Episode 334 - "Timothy and Epaphroditus - True disciples" - Philippians 2:19-30

Phil. 2:19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

Phil. 2:25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.

In the middle of this letter, Paul writes about two individuals, Timothy and Epaphroditus, and their relationship to him and to the Philippian believers. While there aren’t commands within this section from which we can draw for our own lives and guidance for our church, I believe we can make some observations that may provide some valuable wisdom for our churches today.

He speaks about hoping to send Timothy to them soon. Who is Timothy? In Acts 16, we read that Timothy is a disciple, that his mother is a Jewish believer, and that his father was a Greek. He also lived in modern-day Turkey. (Acts 16:1) Some scholars believe that Paul may have led Timothy and his mother to faith in Jesus during his first missionary journey. On this occasion of their encounter, Paul is on his second missionary journey and wants Timothy to accompany him. Because Paul knew they would be interacting with many Jews on the journey, Paul had Timothy circumcised. This was the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant that Jewish males were to follow to be a part of the covenant community. What’s interesting is that elsewhere in Acts we read about Jewish people wanting Gentile believers in Christ to follow everything in the Law they had been taught. But the Church leaders, who were also Jewish, understood that doing such things had no bearing upon their faith in Christ and instructed the leaders to simply have the Gentile believers abandon idolatry and live morally. So, why was Paul requiring this for Timothy? It would appear that Paul knew it would be an obstacle for him to speak in the synagogues if Timothy were not circumcised. Paul was wisely anticipating what he might encounter and did what he could to create opportunities to share the gospel. Timothy seems to have been fully cooperative.

We have two letters in the New Testament that are titled 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy. These are letters Paul wrote to Timothy, offering pastoral advice. Collectively, we see that Timothy is a model disciple who is both learning and leading others at the same time.

Timothy is obviously with Paul while Paul is under house arrest. Paul wanted to send Timothy to the Philippians for the purpose of pastoral care and encouragement. The only thing holding Paul back from sending Timothy to them is waiting to see how things will work out for him.

Epaphroditus was sent by the Christians at Philippi to Paul to deliver messages and financial support to him. (Philippians 2:25) In the process of fulfilling that mission, he became gravely ill and almost died in order to reach Paul with their gifts and communication. Paul wants the believers to show their appreciation and encouragement to Epaphroditus upon his return because of his dedication and his love for these people.

What can we learn from these men? For me, I see humility, a deep love and compassion for others, and a willingness to make personal sacrifices for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Episode 333 - "Don't grumble or complain" - Philippians 2:14-18

Phil. 2:14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

As we pick up where we left off last week, Paul tells the Philippians not to grumble or be disputing. The idea from the Greek text is that one should neither hold on to a negative attitude nor display it more publicly by arguing with others. It seems to me that’s pretty clear (not to mention convicting.) There are two basic questions I think we should ask of ourselves. First, on what basis should we not do this, that is, not grumbling and disputing? Bad stuff happens. At the time Paul wrote this letter, he was unjustly incarcerated. If that were me, I’d be grumbling AND disputing.

The question that follows is “How might we follow Paul’s command to the Philippians, when we’re inclined to grumble and dispute?” Does Paul give us some help?

The answer to the first question is to examine the context and notice what Paul has already laid out in this short letter. One is that the Father sent the Son (Jesus) into the world to die an unjust death on our behalf in order to justify us and make us right with God based upon our faith in and relationship with Christ. The second point of why we shouldn’t grumble or dispute is that the Son willingly submitted himself and humbled himself to die on a cross for the sake of his rebellious creatures. He didn’t grumble or dispute. In light of what God has done for us without grumbling, we have no right to think that our troubles are greater than what Jesus took on himself.

Before I address the second question, notice that Paul explains the purpose of not grumbling. Verse 15 says, “that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” (v.15) This sounds like followers of Jesus have a very specific purpose in the world. If we refuse to grumble and complain, we will stand out in a positive way in the world in which we live. Does this sound familiar? This theme arises time and again in the Old Testament. God chose Abraham and blessed him with a purpose of being a blessing to the nations. That theme continues with Abraham’s descendants, whom God wanted to be a “Kingdom of Priests.” God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah to the Israelites being disciplined for their failure to be faithful to the LORD said, “I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” (Isa. 49:6) God’s desire for those he redeems to himself is to be agents of his truth and grace to the world. In short, Paul is telling the Philippian believers, “Don’t be like the Israelites who grumbled and disputed and failed to be a light to the world.”

