Genesis 45:1-2
1 Joseph could stand it no longer. There were many people in the room, and he said to his attendants, “Out, all of you!” So he was alone with his brothers when he told them who he was. 2 Then he broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace.
Imagine the emotional turmoil engulfing Joseph. He has discovered that his loved ones are alive. Time and distance could not dampen his love and longing for them. Yes, God blessed him in Egypt. Yes. God gave him a wife and two sons. The names of his sons reflected the joy restored to him by God after years of rejection and imprisonment. But suddenly, God brings his brothers, unbeknownst to them, back to him and places them at his mercy.
Joseph, by process of a long pretense, has been able to ascertain the health well being of all of his family members. Hee has also been able to grasp some of the gravity that his separation from them had on his family. The many years he spent in prison was mirrored by a good amount of guilt and shame on the part of his brothers for what they had done to him. They had been humbled by the effect that their deeds had on their father and on themselves. Sin takes a grievous toll. But now…..
Genesis 45:4--5
4 “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. 5 But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives.
Pick a side. If you are one of Joseph’s brothers, the room is suddenly spinning out of control. Reality has just left the building. You are having to mentally and emotionally process something that is absolutely unimaginable. Joseph is alive! Joy and dread must circulate among his brothers as they come to the realization that he is alive, but what will that mean in terms of the crime they committed? After all, they sold him into slavery, then lied about it.
Or, put yourself in Joseph’s stead. He has had more time to process all that is unfolding, but that time has not eased the maelstrom of emotion he is experiencing. The bitterness is resolved, but that has only made the waiting harder. He has had time to resolve that God providentially set this entire plan in motion, oh so long ago. But then, he has had to relive much of the hurt he experienced in the process and resolve all of that before … God. Is it OK to question God? Are you sure about that? Be assured beloved, that one must tread reverently there, for that is Holy ground.
Joshua 5:13-15
13 When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?”
14 “Neither one,” he replied. “I am the commander of the Lord’s army.”
At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. “I am at your command,” Joshua said. “What do you want your servant to do?”
15 The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did as he was told.
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Genesis 45:7-8
7 God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors.[a] 8 So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser[b] to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.
Now Joseph can celebrate with and for his family and God’s great mercy on the House of Jacob. In doing so, they all can begin to relinquish any remaining guilt as they put all that has happened in the context of God’s great will. So similar to the experience that Christians experience in the moment of salvation when we realize that Christ has both saved us from certain death and relieved us from the guilt and shame of our past lives. Most certainly, Joseph and his brothers were overwhelmed in the moment. What a good God we serve.
Ephesians 2:14a
14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us.
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Genesis 45:9
9 “Now hurry back to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me master over all the land of Egypt. So come down to me immediately!
! Corinthians 15:51a
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery…..
In last week's lesson, I made mention of Joseph’s boyhood dreams. I mentioned that they were two different prophecies with entirely different meanings. We will now take a look at his second dream.
Genesis 37:9-11
9 Soon Joseph had another dream, and again he told his brothers about it. “Listen, I have had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!”
10 This time he told the dream to his father as well as to his brothers, but his father scolded him. “What kind of dream is that?” he asked. “Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow to the ground before you?” 11 But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father wondered what the dreams meant.
“The sun, the moon, and the eleven stars…”
Did Jacob interpret Joseph’s second dream accurately? No, his scope was too limited. Who could know what great things God intended for young Joseph? While studying this lesson, a couple of things came to mind. One: Joseph’s birth mother was dead at the time of Joseph’s dreams. That eliminates her as being representative of the moon in his dream. If that is the case, then is Jacob representative of the sun?
Let me offer a different theory: In Egypt’s polytheistic mythology, the sun god, Ra, was most prominent. He was believed to have been the very first Pharaoh, at a time when gods ruled Egypt. In Egyptian mythology, he was regarded as the creator of everything. Similarly, in Canaan’s polytheistic mythology, worship of a moon god named Yarikh was common in Joseph’s time. He was known as the ‘Illuminator of the myriads of stars’ and ‘The lord of the sickle’, which came about as an allusion to the appearance of the crescent moon on the desert night time skies. He was thought to be the provider of nighttime dew and responsible for the blooms of orchids in the desert. Additionally, the Hebrew (Habiru) word for ‘moon’ is Yareach. The pronunciation for both words is the same.
