Day 17 - Genesis 46-47

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Day 17 - Genesis 46-47 (Fear Not)

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“So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.  Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, "Jacob, Jacob!" And he said, "Here I am."  So He said, "I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there.  I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes."  (Genesis 46-47)

Here’s the background of our text above: Jacob gathers up all of his family and everything he owns in order to go to Egypt to see his son Joseph whom he thought was dead and whom he had grieved for so long.  Jacob decides to make a stop at Beersheba to offer sacrifices to God before a long and ardous jouney through the desert separating Canaan and Egpyt.

It was at Beersheba where God spoke to Jacob calling him by his old name which signified his weak nature instead of his new name Israel which signified strength in God.  God was reassuring Jacob that He was with him and He even told Jacob not to be afraid.  Now, God would only tell someone not to be afraid if he is indeed fearful - and that was what Jacob was feeling as he commenced his move from Canaan to Egypt.

Jacob was 130 years old at the time he moved to Egypt and anyone at his age would fear for such a journey before cars were invented.  Jacob must have also feared that in leaving the land that God has promised to give to his fathers Abraham and Isaac and then to him, that his descendants might never return.  In modern day terms, he and all of his family were moving from the boondocks to the big city and for most people, there is no turning back.

It is in that moment of weakness and apprehension in Jacob’s life that God shows up and reassures him of his eternal promise to make him a great nation (in Egypt) and will return him (which God did upon his death in one of the grandest burial recorded in the Bible) and his descendants after 400 years as He promised to Abraham (Genesis 15:13).

What a blessing and comfort to know that God cares enough for us when we are fearful and is always with us to encourage and strengthen us during our weakness.  King David said when he was being pursued by his enemies who wanted to kill him, “ Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.  In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?”  (Psalm 56:3-4)  Are you afraid?  God says to you, “Fear not.”

Day 16 - Genesis 43-45

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Day 16 - Genesis 43-45 (Forgiveness)

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“Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph; does my father still live?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence.  And Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come near to me." So they came near. Then he said: "I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.  But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.  For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.  And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.  So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.”  (Genesis 45:3-8)

In fulfillment of his dream back when he was living with his family, Joseph’s brothers are now in submission before him.  Due to the severe famine throughout all the land, the sons of Jacob were forced to go to Egypt to buy food for the second time.  The first time, Joseph detained Simeon to make sure they bring back Benjamin with them when they return.  Now in our text for today, with Benjamin with them and unable to bear his emotions any longer, Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers.  

Joseph’s brothers, no doubt, were hardly able to believe their eyes and ears as Joseph tells them that it is he their brother whom they have sold as a slave and is now Prime Minister of Egypt and that it was God’s own doing that everything happened as it did in order to preserve their family and that all is forgiven.

Speaking for myself, I know how difficult it is to forgive someone who has wronged me and I cannot imagine how I can forgive a person who had tried to kill me.  I am sure that Joseph also struggled with the same emotions of anger and revenge toward his brothers for trying to kill him and for selling him as a slave but he was able to forgive them because he took the higher ground of seeing things from God’s perspective.  Joseph understood that it was God who allowed the tragedies in his life in order to bring about his own good as well as the good of his family.

Are you struggling with bitterness and an unforgiving heart towards others?  Why not follow the example of Joseph and decide right now to take the higher ground and look at the trials of your life from God’s point of view?  It will not only free you from the bondage brought about by unforgiveness; it will may also restore your severed relationship with those who may have wronged you just as Joseph’s relationship with his brothers was restored as a result of his decision to forgive.

Day 15 - Genesis 41-42

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Day 15 - Genesis 41-42 (FromSlave to Prime Minister)

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“And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt."  Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph's hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.  And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, "Bow the knee!" So he set him over all the land of Egypt.  Pharaoh also said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt."  (Genesis 41:41-44)

I don’t know any other person in history who has risen from being a slave to becoming Prime Minister of a nation, let alone the reigning world power.  But that is exactly the story of Joseph, the son of Jacob.  If you read my previous posts or if you are familiar with the story, you will recall that Joseph was sold by his brothers as a slave to Egypt and then ended up in prison due to an unjust accusation.  

God allowed what appeared to be a terrible tragedy in the life of Joseph in order to bring him to a place where God can promote him and God alone will get all the glory because there is no other human explanation to it.  Perhaps you are experiencing a tragedy in your life now; be encouraged by Joseph’s life - God is not done with you yet.  He may be bringing you to a place in your life where He wants to promote you so that God alone will get the glory.