Now, in verse 16, Paul begins to answer our second question. What steps can we take to help us avoid grumbling, arguing, or complaining? The first thing is to “hold fast to the word of life.” (v. 16) Jesus is the word of life. Out of all the things that Christians believe or do concerning their faith, there is nothing more important than to understand and value who Jesus is and what he did for us on the cross. This is what should keep us humble and grateful. The second part of verse 16 and verse 17 is Paul saying that their tenacity in holding onto the good news of Jesus is what will validate any sacrifice or suffering he might endure, even to the point of losing his own life for that cause.

Paul returns to the theme of rejoicing, suggesting that he is glad and rejoices if his own life is the sacrifice for their participation in the gospel of Jesus. Paul himself is modeling the same attitude toward his own suffering for the sake of others that Christ demonstrated. He invites them to be glad and rejoice with Paul as well.

Is it possible to grumble and complain when we are glad and rejoicing? Thinking and dwelling upon Christ’s love for us should make us glad and rejoicing followers of Jesus who are not grumbling and complaining. Let us hold fast to the word of life.

Episode 332 - "Be obedient to God's work in your life" - Philippians 2:12-13

Phil. 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Yes . . . I know it’s only two verses. But there are some intriguing things in these two verses. The first thing we want to consider is the word “Therefore.” It’s one of those big points that is made in a Bible Study Methods class, and the saying goes, “Whenever you see a 'therefore,' you want to go back in the text to find out what it’s 'there for.’” In other words, what follows the “therefore” must be interpreted in light of what was said before.

It’s important to apply it here; otherwise, we can’t really understand what Paul is telling the Philippian believers when he says, “as you have always obeyed, so now not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (v. 12) What are they to obey, and what does that have to do with fear and trembling?

In the beginning of the letter, Paul recalls their “participation in the gospel from the first day until now” and then assures them that “he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:5-6) Shortly after, he explained that he prays that their “love may abound more and more with knowledge and discernment” (v. 9). He continues by exhorting them to be unified and to stand firm in the gospel, because he knows they will face persecution. (vv. 27-29) The means by which they can do this is to adopt the same kind of mindset or attitude demonstrated by Christ in humbling himself to leave the glory of heaven, entering into his own creation, becoming a servant to his human creatures, and being “obedient” to death on a cross.

Ah! There’s something. Jesus was obedient to the Father’s will that he die for the sins of the world. We could say that Jesus was obedient to the gospel. So then, if the same God who sent his Son into the world to bring us the gospel and the hope of forgiveness of sins and eternal life, also began a good work in Jesus’ followers, it’s reasonable to interpret this call to obedience of the Philippian believers as a call to obedience to the gospel that God would direct in their lives.

So, our next question then should likely be, “So what does that have to do with 'work out your salvation with fear and trembling?’” Furthermore, one might argue, “I thought salvation was by faith and not by works.” Given that our immediate context informs us that it was God who began the good work in them suggests that Paul is not telling them that their salvation is based on their works. Further reading of Paul’s letters reinforces the idea that God’s salvation for us is based on His work through Christ. God gets the credit for our salvation. Therefore, what Paul is saying in “work out your salvation” is to be obedient to the gospel and continue doing the good things God has been doing in their lives. Is there any way we can verify that meaning? Look at verse 13. “It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Clearly, what Paul means is for them to cooperate, or rather, be obedient, to what God wants them to do in standing firm in their faith and demonstrating love and being unified.

So, why should they do this with “fear and trembling?” The explanatory clause of verse 13, indicated by the word “for,” suggests a reverential kind of fear. We should not take the idea of doing good works of serving others lightly, because we diminish what Christ has done for us on the cross by not showing the same concern and love for others.

That’s pretty heavy for two verses, isn’t it? May the Lord instill the remembrance of his love toward us so that we will show love to others as the Lord works His works through us.

Episode 331 - "Have the mind of Christ in you" - Philippians 2:4-11

Philippians 2:4–11

[4] Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. [5] Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, [6] who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7] but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. [8] And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. [9] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, [10] so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (ESV)

If I knew I was going to be stranded on a desert island with only a small selection of Scripture to read and meditate upon, this would be one of my top picks for what I’d want to have. Why? The first reason is that it is so encouraging to reflect upon Christ’s selfless act toward humanity. The second is that it offers a clear directive and application toward followers of Jesus. Let’s break this down.

