gen. 49:28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him.

As a reminder, the context of this section is that Jacob knows that he does not have long to live. He has already spoken with Joseph to make him promise not to leave his body in Egypt, but to bury him with his ancestors in Canaan. Furthermore, he blessed Joseph’s sons Manasseh and Ephraim. Even though Manasseh was the oldest, Jacob gave the blessing to Ephraim. We are not told why. Perhaps in the way that the LORD had told Rebekah that the older of her twins (Esau) would serve the younger (Jacob), Jacob chose to follow that pattern foretold by the LORD, although that is just speculation. Finally, Jacob will treat Ephraim and Manasseh as his own sons. Their descendants will each inherit a portion of the promised land of the covenant.

In this section, Jacob calls his sons to him to bless them. Scholars are quick to point out that there is nothing in the text that suggests Jacob’s words are divine prophecy. Yet, I’m not sure how Jacob could have made such specific statements about things like the border of Zebullan’s portion of land without having received such prophetic information from the LORD.

I have mentioned multiple times throughout this study how some of the actions of Jacob’s sons were evil and out of line with what the LORD intended. These actions are brought to light again as Jacob addresses each of his sons. Reuben gets called out for having sexual relations with his father’s concubine. Simeon and Levi are dressed down for their use of the sign of the Abrahamic covenant to deceive and murder the Canaanites who had agreed to be circumcised to have peace with Jacob’s family, and for their leader to marry Dinah, whom he had raped. Jacob tells these sons that they will be divided and scattered in Israel. We learn later on, as their descendants enter and divide the land, that Levi has no section of land. Yet, the LORD provides them with cities in each of the tribal lands where they are to serve as priests to that tribe. It’s fascinating how the LORD would use discipline not to punish, but as a means of leading people into service.

Next, Jacob blessed Judah. Wait a minute! We saw how Judah was the brother who suggested that they sell Joseph to make money and get rid of him. He was a self-serving, defiant, and deceiving individual. Why would Jacob not bring that up and disqualify Judah, as he had the three older brothers? As I’ve pointed out in the past, it’s obvious that Judah had repented of his ways and became a leader, willing to sacrifice himself for the liberty of his younger brother Benjamin and to honor his father. I suspect that Jacob saw a lot of himself in Judah. As the LORD was patient with Jacob, by bringing him to faith over time, Jacob saw the same kind of transformation in Judah.

As I read this section, I suspect there is much to be learned by studying Jacob’s words and examining how they work out with each of these tribes. What we’ll see is that Jacob’s “blessing” or pronouncement on each son is ultimately to their future descendants. Jacob’s sons will all ultimately die in Egypt. Yet, their actions have an impact on those who will come after them.

We come down to the question of why Moses included this. Is there something about what Jacob says that has significance for Moses' readers? If we remember that Moses is writing to the descendants of Jacob’s children who were about to enter the land the LORD had promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants, 400 years after Jacob’s time, they will better understand the legacy of their ancestors. Hopefully, they will observe how trusting the LORD’s covenant promises is vital for their lives as they enter into this fertile land to dwell with liberty to enjoy God’s provision. Perhaps they may even see the hope of the seed to come in the tribe of Judah since Jacob had said of Judah, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples” (Gen 49:10)

It’s easy for Christians to read the Christian Scriptures and observe how the LORD has faithfully brought to fulfillment that which has been foretold in the past. The God we worship is able and faithful to bring about everything he has revealed. We can trust him.

Episode 320 -"Jacob nears the end of his life" - Genesis 45:29-48:22

Gen. 47:29 And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.” He answered, “I will do as you have said.” 31 And he said, “Swear to me”; and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed.

Gen. 48:1 After this, Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill.” So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 And it was told to Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to you.” Then Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed. 3 And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’ 5 And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. 6 And the children that you fathered after them shall be yours. They shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 7 As for me, when I came from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

Gen. 48:8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” And he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. 11 And Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.” 12 Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. 14 And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn). 15 And he blessed Joseph and said,

“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,

the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,

16 the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys;

and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;

and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

Gen. 48:17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” 19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” 20 So he blessed them that day, saying,

“By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying,

‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’”

Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover, I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”

Do you recall what Jacob said when he saw Joseph for the first time in Egypt, after believing Joseph had died long ago? He said, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive” (Gen 46:30). I argued that Jacob didn’t have a death wish. His statement was just an expression that he could rest in peace knowing that his beloved son was ok.

What we find out in our text for this week is that Jacob lived another 17 years in the land of Egypt after he arrived. The famine has been over for quite some time, and Jacob and his family have continued to enjoy the blessings God provided for them in Egypt. Now, it is clear that Jacob’s time is short. It’s not uncommon for people, who’ve lived a long life and know that they do not have much time left, to express what is important to them.

Jacob makes Joseph promise not to leave him buried in Egypt, but to take his body back to the land of Canaan to be buried with his ancestors, Abraham and Isaac. Why? Of what value is that to Jacob or anyone else? The text doesn’t clearly reveal the purpose for this. But when we consider the covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and remember that the promise included land, I think it’s safe to say that Jacob values God’s promise more than he ever has. Even though neither he nor Abraham nor Isaac received the full promise, they still trusted that God would fulfill that promise entirely. The New Testament book of Hebrews offers us some insight into this. In Hebrews 11:1-16, the author writes about the faith of Abraham and Sarah and suggests that they understood that God would provide them with an eternal home, a heavenly one. I think Jacob understood this as well, and he is effectively passing down that hope to Joseph. Even though Joseph has spent much of his life in Egypt, married an Egyptian, and had children in Egypt, they were descendants and recipients of the promise.

As Jacob continues to speak with Joseph, he tells him that Manasseh and Ephraim would be as his own sons, and each would receive a portion of the land when God would lead them back into it.

What I find interesting is that Joseph has been the one to receive and interpret dreams. The LORD has been with him. But now it’s Jacob’s turn to give God’s revelation to Joseph, and it is all based upon the covenant promises and Jacob’s testimony of how faithful the LORD has been to him throughout his life. Jacob’s early life was characterized by a scheming and self-serving approach to life. At the end of his life, he blessed Ephraim and Manasseh in the name of “the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day” (Gen 48:15).

What an example for us! Regardless of our past, may we recognize the goodness of God and point others to trust in the LORD.

Episode 319 - "Desperate Times Lead to Desperate Measures" - Genesis 47:13-28

Gen. 47:13 Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished by reason of the famine. 14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, in exchange for the grain that they bought. And Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. 15 And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our money is gone.” 16 And Joseph answered, “Give your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock, if your money is gone.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the herds, and the donkeys. He supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. 18 And when that year was ended, they came to him the following year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent. The herds of livestock are my lord’s. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we with our land will be servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.”

Gen. 47:20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for all the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine was severe on them. The land became Pharaoh’s. 21 As for the people, he made servants of them from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.

Gen. 47:23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. 24 And at the harvests you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones.” 25 And they said, “You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh.” 26 So Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, and it stands to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; the land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh’s.

Gen. 47:27 Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly. 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years.

We could summarize this section rather quickly, couldn’t we? We could boil it down to something like, “The famine became so severe that virtually all of Egypt became Pharaoh’s slaves.” That would be accurate according to the text. Unfortunately, if that were all there were to it, it wouldn’t make sense in terms of its significance within the greater story of Joseph and the even greater narrative of the Bible. Why does Moses include this?

