The Seed of Life

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE SEED OF LIFE

Gen 47:11-26

11 So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. 12 Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their children. 13 There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. 14 Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh's palace. 15 When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, "Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is used up." 16 "Then bring your livestock," said Joseph. "I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone." 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock. 18 When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, "We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we perish before your eyes — we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate." 20 So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh's, 21 and Joseph reduced the people to servitude, from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land. 23 Joseph said to the people, "Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground. 24 But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children." 25 "You have saved our lives," they said. "May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh." 26 So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt — still in force today — that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh's.

NIV

All this happened as it was to be an example of the grace of God at work through Joseph so that Pharaoh's wealth became greater each year until he owned all of Egypt, all the livestock in Egypt, and all the people of Egypt, except the priest. Although not stated, his ownership did not include the Israelites, for Joesph always provided food for them throughout the famine. How does all this fit into our story? Could we use this to show how we all belong to the Lord our God? After all, we were created in their image for the express reason of God’s pleasure, and fellowship. When have we ever been our own? When can we say that we just came into existence on our own, or that we ever created life? Of course, sin is our attempt to be our own boss, the caption of our own ship, or the ruler of our own lives. However, God took care of that as well by sending Jesus to pay the price for our sins, to redeem us, and to buy us back so that once again He is our Lord and Master, not simply the caption, but the Supreme authority of our lives. The Egyptians looked to Pharoah through Joseph for what they needed to survive the famine in the land. This is our story as well. We look to God through Jesus to survive the famine of this land. Of course, there is not a physical famine as there was in those days in Egypt, but we live in a land of spiritual famine. The people who do not look to God through Jesus are starving to death in this land. Jesus is referred to as the seed of Abraham through all nations will be blessed. If we are in Christ then we have the seed of life, the needed seed to plant in our hearts to give us life. The Egyptians received seed from Joseph to plant in the land, but we have planted the seed in ourselves, the seed that produces a good crop, the seed that is the bread of life. What a beautiful picture this narrative gives us our how we live because of the grace of God, Jesus, the seed of life, and that all we have is His, all we are is His, and our very lives are His. 

A Blessing

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

A BLESSING

Gen 47:1-10

47:1 Joseph went and told Pharaoh, "My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen." 2 He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh. 3 Pharaoh asked the brothers, "What is your occupation?" "Your servants are shepherds," they replied to Pharaoh, "just as our fathers were." 4 They also said to him, "We have come to live here awhile, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants' flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen." 5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothers have come to you, 6 and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock." 7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed Pharaoh, 8 Pharaoh asked him, "How old are you?" 9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers." 10 Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence.

NIV

This conversation between Joseph and Pharoah is as Joseph told his father what would happen regarding Pharoah asking them about their occupation.  Although all went as planned and the brothers told Pharoah they were shepherds, Pharoah did not ask Jacob what his occupation was. He asked Jacob how old he was. We wonder if the Egyptians lived as long as the Hebrews did since they served God Almighty, while the Egyptians served many false gods. The response of Jacob is a bit surprising, but when we review his life it does not seem that strange or surprising. Jacob beguiled his brother Esau out of his birthright, then deceived his father, spent seven plus seven more, then four more years of service to Laban, for two wives, and flocks of his own. He had his favorite son taken from him through the deceit of his other sons. Buried his first love after she gave birth to his last son, Benjamin. He did not live as long as his father Isaac or his grandfather Abraham, but he had a difficult and short life. Nevertheless, our story unfolds for us when Jacob bows before Pharaoh and blesses him. Even though Pharoah was not a god to Jacob, he was the king of Egypt who allowed him and his family to come and live in the best land there. However, our story is about blessing others, even if they are not in a position of authority. Of course, we would not bow down before anyone other than God, but we do pay a certain reverence to those who govern our land. If we were to be introduced to the President of the United States we would give him honor, perhaps a bow of our head, but would we have the nerve to speak a blessing on him. Nevertheless, it would behoove us to always be about blessing others, regardless of their position in life or the church. Even a simple, “Lord bless you” would be great, but perhaps we could go further with our blessings. Too often we hear, “Have a great week”, or “Have a great day”. Let us always be about blessing them. 

A New Home

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

A NEW HOME

Gen 46:26-34

26 All those who went to Egypt with Jacob — those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons' wives — numbered sixty-six persons. 27 With the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family, which went to Egypt, were seventy in all. 28 Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time. 30 Israel said to Joseph, "Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive." 31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, "I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, 'My brothers and my father's household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.' 33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, 'What is your occupation?' 34 you should answer, 'Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.' Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians."