Paul encouraged the Christians at Philippi to be unified in mind and spirit. This requires mutual humility and a consensus of priorities. Now, in verse 4, he tells them not to look only for their own needs but also for the needs of others. It makes me wonder if Paul was reflecting upon the time prior to his conversion when he was persecuting Christians. In Acts, Luke informed his reader that the early Christians were selling possessions and taking care of those in need. (Acts 2:44-47) Perhaps that made an impact on Paul, especially after the LORD appeared to him and he was cared for by the very people he had been persecuting. (Acts 9:10-25)

Paul instructed the Philippians to think like Christ. Jesus’ actions revealed his humility and love for humanity. Notice in verse 6 he writes, “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (Philip. 2:6-7) There are two common errors that people make when interpreting this passage. Some people have used this to suggest that Jesus removed or left his deity in heaven when he took on flesh. This is NOT what the text is saying. What Paul is saying by writing that Christ “emptied himself” is that he emptied himself from his position in heaven with the Father. He did not abandon his deity when he took on human flesh. The apostle John tells us in John 1:14 that “the Word became flesh and dwelt (lit. tabernacled) among us.” If Jesus left his deity in heaven when he “became flesh,” then there was no glory of God in this tabernacle of human flesh. When Jesus turned the water into wine at the wedding ceremony recorded in John 2, John writes this is when Jesus first “manifested his glory.” (John 2:11) Clearly, Jesus retained all of his deity when he entered into our world.

The second common error is made with the phrase “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” This does NOT suggest that at some point he was less than God. Again, Paul is speaking of his position with the Father in his eternal past. Jesus chose to leave that position and enter into his own creation for our good. He was and is always God and cannot forfeit that. It really speaks of his complete willingness to leave the glory of Heaven with the Father, where he deserved to be, to humble himself and enter into his own creation for our benefit.

Christ didn’t need to humble himself like that. We needed Christ to become flesh and later have that flesh crucified so that in his death, he took the sin of the world upon himself and then to conquer death to show that he can and will conquer our death and give us immortal bodies in the resurrection.

What amazing humility to leave his position in heaven and take on the flesh that he created! But he didn’t stop with that. He became a servant to his own creatures. Even though he was God, he took on human form. The most scandalous part of his selfless act of humbling himself, however, was that he “became obedient to death.” (v. 8). What? The One who created life took on human flesh and then submitted to death?

Notice that as Paul continues, his description of Jesus’ act of humbling himself intensifies. The giver of life became obedient to death, even death on a cross. The cross was a shameful and often slow agonizing method of causing the subject to suffocate to death.

What Paul is telling his readers is that they, and by extension we, need to have that same kind of mindset toward the needs of others. We need to act with love and compassion toward others without great concern for our own needs and desires.

Wow! That is a challenge.

Episode 330 -"Be of one mind" - Philippians 2:1-3

Phil. 2:1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

In chapter one, we have read about the apostle Paul’s source of joy and rejoicing. The support that the believers in Philippi have given him from the beginning of his ministry to the present has been a source of joy. Knowing that the gospel was spreading on account of his imprisonment caused him to rejoice. He rejoiced in the hope of release from his imprisonment in order that he might bring the Philippians joy as he helps them progress in their faith.

Now he asks them to “complete my joy” (Philippians 2:2). The way they are to do that is by being of “one mind.” That can be a difficult thing to accomplish. There are plenty of stories out there about churches that have split over a wide range of disagreements and dissensions. Why is that? Simply put, we are still in the flesh and struggle with pride.

The good news is that Paul doesn’t just tell them to get along. He tells them how to do that. Paul understands the challenge. He and Barnabus disagreed over whether to take John Mark on their second missionary journey, after he had earlier abandoned them. (Acts 15:36-41) They weren’t of the same mind at the time. Paul tells them to first think of Christ (Philip. 2:1). Find encouragement in the person and work of Jesus. Consider his love and how the Holy Spirit is what establishes our fellowship. In the opening verses of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he directs his readers to thank God for the many ways he has blessed them, including the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 1:13-14) The idea here is that if they are thinking about Christ and mutually letting the Spirit lead them, their thoughts and concerns should be toward others, and showing love and compassion to each other.

In contrast to that kind of mindset is “selfish ambition or conceit” (Philippians 1:3). Paul instructs them to lay aside their pride, be humble before others, and actively consider how each of them can serve their brothers and sisters in the faith. I believe what Paul is saying here is that if they each think and act in a way that demonstrates their concern for others, even over their own needs and desires, they will be unified.