The first thing we need to do is set aside our twenty-first-century values and sensibilities, and not jump to conclusions that Joseph or the LORD himself is unjust in how the events unfold. The LORD gave Pharaoh a dream of the seven years of bountiful harvest followed by the seven years of famine. Then he revealed the meaning of that dream to Pharaoh through Joseph. Could not the LORD have prevented the famine? Certainly! Yet, later on, the only explanation we get about how Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery is that the LORD sent him to Egypt to save their lives from the famine. The LORD is strictly described as being merciful by fulfilling his covenant promises and, through Joseph, blessing Egypt as well as Jacob’s family. So, what is the point of telling the reader that things got so bad that the people sold themselves as slaves to Pharaoh?

First, it was their idea. Survival for themselves and their families was more important than anything else. Neither Pharaoh nor Joseph brought this arrangement about through government or military conquest and oppression. Second, the arrangement was that their payment to Pharaoh was twenty percent of their income. It was an arrangement that was just for the people whose crops didn’t produce as much as someone else’s. Some scholars point out that a 20% tax was lower than what was common in the ancient world.

All things considered, this story reveals that God is faithful to his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob’s descendants, blessing Jacob’s family (See Gen 47:27) and blessing Egypt because of Joseph’s management of this crisis. People were able to live and not die.

This life has its trials, and sometimes the solution may not fit our expectations of what is ideal. But that doesn’t mean that the LORD has abandoned people or the cause of mercy and justice. Perhaps the trials are a means of getting us to recognize God’s love and compassion for us, and to trust that he is good and faithful. The Israelites who were entering the land God had promised them would need to remember this, and Moses recorded this to instruct or remind them of God’s provision for life.

Episode 318 - "Jacob and Joseph are reunited" - Genesis 46:28-Genesis 47:12

Gen. 46:28 He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way before him in Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. 29 Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while. 30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.” 31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 And the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ 33 When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

Gen. 47:1 So Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan. They are now in the land of Goshen.” 2 And from among his brothers he took five men and presented them to Pharaoh. 3 Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, as our fathers were.” 4 They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.” 5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6 The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”

Gen. 47:7 Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father and stood him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?” 9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning.” 10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from the presence of Pharaoh. 11 Then Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their dependents.

A few years ago, a friend of mine who was 100 years old buried one of his sons who had died of cancer. The son was in his early to mid-seventies. He had lived a full life. My friend’s wife had died not too long before I had met him and when we met, he would talk about his wife and how much he missed her. But sometime after his son had died, he told me, “It’s hard to lose your spouse. But it’s even harder to lose a child.” I knew others who had lost adult children, and they all said the same thing. From everything we can tell, Jacob never got over the grief of losing Joseph. So, it’s not surprising that when he finds out Joseph is alive and is reunited with him, he said, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive” (Gen 46:30). I don’t think Jacob definitely wanted to die right then. I don’t think he had a death wish. How I interpret that statement is that Jacob had an unending grief in the belief that Joseph had been killed. He had lived a long time with that pain, and at long last, there was a resolution and healing for that pain. If you recall, Jacob initially refused to let Benjamin go to Egypt because he feared that if he lost him as well, he would die in extreme grief.

Interestingly, we find a similar sentiment many years later in a man named Simeon, who was a righteous man. The Scriptures tell us that it had been revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. When Jesus was brought to the temple for dedication, the Holy Spirit led Simeon to the child, and he said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32) Simeon had an anxious hope to witness the coming of the Messiah. His advanced age must have worn on him. But when that hope was realized and the LORD had fulfilled his promise, he was ready to depart this life at any time. He was comforted by witnessing the LORD fulfilling his promise and bringing hope to his people and to the nations.

I find encouragement in this because we do not know the challenges and the grief we will experience in this life. I think it’s safe to say that we’ll all have our moments and events that bring grief. But the Scriptures consistently reveal that the LORD is faithful to his word and his goodness endures forever. The LORD was faithful, protecting Joseph to use him to spare his father and family. Jacob is not just being reunited with his son. He witnesses what the LORD has done and is doing to provide for himself, his descendants, and even Egypt. He knows that when he does die, he will depart in peace.

We have also seen in past episodes how the LORD has brought Judah, in particular, to repentance for his treachery against Joseph and how the LORD has made him a leader. This is manifested again when Jacob sends Judah ahead to lead the way to Goshen, a fertile area in Egypt near the Nile River.

I must say that I’m confused and amused by the instructions Joseph gives his brothers on how they should respond when Pharaoh asks them their occupation. It appears that Joseph does not want them to state that they are shepherds because, he says, Egyptians consider shepherds an abomination. However, when the brothers are in the company of Pharaoh and he asks them their occupation, they report that they are shepherds. Was Joseph serious about that instruction, or was it a test to see if they would speak truthfully? Regardless, it does not appear to be a problem for Pharaoh, and he allows them to tend their livestock in the good land.

This section continues with Jacob’s interaction with Pharaoh. What is important to notice is that Jacob twice blesses Pharaoh. Pharaoh has blessed him, and now Jacob is blessing Pharaoh. This is another example of God’s covenant promise to Abraham, which has been passed down. Jacob is blessing “the families of the earth.”

Gen. 12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

The story of Jacob and his sons has one conflict after another, caused mainly by their own doing and lack of trust and obedience to the LORD. Yet, the LORD is patient and, above all, He is faithful to his word. Let us take encouragement in that.

Episode 317 - Jacob begins his journey to Egypt - Genesis 46:1-27

Gen. 46:1 So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” 3 Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. 4 I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.”

Gen. 46:5 Then Jacob set out from Beersheba. The sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 They also took their livestock and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him, 7 his sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters. All his offspring he brought with him into Egypt.

Gen. 46:8 Now these are the names of the descendants of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons. Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, 9 and the sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. 11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan); and the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 13 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Yob, and Shimron. 14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. 15 These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, together with his daughter Dinah; altogether his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three.

Gen. 46:16 The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. 17 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, with Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. 18 These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob—sixteen persons.

Gen. 46:19 The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife: Joseph and Benjamin. 20 And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, bore to him. 21 And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. 22 These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob—fourteen persons in all.

Gen. 46:23 The son of Dan: Hushim. 24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. 25 These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob—seven persons in all.

Gen. 46:26 All the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt, who were his own descendants, not including Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all. 27 And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two. All the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy.

This story of God’s sovereign work in moving Jacob and his family to Egypt continues with Jacob’s agreement to go with his sons down to Egypt, where he anticipates being reunited with his long-lost son, Joseph. You may recall that Pharaoh is insisting they come down and reside so they can all be provided for. Pharaoh even instructed them not to worry about bringing their possessions, as they would be provided for (Gen 45:20). I suggested that in Pharaoh’s response, we see a manifestation of God’s promise to Abraham about blessing those who bless Abraham and his family.

So, Jacob and his family set out for Egypt. Verses 8-27 list the names of Joseph’s sons, grandsons, and other family members. I didn’t consider it essential to read all the names. If you’re interested, you can either read them in this blog post or in your translation of the Bible. However, I will discuss its significance to the greater narrative.

The first thing to notice is that Jacob “took all that he had.” It’s unclear why he took his belongings when Pharaoh said that the best of Egypt was at his disposal and he didn’t need to worry about them. Perhaps he didn’t want to leave it behind for the Canaanites to take. Maybe he felt that leaving it behind was disregarding the LORD’s blessing him with it, and took it anyway.