NIV

We confess we skipped the genealogy of all the sons of each wife and the sons of all the sons. We might have learned from all those names that it is good to keep track of our genealogy, knowing the names of our ancestors. However, our story is now from Egypt. First, we see this wonderful moment when Joseph throws his arms around his father, and how Jacob is so overcome, his response is that he was ready to die seeing Joseph was alive. We know that when we see our Heavenly Father we may not be able to throw our arms around him, and He will never die, but that does not diminish the wonderful moment when we see Jesus and look full in His wonderful face, the things of earth would have be dimmed already for we would be standing, no, bowing before our Lord God Almighty, our Heavenly Father, with so much love and gratitude in our hearts for our salvation would be complete. It is almost too much to imagine what that moment would be when we see our Lord face to face and He gives us a place to settle, whatever that looks like. We know the song about a mansion just over the hilltop, but Jesus only promised that in His Father's house, there are many rooms or residences or abodes, and He was preparing a place for us. Whatever the place is, when we bow before our God we will not have to tell him our occupation, for He will know that we are His children, his descendants, as co-heirs with Jesus, and He will know and call each of us by name. Jacob was told to call himself a servant of Pharoh, but we are not servants of God, for Jesus calls us friends, and the Father calls us his children. We think it would be best as we walk the rest of our days here, we live with love and gratitude in our hearts and minds to our Heavenly Father because of his great love for us sending Jesus to bring us home. Shepherds were detestable to Egyptians, but we will never be detestable to our Heavenly Father for He sees us in Jesus, holy and blameless, His children. Jacob was given the best, the land of Goshen. We will be given a land far superior to anything on the earth when Jesus comes to take us home. Although we have our earthly homes, when Jesus comes for us we will have a new home. This world is not our home, we are just a-passing through, our treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue, the angels beckon us from heaven's open door, and we can’t feel at home anymore, for we are moving to a new home. 

"Here I am"

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

"HERE I AM"

Gen 46:1-7

46:1 So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, "Jacob! Jacob! “Here I am," he replied. 3 "I am God, the God of your father," he said. "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes." 5 Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel's sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 They also took with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan, and Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt. 7 He took with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters — all his offspring.

NIV

Off they went to the land of Egypt with all Jacob’s offspring and possessions. It would be a great and wonderful thing if we could take all our offspring with us to the land of God, the kingdom of heaven, but that is not to be, for our culture has no resemblance to how they lived as one family or tribe all in the same basic area. Nevertheless, they were under the divine protection and direction of God Almighty. God even spoke to Jacob, calling him by name to ensure he did the right thing. Here’s the truth we need to glean from this narrative; we are under divine protection and direction and God even speaks to us. The first and foremost that we are protected from is death. Sure, this body is going to eventually succumb to its death, but we are not our bodies, it is simply a vessel we inhabit for a short time. We are a spirit, as Jesus made sure Nicodemus understood. What is born of water is water, our natural human birth, but what is born of the Spirit is spirit, and it was our spirit who was already dead, because of sin, and needed to be reborn from above. If a person is not born again, they are still just walking dead. Being reborn is our protection from death, just as Jesus said that even though we die, that is our bodies die, we, our spirit, will live. We are also under divine protection from the second death, whatever that may be. However, we are also under divine protection from the attacks of Satan. He cannot harm us, for God’s armor shields us from those flaming arrows. Of course, we do need to get dressed in His armor, as we are told to put on the full armor of God. We are also under the divine direction of God. He lights the path; He directs our footsteps. However, we do need to walk within that path and follow that light. That is up to us as we can try to go our own way, even though we know it is the wrong way. Still, God is guiding us along the way to the land of promise, the kingdom of heaven. Yet, he also directs our lives in the here and now, showing us either visions or on occasion, when we need it, speaks into our hearts and sometimes into our ears. When Jacob heard the voice of God, his response was, “Here I am”. This should always be our response to all the protection and direction of our Lord God, “Here I am”. 

Provision for the Journey

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

PROVISION FOR THE JOURNEY

Gen 45:16-28

16 When the news reached Pharaoh's palace that Joseph's brothers had come, Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased. 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Tell your brothers, 'Do this: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan, 18 and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land.' 19 "You are also directed to tell them, 'Do this: Take some carts from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. 20 Never mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours.'" 21 So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts, as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey. 22 To each of them he gave new clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothes. 23 And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey. 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, "Don't quarrel on the way!" 25 So they went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. 26 They told him, "Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt." Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, "I'm convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die."

