I will Be with You

 DEVOTION

JOSHUA

I WILL BE WITH YOU

Josh 1:1-5

1:1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: 2 "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them — to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates — all the Hittite country — to the Great Sea on the west. 5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

NIV

This is the first time we have worked through this narrative so it is going to be interesting what the Lord has for us to learn. From the very start, we can know that God was speaking to Joshua. We know God spoke often to Moses, personally and up close, even from the first calling at the burning bush. Now that God took Moses up on Mount Nebo, He talks with Joshua the new leader of the children of Israel taking them into the promised land. The greatest part or promise in this narrative is that God told Joshua, ‘I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you”. God repeated that promise many times, and the pastor/preacher of Hebrews quoted this phrase so it is still relevant to the New Testament church. Jesus promised to his disciples, as He commanded them to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, that he would be with them always, to the very end of the age. Hence, we can be assured that God, the Father, Jesus, the Son, and the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, will be with us until the end of this age. We are never alone, God is always walking and talking with us throughout our daily lives. The best part of that is God speaks to us just as he did with Moses and Joshua. If we think that God does not speak verbally or in a vision, then we have missed the truth of the whole account of man and God throughout the entirety of the scripture. Of course, the whole scripture reveals the character of God, but it also reveals God's relationship with His creation, us. This relationship is not a silent one, but it is made up of our talking with Him and our listening when He speaks to us. He will tell us what to do, as He leads us to green pastures. He will never leave us alone, to struggle through this life on our own, and because He is there with us, He is the leader and we follow his directions. But the truth we glean here is that God will always be with us and always speak to us in one way or another. Joshua did what God commanded him, and we should be no different. We should not try to live our own lives, making our own way when we have God leading our way. Joshua listened and obeyed because he knew God. We know God, and we should be listening for his voice because He will never leave us, nor forsake us.

 

Speaking Kindly

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

SPEAKING KINDLY

Gen 50:15-26

15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?" 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, "Your father left these instructions before he died: 17'This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father." When their message came to him, Joseph wept. 18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. "We are your slaves," they said. 19 But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. 22 Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father's family. He lived a hundred and ten years 23 and saw the third generation of Ephraim's children. Also the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph's knees.   24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." 25 And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place." 26 So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.

NIV

We have come to the end of this story from the creation through Adam and then the story of the flood, Noah, the ark, and then through the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and now Joseph. We notice how the brothers are now more afraid of Joseph since their father died and are at his mercy. Two portions of truth could be our lesson. The first is in the words of Joseph regarding being in the right place because God intended him to be there for good. It was the purpose of God for Joseph to be where he was. It would behoove us to inquire of God that we are in the place where He has intended us to be for the good of others and the kingdom. We could be where we are not of our own choice, such as Joseph did not have a choice to be taken to Egypt. However, it seems in our culture we mostly make many of our own decisions as to our fields of endeavor, the style and location of our homes, our financial security, and for us believers even where we want to worship. But do we inquire of God about any of those things wondering if we are in the place to do good to accomplish his will for others through us. Secondly, the words of Joseph bring us a truth we consider a lesson. Twice Joseph used the phrase, “Don’t be afraid”, but where we intersect with the story is in the kindness Joseph spoke to his brothers. He did not use harsh words but assured them spoke kindly to them. We wonder how many times we have missed that mark of speaking kindly, especially in wanting our own way in a discussion, that might be more of an argument, particularly with our spouse. The thing about words is they cannot be taken back, once spoken they remain in the universe forever, moreover, the way they are spoken cannot be erased for that too remains forever. Now forgiveness must follow those kinds of words, but the point is we should be aware of our place in this world, and the people we have been placed with. We should always be about assuring others rather than criticizing or being judgmental. We are told to build each other up until we reach the unity of the faith. This is about loving God with our whole being and loving others as we love ourselves. How can we speak anything but kindly to those we love? Yet, we fail, and we miss the mark, but that should not mean that it is our goal. Our goal is to speak kindly, assuring others, building them up, and encouraging them to be all that God intends them to be. We all have the word of God, and yet we fail, as perfection has yet come to us, however, at the same time we leave those failures beyond and we strain forward to the mark, the finish line. Still, part of the straining forward is remembering we are in the place God wants us while assuring others, and speaking kindly. 