What sound advice! Perhaps we can reflect upon that advice and apply that. How about if we begin by praying, “Lord, help me think about your love for me and help me set aside my own interests in order to concern myself with the needs of my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Episode 329 - "Stand firm with One Mind - Philippians 1:27-30

Phil. 1:27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

I suspect one reason Paul’s letters are so popular among Christians today is that the principles he gave his original audience resonate with us today. We understand many of them and recognize their merit today. For example, take this instruction in verse 27, “Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” I suspect that if we took a random poll among many Christians today in various churches, most people would say “Yes! Amen!”

But what does that look like? Well, Paul explains it. A life lived in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ is one in which believers are collectively “standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.” He continues, saying that this applies especially when opponents attempt to frighten them. (v. 27-28) If we stop and think about this, it’s pretty easy to recognize this instruction as good in a theoretical sense. But Paul knows that these believers are facing or will face persecution for their faith. That persecution is intended to instill fear and ultimately, to inhibit or stop the spread of the gospel.

Personally, I can’t help but think about the cultural climate in our country today, where there is conflict and fear among people over issues like immigration and other political matters. These issues are leading to conflict and division between our own citizens and even fracturing the unity in our churches. Why is this? I would suggest it is because we are not prioritizing the gospel of Jesus Christ in our churches. Instead, we are prioritizing the espoused ideologies of political parties, believing that our favorite party and candidates will somehow make society better. But that mindset is contrary to what God has revealed about his plan. As believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we must truly seek the presence of God’s kingdom with Jesus on the throne. Regardless of our differing opinions about other matters, we must humbly encourage and support our brothers and sisters in the faith for the sake of the gospel. Doing so, Paul says, we send a message to those opponents of the gospel that their opposition to God’s work will be brought to an end and that the believers will be delivered by God.

Let us pray that we will be unified with other believers in standing firm for the gospel in spite of persecution and opposition. Jesus prayed to the Father that his disciples would be one (John 17:11) and we need to follow that example and obey that charge.

Episode328-"To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain" -Philippians1v18b-26

Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

We stopped the last blog in the middle of verse 18 where Paul states that he rejoices that the gospel is preached by some out of love and good intentions and by others out of selfish ambition. The latter thinks they can cause affliction to Paul. Paul knows that the LORD will use the preaching of the gospel for his glory, regardless of the motivations of the people preaching it.

Paul then repeats that he rejoices. He brings the source of that joy back to his relationship with these believers at Philippi. Earlier, he said that he has joy when he remembers them in his prayers. Now, he rejoices because they are praying for him. His joy is that their prayers and the “help (lit. supply) of the Spirit of Jesus Christ” will “turn out for my deliverance.” (v.19) What is Paul saying here? Is he saying that he believes he will be released from his incarceration? The word “deliverance” is most often translated as “salvation.” If that’s the case, does Paul believe that his future eternal state with the LORD is in question or jeopardy?

Recall that Paul said he was imprisoned “for the defense of the gospel.” (v. 16) Now, in verse 20, he says, “it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.” Paul does not know whether he will be released from his imprisonment or be executed. So, he has not received some kind of vision assuring him that he won’t be incarcerated. Furthermore, the context doesn’t support the idea that Paul's spiritual state is in jeopardy either. It looks to me like Paul understands that the intercessory prayer of the Philippians and the presence of the Spirit of Jesus is encouraging him and helping him feel confident that whether he is released from his bonds or executed, he will be successful in the mission the LORD has given him. The LORD is not going to let him fail in this mission, even though the trial that may come will be more difficult. This explanation gets more support from his own explanation. In short, he argues there is a benefit to either his release or his death. If he’s released, he'll be able to share the gospel more. If he’s executed, he gets to be in the presence of Jesus. The latter, he says, is preferable. But he reasons that the LORD still wants to use him to minister to the Philippians. This may be why the translators chose to use “deliverance” instead of “salvation.” Maybe it was this line of reasoning of Paul to lead him to think that he wouldn’t be executed. But, the bottom line for Paul is that he is joyful for their prayers and for the provision of the Spirit who will sustain him and enable him to accomplish the mission the LORD has given to him.

What an example of faith! Concerning an application for us from this text, we might pray the LORD would grant us a similar confidence through our faith and by His Spirit to minister the gospel to others. Perhaps we could also have the sensitivity of the Philippians who were interceding in prayer for Paul. My guess is that we likely know many people who could use our intercessory prayer for whatever challenges they are facing right now. Let us rejoice in the privilege to do that.