His first stop en route to Egypt was Beersheba. This was the southernmost city in Israel and a place where his grandfather dug a well and resided for a while. He offered sacrifices to “the God of his father Isaac” (Gen 46:1). I suspect that Jacob did this to give thanks to God that Joseph was still alive and seeking his protection on this trip. Whatever the reason, Jacob was a man who’d learned to trust God.

God appeared to him in a dream and clearly identified himself as the God of his father. This expresses that when Jacob acts to worship the God of his father, who had protected him and blessed him, recognized and heard Jacob, and responded to let him know that he was accessible. He told Jacob not to be afraid to go to Egypt. God would take care of him. Then, God told him that He would make Jacob into a great nation in Egypt. This echoes the promise that God had first made to Jacob’s grandfather Abraham, and has passed down through Isaac and now to Jacob. In verse four, God promises to go with him and will bring him up again to the land God had given him. The final part of his revelation was that Joseph would close Jacob’s eyes. This is a promise that his beloved son would be with him until his death.

Genesis 46:5-7 provides a summary of how Jacob took all his goods and his entire family to Egypt. This is then followed by a detailed list of the family members who went with him to Egypt. The strange thing is that Moses even listed the two sons of Judah who had died in Canaan before these events. I don’t think this means that Jacob exhumed their bodies and took them along. I believe the point is to suggest that every single member of Jacob’s family went to Egypt with him, and no one stayed behind. They, as a whole family, were obedient to this leading of the LORD.

The primary thing that becomes evident through this text is that the chosen family, who were descendants of Abraham, end up in a foreign land. (See Gen 15:13-14) This text makes it pointedly clear that the whole group of the covenant family is on its way to Egypt. Why is this important? Because it shows evidence that what God said would happen was really happening. Remember, the primary audience of this story was the descendants of Jacob’s family who went to Egypt. When they return to the promised land 400 years later, they need not wonder if the people in the land are cousins, and they can trust the God who led them there.

Today, we can gain confidence that the God we worship in the Bible is the same God, and we can trust him in all things.

Episode 316 "Pharaoh becomes a blessing to Israel" - Genesis 45:16-28

Gen. 45:16 When the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, 18 and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.’ 19 And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Have no concern for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”

Gen. 45:21 The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22 To each and all of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five changes of clothes. 23 To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.”

Gen. 45:25 So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26 And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

Joseph had finally revealed his identity to his brothers, and in the process, he told them that it was God who had sent him to Egypt to preserve their lives so that they would not starve during the famine. In other words, God was in control all along and acting for the good of even those who were acting evil. What grace! However, while the focus is on the preservation of God’s chosen people through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel), and now his descendants, let us not overlook that God was also preserving the lives of many Egyptians and others who came to Egypt to acquire grain. They were only able to do so because God gave the dreams to Pharaoh, gave the interpretation of the dreams to Joseph, and caused Pharaoh to accept the interpretation. Subsequently, he put Joseph in charge of managing the storage of grain during the bountiful years and distributing it during the famine. Why would God care about Egypt? Wasn’t God aware of what Egypt would later do to the Israelites? I believe the answer lies in God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” God is choosing to bless Egypt because when God revealed a dream to Pharaoh, Pharaoh accepted the interpretation and blessed Joseph. In turn, they are surviving because of how they are treating Joseph.

So, what we see in our text for this week is that Pharaoh is informed that Joseph has been reunited with his brothers, and he insists that all of Jacob’s family come to reside in Egypt in order to be saved from the famine. Furthermore, Pharaoh is not going to just let them survive; he will give them “the fat of the land” (v. 18) and the “best of the land” (v. 20). God’s grace and blessing upon Egypt, I believe, is due to how Pharaoh and the Egyptians are treating Joseph and now his family. What about that part of God foretelling Abraham that his descendants would be in bondage in a foreign land for 400 years? Well, we’ll get to that eventually.

For now, Joseph sent his brothers with plenty of provisions to sustain them on their trip, as well as a return trip that will make his father’s travel as easy as possible. In fact, it appears that Joseph sent along enough to make it clear to his father that the message his brothers were bringing that Joseph was still alive was legitimate. The abundance they returned to their father was significantly more than what the money they took would have purchased.

I’m slightly amused by Joseph’s parting words to his brothers as he sends them away. He said, “Do not quarrel on the way!” Why does he say this? I think he knows that his father still doesn’t know what they did to him. They had led Jacob to believe that a wild animal had killed Joseph. What would happen when Jacob arrived and Joseph showed no signs that he had been mauled? At some point, Jacob is going to figure it out. But that never comes out in the text. Why? I would suggest that the important point is that everyone is learning or being reminded that the LORD is sovereign. He’s in control. Secondly, the LORD is good. In fact, it’s not uncommon for him to show his kindness even when his people are not kind. The bottom line is that the LORD is preserving the promised “seed” that is yet to come.

The last paragraph in this chapter is succinct but rich. Joseph’s brothers return to Jacob, their father, and tell him that Joseph is alive and ruling all of Egypt. Jacob doesn’t believe them at first. Who would? To have grieved for years in the absolute belief that your child is dead, and then to be told in a moment years later that he or she is alive is not something that can be so quickly accepted. But the items Joseph had sent for their provision supported that revelation, and Jacob began to believe it was true, so that the text says that his spirit was revived. Jacob has a purpose for living. He is going to see his son Joseph.

This story is not over. But there are so many things we can learn from it. Redemption, God’s sovereignty, forgiveness, . . . We could go on. What is impressed upon me in this section is God’s faithfulness to fulfill what he has promised. What the LORD revealed to Abraham is coming true. The dreams he gave to Joseph are being fulfilled as this story unfolds. We can trust the LORD!

Episode 315 - "Joseph makes himself known" - Genesis 45:1-15

Gen. 45:1 Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

Gen. 45:4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. 10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.’ 12 And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13 You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” 14 Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that, his brothers talked with him.

There are few stories in the Bible that match the raw emotion of this account when Joseph finally reveals his identity to his brothers. Judah’s changed heart has become evident to Joseph, and he can no longer contain himself. We can readily appreciate the emotion of Joseph as he hears Judah’s confession. The joy of this reconciliation and reunion with his brothers, especially with his younger brother Benjamin, is palpable. We can also sense the shock and speechless response his older brothers have upon this revelation. We can even feel the curiosity and concern among the Egyptians overhearing what transpires. It’s moving to say the least.

It would seem that the terror that might set in on the older brothers once the reality and potential implications of this situation are anticipated by Joseph, and he quickly acts to mitigate that fear. Notice that he tells them in verse 5, “do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.” Joseph is already aware that they’ve acknowledged the wrong they did by selling him into slavery. What we see here in Joseph’s words to them is a message for us today. It is not uncommon for people, even believers, to hold onto the shame of past regrets. They’ve confessed, repented, and begged the LORD for forgiveness. But, they can’t forgive themselves. This will be a struggle for Joseph’s brothers. They will need to learn to accept the mercy of Joseph and God himself. So do we.

The second thing Joseph does is explain that, despite the sin of their actions, God was in control and using their actions to send Joseph to Egypt so that the Lord could use him to spare all their lives from the famine. What underlies this statement is that while God does not cause people to sin, he is still in control and may accomplish his works and plans through our human actions.

Joseph does not rub it in with an “I told you so.” He gives all the glory to God, tells them there will be another five years of famine, and instructs them to get their father and the whole family and bring them to Egypt, where Joseph can provide for their needs. Joseph is the tangible expression or conduit of God’s grace to these men who were characterized by their evil actions. But God is pouring out his grace upon them.