NIV

Although this is a story about the natural events surrounding Joseph making provisions through the blessings of Pharoah to bring his father and all the family into the best of Egypt, there is a story of a higher purpose. Pharoah was pleased that Joseph's family was well, and he wanted them to come to Egypt and he would give them the best of the land so they could enjoy the fat of the land. Pharoah represents the Father and Joseph shows us the part of the Son. The Father tells the Son to make provisions to bring the family to the best part of the kingdom of God, so they can enjoy the fat of the land. This is our story. We were once living in a land full of famine, starving, and without food, we would die. The Father sent Jesus to feed us, himself, the very bread of life. He came to make provisions for us to go to the land of plenty, the Kingdom of God. Just as the brothers told Jacob, “Joseph is still alive”, we can say, “He is alive, Death is defeated, Sin has retreaded, From the power of the Son and He is alive. The enemy is faded, The battle still rages, But the war has be won, Jesus is alive, Jesus is alive”. He has been sent to bring us back to the kingdom of heaven and give us the fat of the land. We have all we need for the journey because we have Jesus. Although Pharoah told Joseph to send carts and donkeys loaded with earthy goods for their journey to Egypt, we will not need anything of this world for our journey to our heavenly home. All we need is Jesus. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, there’s just something about that name. Master, Savior, Jesus, like the fragrance after the rain; Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, let all heaven and earth proclaim kings and kingdoms will all pass away, but there’s something about that name. We have all the provision we need for the journey home. 

But God Made Me

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

BUT GOD MADE ME

Gen 45:8-15

8 "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. 9 Now hurry back 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; don't delay. 10 You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me — you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. 11 I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.' 12 "You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. 13 Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly." 14 Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.

NIV

The reunion of all reunions as Joseph reveals the truth to his brothers and wants them to bring the whole family down to Egypt so they can live. We consider Joseph to be a foreshadow of Jesus, being the deliverer. But we did not spend time pondering on this one statement of Joseph regarding the fact his brothers were not responsible for him being in Egypt but it was God. This brings us right into our story. Have we been one to determine where we are or has it been God? Truth be known, it has always been God. From the first day of our conversion, we have placed our lives in the hands of God. He is the one who has directed our path, showing us where to live, giving us the means to live, opening the doors to certain jobs, closing those doors, and moving us along the path to specific churches, to learn and grow. He has moved us several times keeping us within his purpose for our lives. Living by faith has been exciting, due to lacking a better word. He is the one who began all this work in our lives, and he is the one who is going to finish it. We have simply followed his leadership. Man has had nothing to do with where we are and what we do unless God used them for his benefit in our lives. Just as the brothers physically sold Joseph, they were being moved by the hand of God, so that Joseph would be their deliverer, He has used some people to cause us to be where we are today. Some may think they are in charge of their own lives, that they have the rudder to their ship in their own hands, but it is God who oversees the weather causing that ship, that life, to blow in a specific direction. He also brings that storm, that swamping of the ship, so they cry out for deliverance from him. Father continue to lead us, guide each step in our lives, so that we are always just where you want us and doing exactly what you want us to be doing. We know it is God who made us who we are. 

To Save Lives

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

TO SAVE LIVES

Gen 45:1-8

45:1 Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, "Have everyone leave my presence!" So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh's household heard about it. 3 Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?" But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence. 4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.

NIV

The story is now unfolded by Joseph to his brothers. At first, they were terrified, and why not, they believed they had done a terrible thing to him and now he would exact revenge. But that is not the case as we can clearly see that Joseph tells them it was not them who caused all this but it was God who sent him ahead of them to save their lives by a great deliverance. This is a new thought we have not considered before. Joseph is another foreshadowing of Jesus. We have always considered Moses as an example or foreshadowing of Christ, being the deliverer, but Joseph is the one sent ahead by God to save their lives by a great deliverance. Jesus was sent by God to save our lives by a far greater deliverance. Joseph was sent ahead of them so they would not starve to death because the famine was so great and it was going to last another five years. Jesus was sent ahead of us to save our lives from a greater famine, one of being far from God, that without Jesus, would last for an eternity. Before we knew Jesus and accepted his deliverance, we were starving to death. Jesus saved our lives, first by coming to earth, then dying, shedding his blood for the forgiveness of our sins, then he was the first to be resurrected and went ahead of us into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. Jesus has told us He is the bread of life. whoever, that is us, comes to Him will never go hungry, and because we believe in Him we will never be thirsty. Jesus is the one and true deliverer sent by God to save our lives, and to preserve a place in heaven for us. 

A Case of Misery

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

A CASE OF MISERY

Gen 44:21-34

21 "Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.' 22 And we said to my lord, 'The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.' 23 But you told your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.' 24 When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said. 25 "Then our father said, 'Go back and buy a little more food.' 26 But we said, 'We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.' 27 "Your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 One of them went away from me, and I said, "He has surely been torn to pieces." And I have not seen him since. 29 If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in misery.' 30 "So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy's life, 31 sees that the boy isn't there, he will die. Your servants will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave in sorrow. 32 Your servant guaranteed the boy's safety to my father. I said, 'If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!' 33 "Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord's slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. 34 How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come upon my father."

