Read with Me
Genesis 45:1-15 (HCSB)
Joseph could no longer keep his composure in front of all his attendants, so he called out, “Send everyone away from me!” No one was with him when he revealed his identity to his brothers. But he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and also Pharaoh’s household heard it. Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But they could not answer him because they were terrified in his presence.
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please, come near me,” and they came near. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt. And now don’t be worried or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
“Return quickly to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay. You can settle in the land of Goshen and be near me—you, your children, and grandchildren, your sheep, cattle, and all you have. There I will sustain you, for there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you, your household, and everything you have will become destitute.” ’ Look! Your eyes and my brother Benjamin’s eyes can see that it is I, Joseph, who am speaking to you. Tell my father about all my glory in Egypt and about all you have seen. And bring my father here quickly.”
Then Joseph threw his arms around Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept on his shoulder. Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept, and afterward his brothers talked with him.
Listen with Me
The time had finally come for Joseph to reveal himself to his brothers. But during Judah’s heartfelt speech on behalf of Benjamin and his father, Jacob, Joseph had become increasingly emotional. At the end, he broke down entirely and ordered everyone out of the room except his brothers. They obeyed immediately, and the twelve of them were left alone.
At that point, the brothers were alarmed and confused. This was the second highest official in all Egypt. They would have expected him to be harsh, stern, and stoic. But here he was sobbing and wailing before them.
Finally, Joseph got control of himself and spoke the most alarming words imaginable in perfect Hebrew: “I am Joseph.” The brothers were so stunned that they didn’t even hear the follow up question: “is my father still living?” the words were so shocking and so unexpected that they struggled to make sense of them.
Joseph saw that his brothers had gone from being confused to being terrified. So, he slowed down a bit. He ordered that they come closer to him, and he affirmed to them again that it was really him who was speaking to them.
Two questions immediately sprang to the brothers’ minds. How in the world had Joseph become the second most powerful man in Egypt? And was he still angry with them for selling him to the Ishmaelites? That second question was the overwhelming one. Joseph had already demonstrated to them how all-powerful he was. If he was still bearing a grudge, they could all end up in prison with no hope of release. Or they could all end up being executed on the spot!
But Joseph’s calm words reassured them. In the end, he had come to realize that it had been God’s idea all along to send him to Egypt so that he could later save his whole family and bring them to the safe haven of Egypt. His brothers had actually been moved along by God’s will to accomplish a greater goal than they had even imagined.
But now, with five years of famine still on the horizon, time was of the essence. They needed to quickly return to Canaan and deliver the news to their father that Joseph was not only alive, but that he was also the second most powerful man in all Egypt. Then they needed to pack up their households and bring everyone back to Egypt to resettle.
Pray with Me
Father, Your plan is always perfect, even though we often don’t see where You are taking us until we actually arrive at the destination You have chosen for us. Help me, lord, to never be discouraged or frustrated by my lack of ability to see every step of Your plan, but to simply follow Your lead one step at a time, confident that You know where we are going, and that Your plan will ultimately come to fruition. Amen.