Episode 327 - "Rejoice in the Power of God's Amazing Good News" - Philippians 1:15-18

Phil. 1:15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

In light of the circumstances of his incarceration, the apostle Paul’s attitude seems odd. Why? Because he is joyful. Multiple times throughout this letter, words like joy and rejoice will be used to express Paul’s emotional state as he writes under house arrest.

He is joyful in his prayers concerning the believers at Philippi because they have supported him from the very beginning of his ministry. While he doesn’t repeat the word joy or rejoice again in verses 12-14, his emotion is clearly present as he explains to his audience that his imprisonment has led to an even greater spread of the gospel because the imperial guard is hearing it and understands why Paul is imprisoned. In other words, while Paul was the one who was “captive,” it was the imperial guard who was Paul’s captive audience. They had to be him and keep an eye on him, and Paul took advantage of the opportunity.

In verses 15-18, Paul writes that others are taking advantage of the opportunity of Paul’s imprisonment. He explains that there are two groups of people. There are those who are preaching out of a heart of envy or jealousy of the attention given to Paul and perhaps even gloating a bit at Paul’s situation. He explains that they are doing it from “selfish ambition” (v. 17). The other group does it selflessly out of love.

This would be an opportunity for Paul to encourage the Philippians to identify those in the first group and discipline them. But what does he say? “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.” (v. 18) Wow! Paul didn’t excuse the motivations of the envious group. But his perspective is that “Christ is proclaimed,” and then he states, “and in that I rejoice.” (v.18)

There are two things from this that strike me as important to own and learn to act upon. The first thing is to have a kingdom perspective on every circumstance in life. Trust that while people are doing things from evil motivations, God is in control, and his ultimate will is not hampered by people’s attitudes and motivations. The second is closely related: the power of the gospel's message does not lie in the motivations of its speakers. Paul believes that people may have the absolute worst motivations in sharing the gospel, but God can and will still make an impact on the hearts of those who hear it. This reveals an important truth about the gospel. We are not the ones responsible for convincing people of the truth of the gospel. We are simply responsible for sharing the message that Jesus died on the cross to take the judgment for our sin upon himself. He was buried, and on the third day he rose from the dead. He is presently with the Father in heaven and will someday return to raise us who’ve trusted in Jesus to be with him eternally. Jesus’ death creates a peaceful relationship between God and us. Secondly, it gives us hope of eternal life.

Let us rejoice in this tremendous privilege and gain courage to do this, knowing that God is the one who does the hard work in people’s hearts and minds.

Episode 326 - "Paul's perspective on his incarceration" - Philippians 1:12-14

Phil. 1:12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Before I begin discussing this section, I realized there was something in our text last week that I failed to comment on, and I think it's important. In verses 9-10, Paul writes to these believers that he desires their love to abound. Why? He explains beginning in verse 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.”

To be “pure and blameless for the day of Christ.” What is that about? It’s about the return to earth of Jesus Christ. The second physical return of Jesus to earth is a core doctrine of the Christian faith. What did Jesus command his disciples to do before he gave them the Great Commission? He said, "A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34-35) Paul has taken this command and encouraged the believers at Philippi to increase that abundantly for when Jesus returns, it will be “to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:11) and not to their shame.

It makes me think how people would feel if Christ returned today to find many believers who identify with Jesus but have decided to hate or be at odds with their fellow believers over politics or other matters of this age. We need to abound in love towards others. That doesn’t mean we lay aside convictions and opinions. It means we don’t despise them or withhold compassion and care.

OK. Now, onto today's text. Once again, let me remind you that Paul is incarcerated. So, it’s interesting what he says in verse 12. He wants the Philippians to understand that his incarceration has not hindered the spread of the gospel. In fact, it’s done quite the opposite. Because of his incarceration, he’s getting opportunities to speak with imperial guards of the Roman Empire. I think Paul is saying that some of these people with power are hearing the gospel and some are even believing it. Paul understands the implications of that. Those people will, in turn, have more opportunities to spread the gospel themselves.

The significance is not missed by other believers who have interacted with Paul because he adds that some of them have become “more confident in the Lord” and are “much more bold to speak the word without fear.” (v. 14)

It almost sounds like the Lord knows what he is doing. Of course, that last statement was made tongue-in-cheek. The Lord does know what he is doing. He is in control. Paul’s imprisonment was neither an accident nor outside of God’s control. Paul sees the positive things that are happening through these circumstances and desires to see how they work in the spread of the gospel.

There are a few good things for us to meditate on this week. Let our love abound more and more, and let us pray and praise God for all the circumstances in our lives that lead to the spread of the gospel and the glory of God, regardless of how undesirable the circumstances may be.

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.