NIV

Judah’s concern for his father’s well-being is outstanding as he offers himself to be the servant of the lord of Egypt just so Benjamin can return to his father. He explains the case of how his father, Jacob, or Israel’s life is so closely tied to the two sons of his wife Rachel and that one is no more, surely torn to pieces, and Benjamin is the only one left. We know Joseph knows all this and we will see his reaction in the next chapter of this story. However, for now, the story is about this man Judah having so much concern about his father having so much misery over not having Benjamin return, he would die. We wonder if that much misery could cause a person’s body to simply shut down and evidentially die. Israel is surely an old man by now with his gray hair so maybe that kind of misery could be greater to the aged, and cause physical harm, even death. We know there are all sorts of events that happen in our lives, and even the loss of a loved one and some have had to lose a child which seems to go against the normal scheme of life. It is natural for children to lose parents through death, but Israel has already lost one son and now could not bear to lose another. His misery would be too great to bear. Judah knows this and tries his best to honor his word to his father. From the next chapter, we know Joseph cannot let this go on any further for he too must feel the pain that would be put upon his father. But let us take that lesson to heart. Is it possible that we could be a cause for someone to experience misery? However, we also want to consider our own soul or spirit, and misery could affect our health. Why would we feel that badly, feel that misery if we are people of faith? Sure, the loss of a loved one, not being with them is not the best experience in life, in fact, it might be one of the hardest. Yet, what does it mean to be a believer? God is our refuge, He is our fortress, our stronghold, our help in ever-present trouble. He is our Rock. He is the one who carries us through the most difficult of times. Because we believe and trust is our God who sent his Son Jesus to take away all our sins, giving us eternal life, we should be able to bear up under those difficult experiences without going into misery that would take our gray hair down to the grave. Going down to the grave might be a metaphor for dying inside, shutting down internally, void of the joy of the Lord. Either way, we as believers should always keep our eyes on Jesus, and look full into his wonderful face, and the things of this earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. 

Person of Honor

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

PERSON OF HONOR

Gen 44:14-20

14 Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him. 15 Joseph said to them, "What is this you have done? Don't you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?" 16 "What can we say to my lord?" Judah replied. "What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants' guilt. We are now my lord's slaves — we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup." 17 But Joseph said, "Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you, go back to your father in peace." 18 Then Judah went up to him and said: "Please, my lord, let your servant speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. 19 My lord asked his servants, 'Do you have a father or a brother?' 20 And we answered, 'We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother's sons left, and his father loves him.'

NIV

It was Judah who gave his personal guarantee to his father that he would bring Benjamin back to him. He told his father that if he did not then he would accept the blame and the guilt for the rest of his life. Judah takes the lead in speaking to Joseph, although he does not know Joseph is his brother, he considers him the lord, equal to Pharoah. Is Judah a man of honor, trying to keep his word, or simply not wanting the shame, the guilt, the blame for the rest of his life? There is more to this conversation, but it is the honorable Judah who we ponder on for a lesson. Did not any of the other brothers have anything to say? Of course, it was Judah who gave his father his word. Rightly, Judah would make this effort to save the situation. He reminded Joseph that they simply answered his questions about their family. It does appear Judah is honorable and does want to spare his father the pain of losing Benjamin. Here is where we are interjected into the story. Because we are people of honor, we would never want to cause other people any pain. But the real story is the honor of God. We deserve the pain of death, the first death and the second death, whatever that may be. But because God is the highest form of honor and never wants to cause us pain, he sent his Son Jesus to take all our pain, all our guilt and shame, all our blame, so that we are free from it all, simply because of the love of our Father. As Judah was willing to offer himself, God did offer himself, for us, so that we could go home, instead of being a servant, and slaves to another master in a foreign land. Jesus showed us the way to live with honor, integrity, honesty, uprightness, ethically, morality, with virtue, goodness, right principles, decency, fairness, justice, and reliability. Can we overcome the self within enough, that self-concern, not wanting the blame, to be that person of honor? With Jesus, we can do all things, for he gives us the strength to be that person of honor. 

Honesty and Righteous

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

HONESTY AND RIGHTEOUS

Gen 44:1-13

44:1 Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: "Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's silver in the mouth of his sack. 2 Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one's sack, along with the silver for his grain." And he did as Joseph said. 3 As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. 4 They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, "Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid good with evil? 5 Isn't this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.'" 6 When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. 7 But they said to him, "Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that! 8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house? 9 If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord's slaves." 10 "Very well, then," he said, "let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame." 11 Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12 Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. 13 At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.