So with this information, allow me to posit the following theory. Joseph’s dream actually foretells of a time when Joseph is elevated by God to be the Prime Minister of all of Egypt and ruler of all of the lands under Egypt’s influence. Literally elevated so as to be more highly regarded than even the deities of those lands. So great was his authority, that in this vein, he was lord (small ‘L’) over the day (sun) and night (moon) in the land. All of that in addition to having his brothers, all eleven of them in the second dream, bow in obeisance to him. Be reminded, that throughout all of this, Joseph singularly directed his worship and reverence to…. God, Almighty. Thus, all of Egypt and Cana bowed to God.
Allow me to add the following bullet points, so as to give further insight to the enormity of Joseph’s influence as Prime Minister of Egypt:
Most scholars think Joseph lived in Egypt between 2000 and 1600 BCE.The historical period known as the “Middle Kingdom” lasts from 2000 to 1786 BCE.
This is one of Egypt’s greatest times.
There are 8 Pharaohs during this time - comprising Egypt’s 12th Dynasty.
Joseph might have come to Egypt during the reign of Sesostris II (1894-1878 BCE).
He most likely begins his career under Sesostris III (1878-1841 BCE). He lives in Egypt for 71 years, so Joseph dies in approximately 1805 BCE, under the reign of Amenemhet III (1841-1797 BCE).
Sesostris III is the most influential Pharaoh of this period; he conquers Nubia (Ethiopia) and greatly expands Egypt’s territory.
Sesostris III was regarded as one of the greatest military leaders of his time. His influence spread from the top half of Africa into the Middle East and beyond. When he rose to power, he moved the capital of Egypt from Thebes at the southern tip of Egypt to Memphis in the north in what was the Mediterranean delta where the Nile river flowed into the Mediterranean Sea. Goshen, the area given to Joseph and his brothers and relatives was north of the capital of Memphis. Sesostris III relocated the capital of Memphis to North Africa in order to expand and exert his influence into the Middle East (Cana). Sesostris III' power cannot be understated.
Genesis 45:10-11
10 You can live in the region of Goshen, where you can be near me with all your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own. 11 I will take care of you there, for there are still five years of famine ahead of us. Otherwise you, your household, and all your animals will starve.’”
There’s more…..
Sesostris III was credited for the building of a system of canals along the Nile River from the south to the north that served to keep the lakes that were fed by the Nile from drying up. One such canal, named ‘Bar Yusef’ or the ‘Canal of Joseph’ feeds Lake Quaran which is just southwest of the area below where the capital of Memphis would have been. Could Joseph, as Prime Minister of Egypt during this time, have been responsible for the planning and building of these series of canals during Sesostris III' reign? The bible does not say, but it is conceivable that, yes, Joseph was responsible for these infrastructure improvements in addition to storing food in preparation for the severe famine to come.
Genesis 45:12-15
12 Then Joseph added, “Look! You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that I really am Joseph! 13 Go tell my father of my honored position here in Egypt. Describe for him everything you have seen, and then bring my father here quickly.” 14 Weeping with joy, he embraced Benjamin, and Benjamin did the same. 15 Then Joseph kissed each of his brothers and wept over them, and after that, they began talking freely with him.
The title of the lesson is ‘Revealed Love’. In closing, we’ve seen the revealed love of Joseph and his brothers as they are reunited. Imagine, in his family’s eyes, Joseph has been resurrected. And in Joseph’s eyes, he has been restored to his loved ones. Oh, how wonderful! Additionally, please consider the majesty of God, whom we serve. My desire is that in exploring the story of Joseph in-depth, we are encouraged by knowing that we walk in the shadow of God’s magnificence.
Colossians 2:6-7
6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
Selah
wb
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