There is one question from this text that has bothered me. Why didn’t God prevent the famine in the first place? The text doesn’t tell us explicitly. However, the greater narrative does help us understand that all of this is part of the divine plan. Remember God’s promise to Abraham, that someday his descendants would be in bondage in a foreign land for 400 years? Well, this story explains the divine means by which Abraham’s descendants leave Canaan and enter into a foreign land.

Secondly, we’ve already witnessed how Abraham’s descendants have been stubborn and disobedient. Can we expect their descendants to act any better? Not likely. They are going to need to learn to trust the LORD and follow him as God works out his plan through Israel, and ultimately, brings them back to the land God has given them. This process will be a testimony not just to Abraham’s descendants, but to the world as well.

Do we believe that God is in control of all things? Are we willing to confess our wrong attitudes and actions and seek forgiveness? If so, are we willing to forgive ourselves? Let us commit ourselves to a deep conviction that God is good. God is in control. God pours out his grace upon us each day. Praise the Lord for that today.

Episode 314 - "Judah's Change" - Genesis 44

Gen. 44:1 Then he commanded the steward of his house, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack, 2 and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph told him.

Gen. 44:3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys. 4 They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? 5 Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this.’”

Gen. 44:6 When he overtook them, he spoke to them these words. 7 They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! 8 Behold, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? 9 Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my lord’s servants.” 10 He said, “Let it be as you say: he who is found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent.” 11 Then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. 12 And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.

Gen. 44:14 When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground. 15 Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?” 16 And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found.” 17 But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

Gen. 44:18 Then Judah went up to him and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ 20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’ 21 Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22 We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ 23 Then you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.’

Gen. 44:24 “When we went back to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25 And when our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food,’ 26 we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down. For we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27 Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 One left me, and I said, “Surely he has been torn to pieces,” and I have never seen him since. 29 If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in evil to Sheol.’

Gen. 44:30 “Now therefore, as soon as I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy’s life, 31 as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. 32 For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.’ 33 Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers. 34 For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father.”

We left off this story with Joseph’s brothers returning to Egypt to buy more grain. Only when Judah told Jacob that he would take full responsibility for Benjamin and bear the blame for the rest of his life if he did not ensure Benjamin got home safely, did Jacob agree to let them return to Egypt with Benjamin.

Recall that Joseph had fed them all in his home, but he made sure Benjamin got more than the brothers. Besides the fact that Benjamin was Joseph’s full brother, I suspect Joseph did this in part to see if the older brothers would be jealous of him as they were of Joseph.

In the process, the brothers acknowledge the sin they committed against Joseph and believe that the money they found in their sacks of grain was the LORD’s way of punishing them. Yet, when they told Joseph’s steward their story and that they’d come back with that money, he told them not to worry. He insisted that their God and the God of their father had given them a treasure. The theological point in this is that, in contrast to people’s perception that God is always ready to discipline them, the opposite is true. The apostle Paul asserts this in Romans 2:4 when he tells his readers that God prefers to use kindness to lead people to repentance. That’s precisely what he’s doing with Joseph’s brothers.

Joseph has one more test for his brothers. Once again, he has the steward put their money in their loaded sacks of grain. Yet, this time, he has his own silver cup hidden in Benjamin’s sack. A short time after sending them away, he has his steward pursue them and accuse them of stealing his silver cup. They are certain this isn’t true, and they suggest that the one with whom it is found may be put to death, and the rest of them will be Joseph’s servants. When the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack, they tore their clothes in grief and returned to Joseph’s house.

When they got there, Judah took over as he had when Jacob had told them to return to Egypt to buy grain. It was Judah who put his own life on the line before Jacob, promising that he would make sure Benjamin returned home safely. Now that Joseph is telling them that Benjamin will remain as his servant and the rest of them can return home, what will these men do? Judah is not going to make that mistake again. He had suggested selling Joseph. He wanted to get rid of Joseph and make a buck in the process. Judah had been all about himself. Now, Judah speaks to Joseph, and though it does not appear that he gives all the details of what they did, he tells Joseph that God has “found out” their guilt. But this isn’t just a confession. Judah begs Joseph to let him bear the full punishment for the crime they are accused of. Judah has a family. Yet, Judah will not put his father Jacob through the pain he’d helped cause with Joseph’s disappearance. In short, Judah is a different person than the one who was eager to sell Joseph so many years earlier.

Joseph’s test of his brothers is working, revealing that the LORD is changing their hearts, who had dealt with him so treacherously. Like Paul, we can see in this story that God’s kindness and patience can truly lead people to repentance.

It leaves us with the question of how we think about God. Do we think of God as some great, angry, superpower that is always ready to smack us down? Or do we trust that the LORD is kind and gracious to lead us away from our pride and self-centeredness?

Episode 313 - "God's compassion is evident through Joseph" - Genesis 43

Gen. 43:1 Now the famine was severe in the land. 2 And when they had eaten the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little food.” 3 But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’” 6 Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?” 7 They replied, “The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ What we told him was in answer to these questions. Could we in any way know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?” 8 And Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9 I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10 If we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice.”

Gen. 43:11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry a present down to the man, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. 12 Take double the money with you. Carry back with you the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man. 14 May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”

Gen. 43:15 So the men took this present, and they took double the money with them, and Benjamin. They arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

Gen. 43:16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make ready, for the men are to dine with me at noon.” 17 The man did as Joseph told him and brought the men to Joseph’s house. 18 And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house, and they said, “It is because of the money, which was replaced in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may assault us and fall upon us to make us servants and seize our donkeys.” 19 So they went up to the steward of Joseph’s house and spoke with him at the door of the house, 20 and said, “Oh, my lord, we came down the first time to buy food. 21 And when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was each man’s money in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it again with us, 22 and we have brought other money down with us to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.” 23 He replied, “Peace to you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. 24 And when the man had brought the men into Joseph’s house and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder, 25 they prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.

Gen. 43:26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground. 27 And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28 They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves. 29 And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!” 30 Then Joseph hurried out, for his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out. And controlling himself he said, “Serve the food.” 32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. 33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement. 34 Portions were taken to them from Joseph’s table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him.

To recap from the last episode, the famine that the LORD had revealed to Pharaoh through Joseph was happening and was extensive, even beyond Egypt into the land of Canaan, where Jacob (Israel) and his sons were living. Jacob sent the ten older sons to Egypt to buy grain, but kept Benjamin home. Recall that Benjamin was Rachel’s younger son after Joseph. When they arrived in Egypt, Joseph recognized them, but they did not recognize him. Even though he could easily have exacted revenge on them, I argued that the LORD used Joseph to bring them to repentance and to humble them. We see how he operates with respect to his brothers by first accusing them of being spies, but then sending all but Simeon home with sacks of grain, provisions for the trip, and, unbeknownst to them, the money they had brought to pay for the grain. They found it in their sacks of grain and thought that God put it there as a form of judgment. Meanwhile, Simeon was kept in bondage in Egypt while the brothers were commanded by Joseph to bring their youngest brother to Egypt. Jacob refused to allow that, afraid that he’d also lose Benjamin.

