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Genesis 45

Nov14

Good morning y’all. Thank God it’s Friday :). Today we are in chapter 45 of Genesis. In this chapter Joseph finally reveals his identity to his brothers. He invites them to move to Egypt with their father so he can take care of them. Brothers return home and tell their father about Joseph and how God has helped him in Egypt.

Be blessed 🙂

Joseph finally reveals his identity to his brothers. He cried so much that the Egyptians outside heard him and went to tell the king. His brothers on the other hand were speechless. I’m sure the look on their faces was priceless…lol.

I am going to focus today’s blog on verses 5-8.

Don’t worry or blame yourselves for what you did. God is the one who sent me ahead of you to save lives.  There has already been a famine for two years, and for five more years no one will plow fields or harvest grain. But God sent me on ahead of you to keep your families alive and to save you in this wonderful way. After all, you weren’t really the ones who sent me here—it was God. He made me the highest official in the king’s court and placed me over all Egypt. (Genesis 45:5-8 CEVUS06)

1) Joseph was concerned about his brothers  feelings and he quickly reassured them and told them not to feel bad!(like seriously! concerned about the ones that hurt you!!!). I am amazed at his level of compassion because I know what I would have done if I was in Josephs situation. My concern would not be for the offending party’s feelings. I would want to make them feel bad as much as I can so they understand the gravity of the pain they’ve put me through. But I thank God for brother Joseph because he didn’t yield to his flesh rather we see him react in a godly manner.

He was patient, compassionate, kind and gentle with his brothers. He wanted them to understand that it was God all along orchestrating everything so that he could save them.

I pray when we are faced with situations like this, we don’t yield to our flesh but rather to the spirit.

2) Joseph had the right perspective regards the whole situation. He was able to view the whole situation through the eyes of God. He understood that all that happened, had been God divinely orchestrating his life. Even though his brothers thought it was them, truly it was God all along steering him in the path He wanted for his life.

I believe this could have only come as a result of his relationship and knowledge of God. He knew that God who gave him the dreams was able to bring them to pass and was not going to leave him alone.

Having the right perspective must have also helped him maintain a good attitude during the whole journey from slavery to prison to palace. Without the right perspective he would have been bitter and angry and as a result, he probably would have never made it to the palace!

I pray whatever situation we find ourselves we are able to see it through the eyes of God.

3) Joseph maintained a good attitude. He wasn’t bitter rather he was pleasant, compassionate and gentle. He wasn’t angry rather he was kind, loving and friendly. He wasn’t proud rather he was humble. Even when presented with the opportunity for revenge, he didn’t take it, instead he showed kindness and compassion. He continued to do the right thing and we see how God came through for him. He eventually became the 2nd in command to the king himself.

I pray God gives us the grace to maintain the right attitude as we go through life.

Friends, when we choose to see the good in the midst of our trials; when see the sovereignty of God in our lives and realise that HE alone has the power to do and undo; when we realise that the enemy can only try but can’t succeed unless the Lord permits them because he has a purpose  for it, then I believe it will be easier for us to forgive those who hurt us, show compassion, have a right perspective and maintain a good attitude.

I will conclude with James 1: 2-4 and Romans 5: 3-5

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.( James 1:2-4 NKJV)

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.( Romans 5:3-5 NKJV)

Prayer:
Dear God we thank you for today and for your word. We ask for the grace to show compassion to those who have offended us. Help us have the right perspective and see the situation through your eyes. Help us maintain the right attitude as we go through life; that we would not yield to our flesh but rather to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Thank you Lord for we ask in faith and believe we have received In Jesus Name. Amen.

Thanks for joining today and I know you have been blessed 🙂

I am blogging through the bible with Good morning girls. Check us out at http://www.goodmorninggirls.org

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Note there will be no chapter blog tomorrow. The next chapter blog will be on Monday for Genesis 46. But God helping me, I will post a blog tomorrow summarising what I’ve learnt so far in the book of Genesis 🙂

Have a blessed day and remember God is sovereign 🙂

***With God all things are possible***

Genesis 44

Nov13

Good morning y’all. Today we in Genesis 44. In this chapter we see Joseph gives a final test to his brothers to confirm they have had a genuine change of heart.