NIV

Righteousness and honesty are in the hearts of the sons of Israel as they plead their innocence regarding doing anything wrong, and yet Joseph is having his revenge or truly has a motive to bring his whole family to Egypt. This wasn’t the first time Joseph had their silver returned to them, but it will be the last time, as we are going to finally see Joseph reveal himself to his brothers. But for now, our story is in the tearing of their clothes at the thought that Benjamin would be killed, accounting for their agreement with the steward. This may be a righteous act showing their passion for their brother, or their fear or compassion for their father if Benjamin is taken from them. But at least there appears to be some unity within the family. Those brothers did not concern themselves with the grief they would bring on their father when they got rid of Joseph, but it appears they are concerned now with the grief they would bring him or the guilt of breaking their word to him. However, their actions are righteous and they have been honest in their words to Joseph and the steward. There is no deception in them, but only now with Joseph. What is our lesson here? It cannot be what seems like revenge on the part of Joseph. It is indeed in the honesty and righteousness of the brothers, with their deep concern for their father, or how they could face him since they swore an oath of bringing Benjamin back to him. Honesty and righteousness will win in the end, which is the key to living for Christ today. Of course, we would think that all of us believers are true to our word and that we face forward and upright in all our dealings in the world and within the church. We certainly do not have any unrighteous, self-centered motives for our benefit within the church. Surely. We are always looking for the benefit of others and always speaking honestly with purity of heart. There is a unity of spirit within the body of Christ because we all seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. The families of the past serve us well, giving us examples of how not to be, and examples of how to be. Let us always be learning our path in honesty and righteousness, as we follow after Jesus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a Day

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

WHAT A DAY

Gen 43:26-34

26 When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground. 27 He asked them how they were, and then he said, "How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living?" 28 They replied, "Your servant our father is still alive and well." And they bowed low to pay him honor. 29 As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother's son, he asked, "Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?" And he said, "God be gracious to you, my son." 30 Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there. 31 After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, "Serve the food." 32 They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians. 33 The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each other in astonishment. 34 When portions were served to them from Joseph's table, Benjamin's portion was five times as much as anyone else's. So they feasted and drank freely with him.

NIV

Although they were all brothers, sons of the same father, Joesph, and Benjamin were the only two whose mother was Rachel, the first love of Jacob. This is why he showed favoritism to Joseph with the special coat and did not want Benjamin to be taken to Egypt, again showing favoritism. However, we have come to the place where Joseph sees his brother Benjamin and is overcome with joy so that he leaves their presence and weeps. We also are aware they bowed again presenting their gifts. Joseph's dream has certainly been fulfilled. Is our lesson from the joy of seeing a brother, and the tears of joy, or is our lesson from bowing to the ground presenting our gifts? Maybe our lesson comes from the feast, and the favorite brother, and son of the father, getting five times worth of portions.  We can envision our first moment in the presence of our Lord. Would we not bow low to the ground? How could we presume to stand in his presence? He is the Lord of lords, the King of Kings, the Ruler of heaven and earth, the bright and morning Star, the Lamb of God, our Savior and Redeemer. We would most certainly bow to the ground before him. He may tell us to stand up or be seated at the banquet table. When that happens there will be no separation from each other, as the Egyptians and the Hebrews were, as one was detestable to the other. We can imagine, the more refined society of the Egyptians looking at shepherds as a low-class bunch of scum, in dirty clothes no less. However, we believe, who accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, no matter our religious background, what denomination we split ourselves into, no matter what culture, wealth or lack of it, race, or any other differences we may have sorted out for ourselves, they will all melt away as we seat next to one another rejoicing and feasting at the wedding banquet with our Lord. There will be no tears, but we will be filled with gladness and laughter, as our portions will forever be the same, as we know our Heavenly Father does not show favoritism. We are sure Joseph was overjoyed to see the face of his brother, that was a special day for him. However, what a day that will be, when our Jesus we will see, when we look upon His face, the one who saved us by His grace when He takes us by the hand and leads us to the promised land, what a day, glorious day that will be! 

Fear or Faith

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

FEAR OR FAITH

Gen 43:15-25

15 So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin also. They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare dinner; they are to eat with me at noon." 17 The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph's house. 18 Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, "We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys." 19 So they went up to Joseph's steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. 20 "Please, sir," they said, "we came down here the first time to buy food. 21 But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver — the exact weight — in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us. 22 We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don't know who put our silver in our sacks." 23 "It's all right," he said. "Don't be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver." Then he brought Simeon out to them. 24 The steward took the men into Joseph's house, gave them water to wash their feet and provided fodder for their donkeys. 25 They prepared their gifts for Joseph's arrival at noon, because they had heard that they were to eat there.