As we pick up the story in chapter 43, Moses reminds us that the famine was severe. This is to set up what happens next. The grain brought from Egypt has almost run out, so Jacob tells his sons to buy more in Egypt. Once again, Judah has something to say. If you recall in Genesis 37, it was Judah who spoke up and suggested they sell Joseph rather than kill him or leave him in the pit to die. In Genesis 38, the story takes a detour to tell us how Judah took for himself a Canaanite wife and then got a wife for his firstborn son, Er. His wife’s name was Tamar. The LORD killed Er because he was evil, and he killed Judah’s second son, Onan, because he would not fulfill the Levirate duty to produce an heir for Er with Tamar. When Judah failed to give his third son to Tamar, Tamar dressed as a prostitute and seduced Judah himself, and she conceived twins. Judah would have had her put to death for immorality until she produced his personal items to reveal that he was the father. He confessed that she was more righteous than he. That was the first recorded instance of Judah confessing his own sin.

Now, Judah is going to man up and do something in the best interest of his whole family. When Jacob tells them to go back to Egypt, Judah reminds him that the man told them not to come back without the youngest son. Then Judah takes full responsibility for Benjamin’s safety. Judah is finally doing something totally selfless, apart from just wanting him and their family to survive the famine. Jacob relented and sent them with gifts, double the money to pay for what they’d received before, and more grain.

When Joseph saw them coming with Benjamin, he instructed a servant to prepare a meal that they, along with Simeon, would enjoy in his house. When they heard this, they were concerned that this meant certain trouble for them and that it was related to the money they’d brought the first time. The irony here is that they had sold Joseph into slavery, but now they were afraid that Joseph was going to make them slaves. They certainly deserve that, and they believe that. But to mitigate that, they approached Joseph’s household manager, told him their story, and explained that they had brought the money back again. The man’s response was not what they deserved or expected. He told them that he had received their money and that their God and the God of their father had put the money in their sacks. What we are witnessing in this story is the grace and mercy of God.

The rest of the chapter describes what happens at that meal and the tender compassion Joseph had upon beholding his brother Benjamin. How difficult it must have been for him, and leaves us to wonder what will happen. How much longer will he keep his identity hidden, and what will happen when he reveals himself to them? Will Joseph get revenge, or does the LORD still have more that he wants to accomplish through Joseph with these sons?

I think the big lesson from this is the LORD’s grace and patience. The LORD had patience with Jacob when he was young. Now, he is patiently humbling these men and bringing them to repentance for the treachery against their brother. He doesn’t just avoid condemning them. He blesses them in the process to show them that he is a merciful God.

Let us trust and give him thanks for his patient mercy to us.

Episode 312 - "We meet again" - Genesis 42

Gen. 42:1 When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2 And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers, for he feared that harm might happen to him. 5 Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

Gen. 42:6 Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. 7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” 8 And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them. And he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.” 10 They said to him, “No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants have never been spies.”

Gen. 42:12 He said to them, “No, it is the nakedness of the land that you have come to see.” 13 And they said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more.” 14 But Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you. You are spies. 15 By this you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.” 17 And he put them all together in custody for three days.

Gen. 42:18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God: 19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined where you are in custody, and let the rest go and carry grain for the famine of your households, 20 and bring your youngest brother to me. So your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” And they did so. 21 Then they said to one another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” 22 And Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.” 23 They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them. 24 Then he turned away from them and wept. And he returned to them and spoke to them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. 25 And Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, and to replace every man’s money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. This was done for them.

Gen. 42:26 Then they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed. 27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money in the mouth of his sack. 28 He said to his brothers, “My money has been put back; here it is in the mouth of my sack!” At this, their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

Gen. 42:29 When they came to Jacob, their father in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them, saying, 30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us and took us to be spies of the land. 31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we have never been spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.’ 33 Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I shall know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your households, and go your way. 34 Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I shall know that you are not spies but honest men, and I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.’”

Gen. 42:35 As they emptied their sacks, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack. And when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid. 36 And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin. All this has come against me.” 37 Then Reuben said to his father, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.” 38 But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If harm should happen to him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.”

This is an amazing story. A story has a conflict or a problem that needs to be resolved. But this story introduces all kinds of problems. At the very highest level, we ask, “How is the promised seed going to come and crush the head of the serpent. This family line ordained by God through whom the seed is supposed to come is a mess. Jacob’s sons have committed multiple offenses. Joseph has mostly been in a prison in Egypt, where he has not only interpreted other people’s dreams, but he’s also seen them come true as he interpreted. Yet, his dreams have not come true. Despite all his troubles, Moses has consistently reminded us that God was with Joseph, an important reminder that just because followers of the LORD may experience terrible and even unjust circumstances, it doesn’t mean the LORD has abandoned them.

We read last week that Joseph’s circumstances were significantly reversed. He went from being a prisoner to second in command of Egypt because the LORD had used him to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. Pharaoh then put him in charge of managing the supply of food, knowing that a famine would be coming. Will he ever get to see his father again? Will there be any redemption of his relationship with his brothers? What about the ominous prophecy the LORD gave to Abraham that someday his descendants would be in bondage in a foreign country for 400 years before the LORD would lead them back to the land he promised Abraham and his descendants?

We are at a point where plot movement leads to answers to these questions and problems, but it does so by creating more tension. The famine is severe beyond Egypt. Jacob sent Joseph’s ten older brothers down to Egypt to buy grain so they could survive. Jacob did not trust them to take Rachel’s son Benjamin along. He believes Joseph has died, and he was not going to take any chances by sending Benjamin along.

When the brothers arrived in Egypt, Moses made it clear that they did not recognize Joseph, but he recognized them. What a great opportunity for Joseph to even the score. If we’d never read or heard this story before, surely we’d be wondering how he might torture them or have them all executed. What unfolds is that first Joseph accuses them of being spies and treats them as such for a little while. At the same time, he has extracted information from them about their father and his younger brother.

There is a sense in which Joseph’s treatment of them appears to be a clever, but harsh treatment of them that, on the surface, looks like a cat playing with a mouse before it kills the less powerful creature. But as the story unfolds, we see grace and mercy shown to them. What is happening? I think Joseph is simply an instrument of God who is exacting confession of their wrongdoing against Joseph. Joseph hears their admission to each other about how they treated him. Now, they interpret Joseph’s demand that they bring their younger brother to Egypt while he keeps Simeon in custody as divine reckoning for their sin against Joseph. We have their confession of guilt in verse 21. Their confession to each other, unaware that Joseph understands, leads Joseph to weep. He sends them back to their father with grain and secretly puts their money back in their sacks of grain. When they discover it, they are convinced that God has caused this as punishment. Later, they will be told that God caused it for their blessing. This is an essential and central truth to the whole story of Jacob’s family and Joseph being sold into slavery in Egypt.

When they arrive back home without Simeon and the demand that they take Benjamin to Egypt, Jacob refuses. Who can blame him? He cannot bear the thought of losing Benjamin as well. This leaves us with another problem, doesn’t it? What will become of Simeon? Will he die in an Egyptian prison? Will Jacob and his sons survive the famine? They were not allowed to go back to Egypt without Benjamin. We’ll see what happens in the next chapter.

One last thought from this part of the story. Joseph had those dreams so many years ago, and they’d never come true. Furthermore, for most of that time, it appeared that it would be impossible for the dreams to come true. In the meantime, Joseph had interpreted dreams for a baker, cupbearer, and Pharaoh himself, and they had all come true. Finally, Joseph remembers the dreams when his brothers bow before him. Joseph has trusted in the LORD, and now the LORD is affirming that he is faithful to his word. What a great encouragement for us to remember.