Be blessed 🙂

Joseph after treating his brothers to a nice meal with him and housing them for the night, decided to set them up. This was going to be the final test. He purposefully asked for a cup to be left in Benjamins bag. I believe Joseph did this because he wanted to see if the change he was witnessing in his brothers was a genuine one.

He sent them on their way and unknown to the brothers, his cup was hidden in Benjamins bag. The steward caught up with them and accused them of stealing the cup. The brothers were quick to defend themselves and even offer punishment if they found the cup. They were so sure the cup won’t be found but notice how in verse 10, the steward rephrased the punishment they originally offered.

“That’s fair,” the man replied. “But only the one who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go free.” (Genesis 44:10 NLT)

This was going to be the test. Will the brothers desert Benjamin and run away for fear of their life or will they all stay back and be slaves to Joseph.

Verse 13 tells us once the servant searched and found the cup in Benjamin’s sack, they all tore their clothes in sorrow and they all decided to return back to Joseph in Egypt and plead their case.

Contrast this to the event that took place in chapter 37. The brothers in 37 were quick and eager to sell Joseph to slavery because they were jealous of him and wasn’t ready to bow to him as his dream suggested they would have to. They were selfish and didn’t care about the impact of their action on their father. Fast forward to chapter 44 and you see the brothers have had a change of heart. They were no longer selfish. This time around they genuinely wanted to do the right thing and weren’t willing to leave Benjamin behind. They knew how much doing that will destroy their father. Perhaps the guilt and regret of what they did to Joseph was part of what brought about the change in them.

The brothers went back to Joseph’s house and Judah stood up to plead their case before Joseph. Judah, in the previous chapter told his father he would return with Benjamin else he can be held responsible for the rest of his life. Notice how Judah approached Joseph with humility. He recognised they were slaves or servants to him including their father. The same Joseph they refused to bow down to and sold just cos of that, is now the one they are turning to for mercy, seeking his kindness and favour. Voluntarily declaring themselves as his slaves
  
Judah narrated the whole discussion with his father and how he finally let Benjamin go and the impact leaving Benjamin behind in Egypt will have on their father. Judah asked to be made a slave instead in return for his brother; Benjamin so that their father won’t die of distress. Perhaps this was Judahs way of repenting for his part in selling Joseph off as a slave (See Genesis 37 for Judahs role)

Joseph was amazed at Judah and how much him and the brothers had changed from the time he was sold in Dothan to now when Benjamin was about to be detained as a slave in Egypt. The final test has now been passed by the brothers. He could see that they were genuinely repentant of their actions. They were no longer the selfish wicked jealous brothers who didn’t care for him.

In the next chapter, we see Joseph moved by Judahs response so much he eventually revealed himself to them. I won’t jump ahead as that’s the blog for tomorrow :). Pls join tomorrow  to know how the story concludes 🙂

I will conclude with this excerpt I found online from bible.org

“Joseph’s dealings with his brothers have a great deal of application to men today. For those who have never come to faith in Christ, there is an illustration of salvation. God, like Joseph, desires to pour out upon men, whom He loves, the riches which are His to give. But men cannot be blessed until their sins have been dealt with. To Joseph’s brothers, this Egyptian potentate was all-wise and all-powerful, but harsh and to be feared. Yet to us, he was a loving brother whose tears revealed his heart and his earnest desires. In order to bring his brothers to repentance, Joseph had to put them to the test and make their lives appear to be in peril. But when they recognized themselves as sinners deserving any sentence Joseph had to pronounce upon them, repentance was realized, and Joseph was free to reveal himself to be a loving brother, not a vengeful master.
If you have never come to recognize your sin, desire to forsake it, and to confess it before God, then you, like Joseph’s brothers, will look upon God with only dread and fear. The thought of standing before God will be more fearful to you than Joseph’s brothers’ contemplation of returning to stand for sentencing before him. But once you realize your sins and the rightful penalty that should be yours—once you come to God, not to barter and bargain for blessings, but to cast yourself upon His mercy—then you will come to see the other side of God. He is a loving Father, who desires to pour out His blessings upon you. He wants to save you and to enable you to live a life that pleases Him and you.”

Prayer:
Dear Lord we thank you for today. We ask Lord that you open our eyes to see the areas we need to repent and give us the grace to live a life that pleases you. Thank you Lord. In Jesus Name. Amen

Thanks for joining today.

Have a blessed day 🙂

***With God all things are possible***