Grieve And Rejoice

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

GRIEVE AND REJOICE

Gen 50:1-14

50:1 Joseph threw himself upon his father and wept over him and kissed him. 2 Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him, 3 taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days. 4 When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh's court, "If I have found favor in your eyes, speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, 5'My father made me swear an oath and said, "I am about to die; bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of Canaan." Now let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.'"  Pharaoh said, "Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do." 7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh's officials accompanied him — the dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt — 8 besides all the members of Joseph's household and his brothers and those belonging to his father's household. Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen. 9 Chariots and horsemen also went up with him. It was a very large company. 10 When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly; and there Joseph observed a seven-day period of mourning for his father. 11 When the Canaanites who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, "The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning." That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim. 12 So Jacob's sons did as he had commanded them: 13 They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, which Abraham had bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field. 14 After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.

NIV

 This may be the first full funeral procession recorded in history. We expect the undertakers, although we don’t call them by that name anymore, to prepare the bodies of our loved ones for burial. Joseph had the physicians prepare his father’s body for burial, however, they took forty days. One thought that came to mind is the process of embalming, which removes most of the organs including the brain, and places them in stone jars to be buried with the mummified body. Once again, we are reminded of the coming resurrection, first of all, the saints when Jesus comes back for us. Of course, that would include Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. However, their bodies were prepared and Jesus has not come yet, Abraham’s and Isaac’s bodies would not even be a skeleton, but dust. Jacob might be found, just as mummies of the age have been discovered, but still, he would not have been a whole body, as missing parts, especially a brain. What this rambling on is about is that we cannot concern ourselves with how we are prepared for burial, either the whole body or cremated and put in an urn. When Jesus returns for us, at least our bodies, the power of God will be at work making everything new, no matter the condition of the old. We also noticed a great deal of mourning or grieving over the death of Israel. We cannot be sure the time of lamenting and grieving was following Egyptian or Hebrew customs but the fact is that grieving over the death of a loved one has been and is a natural response. However, whenever we say our goodbyes to one who has lived by faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus, we weep, but at the same time we rejoice for we also know that to be absent from this body is to be present with our Lord Jesus. We are reassured of this truth in the word of God, and that also brings us to the reality of who we are and are not. We are not this body, for we are simply a temporary resident of it and when it has fulfilled its purpose, sustaining us until the day the Lord has numbered for it, we will lay it down, leaving it in the hands of others, but we will meet Jesus. We do not know our form as we will be in the spirit, but we will be in His presence. Will we take on some luminous form, glowing as brilliantly as the new day sun, or will we simply take on a solid form, a transfigured form, such as Moses and Elijah were in when they appeared with Jesus. Either way, two truths were revealed to us. One that it is normal to take time to grieve. We should never feel or be made to feel guilty because we grieve. Most of our friends and family understand that some grieve with us, especially the church, for when one mourns we all mourn, and when one rejoices we all rejoice. Two, when we say our farewell, and grieve, we should also rejoice with our loved one. We grieve for us, but we should always be rejoicing for they are with Jesus. We did not see Joseph or all those with him ever rejoice, even though Joseph knew his father walked with God. They may not have fully understood the truth that has been revealed today about living in Jesus, but we understand so we can grieve and rejoice. 

Gathered

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

GATHERED

Gen 49:27-33

27 "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder." 28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him. 29 Then he gave them these instructions: "I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field. 31 There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah. 32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites." 33 When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.