In our reading for today, Joseph rises to become second in command to Pharoah as a result of divine intervention.  Joseph was pulled out from prison in order to interpret Pharoah’s dream.  What struck me in the account of Joseph’s interpretation of Pharoah’s dream was how he did it.  Not only did Joseph give Pharoah the meaning of his dream, he also gave a recommendation of the solution to what could have been the end of Egypt and the surrounding nations as a result of the seven years of famine that was to come.

No doubt, Joseph was given a special gift by God to interpret dreams but I believe that we can all immitate the wisdom of Joseph in speaking to Pharoah.  Joseph was not afraid to give his recommendation even though he was not asked for it.  It paid off big time in that Pharoah acknowledged it’s wisdom and appointed Joseph Prime Minister.

If you have been blessed by God with wisdom, don’t be afraid to speak up and let your voice be heard.  The world calls this getting ahead by setting yourself apart from others.  As Christians, however, we do it not to get ahead of others, but to be a blessing and contribute to the good of the whole organization or society.

Day 14 - Genesis 38-40

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Day 14 - Genesis 38-40 (How Do You Resist a Strong Temptation?)

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“Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.  And it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me."  But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand.  There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"  So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.”  (Genesis 39:6b-10)

If you read my last post, you would recall that Joseph was sold off by his brothers as a slave to some traders and ended up being bought by Potiphar, Pharoah’s captain of the guard.  Now, we see Joseph inside Pharoah’s house as his chief steward and as we see from our text above, Joseph is in really hot water.

I would conjecture to say that Potiphar’s wife was no ugly duckling.  It would be rare to see a top general with an ugly wife.  Chances are, Mrs. Potiphar was a hot Mama and that Joseph woulf have also been attracted to her.  If this is true, Joseph went through a very strong temptation to give in to her advances.

But Joseph was no ordinary man.  He was a God-fearing man.  Notice his response to Mrs. Potiphar: “"Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand.  There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"  Joseph was not just afraid to lose his job or even his life; He was afraid to do evil and to sin against God.

Therein lies the answer to the question that is my title to this post: How do you resist a strong temptation?  The key is found in the fear of God.  Were it not for the fear of God that many have including myself, I cannot imagine the magnitude of destruction we would see in our society.  We would doubtless witness a divorce and crime rate multiple times as much as what it actually is.  Churches would be empty for loss of trust for its leaders.  I can go on and on.

I give no credit to myself for being able to resist many temptations that would have destroyed my family and reputation but I give all credit to God who alone instilled the fear of God in me and have kept me from sinning against Him and others.  To God be the glory!

Day 13 - Genesis 36-37

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Day 13 - Genesis 36-37 (Tragedy or Blessing in Disguise?)

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“So Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?  Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh." And his brothers listened.  Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt. … Now the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.”  (Genesis 37:26-28, 36)

Put yourself in Joseph’s sandals for a few moments.  All your brothers hate you because you are the favorite of your father and because you have had dreams about ruling over them of which you were not shy about telling them.  Now, your father has sent you to look for them where they have gone off to graze the flock and to tell on them again as you have done so before - another reason why they hate you.

Now, after a very long journey by foot of more than 150 kilometers, you finally catch up with them.  Here is where our text above picks up.  Your wicked brothers conspire to kill you but later changes their mind as a result of your eldest brother’s attempt to save you and instead decides to sell you as a slave to the merchants.  You end up on the slave market of Egypt and are bought by Potiphar, the captain of Pharoah’s guard.

We will find out what happens to you in Egypt in our next post but for now we will assume, rather safely, that you are at the lowest point in your life, but it gets worse as we will see later.  What could be running in your mind as you are shackled hand and feet and sold like animals in the meat market?  You are probably thinking, “What did I do to deserve this fate?  All my life I tried to live for God and do what is pleasing to Him so why did God allow this to happen to me?”  Understandably, you may be very disillusioned about your faith in God but somehow, you garner up whatever faith is left in you and desperately hold on to it and pray to God for deliverance.