NIV

Although we are in the middle or close to the end of this exchange between Joesph and his brothers, we have to stop and ponder on the teaching of Jesus. These brothers are racked with fear. Are they trying to justify their behavior regarding the silver, or attempting to do the right thing. Had they sinned against Joseph in some way? Did they do no wrong, and were they, righteous men. It appears they did not mention their God and their path of righteousness before Him to the steward, but it was the Steward who brought up their God. However, it was fear in their hearts that brings us to our lesson. Sixty-nine times throughout the scriptures we are instructed, “Do not be afraid”, with the teaching of Jesus telling his disciples, and us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Of course, these brothers did not have the words of Jesus, nor did they have the Psalms of David when he wrote about trusting in God and because of that what could men do to him. However, these brothers had the knowledge of their God, the history of their father Jacob, grandfather, Isaac, and great-grandfather, Abraham, and their faith in God. They knew the story about Isaac, the altar on Mt Moriah, and God providing the Ram. Yet, fear gripped them because of one man, but the servant of Joseph tells them, “Don’t be afraid, your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks”. An Egyptian reminds them of the God of their father who should have given them comfort, but we wonder if that was true. Let us always be aware of our God and the treasure we have in our sacks, or we could say in our homes, our lives, and our hearts. We have been given the treasure of the Holy Spirit, so far beyond all the silver in this world that He cannot even be compared to earthly treasure. We worship the Living God and have his presence with us. He shines a light on our path for His purpose in and for our lives. What do we have to fear? Nothing for He is our shield, our fortress, our refuge, or help in ever-present trouble. How can faith and fear co-exist? Once again, we come to the truth that because we are people of faith we live with no fear. It comes down to fear of men or faith in God. 

The Need For Bread

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE NEED FOR BREAD

Gen 43:1-14

43:1 Now the famine was still severe in the land. 2 So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go back and buy us a little more food." 3 But Judah said to him, "The man warned us solemnly, 'You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.' 4 If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, 'You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.'" 6 Israel asked, "Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?" 7 They replied, "The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. 'Is your father still living?' he asked us. 'Do you have another brother?' We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, 'Bring your brother down here'?" 8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, "Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die. 9 I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. 10 As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice." 11 Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift — a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. 13 Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. 14 And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved."

NIV

The story continues to find Jacob finally conceding to send Benjamin with the other brothers so they can buy more grain. It seems that starvation is a massive motivation to do what one does not want. However, we do not understand if there was such a great, or severe famine in the land of Canaan how it is that Jacob had his sons take balm, honey, spices, myrrh, pistachios, and almonds with to Egypt. Of course, all of that, except the nuts, was not eatable, still if they were that hungry, to the point of starving to death unless they had grain, could they not eat Pistachios and almonds to fill their stomachs. Again, we still wonder about all the livestock, what happened to the great amount of sheep, goats, cattle, and camels that Jacob acquired when he left the household of Laban? Is bread that life-sustaining without it they would die? But our story is not about all our questions, but about Jacob consenting to send Benjamin. Interestingly, the Hebrew word translated as bereaved means to be childless. It is used to mean a miscarried, to show bareness, and as an adoption. It appears that Jacob’s thought was that Joseph and Benjamin were his only sons that mattered to him. However, the story is about his being hungry forcing him to do what he did not want to do. Of course, we are not starving for food, but should we not be hungry for Jesus? The condition of man before Jesus was being starved to death. There were some, like Noah, Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Isaiah, and the other prophets, David, Solomon, and a few others, who understood who God Almighty, El Shaddai, Jehovah, was, however, Jesus is the bread of life, the bread that sustains life, just as Jacob and his sons understood their need for grain to make bread for themselves, to sustain their lives. We can feed our bodies, and we can assist others, giving them food to feed their bodies, but no one can feed our souls except Jesus. He is the bread we need to not die, but live. He has told us that even though we die, in the body, we will live. We are not our bodies, they are but a temporary shelter for our spirit, or our soul. Jesus promised if we eat from the bread of life, we will live, and our spirits will not be harmed by the second death. Let us always feast upon the bread of life, Jesus. Let us remember, that the food of this world might give us some pleasure in our mouths, and feed our decaying bodies, but Jesus gives us the ultimate pleasure in our spirits, giving us eternal life. With Jesus, we will never starve.

 

Everything is For Me

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

EVERYTHING IS FOR ME

Gen 42:29-38

29 When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. They said, 30 "The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as though we were spying on the land. 31 But we said to him, 'We are honest men; we are not spies. 32 We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.' 33 "Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, 'This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go. 34 But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.'" 35 As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man's sack was his pouch of silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened. 36 Their father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!" 37 Then Reuben said to his father, "You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back." 38 But Jacob said, "My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow."