NIV

We cannot forget about Benjamin, the last son who at birth his mother breathed her last breath. Rachel was the love of Jacob’s life from the moment he saw her at the well near the house of Laban. Little Benjamin is not little any longer as he is a ravenous wolf, an aggressive man, who devours whatever he goes after. Does this mean he will be successful at whatever his endeavor? Perhaps that could be a lesson for us, yet we find it difficult to be that kind of ravenous wolf and be humble unless we devour humbling, or with humility. But this is not the story we want to focus on. Jacob had lived a full life, done many things, and served the Lord throughout all he did. Well, maybe not so much when he stole the birthright from his brother or deceived his father to get the firstborn blessing. He did have a difficult life, but he still served the LORD, Built altars to the Lord, wrestled with God, had his hip touched, to remember, and had his name changed to Israel. Yet, he strengthened himself to prophetically bless all his sons. He finished the race, got to the finish line, drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his people, tribe, or flock. The Hebrew does not include “his” in reference to people, or tribe of flock. It could be implied in the context, but at the same time, it could be applied to being gathered to the flock of the Lord. We know that we are not our body, but we are only a temporary resident within this body and someday we too will be gathered to the flock of God. Of course, we believe in the resurrection of the body, in whatever form it may be at the time of the trumpet's blast when all men will be resurrected to stand in the final judgment. Yet, a day is coming when we too will finish the race, after we have gathered our strength from the Lord doing whatever His purpose is for our lives. We know God has numbered our days, with some making the four score and ten years, while others were cut short of it. Some of us have exceeded those years, but the point is that we should always be drawing our strength from the Lord, and doing what His plan and purpose is for our lives. Although we have the freedom to choose our own path, we have chosen to follow His path that he has lit the way for us. He is taking us on the journey of a lifetime until that day when we will be gathered onto our people, Jesus, who is our people, our person. Until that day, we will walk with our Lord, or we should say, He will walk with us and talk to us. However, it is our choice to listen and obey, until we reach that finish line and we are gathered. 

Eternally Blessed

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

ETERNALLY BLESSED

Gen 49:22-26

22 "Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall.  23 With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility. 24 But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, 25 because of your father's God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and womb. 26 Your father's blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-old hills. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers.

NIV

From what we understand, it has been about seventeen years since Jacob and his family came to Egypt and he has watched his son Joseph as the second in command of all Egypt. He has been made aware of the hard times Joseph had at the hands of his brothers, and how he flourished, fell, and grew in this land. Although it might seem there is language related to the Messiah, Joseph was never part of the line of Jesus, as He came through the line of Judah. Jacob seemed to refer to God as the reason Joseph became so successful. It was because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel. Jacob went on to say it was because of your father’s God, who helped him. What we need to glean from this blessing that was given to Joseph is this is our blessing given to us from our Heavenly Father. Even though the language of Jacob was not supposed to refer to Jesus, we cannot but see the Rock of Ages, the Stone the builders rejected, the Corner Stone, and the Rock of Israel as the reason we are blessed so much. First, we are blessed to have all our sins forgiven by the Almighty from the heavens above. We know the key to our Father forgiving our sins is Jesus, but at the same time, it is our Father who sent Jesus to pay the price for our sins. The other key is that when our Father forgives, He will never bring our sins up to us again. It is if he forgets them, although, we think God can't forget. This should be a great example for us when we think someone has offended us. We may never forget that trespass against us, but we forgive and hence we never ever, never, not even once, remind that person of their offense against us. The second reason we are blessed by our Father is that He continues to watch over us and that Jesus will one day come for us to take us to be with him. We have been given eternal life through faith in Jesus. Thirdly, He has blessed us with a bounty in this life. It may or may not be in the material sense, but it will be in the spiritual sense. He has filled us with His Spirit, who leads us into all truth, and His word is a lamp onto our feet. He shows us the way to live, to walk, even where we live and worship. He places a call upon our lives so that we fulfill His plan and His purpose in our lives. We sing that song; My life is in you Lord, My Strength is in you, Lord My Hope is in you, Lord, In you, it’s in You. I will praise You with all of my life, I will praise You with all of my Strength. With all of my life, with all of my strength, All of my hope is in you. We are eternally blessed.

The Trifecta

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE TRIFECTA

Gen 49:19-21

19 "Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels.

20 "Asher's food will be rich; he will provide delicacies fit for a king.

21 "Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.  