Episode 311 - "Joseph rises to power" - Genesis 41

Gen. 41:1 After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, 2 and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. 3 And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke. 5 And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. 6 And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind. 7 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8 So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

Gen. 41:9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my offenses today. 10 When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, 11 we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation. 12 A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream. 13 And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.”

Gen. 41:14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” 17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile. 18 Seven cows, plump and attractive, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass. 19 Seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt. 20 And the thin, ugly cows ate up the first seven plump cows, 21 but when they had eaten them no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke. 22 I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good. 23 Seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them, 24 and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”

Gen. 41:25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine. 28 It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, 30 but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, 31 and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. 32 And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. 33 Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. 35 And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36 That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.”

Joseph Rises to Power

Gen. 41:37 This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. 43 And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

Gen. 41:46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. 47 During the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly, 48 and he gathered up all the food of these seven years, which occurred in the land of Egypt, and put the food in the cities. He put in every city the food from the fields around it. 49 And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured.

Gen. 41:50 Before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore them to him. 51 Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” 52 The name of the second he called Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

Gen. 41:53 The seven years of plenty that occurred in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54 and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.”

Gen. 41:56 So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.

In our last episode, we read about how Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and chief baker had both been thrown into prison, where Joseph was, because they had offended Pharaoh. They both had dreams, which Joseph interpreted with the wisdom and understanding God had given him. After providing the cupbearer with a favorable interpretation, Joseph told him to remember him and put in a good word for him, so that maybe Joseph could be released from prison himself. But the cupbearer forgot, and according to our first verse in chapter forty-one, he spent two more years in prison.

After that time, it was Pharaoh’s turn to have dreams. If you recall, when the two employees of Pharaoh had dreams, Joseph told them that it was God who provided the interpretation of dreams. Now, when Pharaoh wants his dreams interpreted, none of the wise men or magicians were able to interpret the dreams. Not only does this make a statement about the wise men and magicians in Pharaoh at the time, but it also prepares the readers for the limitations of the people under Pharaoh later on in Exodus. Even though the LORD is going to reveal His power and presence to Joseph, the people will forget and abandon any knowledge of what the LORD has done. This is a problem that has been found with people throughout history.

When none of the hired servants of Pharaoh could interpret Pharaoh’s dreams, the chief cupbearer suddenly remembered Joseph. He told Pharaoh about Joseph’s ability, and Joseph was summoned to Pharaoh. Once again, Joseph gave the LORD credit for interpreting dreams. He not only explained that these dreams meant that there would be seven years of bountiful harvest, followed by seven years of famine, but he also informed Pharaoh that the two dreams had the same meaning and that the duplication meant the interpretation was certain, and there would be no avoiding what was to come.

Joseph was not finished by interpreting the dreams. He continued by giving Pharaoh advice on how to manage the harvest during the bountiful years in order to provide for his people during the lean years. One might suspect that Joseph was an opportunist, making the recommendation to hire someone who would execute the necessary tasks he suggested to secure a cushy job and avoid being sent back to prison. I would probably think that myself, except that we already know about Joseph’s dreams and their interpretation, and the ongoing emphasis that, through all this time, the LORD was with Joseph. What Joseph told Pharaoh was directed or revealed by the LORD.

I believe a key moment in this story is what Pharaoh says about Joseph in verse 37, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” God has made it clear to Pharaoh that he is speaking through Joseph. Pharaoh doesn’t need to wait to see if this is actually going to come true. He’s already convinced the interpretation is absolutely correct. He wisely chooses Joseph to be the authority to manage the food acquisition, storage, and distribution before any of it begins to happen. Once again, we will witness how God’s promise in the Abrahamic covenant, “I will bless those who bless you,” will bear itself out again as the LORD uses Joseph to spare many lives in Egypt and beyond.

The rest of the story explains that what Joseph had said would happen did happen. But Moses includes another detail that I believe is important to the greater story in Genesis and the rest of the Bible. Moses wrote that Pharaoh gave Joseph the daughter of an Egyptian priest to be his wife. Wait a minute. Won’t that get Joseph in trouble with the LORD because he’s married to the daughter of a priest who was, in all likelihood, worshipping the Sun god? I believe what we see here is that the LORD is using Pharaoh to bless Joseph with a wife with whom he can have descendants. Joseph isn’t rebelling against his parents and the LORD like Esau or Judah had done. I believe we are supposed to understand that the LORD is not prejudiced against other people. The occasions in the Scripture where it seems the LORD has a bias are due to the people’s wickedness and not their ethnicity or race. I think the LORD was even superintending this relationship as well.

This story reveals that the LORD is indeed fulfilling everything he has revealed and promised in times past, regardless of how much time expires. He is faithful to his word.

Episode 310 - "Joseph interprets dreams of Pharaoh's servants" - Genesis 40

Gen. 40:1 Some time after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their lord the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody.

Gen. 40:5 And one night they both dreamed—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own interpretation. 6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” 8 They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”

Gen. 40:9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream there was a vine before me, 10 and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” 12 Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. 13 In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh’s cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer. 14 Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. 15 For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.”

Gen. 40:16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, 17 and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head.” 18 And Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. 19 In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you!—and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.”

Gen. 40:20 On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. 22 But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

It would seem that there is very little mystery to this story. Two of Pharaoh’s employees upset their boss and were both thrown in prison along with Joseph. They each have a dream and are concerned about the meaning of the dreams. At Joseph’s request, they tell their dreams to Joseph, who interprets them. When Joseph gives the cupbearer a favorable interpretation, telling him that he will be released from prison and restored to his former position, Joseph instructs him to give Pharaoh a good word for him. The baker, hoping to receive a favorable interpretation as well, tells Joseph his dream, but is informed that he will be executed. Joseph correctly interprets both dreams. However, the cupbearer failed to put in a good word for Joseph as Joseph had requested.

So, what do we do with this? Is there something we can learn? Let me suggest that we consider this story in the context of the broader narrative. The first thing that catches my attention is another occurrence of dreams related to Joseph. Joseph had two dreams that both he and his family had agreed upon the interpretation. The only thing was that his brothers outright refused to accept the meaning of the dream and sold him into slavery to get rid of him. Even Jacob had a problem with the second dream, but did not entirely dismiss it. Jacob had had his own crazy dream in which the LORD made him promises and had fulfilled them. In this prison, Joseph is sensitive to what the LORD is doing. So, when these two men reveal they’ve both had a dream on the same night, Joseph responds, “Do not interpretations belong to God?” Joseph can invite them to tell him their dreams because he knows the LORD is with him. This is important to remember because Joseph is about to experience another injustice when the cupbearer fails to inform Pharaoh about Joseph, and Joseph remains in prison.

One might wonder why Pharaoh freed one offender and executed the other. The text doesn’t tell us. However, I suspect it was a means to communicate to others that he can be merciful or harsh, and there is no telling which treatment they will receive if they commit an offense. In other words, I think it was to instill fear in his subjects. Therefore, we should not read too much into the dreams or try to guess the nature of their respective offenses.