I believe that that is more or less what Joseph felt and thought.  Thankfully, we are blessed to know the outcome of Joseph’s apparent tragedy which really is a blessing in disguise as we shall see later.  For now, we can learn a valuable lesson from our text; that is, that no matter how bad your situation may be, God promises that He will turn it for your own good if you love God and hold on to Him:

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”  (Romans 8:28)

Day 12 - Genesis 33-35

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Day 12 - Genesis 33-35 (When Fear Turns to Rejoicing)

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“Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants.  And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last.  Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.  But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.”  (Genesis 33:1-4)

Back in chapter 32 before Jacob’s wrestling match with God, Jacob sends out messengers to his brother Esau to inform him of his coming.  The messengers return with terrifying news that Esau is coming with four hundred men with him.  Jacob naturally fears for his life and for the lives of his household.  Jacob was afraid that Esau would exact revenge for the two times that he deceived him; first by stealing Esau’s birthright and then stealing his blessing from Isaac.  He pleads with God in prayer reminding Him of His promise to Abraham, Isaac and to himself that He would make his descendants as the sand of the sea which cannot be numbered (Genesis 32:12).

God’s meeting with Jacob as the Man who wrestled him all night and the subsequent blessing Jacob received from God was the immediate answer to Jacob’s prayer.  Yet, Jacob would not know of his actual deliverance from Esau until their meeting.  This was apparent from the way Jacob attempted to appease Esau with the gifts that he sent on ahead by his servant as well as by keeping his two most beloved people, Rachel and Joseph at the very rear of his caravan.

We will never know if Esau had actually intended to harm Jacob or not since the Bible is silent about it but I tend to lean on the likelihood that he did and that God spoke to his heart and changed his mind as a result of Jacob’s prayer.  This episode in the life of Jacob can teach us a very valuable lesson in prayer; that is, God loves His children and is always attentive to our needs, especially our cries for deliverance from whatever it is we fear.

Do you fear a worst case scenario concerning a medical test?  Or do you fear that you may lose your job or that your child could end up in big trouble?  Could it be that your fear is that your marriage will collapse and end in divorce or that you will not have enough money to sustain you in your retirement or even that no one would care for you in your old age?  Whatever your fears may be, bring it before God in prayer just as Jacob did and then just as Jacob also prepared for the worst, make your plans as well and believe that God will use it for your deliverance.  

Day 11 - Genesis 31-32

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Day 11 - Genesis 31-32 (Surrender to God and Win)

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“Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.  Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him.  And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!"  So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob."  And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed."  (Genesis 32:24-28)

Jacob’s name meant deceiver or schemer and that was who he was.  All his life up to this point, he deceived and schemed in order to survive and get his way.  He was the epitome of self-reliance and he even tried to have his way in his wrestling match with a Man who was none other than Christ Himself before His incarnation or birth in Bethlehem.

To think that Jacob was actually controlled his wrestling episode with God is ridiculous.  God could have easily ended the struggle at any time but for whatever reason chose to let it last till dawn.  We know from the text above that God did turn the tide of the wrestling in an instant by breaking Jacob’s hip socket which prompted Jacob to acknowledge defeat and request for God’s blessing.

I believe that God had to teach Jacob to surrender his stubborn will and self-reliance through the wrestling incident.  When Jacob finally acknowledged defeat and subsequently surrendered his will to God, God granted his request for His blessing and gave him a new name which is Israel, meaning “God rules.”  Jacob’s new name proclaimed to all that it was no longer he who ruled his life but God.

Are you still trying to make it to heaven by your own efforts and abilities?  Unless you surrender completely to God and acknowledge your own depravity and desperate need for God to deliver you from your sins and from yourself, God will not bless you with the grace of eternal life in His Son Jesus Christ.

You may be one who have already been saved but are still holding on to some areas in your life which you have never surrendered completely to God’s control.  Unless you surrender every area of your life to Christ, you will never know the full blessing that God intends to give to you.  Why not surrender all to Him right now and start enjoying the life filled with the Holy Spirit that God has planned for you?

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Today, as I read through the assigned chapters, a profound truth was revealed to me by the Holy Spirit. From the beginning of history up to the time of Jacob as well as to the present time, godly men have always been led by God in various ways. They were directly commanded by God either through dreams, visions or through angels; or God caused other people or events in order to lead and protect those whom He chooses to do so. To give a few examples, God appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in dreams and visions. He protected them from potential disasters that could have resulted from their foolishness and lack of faith as in the case of Sarah and Rebecca being spared from the harems of kings. He put fear in the heart of King Abimelech so that he made a peace treaty with Abraham and Isaac! He led Jacob to flee from Laban and protected him from his brother Esau. I can go on and on; the profound truth God is teaching me is this: God will lead, guide and protect me so that I could fulfill His calling upon my life. Thank You Lord for your unfailing love!