We are nearing the end of the book of Genesis. Beginning in chapter 12, we learn that God called a people, choosing to bless them and, through them, to bless the world. God also declared that those who cursed his chosen family would themselves be cursed.
As we examine this passage, we recognize that God has blessed Joseph by granting him favor in Egypt. He has become a blessing to the world, and consequently, others are being blessed through him.
In Genesis 45:9-13 Joseph instructs his brothers to tell their father Jacob the following:
- God has made Joseph lord of all Egypt.
- Jacob should come down to Joseph without delay.
- They will settle in Goshen and be near Joseph.
- Joseph will provide for them during the remaining five years of famine, ensuring they do not become poor.
Joseph had a special bond with his youngest brother, because he was the son of his mother.
Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, while Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them, and after that his brothers talked with him (Genesis 45:14-15).
The response of Pharaoh confirms God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12, “I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).
- Pharaoh and his servants are pleased to hear that Joseph’s brothers have come.
- Pharaoh instructs Joseph to tell his brothers to:
- Load their animals and return to Canaan.
- Bring their father and households to Egypt.
- Pharaoh will give them the best of the land and they will enjoy its abundance.
- Pharaoh further instructs them to:
- Take wagons from Egypt for their families and to transport their father.
- Not worry about their possessions, as the best of Egypt is theirs. (Genesis 45:16-20)
Some Explaining To Do
You might recall the TV comedy where Desi Arnaz would tell Lucy, when she found herself in trouble, “Lucy, you have some ‘splainin’ to do!” There is no doubt that when Joseph’s brothers returned home to tell Jacob that their brother was alive and ruling in Egypt, they had quite a bit of explaining to do.
I wouldn’t have wanted to be in Joseph’s brothers’ position when they had to tell their father the unbelievable news.
Genesis doesn’t elaborate on the intense emotions and everything that was said during that moment, offering us only a brief glimpse into Jacob’s initial response.
And they told him, “Joseph is still alive! He is even ruler over all the land of Egypt.” He was stunned; he could not believe them.
But when they told him all the words of Joseph that he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.
Israel said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I must go and see him before I die” (Genesis 45:26-28).
God’s Silence Broken
On his way to Egypt, Jacob paused fr to offer sacrifices to God. It was there that God spoke to him, reiterating the promise He had made to the other patriarchs, outlining what He would do for Jacob and his descendants.
God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.”
Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there.
I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s own hand shall close your eyes” (Genesis 46:2-4).
God’s Everlasting Promise
As we read the story of God’s chosen people, we encounter many peaks and valleys.
Jacob had endured a profound low point, mourning the perceived loss of his son Joseph, only to reach a great high upon learning that Joseph was alive and witnessing God’s promise of establishing a nation through him unfolding.
During another low period, Jeremiah suffered through the exile of his nation, but God reassured him that His plans for the Hebrew people were going to be accomplished.
Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the Lord of hosts is his name:
If this fixed order were ever to cease from my presence, says the Lord, then also the offspring of Israel would cease to be a nation before me forever. (Genesis 31:35-36)
We find ourselves at another low point in world history. As people who walk with God, it is crucial that we cling to His promises and strive to fulfill the command given to Abraham: to be a blessing to the world around us.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage today on YouTube.
Real Voices 