NIVp

This is not the end of this discussion about Benjamin going down to Egypt, but once again we see a father showing favoritism to the son of his first love, Rachel, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. Israel showed favoritism to Joseph and now to Benjamin. However, this time the brothers acted more out of fear of the Lord over Egypt than out of jealousy of Benjamin. But the story is not about the sons, or Joseph, but about how Israel felt, his reaction to the demands of the Lord of Egypt to get more grain. His words, “Everything is against me!” are the lesson we must ponder. Has not God continued to bless Jacob, even changing his name to Israel. Did not God bless him with twelve sons? Did not God bless him over and over again, speaking to him, watching over him, giving him wisdom with Laban and the sheep? Did not Jacob have so much history with God that he would know God has all things in control? Yet, now he thinks, “Everything is against me!”. Did he really believe that God was against him? How is that possible after he had seen or experienced the hand of God working for him all those past years of his life? Have we not heard some of our fellow believers ask God, “Why?” Sure, many of us have had some rough patches in life where we might think why is God allowing this, or maybe even thinking that “Everything is against me!”.  Speaking on a personal note, we know what difficult times are. We know rough patches just as much as anyone, we remember those times when our heart felt the pain of loss. We also know the joy of the Lord, as we have had so many blessings it would take a book to enumerate them to the fullest, giving an accurate account in detail to give God all the praise and honor he is due. We are certain that God would never be against us, but is always for us, as he started this work in us, this transformation within us, taking us from where we were to where he wants us, which eventually is with him in glory. But for now, this path he leads us on, the light he shines before us, taking us forward with him is another transformation so we will reflect his glory in ever-increasing glory. God is always for us, we can never ever, not once, not any time, ever think, “Everything is against me!”, but instead we think, “Everything is for me!”. 

No Guilt

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

NO GUILT

Gen 42:18-28

18 On the third day, Joseph said to them, "Do this and you will live, for I fear God: 19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. 20 But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die." This they proceeded to do. 21 They said to one another, "Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this distress has come upon us." 22 Reuben replied, "Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn't listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood." 23 They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter. 24 He turned away from them and began to weep, but then turned back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes. 25 Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man's silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. After this was done for them, 26 they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left. 27 At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack. 28 "My silver has been returned," he said to his brothers. "Here it is in my sack." Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, "What is this that God has done to us?"

NIV

Although there may be a story about Joseph and his love for his brothers even in the face of their bad actions against him, there is another story. Certainly, the story of forgiveness could be the lesson, but there is another that begs our attention. The story that jumps out is that of guilt of sin. The brothers were sure that God was doing something bad to them because of their sin against their brother Joseph. They were trembling with fear, asking what God had done to them. They were under the impression God was a God of wrath and punished men for their sins. Were they not aware of their father's sin against his brother Esau and the deception or lie against his father Isaac? Did Jacob keep his past from his sons? God still blessed Jacob with twelve sons; his promise to Abraham was being fulfilled. However, this guilt was playing havoc in the minds and hearts of the brothers because of their actions some years ago. This guilt was not from the hand of God, but from their own hands and we might even think, it may well have been from the hand of Satan. We can be certain God does not place any guilt upon us, for nor did he place that guilt upon those brothers, even if they blamed him for it. Of course, we live under the grace of God through Jesus Christ. Yet, we have seen sinful men before these brothers being blessed by God. Neither Noah, Shem, Lot, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and others were perfect men. Has God enacted his justice upon men? Yes, but justice is an act of love, not vengeance. The act of God upon his Son was done because of his love for his creation and He took all guilt away, declaring us, in Christ Jesus, to be blameless and holy in his sight. We can not allow guilt to cause us to tremble in fear of God, as those brothers did. Are we sad when we commit a sin? Of course, because we feel we have disappointed our Lord, but that cannot become guilt as that feeling does not come from God. We have already been forgiven because of Jesus, although we still feel that we should seek forgiveness. However, this does not mean we should look for ways to sin or freely be open to sin. But we cannot ever allow guilt to enter our hearts and minds, or tremble in fear of God. We have seen images on pickup trucks' back windows stating, “No Fear”, but they are not speaking of God but of their own strength. However, we truly live with, “No Fear” from God, because we live in Christ Jesus, and He lives in us. This also means we should live with, “No Guilt”. 

We Can See

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

WE CAN SEE

Gen 42:1-17

42:1 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you just keep looking at each other?" 2 He continued, "I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die." 3 Then ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him. 5 So Israel's sons were among those who went to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also. 6 Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the one who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph's brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 7 As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. "Where do you come from?" he asked." From the land of Canaan," they replied, "to buy food." 8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. 9 Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected." 10 "No, my lord," they answered. "Your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies." 12 "No!" he said to them. "You have come to see where our land is unprotected." 13 But they replied, "Your servants were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more." 14 Joseph said to them, "It is just as I told you: You are spies! 15 And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!" 17 And he put them all in custody for three days.