NIV

Does not seem like much on the surface as far as finding anything we can glean for our daily lives. Yet this idea about Gad does give us a view of the evil one who attacks us as if he were a band of raiders, wanting to raid us from our eternal home. He does not even care if we call ourselves Christians as long as we doubt God, even in some small way, for doubt is doubt and that will not do at all. If he can get us to doubt that God heals, while he continues to attack us, or doubt that God provides, then he has raided the cookie jar so to speak. But the truth is we have all we need to crush his heel, to attack back, for we have the word of God and the indwelling Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth. We need not be afraid of this toothless lion roaming about seeing who he can devour. Now we have Asher’s food, which we can see represents both food fit for God and the food of God fit for us as co-heirs with Jesus the King of kings. However, Jesus is the food of God for us, as He is the bread of life. Each time we share in the elements of the communion, we remember Jesus died for us and that one day He is coming back for us to take us to where He is and we will enjoy a feast like no other. Now we come to Naphtali who is set free and bears beautiful fawns. We see this in a twofold manner. First, Jesus was set free from the grave and bears all who believe in him as beautiful fawns. On the other hand, we too have been set free from the penalty of sin, as well as from the grave. Because we are set free, we now bear the beautiful fawns of the Spirit, all His fruit and gifts for the common good of all. Therefore, we walk in harmony with our Lord, free from all fear of the evil one, while we enjoy the blessing of our Lord and the workings of the Spirit.    

Deliverance

  DEVOTION

GENESIS

DELIVERANCE

Gen 49:13-18

13 "Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his border will extend toward Sidon. 14 "Issachar is a rawboned donkey lying down between two saddlebags.   15 When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor. 16 "Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. 17 Dan will be a serpent by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse's heels so that its rider tumbles backward. 18 "I look for your deliverance, O LORD.

NIV

These other sons are not of the same importance in the life of Israel, not that their territories are not true to those prophetic words spoken by Jacob, and from history, we know their general locations in the land. There are some more sons to receive their blessing. There are still Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, and Benjamin, but before we get to see what their blessings are and if there is any truth to glean for our lives, there is this statement of Jacob in the middle of giving all his sons their prophetic blessing. Jacob said, “I look for your deliverance, O LORD”. Was this an expression of depression because he was in Egypt, in the middle of adversaries rather than in his homeland, the land promised to his grandfather and father, and reconfirmed to him? Maybe this is a man of his late age, knowing his death is imminent and reaffirming his great faith in the LORD, his God. We see the life of Jacob and how it was not easy, yet the Lord kept blessing him as He had promised. Having twelve sons but then that horrible experience of thinking his Joseph was dead, and now he has seen him, and his two sons. We see Jacob assured and ready for God to take him home. This Hebrew word translated as deliverance carries the meaning of something saved. Is this not our Christianize term we use all the time, “I am saved”? Yet Jesus has told us many times, such as whoever believes will be saved, or who stands firm to the end will be saved. The Greek word used as saved means delivered. We cannot miss the truth here in the words of Jacob, he was assured he was saved and looking forward to his salvation. This is our story, as we look with anticipation of the moment of our last breath on this earth as we enter the presence of our Lord. Do we still have things to do? Of course, we are not ready to lie down yet, for God is still at work and has work for us to accomplish for his kingdom. However, that simply means we are standing firm, doing what He has called us to do and to be. But the idea here is not to get caught up in the things of this world, to get distracted by all the trapping and busy work of life, and forget about our awaiting deliverance, or at least putting it on the back burner of our heart, while we pay so much attention to our daily lives. We tend to save things that have value to us. We save our memories, photos, special things, our money, or whatever. We have value to Jesus, for He has saved us. Will we be like Jacob and only look for His deliverance when we are on our deathbed, or will we live always looking for our deliverance from this place? Let us always seek first, Jesus, and our deliverance.

Lion of Judah

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

LION OF JUDAH

Gen 49:8-12

8 "Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons will bow down to you. 9 You are a lion's cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness — who dares to rouse him? 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his. 11 He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. 12 His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.  

