Genesis 45

Father God, thank you for this is the day that You have made and we shall be glad and rejoice in it. Thank you for this Word, may You use it to bless us and open the eyes of our understanding in all things in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Today's lead verses are from Genesis 45:3-8 (NKJV)

"3.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.

4.And Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come near me." So they came near. Then he said: "I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.

5."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.

6."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.

7."And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

8."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."

Amen, thank you LORD.

In yesterday's post, we saw how God's plan unveiled when Joseph finally revealed himself to this brothers. I find this chapter interesting because the brothers are not reported to have said a word.

Sometimes our greatest emotions may not be expressed in words.

In the New Testament, when Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, He appeared to His disciples who were just as astonished if not more astonished than Joseph's brothers because unlike with Joseph, Christ's disciples witnessed him die a sinner's death He did not deserve on the cross. The pain, to say the least, that Jesus Christ felt on that cross when He bore all the sin of the world is too great to be comprehended yet alone with the natural human mind. Nevertheless, He still did it so that you and I could be free today through His salvation and reconciled in relationship with God, the Father (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

Back to the Genesis chapter 45 - right before the above lead verses, Joseph had everyone leave his home giving him privacy to weep loudly to the point the surrounding homes heard him including Pharaoh's house (Genesis 45:1-2). He kissed and wept with his brothers especially starting with his brother Benjamin whom he was extremely happy to see after so many years. (Genesis 45:13-15)

In the above lead verses, we see Joseph re assuring the hearts of his brothers away from any self condemnation for their past wrongs towards him. From his tone, it is evident that Joseph was not angry with his brothers as well for selling him to Egypt as a slave. He is actually more concerned about their feelings as opposed to his own emotions reflecting the nature of God's heart and compassion.

Joseph re-emphasizes to his brothers that it was God's plan to send him to Egypt in order to preserve and deliver this family lineage from the great famine that was affecting the whole world at the time.

Joseph's story reflects the beauty about God when we choose to trust Him. When we faithfully and patiently look to God in faith, He uses everything that the enemy plots against you to form a beautiful story that reflects His love and redemption just like He did with Joseph. Not for a moment, did God's presence depart from Joseph. God was with him the entire time to make sure the fulfliment of His Word concerning his life came to pass.

So whatever situation you may be going through right now, the first thing to remember God's presence is with you. If that situation does not look good or align with God's promises, then there is still hope. Wait on the LORD as you strengthen yourself in Him through the Word because there is no situation that God cannot turn around. The LORD God in Isaiah 26:3-4 NKJV says, "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for in YAH, the LORD is everlasting strength."

God used each part of Joseph's despair and fear when thrown into a pit; hatred and rejection from his brothers when sold into slavery; shame and reproach for being in prison for a crime he did not commit, etc God used all of it not only to make a name for His glory but for a divine purpose as well which was to preserve His people.

In the end, God's plan for Jacob's household was a beautiful plan.

As a child of God, make peace with the reality that every plan that God has prepared for you will always advantage you. James 1: 2-4 NLT reminds us, "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete needing nothing."

God is a master planner who can see 10, 20 and even 30 + years in advance concerning your life. For this reason, He reminds us in Jeremiah 29:11 that the plans He has for us are plans for peace and not evil, plans to prosper us, give us a future and a hope.

Joseph proceeds to instruct his brothers to return to Canaan and bring their father. He told his brothers to tell their father, "...Thus says your son Joseph: "God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry." (Genesis 45:9 NKJV)

Jacob is elated to the say the least that his son Joseph is still alive and Genesis 45:27 tells us his spirit revived. We see that God also answered Jacob's prayer and he did not let him go down to his grave with sorrow like he had imagined. This chapter ends with Israel saying, "...It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die." (Genesis 45:28 NKJV).

Invitation to salvation: In case you are wondering, only God's children who have relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ have the privilege of being mightily delivered and ushered into all the good plans that God has prepared for them.

If this sounds like you, please say the words below with your mouth:

"I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that; Jesus Christ, the Son of God came in a human body to die for my sins so that I could have a new life where I am dead to sin and alive to God. I repent of my past sins and enter the Kingdom of light where I choose relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour and with God as my loving Father today and forever." AMEN.

Congratulations, by grace you are saved and are now a new creation in Christ Jesus. The old life has passed away and you have received the free gift of salvation into your life (2 Corinthians 5:17) where you get to freely access everything I've shared in this post. To the glory of the Almighty God. Amen.

Please feel free to reach out to us on info@bibleversionoflife.com. We would love to hear your story and send you a free Bible! God bless you.

PS: In case you have not already, please remember to read Genesis 45 alongside this post in your personal devotional time and share your thoughts in the comments below!