NIV

This begins the most interesting exchange between Joseph and his brothers. Still, before we delve into this conversation and the deception of Joseph or at least the hiding of his true identity, there is the matter of what they were doing before being sent to Egypt to buy grain, so they would not die. We also wonder how Jacob knew of the grain in Egypt. But we ponder what the bothers were doing, just looking at each other, that caused Jacob to comment. What happened to all the flocks of sheep and herds of cattle Jacob owned? Could they not have slaughtered a sheep and had food to eat? Why are the brothers just sitting around looking at each other? Were they just waiting to die, when they could have eaten meat, unless all the livestock had already succumbed to the famine. We are not privy to this information so we accept that the brothers were not doing anything but staring at one another. We also are not told whether they had the same faith as their father. Surely, they were aware of the times God had spoken to their father, and his name being changed by God. But did they believe, were the men of faith, or men of the world? We also are not told how Jacob knew of the corn or grain unless he had counsel from God. We think that if travelers brought the news, then the brothers would have known and would have done something other than stare at each other. However, we are of the opinion Jacob received counsel from God. One more example of God providing for his people. The Hebrew word re’ah is the same word used for the brothers staring or seeing each other’s faces, and when Jacob learned, or saw, as in seeing the grain. How then could Jacob see the grain in Egypt unless God gave him the vision, either in a dream, or a direct vision during Jacob’s time of prayer, or meditation before the Lord. Because of the Hebrew word indicating Jacob, learned, saw, as in seeing, we believe this was not God speaking, or Jacob hearing the voice of God, but had a vision. This is our story, in the sense that God will instruct us in the way we should go, and he will make us see the way, or path, the personal direction of our lives for his purpose. It is clear, that the reason Jacob learned, and saw the grain was because this was for the purpose God had told Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as grains of sand or stars in the sky. God will also show us the way so that he will accomplish his purpose in our lives and for the lives of others. Of course, this is also dependent on our spending time with Him, or at least being open to seeing his hand guiding us, even hearing his voice, or seeing that vision he displays before us.  We cannot be like the brothers, just sitting around staring, but we take our lesson from Jacob, that he saw, so we can see.

 

The Land of Plenty

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE LAND OF PLENTY

Gen 41:41-57

41 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt." 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and men shouted before him, "Make way!" Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt. 44 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt." 45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt. 6 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh's presence and traveled throughout Egypt. 47 During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. 48 Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. 49 Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure. 50 Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. 51 Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, "It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household." 52 The second son he named Ephraim and said, "It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering." 53 The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, 54 and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food. 55 When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph and do what he tells you." 56 When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. 57 And all the countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the world.

NIV

Joseph is on top of the world now, with the signet ring of Pharoah on his hand, dressed in the finest linen and even a gold chain around his neck with his very own chariot, along with a woman by his side as his wife. What more could a man ask for? God had blessed Joseph beyond measure as he stored so much grain he could not even record it. Joseph named his two sons after two periods in his life, one of suffering and one of being fruitful in the land of Egypt. It makes us ponder how this could be a lesson for us. First, we know when we are resurrected into the presence of our God, whether that is the moment of our last breath, or at the full resurrection of the dead, it matters not. If it is at our last breath and we are absent from our bodies then we are indeed in the presence of our Lord. If we sleep until the resurrection of the dead, we will not know whether we are asleep or dead, but just as in the morning, we rise up for a new day. However, by faith, we know the first is true. Yet, the truth is that because we overcame, we will be dressed in fine linen, whiter than snow, and will be given a new name written on us, perhaps on a gold chain.  We may not have the signet ring of Jesus, but we will be able to sit with him on his throne and be co-heirs with him, certainly in eternal life, but if all things are under his feet, that is He is in charge of all things in heaven and on the new earth, then we will rule and reign with Him, only second to Jesus in all the land. However, unlike Joseph, we will not marry or have any sons in this new land, but we will not suffer, but will be fruitful, enjoying all the joy of our Lord, living in the place he prepared for us, and maybe even having our own chariot, in some sense, although we may travel at the speed of thought. The land, the new city of Jerusalem will have plenty, with trees bearing fruit forever, and we will feast together with Jesus. Joseph finally received the best of this world and still served his God. Let us never be distracted by the things, even the finer things of this world as we know all we have is from the hand of God. We also wait for the day when our Jesus we will see, when we look upon His face, the one who saved me by his grace, when he takes me by the hand, and leads me to the promised land, what a day, glorious day that will be.