NIV

We know these prophetic words are all about Jesus, although Jacob is speaking them to his son Judah. Jesus is the Lion of Judah, the scepter will always be in the hands of Jesus, and he will always be the ruler and all the nations belong to Jesus. Although some do not seem obedient to him, every knee will bow at the great day of judgment. It is Jesus who rode the donkey, the colt of the donkey and He is the vine and we now are the choicest branches. He will and already has, washed us, but another day is coming when our robes will be whiter than milk, bathed in the blood of the Lamb. What else can we say that these prophetic words have not said? We can see how this applies to our lives as we live in Christ and He lives in us. We wait patiently for his return so that we will be with Him for all eternity. However, we also know that He walks with us, as we walk with Him. That is the key to our whole life, and that although we die we will live. We must walk with Jesus every day, every moment of our daily lives. It is one thing to say we are a Christian, or a believer, or even a follower of Jesus, but we must walk with Him. He does the leading, as He is our Great Shepherd carrying his staff in hand making sure our path is safe and secure, that there are no pitfalls in our way, or snake holes that could cause us harm. He knows us by name, and we only follow the sound of His voice, although other voices are screaming for our attention. Because we follow Him, hearing His voice, we give ourselves over to this rebirth of our spirits, being born again, or born from above and that is when we begin our journey with our Great Sheperd, the Lion of Judah, who rules the nations, whose scepter will forever be His. Let us always be listening to His voice, following His lead through this life. We cannot travel apart from Him, wandering off into the wilderness of this world, trying to make our mark, or trying to secure our own future of days, for then we are not following Jesus. That does not mean we cannot have wealth or possessions, due to some level of success, but if that occurs it is not because of our greatness, but it would be due to us seeking first, the key is in the word first, the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and He will add all the stuff we need in this world that the pagans run after. Let us always be listening intently for the voice of our Great Shepherd, watching Him, following His lead, following the Lion of Judah. 

Cruelty and Violence

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

CRUELTY AND VIOLENCE

Gen 49:5-7

5 "Simeon and Levi are brothers — their swords are weapons of violence. 6 Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. 7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.

NIV

Jacob said Simeon and Levi were cruel brothers, men of wrath and Jacob would scatter them in Israel. At first sight, we would think their anger and cruel actions were righteous indignation for the act against their sister, Dinah with their destruction of Shechem, killing every male after they plotted by having them agree to be circumcised. Adult males were in such pain they could not defend themselves and Simeon and Levi did cruel acts of violence and carried off all the women and children. Jacob prophesied their part in Israel would be the least of all. When the numbering of each tribe Simeon was the smallest number and only allotted a portion of Judah’s land, while Levi had no land but only some cities were given to him. Violence, but more so, cruelty has no place in the kingdom of God. We would think there would never be any violence within the body of Christ, the church, but we cannot put out the possibility of cruelty existing within the church. Of course, nothing like the actions of physical cruelty of Simeon and Levi, but mental or spiritual cruelty might exist in the church. We also know that anyone who would be like that is not someone we would want to take counsel from or garner advice in spiritual matters, as well as human matters. The question is what this cruelty in the church would look like. First, it could be from the pulpit, if the pastor is teaching false doctrine. This is not just cruel but might be seen as violence against the truth of God. Then, as unfortunate as it is, we have witnessed cruel behavior with the formation of cliques where someone is excluded and feels the pain of rejection. We have witnessed other acts of cruel behavior of gossip, that may or may not be founded on any firsthand knowledge of truth. This too is violence against the truth. It might even be possible that self-centeredness, jealousy, envy, pridefulness, and other attitudes of the heart are in some way violence against the truth and perhaps acts of self-cruelty.  Jesus said we are to love one another, as he has loved us, as well as love others as we love ourselves. Love is not compatible with cruelty or violence. Let love reign in our hearts and we will have a place in the kingdom of God. 

Listen to Your Father

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

LISTEN TO YOUR FATHER

Gen 49:1-4

49:1 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: "Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come. 2 "Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.

3 "Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power. 4 Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it.

NIV

As Jacob knows his death is imminent he wants to give a blessing to each of his sons, so they have been called in to beside his bed. Interestingly, Jacob knew that he would speak prophetic words to each son. Although the blessing on Reuben has the pronouncement of the sin he committed against his father and that he was the firstborn who should have inherited all that was his father’s, he would not. It was years ago when Jacob was living in Midgal Eder where he pitched his tent in the region when Ruden went into the tent of Bilhah the maidservant of Rachel and slept with her. We are told Jacob knew what Reuben had done. We know from the history recorded in scripture the tribe of Reuben did not play any important role in Israel. Although as interesting as this is, our story is not solely about the blessing of Reuben, but rather about what Jacob said before he began each prophetic blessing. “Sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel”.  Here is where we come in. We too have a Father who has told us to assemble and listen to his prophetic blessings upon us. This is not a matter of assembling ourselves in the church to hear some preacher expound on the word of God, but it is when we gather ourselves together in our quiet time to listen to the voice of God within us, speaking to our hearts, blessing us. We already know the first and foremost blessing of God and His name is Jesus. He was sent to redeem us, to restore us into proper relationship with our Father, by paying the price for our offense against our Father. Reuben paid the price for his offense against his father, but we do not need to pay the price because Jesus did that for us. Then God speaks more blessings on us throughout his word. Some have conditions such as we who are humble, are blessed, and will inherit the kingdom of heaven. And there are reasons we will be blessed as Jesus taught in his sermon on the Mount. One of the greater if not the greatest blessing is we have been given eternal life. Our Father only wants to do the very best for our lives, but it still comes down to gathering ourselves to his side and listening to him as he speaks into our hearts and minds. We should always gather around, and listen to our Father. 

