365 Reflections

When you consider all that Joseph had been through with his brothers and time in Egypt, there's no question that his self-disclosure to them in Genesis 45 is particularly amazing. Judah's heart-felt speech to protect Benjamin at the cost of his own life has shown Joseph the change of heart evident now in those who once sought his own demise. Genesis 45:1–2 (ESV)   Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. Genesis 45:14–15 (ESV) Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him. Weeping, weeping and more weeping. He is genuinely loving these brothers of his in outward and openly emotional ways. These ...

It's not bad to have God defeat your self-righteousness. In fact, it's the only way to truly come to know who Him. Joseph's brothers have returned to Egypt with the extra monies they owed from their first trip for grain. They have received their brother Simeon back. They have dined at Joseph's table and enjoyed the most powerful man's company in the most powerful nation on Earth. Now they set out to return home with more grain they were certain to pay for. No doubt they carried with them a sense of self-righteousness about how well they handled this tense situation. But that was all about to change. The night before, Joseph sets up a ruse. He has their money replaced in their sacks along with the new grain AND he has his silver cup placed in Benjamin's sack. The brothers leave the next morning and are instantly hunted down to determine who stole the cup. Listen to their self-righteous plea: Genesis 44:7–9 (ESV) They said to him, “Why does my lord speak ...

Think of all the evil Joseph suffered because of his brothers. Yet shortly after his rough conversation with them and taking Simeon into custody, Joseph rolls out the red carpet for his brothers in acts of tremendous generosity.  Genesis 43:16 (ESV) When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make ready, for the men are to dine with me at noon.” Genesis 43:24 (ESV)  And when the man had brought the men into Joseph’s house and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder, Genesis 43:34 (ESV) Portions were taken to them from Joseph’s table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him. Joseph does everything to be kind to these men who treated him with such hostility. I don't know if I would have done the same. But there is only one reason. He loved them. ...

God uses pain to get our attention and change our lives. Sometimes that pain has to be extended. Genesis 43:1–2 (ESV)   Now the famine was severe in the land. 2 And when they had eaten the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little food.” Notice the little moniker of verse 1, the famine has moved to "severe" in the land. The famine was present where Jacob's sons lived, now it is severe "in the land." The word "severe" can also be translated, "grievous",  "thick", or "heavy." Whatever the case, it has lasted long enough and reached far enough to upend the intentions of Joseph's brother never to return to Egypt. Joseph's brothers are shown to be so very hard-headed and emotionless in these narratives. Think of it, they had no intention of going back. Not even for their brother Simeon. They were settled to let things go on as they were. Had God not extended...

Genesis 42 reveals the guilt that long resided in the hearts of Joseph's brothers. It also serves to display the havoc guilt plays on your hearts. Consider that when Joseph imprisons the brothers taking them to be spies they immediately start looking at each other for blame. Genesis 42:21–22 (ESV)  Then they said to one another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” 22 And Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.” First we see, their guilt makes them interpret all the bad things in their lives as payback for their sin. Then the blame game begins. Reuben tries to plead his case and feels implicated even though he took no part in the sale of Joseph. What is so fascinating is that this is 22 years later. They have held on to this guilt for mor...

Genesis 41:16 (ESV) Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” The incredible thing about Joseph's rapid ascension to power in Egypt is how little he contributes this his own resume! In our culture we are taught to "put ourselves out there", "put on a good face", or "put your best foot forward." In our day personal ambition is a model virtue as we laud the accomplishments of the overachievers among us. Today's social media frenzy has only exacerbated this mentality. We talk ourselves up in every way possible, even displaying the food we are eating or cooking for others to take notice and "like" in a pixelated self-centered me-fest. But when I read the chapter that changed everything for Joseph I notice one conspicuous absence. He doesn't take credit for anything he's done, nor does he promote himself for the job now necessary for Egypt's well being.  Look at the chapter. E...

Genesis 40:23   Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. Genesis 40:1 After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed..., Genesis 41:16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” The white space between Genesis 40:23 and Genesis 41:1 is where a lot of Christians are living. Joseph must have agonized these two years in ways we can only imagine. Some of us have waited longer than two years for God's promises to come to pass. Some of us are still waiting. Having successfully interpreted the dreams of the cup bearer and chief baker of Pharaoh, and having implored the cup bearer for kindness on his behalf Joseph is left forgotten to languish for two more years in prison for something he didn't do. And this after he compassionately attended to this man while he was in prison.  It teaches us a few things about Christian hope.  #1. To do God's will and serve others is not to expect immediate quid pro qu...

Genesis 40:1–3, 6-7 (ESV) Some time after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their lord the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. ... 7   When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” Something beautiful happens when Joseph hits rock bottom. He starts being sensitive to the plights of others. One of the benefits of our trials is that they open our eyes to the reality of pain so that when others come under the same misfortune we have eyes to see them and hearts that go out to them.  The teenage Joseph might never have noticed the cup-bearer's and chief baker's downcast faces before. Consumed with is...

Genesis 39:21 (ESV) But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. Having been falsely accused while he responded as righteously as possible to the sexual advances of Potiphar's wife, Joseph is given no trial and thrown into the prison.  We tend to make light of this moment. Prisons in our day offer prisoners much more than the ancient world. In fact, the literature we read and the tourist sites we explore reveal just how inhuman most ancient prisons were. Joseph's prison experience is given some detail in Psalm 105: Psalm 105:17–18 (ESV) he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. 18 His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron ; Joseph was chained by the neck and ankles. Picture that for a moment. This would be unthinkable today and it was exactly what he got for doing the right thing. Joseph got exactly the opposite of what he SHOULD have re...

Do we believe that God works behind the scenes and through the situations or do we take matters into our own hands? I find that we do until we face unspeakable injustice. Joseph is case in point that a man who will trust God in all things will see His goodness at the end of all the hard things. Genesis 39:8–9 (ESV) But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. 9 He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” This is the response Joseph presented to Potiphar's wife upon her sexual advancements. Notice Joseph's language. He acknowledges that he has what he has because of her husband. He confesses "he has put everything he has in my charge." Joseph sees the graciousness of his master in his life. He do...