I’ve known many people who’ve had dreams and tell me what they think those dreams mean. I would never say, “God doesn’t do that today.” However, in the opening verses of the New Testament book Hebrews, the author writes that in former times God spoke to the prophets in many ways. However, he continues, “in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Heb. 1:2). What this means is that if we believe a dream has some particular meaning intended by the LORD, we must consider it in the light of what Jesus teaches. Does our interpretation of the dream contradict Scripture at all? Joseph pointed out to these men that God makes the interpretation known, just as he had made the interpretation of Joseph’s dreams known to his father and brothers. They just chose not to accept it. All we need to do now is wait to see if those dreams come true. The dreams of the cupbearer and the chief baker both worked out exactly as Joseph had interpreted. This story should give us a hint that, somehow, Joseph is going to get out of prison and have a position of power sometime in the future because God is with Joseph and will see to it that what he has said would happen, will happen. God is faithful to his word.

Episode 309 - "Joseph and Potiphar's Wife" - Genesis 39

Gen. 39:1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2 The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. 5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had, in house and field. 6 So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate.

Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. 7 And after a time, his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. 9 He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” 10 And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.

Gen. 39:11 But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, 12 she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. 13 And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, 14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.” 16 Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, 17 and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. 18 But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.”

Gen. 39:19 As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. 20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. 21 But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. 23 The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the LORD was with him. And whatever he did, the LORD made it succeed.

Ok. So after that interlude about Judah having sexual relations with his daughter-in-law (although he was not aware of it), our story returns to Joseph, who has been sold as a slave to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. Before we do, however, I’d like to review the key thing about what happened with Judah and Tamar.

Judah has been far from righteous. He married a pagan Canaanite woman, contrary to what Abraham and Isaac modeled. The LORD struck down the first two of his three sons because they did evil. Then, rather than trust the LORD to see if his third son would fulfill the Levirate marriage to produce a son for his deceased brother, Judah sought to protect him from the LORD and did not give his son to Tamar. When Tamar realized what Judah was doing, she disguised herself as a prostitute and made herself available to Judah, who fell for her trick, and she conceived twins. We might think that Tamar’s actions were evil. But when Tamar revealed that Judah was the father of her twins, he declared, “She is more righteous than I.” How can that be? The answer to that question may be that Tamar either knew or sensed that she would bear offspring through whom the promised seed would come. Knowingly or unknowingly, she was fulfilling the LORD’s plan. The Messiah would someday carry her DNA.

Now, back to Joseph. Moses tells us that the LORD was with Joseph and caused him to be successful in serving Potiphar. Because Potiphar saw how the LORD blessed Joseph, he gave him more responsibility and privilege. This is the Abrahamic covenant being worked out, isn’t it? God is blessing Joseph as well as those who bless Abraham’s descendants.

It would be so easy to look at the circumstances of what Joseph’s brothers did to him and think, “Where was the LORD in all this?” Moses seems to be indicating that the LORD was with Joseph all the time. But Joseph’s troubles weren’t over.

Apparently, Joseph was an attractive man and caught the eye and interest of Potiphar’s wife. Joseph resisted her advances. But when she grabbed onto him, he ran, leaving his outer garment behind. Now, how will Potiphar’s wife explain this? Simple. She turned the story around to her husband and accused Joseph of attacking her, and fled when she screamed. We’re told that Potiphar became angry and had Joseph thrown in prison. One might wonder why such a powerful person did not have him executed. Is it possible that Potiphar did not trust his wife? Perhaps he was not as angry at Joseph as he was at the situation he was in. He may not have believed her story, but he could not ignore it in fear that other people would get the idea that Potiphar would not punish such an offense. But that’s speculation. What we do know is that the LORD was with Joseph, and nothing was going to happen that the LORD didn’t allow. In fact, Moses reiterates that while in prison, the LORD was with Joseph and, as he had with Potiphar, the LORD caused Joseph to find favor with the keeper of the prison.

I love that emphatic message in this story that, despite all the challenges and terrible things that happened to Joseph, the LORD was with him the whole time. I can’t help but think that same principle holds true for all who trust in the LORD.

Episode 308 - "Judah and Tamer" - Genesis 38

Gen. 38:1 It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her, 3 and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. 4 She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. 5 Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she bore him.

Gen. 38:6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD put him to death. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother’s wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother. 10 And what he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and he put him to death also. 11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, till Shelah my son grows up”—for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father’s house.

Gen. 38:12 In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua’s daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And when Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,” 14 she took off her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16 He turned to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” 17 He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “If you give me a pledge, until you send it—” 18 He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, “Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood.

Gen. 38:20 When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her. 21 And he asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?” And they said, “No cult prostitute has been here.” 22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, ‘No cult prostitute has been here.’” 23 And Judah replied, “Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her.”

Gen. 38:24 About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” 25 As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.” 26 Then Judah identified them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again.

Gen. 38:27 When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb. 28 And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore, his name was called Perez. 30 Afterward, his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.

Here we have another sub-story that has relevance to the greater narrative of Genesis and, in fact, to the continuing story of the LORD’s work through Israel. Given the previous account of what Jacob’s sons did to their brother Joseph, this story seems out of place. But let’s consider the promised seed (Gen 3:15) and the covenant that is passed down from Abraham. I think it’s fair to say that Jacob’s sons have not been acting according to the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Genesis 38:1-5 tells the reader that Judah, Jacob’s fourth son, married a Canaanite woman and had three sons. The reader should sense that this would not work out well. Abraham had commanded his employee not to take a wife for his son, Isaac, from among the Canaanites. The specific purpose was that they worshipped other gods. Likewise, Rebekkah told Isaac to send Jacob to her homeland to find a wife because Esau had married Canaanite women who gave Isaac and Rebekkah much grief.

In Genesis 38:6-11, Moses jumps from the detail of Judah’s decision to marry a Canaanite to a time when Judah takes a wife for his oldest son, Er. Her name was Tamar. Moses simply tells us that Er was wicked. So, the LORD killed him. Due to what is called a Levirate marriage, Judah told his second son, Onan, to essentially take Tamar as a wife to give her a son on behalf of his deceased brother. The idea is that the family’s inheritance continues through that descendant. Onan wanted the sex but did not want that prospective son to inherit his brother’s land. His actions, performed strictly for his own sexual gratification, led the LORD to strike him down as well. This left one more son to fulfill this responsibility. But Judah told Tamar, his daughter-in-law, to live with her father as a widow until his youngest son was older. Moses indicates that this was a stall tactic of Judah because he was afraid that his third son would also die.

In Genesis 38:12-19, two things have happened. First, Judah’s wife died. Second, enough time has passed for Judah to have his third son given to Tamar, by whom she can hopefully bear a son. But Tamar realizes that is not going to happen. So, she takes matters into her own hands. She passes herself off as a prostitute and goes to a place she knows her widowed father-in-law will pass. As a pledge for payment of “services rendered,” she requests items of his that are unmistakably Judah’s. She conceived.

Later on, Judah sent his friend Hirah with the goat he’d promised Tamar (not knowing he’d slept with his daughter-in-law) to exchange the goat for Judah’s personal items. Hirah returned with the goat, saying that he could not find her and that the men of the area were not familiar with any local cult prostitute.

The conflict reached its climax when, a few months later, Judah received a report that his daughter-in-law had been immoral and had conceived a child. His response was to demand her execution by burning. It was at this time that she brought out his personal items and revealed that the one by whom she was pregnant was the owner of these items. For once, Judah does something right. He confessed truth. He said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” (v. 26)

The story closes with the birth of twins and a sign of another potential future conflict between these twins concerning birthright and inheritance.

Where will all this lead? Jacob’s sons are a mess. Can the LORD bring something good out of all this? Can there be a redemption in all this? Stay tuned, and we’ll see the LORD do something amazing.

