How did Joseph end up in Egypt? From the human viewpoint, he was sent there in a most cruel and tragic way. His own brothers threw him into a pit. They discussed killing him. Then they thought of a way to get rid of him and make a little extra cash, so they sold him to a traveling caravan, which ended up in Egypt!
What do you think was going through Joseph’s mind and heart at the time? Feelings of betrayal by his own kin. Heartbreak at the thought of never seeing his father again, and that his father would grieve so. Fear over where he was headed and what would happen to him there. And you can imagine, as a slave, he wasn’t given the best accommodations on the ride to Egypt!
Of course, then you know the up-and-down story continues when he gets to Egypt. It is enough to make one cry out, “What is happening to me? God, why are you doing this me?” But somewhere along the way, maybe in the pit, maybe in the caravan, maybe in the prison, maybe when the cupbearer forgot all about him, somewhere along the way, God revealed to Joseph a life-changing, fundamental truth. That is, behind-the-scenes God is in control and working all things to accomplish his plan for his glory and our good! Did Joseph’s brothers send him to Egypt? Yes. Ultimately, though, who sent Joseph to Egypt? God! The brothers wanted to get rid of him, so they sent him to Egypt. God wanted to save the brothers, so he sent Joseph to Egypt! Let us learn this truth and cling to it next time we end up in a pit! “And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.” Gen 45:5
Jacob says, "The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years" when Pharaoh asks him how old he is. I've been thinking about "sojourning" ever since I read that. It's not a word we use much. When I looked it up in my concordance most of the time the word "stranger" is right there in the same phrase. Who sojourned in the Bible? Abraham, Lot, Isaac, Jacob (+ later his family as well), the Levite of Judg. 17, the old man in Gibeah (Judg. 19), Ruth's in-laws, Elijah, the Shunamite woman + her family, the nation of Israel, the remnant of Judah (+ Jeremiah, against his will and God's direction). Synonyms for sojourners: fugitives, wanderers, refugees, exiled people, strangers, pilgrims, aliens, and foreigners.
ReplyDeleteHebrews 11:8-16 commends those who obey God in faith, knowing that the home He plans for them is far better than anything they can build. I Peter 1:17b says,"conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile" (ESV) "pass the time of your sojourning here in fear" (KJV)
My conclusions/applications? I don't know. I do know that I don't like it! I'm a homebody if there ever was one. I'm praying for Hebrews 11 faith to hold loosely the most precious things I have here, to sojourn with holy fear.
Now here is something for which I truly admire Sarah: there is no word that she even hesitated when the word from God was to pack up and move to "a new country." "Where did He say that we were going to settle, Abraham?" "Well, He didn't say exactly." Contrast Sarah with Lot's wife who looked back to the comfortable home she was leaving in Sodom.
Joseph "blesses" his sons. But quite a few of the blessings really aren't happy predictions! Some are down-right curses, I think. Why do we call them all blessings?
ReplyDeleteI'm picturing this band of brothers as they leave their father's bedside, checking out each other's gifts, like children sorting through their "loot" after all the Christmas wrappings have been gathered up.
"What did he say would happen to you?"
"Well, it was part-way good, my family will live in a pleasant land. But I don't much care for the part about being a strong donkey and a slave!"
"Naphtali, what was your blessing again?"
"Ah hem. . ."
"Oh, that's right! You got the girlie one! I wonder what in the world he meant by that??"
"Well, I know where we're all going to go for the feasting! Asher, do you think your family will be ready for the crowds of all our grandchildren after all that good food?"
No one says much to Joseph or Reuben, because what was given to each of them is pretty much what everyone expected. And Reuben's face would stop anyone from even thinking of including him in the conversation.
"What do you think about that bit of Judah's blessing where he gets the ruler's staff and tribute and everyone does whatever he tells them? Seems like that part would have gone to Joseph too. He's the big man here in Egypt."
It's interesting too that of all Jacob's experiences, the one selected for special mention in Hebrews 11:21 is his blessing of Joseph's two boys. I wonder whether I will be surprised when Jesus reviews my life over a bit here that was really worth the "well done good and faithful servant" and how another part that I valued as a true act of obedience will only be wood, hay and stubble?