Change the Future

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

CHANGE THE FUTURE

Gen 48:17-22

17 When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim's head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. 18 Joseph said to him, "No, my father, 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 too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations." 20 He blessed them that day and said, "In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing: 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.'" So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, "I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers. 22 And to you, as one who is over your brothers, I give the ridge of land I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow."

NIV

We should have known there was something up with Jacob blessing the younger of the two since he was the younger of the two sons of his father Isaac and stole the blessing of the firstborn. However, this time there was a special meaning of why Jacob chose Ephraim to be greater than Manasseh. Joshua who took over the leadership of all Israel and led them across the Jordan was from the tribe of Ephraim and his companion Kaleb was from the tribe of Judah. Ephraim became the designation of the ten tribes or the Northern Kingdom while Judah, the Southern Kingdom was the remaining tribes. God had this all worked out, yet worked it through Jacob in a prophetic way. This is where we come into this story. We may or may not know how God works through us for the future of His kingdom. We might say a word to someone, which could well be the gift of word of wisdom or word of knowledge, that causes a change or a chain reaction that affects hundreds or thousands of people either within our current or some future generation. On the other hand, we could have a profound impact on one person only for the express purpose of God in their life. We wonder if Jacob was aware that he was being inspired by God, or that he was being prophetic. When the action of Joseph trying to remove Jacob’s right hand from Ephraim to place it on the firstborn, Menasseh, Jacob said, “I know my son, I know” would indicate he was aware of the design of God for the tribe of Ephraim. Maybe, we too are aware when the Holy Spirit moves through us with the gift of knowledge or wisdom, but we believe we need to be open to the moving or the inspiration of the Spirit at all times, for we can never know when whatever we say might have that designed impact of God. This could happen even in a crowd where no one understands the importance of our words except one person who is supposed to be impacted by or for the kingdom. If we are blessed enough to speak a prophetic word that causes this change in the kingdom to occur, then our lives are full. The words and actions of Jacob in his blessing of Ephraim changed the future. What more can we ever desire than to be a benefit to the kingdom of God, through our words or actions that change the future. 

All The Days of My Life

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE

Gen 48:8-16

8 When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, "Who are these?" 9 "They are the sons God has given me here," Joseph said to his father. Then Israel said, "Bring them to me so I may bless them." 10 Now Israel's eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them. 11 Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too." 12 Then Joseph removed them from Israel's knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. 13 And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel's left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel's right hand, and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim's head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh's head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, 16 the Angel who has delivered me from all harm — may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly upon the earth."

NIV

There is much within this portion of the narrative with Jacob, Joseph, Manasseh, and Ephraim, once again, we are impressed with something Jacob said in his blessing of the two sons of Joseph. Jacob started his blessing with a reminder of who God was. He reminded Joseph and his sons that his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham walked with God, and that same God had been his shepherd all his life, even to the very day Joseph and his sons stood before him. Here is where our lives are interwound with the lives of Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham. Although we cannot say that we have walked with God all the days of our lives, we can say that we have walked with God all the days of our lives. That sounds strange, and that we told it incorrectly. However, we did not have a life until we met Jesus, and accepted him as our Lord and Savior. In Essence, before Jesus, we were dead men walking. Therefore, in that sense, we can say that we have walked with God since we were born again, or born from a born a new creature in Christ. This is when our lives began, for as sure as we are, we did not walk with God the day we were birthed on this earth. It was that moment of our rebirth in the kingdom of God that Jesus started walking and talking with us all the days of our lives. What we can also confirm is what Jacob confirmed as he lie on his deathbed. God, or as we know him, Jesus, was his shepherd all the days of his life. We know Jesus as the Great Shepherd and when we reference the twenty-third Psalm we know the meaning of what Jesus does in our walk with him. He leads us to those green pastures of life, and he makes us lie down beside still waters. The reason they are still waters is because Jesus stills the water, which brings us to the storms in life, where Jesus calms or stills those rough waters and makes sure we get to the other side. Jesus is our Shepherd that restores our souls, or lives. Hence, we confirm the Lord will be our Shepherd all the days of our lives, to our last breath. In eternity, we will know Jesus face to face as His co-heir, and His friend, but we will still be walking with God. 