Episode 307 - "Joseph is sold into slavery" - Genesis 37:12-36

Gen. 37:12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” 14 So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 15 And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” 16 “I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” 17 And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

Gen. 37:18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” 21 But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

Gen. 37:25 Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.

Gen. 37:29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes 30 and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” 31 Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33 And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.

Well, after what we read last week about Joseph, the events that unfold here are not too surprising, are they? Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son. Joseph had given a bad report to Jacob about his brother’s activities, which upset them. But then he shared with them dreams he had that everyone interpreted to mean that Joseph would someday rule over all of them. It appears to be this last matter that is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Their plot to kill Joseph appears to stem from their resentment over these dreams. They said, “We will see what will become of his dreams” (v. 20)

This part of the story begins with Joseph leaving home under the auspices of his dad wanting to find out if everything is well with his other sons who were shepherding the flock. It’s interesting that Joseph wasn’t with them. Did they exclude him? Perhaps either Jacob or Joseph did not want Joseph along with his brothers, knowing the animosity they had toward him. Whatever the reason, Jacob believes that they were shepherding near Shechem, about 50 miles north of his home. This seems a reasonable fact because these animals can destroy the grasses in an area if they are left in one place too long. They had to keep moving. In fact, when Joseph got to Shechem, he was informed that they had moved an additional 15 miles further north. I suspect this great distance between Jacob and his sons lends itself to Jacob’s belief that a wild beast had killed Joseph. He had to have been gone at least a few days, covering so much ground.

Two things this story reveals to the readers are, first, character development of some of Joseph’s brothers, and second, the beginning of an explanation of how Israel ends up in a foreign land, an element of what the LORD had revealed to Abraham about the descendants he was going to give Abraham.

When the brothers see Joseph approaching, their hatred is provoked and they conspired to kill him. But Reuben interceded and suggested they only throw Joseph into a cistern and not kill him. The narrator tells the reader that he planned to later rescue Joseph. What motivated Reuben to have this measure of compassion? Was he hoping to earn back favor from his father after having slept with his dad’s concubine? Reuben was the oldest. Perhaps he felt the weight of the responsibility for Joseph’s well-being. He must have gone away after having convinced his brothers not to kill Joseph, because we learn that he is surprised and dismayed when he finds out Joseph is no longer in the pit.

While Reuben was away and Joseph was still in the pit (cistern), the fourth-oldest son, Judah, had the idea of selling Joseph. While he appears to have a little bit of compassion or conscience in suggesting they not kill one of their own family members, his priority is making money by getting rid of this “dreamer.” In Judah’s mind, this was a win-win proposition. The brothers who were there agreed, and Joseph was sold as a slave to Ishmaelite traders who, in turn, sold Joseph to Potiphar, the captain of the guard to Pharaoh in Egypt. All that was left was for the brothers to cover their actions to their father, which they accomplished by taking the coat Jacob had given Joseph and making it look as though a wild animal had attacked Joseph. It worked.

So, what do we make of this story? How does it fit with what we already know? Well, first of all, we have the advantage of knowing that Moses is credited with authoring the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. We’ve read that the LORD promised Abraham that someday his descendants would be in bondage in a foreign land, but that He would deliver them out of that bondage and bring them back to the land the LORD was giving to Abraham and his descendants. We know from the book of Exodus, which follows Genesis, that Moses is God’s prophet who leads the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt. Ah! This provides an introduction to how they arrived in Egypt in the first place. Joseph was not killed. So, we’re expecting something to happen to him that will be significant to the story. We also know that Jacob’s brothers have demonstrated themselves to be unworthy to be “the seed” who would crush the serpent's heads. The oldest four, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, have all been scoundrels so far. It seems to me that, despite the evil intentions and actions of these sons of Jacob, the LORD is in control.

Perhaps I’m reading into the text too much on this next point. But doesn’t it seem odd in this story that as Joseph journeyed to find his brothers, “a man found him” and “asked him, ‘What are you seeking?’” (v. 15) When Joseph informs him that he’s looking for his brothers, the man seems to know exactly who he’s looking for. Were Joseph’s brothers the only ones shepherding in that area? I doubt it. Perhaps the conversation was much more extensive, leading to that deduction. However, it seems to me that Moses included this detail to suggest that the LORD was watching over Joseph the whole time, and the reader is to anticipate that the LORD is watching over him in Egypt as well.

Episode 306 - Joseph has dreams - Genesis 37:1-11

Gen. 37:1 Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.

Gen. 37:2 These are the generations of Jacob.

Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.

Gen. 37:5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

Gen. 37:9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

This is another one of those “toledot” markers in the narrative that gets translated as “These are the generations.” (v. 2) The attention turns immediately to Joseph, who was the first son of Rachel, the wife that Jacob loved. We already know that Rachel had another son whom Jacob named Benjamin. Rachel died giving birth to him. But that son is likely not old enough to be shepherding with his older brothers. In fact, this event may have happened before Benjamin was born, since the context later seems to indicate that Rachel may still have been alive. At this time, Joseph is seventeen years old and is working with his brothers shepherding their father’s flock. Moses writes that “he was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives” (v. 2). Moses doesn’t include Leah’s sons. So, it’s possible they were not present at this moment. But at least Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher are with Joseph while they are pasturing the flock.

The conflict of this next story develops quickly. The reader is told that Joseph was Dad’s favorite. The three oldest sons certainly haven’t endeared themselves to Jacob, given their actions previously mentioned. But given that Joseph is the first of Rachel’s sons, it’s not too surprising. No one would recognize the favoritism more than the children themselves. However, the conflict is exacerbated by the fact that Jacob makes it painfully obvious that Joseph is his favorite by giving him a multicolored coat. Moses writes that his brothers hated him and could not speak to him peacefully. Could it get any worse? Oh yeah. On this occasion, Joseph gave a “bad report” to his father about the brothers he was with. Perhaps they were being lazy or doing something that would have upset his father. Joseph clearly didn’t attempt to assuage his brothers’ hatred of him by keeping his mouth shut. He narc’d. Either Joseph is a naive, patronizing son, or perhaps he enjoyed rubbing his privilege in his brothers’ faces. We’re not told. We just understand that Joseph is not making anything better between himself and his brothers.

Then, Joseph had two dreams. The first was that he and his brothers were binding sheaves in the field, and his brothers’ sheaves bowed down to his sheave. Even though most people today wouldn’t ever have bound or even seen a sheaf of grain, we understand the imagery, and so did his brothers. You can hardly blame them for disliking him.

The second dream was that the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to Joseph, and he told it to his brothers as well as his father. You would think that he should’ve gotten a clue to keep his mouth shut after telling his brothers the first dream. Even Jacob’s favoritism of Joseph does not allow him to encourage or accept the idea that he and Rachel would bow down to their own son. He rebukes him.

I’m sure that if Leah’s sons weren’t present to hear these dreams from Joseph’s mouth, the word got to them rather quickly because it’s evident that everyone understands that Joseph is suggesting that these dreams are revealing that he will have authority over all of them.

The situation is ripe for a significant conflict between Joseph and his family. While Moses notes that his brothers were jealous of him, “his father kept these sayings in mind” (v. 11). Why do you think that might be? I think it’s because Jacob has had some pretty vivid dreams himself in which the LORD revealed himself and his plans to Jacob, and Jacob knows by now that the LORD fulfills what he reveals will happen. I suspect that, as ridiculous as this may have sounded to Jacob, these dreams of his son had a familiar vibe to them.