Self-sacrifice. Jacob’s sons didn’t have much experience with this, but now one of them steps up. The situation in Jacob’s household has becone desperate again and they need more food, but they know they can’t go get more grain unless they bring Benjamin. So instead of Reuben, Judah speaks up this time. Read Genesis 43:1-10. Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the lad with me and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, we as well as you and our little ones. I myself will be surety for him; you may hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to…

What do you value? What you value is generally readily apparent when talking about plans or ideas. Our values influence and direct what we think and do. Jacob and his sons had a dilemma, how to get their brother Simeon back without losing Benjamin. Reuben had a plan. Read Genesis 42:29-38. Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my care, and I will return him to you.” Genesis 42:37 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/gen.42.37.NASB Jacob dismissed his plan and refused to leave Benjamin in his care. Why? Reuben’s plan show very clearly that…

Coming face to face with our sin is never a comfortable experience. Realizing that we have done wrong is a challenging process. Many times, we can spend time avoiding the consequences or justifying our actions to ourselves, but eventually God puts us on a collision course with the consequences of what we have done. Joseph’s brothers start to realize this in Genesis 42:25-28. Then he said to his brothers, “My money has been returned, and behold, it is even in my sack.” And their hearts sank, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?” Genesis 42:28 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/gen.42.28.NASB They had tricked…

Forgiveness is given, trust is earned. After all these years, Joseph finally comes face to face with his brothers. The very people who were responsible for all that he has been through. Read Genesis 42:6-25. Then they said to one another, “Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us.” Genesis 42:21 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/gen.42.21.NASB We know that Joseph had forgiven them from the glimpse into his personal life and how he named his sons. However, forgiveness and trust are two different things. While he may have forgiven…

Practical advice.  Now that the famine has hit, the people in the surrounding country are feeling the effects. The land of Canaan is also experiencing famine and Joseph’s family among them. Jacob decides it’s time to do something. Read Genesis 42:1-7. He said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die.” Genesis 42:2 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/gen.42.2.NASB I often wonder why Jacob had to be the one to share this advice. Surely the sons had heard the same rumors. Yet Jacob tells his older boys, “Look, I’ve heard where there is…

Famine strikes. Everything that God showed Joseph was going to happen has happened. Soon the people of Egypt run out of food and start coming to Joseph. Word spreads and not long after the whole world is coming to Joseph. Read Genesis 41:53-57 The people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the earth. Genesis 41:57 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/gen.41.57.NASB All of a sudden, everything that God had shown Joseph as a young man is coming true. God’s will, God’s way, in God’s timing. What has God promised us? Do we continue to trust Him, even when it takes longer…

After all that has been discussed regarding Joseph, God gives us a quick glimpse into Joseph’s personal life. Reading through Genesis 41:50-52, we see Joseph as a happily married man becoming a father. Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” He named the second Ephraim, “For,” he said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” Genesis 41:51‭-‬52 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/gen.41.51-52.NASB The naming of children had incredibly important significance in that day and time. The names of children would often reflect the circumstances around their birth or any other special event that was going…

Have a plan. Work the plan.  As Joseph was telling Pharaoh all about the plan that he had for helping the people get through the upcoming years of famine, then Pharaoh put him in charge. So what does Joseph do? Joseph executes the plan the he had been given by God. Thus Joseph stored up grain in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped measuring it, for it was beyond measure. Genesis 41:49 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/gen.41.49.NASB These certainly were years of great abundance. Joseph stored grain in every city and the grain is described as being so great an abundance that they stopped measuring it because it…

Give credit. We saw, a few days ago, how Joseph made sure to explain to Pharaoh exactly who was the one who would be interpreting the dreams that Pharaoh had. Now it’s Pharaoh’s turn to acknowledge God’s hand in this. Read Genesis 41:38-40 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are. Genesis 41:39 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/gen.41.39.NASB Because Joseph acknowledged God’s power to interpret dreams, Pharaoh gave the credit to God as well. However, he went a step further and recognized the wisdom that Joseph had because he listens to God. Pharaoh had probably seen several…