The Community

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE COMMUNITY

Gen 48:1-7

48:1 Some time later Joseph was told, "Your father is ill." So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him. 2 When Jacob was told, "Your son Joseph has come to you," Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed. 3 Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me 4 and said to me, 'I am going to make you fruitful and will increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.' 5 "Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. 6 Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers. 7 As I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath" (that is, Bethlehem).

NIV

We will get to the blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh, but first, there is something that caught our attention at the beginning of the time Joseph spent with his father with his two sons. Jacob confirmed the blessing of God on his life and the promise that he would become fruitful and increase in number, that God would make him into a community of people. We, the church, are a community of people and we are not thinking of just each local church or, for that matter, each separate denomination. This is the church universal, all people who profess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. We cannot define that meaning within the constraint of our local church understanding but must see it through the lens of the scripture. Does a church, a denomination, accept the triune God? Do they accept the work of Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of sins? Do they believe Jesus was resurrected and ascended back into heaven? Do they believe Jesus is coming again? Whether they understand the language or the complete concept of being born again, as long as they have been born from above they will see the kingdom of God and they are all our community of people whom God has blessed us with. It matters not their form of church governance or what various titles they use to define their shepherds or leadership. What matters is they are preaching Jesus Christ crucified, died, was buried, raised from the dead, ascended and returning to take us to the place he prepared for us. They must believe in the full authoritative word of God. But the fact remains, all who believe are our community of people and we best get used to them because we are going to spend eternity with them. We need to put away all our petty differences because we live in the community of God. 

Worship

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

WORSHIP

Gen 47:27-31

27 Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number. 28 Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven. 29 When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, "If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried." "I will do as you say," he said. 31 "Swear to me," he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.  

NIV

Jacob did not want to be buried in a foreign land, but in the land promised to his grandfather, Abraham, his father Isaac, and himself. He made Joseph swear that he would be buried in the land of his father and grandfather where he buried the love of his life, Rachel. At this point in Jacob's life, he was a hundred- forty-seven-year-old, and although he had told Pharoah his life was short and difficult, he now was enjoying prosperity and rest from a great famine. However, the story that brings us into this narrative is what Israel did after Joseph swore he would not bury him anywhere other than the land of Promise. He leaned on the top of his staff and worshipped God. We know that we have the promise of Jesus that although we might be buried or placed in some urn here on this earth, He would return and resurrect us to take us with him in the eternal promised land where He is. But, unlike Jacob, we will not be buried there, in that promised land, we will be glorified to live forever in the presence of our Lord and Savior, and with the Father and, yes, with the Holy Spirit. We will live in the full glory of the triune God. Now, we ask ourselves if in the here and now, do we lean on the top of our staff and worship? If we do, then we must ask what exactly Jacob’s worship looked like, which leads us to what our worship looks like. We have been in churches where worship was full blast, people raising both arms to heaven, singing as if they were in God’s presence. We have been in churches, where the people appear more like statues barely, if at all, resembling being in God’s presence. How can there be such an inconstancy, or difference between worshipping our Lord and Savior? Does it just come down to styles of worship, or the customs of certain denominations, or perhaps it is only within individual local churches and what they have been accustomed to for years upon years. Yet, no matter what style seems apparent, the point is whether true worship in spirit and in truth is happening. It is not about body mechanics; however, we would think if we are leaning on the top of our staff, or better yet, leaning on the everlasting arms of Jesus, worshipping in spirit and in truth there would, or should be a glow about us, a smile within our hearts that flows through us up into our faces. This is the kind of worship the Father seeks. 

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.