Introduction
Sometimes retrospect can help us recognize the unfolding of God’s plan and His use of our actions and the actions of others toward His greater design of growing our faith.
And the amazing thing about God’s providence is not only that He always works things out according to His plan, but that He does so both for our sake and for His glory.
Revealed Identity
Joseph could no longer keep his composure in front of all his attendants, so he called out, “Send everyone away from me!” No one was with him when he revealed his identity to his brothers. But he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and also Pharaoh’s household heard it. Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But they could not answer him because they were terrified in his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please, come near me,” and they came near. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt. And now don’t be grieved or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. “Return quickly to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay. You can settle in the land of Goshen and be near me—you, your children, and your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and all you have. There I will sustain you, for there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you, your household, and everything you have will become destitute.” ’ Look! Your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin can see that I’m the one speaking to you. Tell my father about all my glory in Egypt and about all you have seen. And bring my father here quickly.” Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept on his shoulder. —Genesis 45:1–14 CSB
Jacob’s Sacrifice
So they went up from Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. They said, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned, for he did not believe them. But when they told Jacob all that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. Then Israel said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go to see him before I die.” Israel set out with all that he had and came to Beer-sheba, and he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. That night God spoke to Israel in a vision: “Jacob, Jacob!” he said. And Jacob replied, “Here I am.” God said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you back. Joseph will close your eyes when you die.” —Genesis 45:25–46:4 CSB
First time in 11 chapters that we have heard God speak directly.
- God directly spoke with Jacob on multiple occasions, and yet Jacob often struggled to obey and do the right thing.
- Joseph on the other hand, never appears to hear directly from God, and yet lives his entire life in obedience to God’s Will.
Family Reunion
Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to prepare for his arrival at Goshen. When they came to the land of Goshen, Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, threw his arms around him, and wept for a long time. Then Israel said to Joseph, “I’m ready to die now because I have seen your face and you are still alive!” —Genesis 46:28–30 CSB
Death of a Patriarch
Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather around, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the days to come. Come together and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel… —Genesis 49:1–2 CSB
For some of his sons, a curse.
- Reuben, Simeon, Levi
For others, a blessings.
- Judah was given the right to rule within the family with the promise that a king would come from his tribe.
- Scholars agree this prophetic blessing finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ.
Guilt Returns
After Joseph buried his father, he returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father. When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said to one another, “If Joseph is holding a grudge against us, he will certainly repay us for all the suffering we caused him.” So they sent this message to Joseph, “Before he died your father gave a command: ‘Say this to Joseph: Please forgive your brothers’ transgression and their sin—the suffering they caused you.’ Therefore, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when their message came to him. His brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, “We are your slaves!” But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people. Therefore don’t be afraid. I will take care of you and your children.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. —Genesis 50:14–21 CSB
The brother’s guilt, however unfounded it is, drives the brothers to concoct a story with the hopes of convincing Joseph not to harm them.
Meant for Good
But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people. Therefore don’t be afraid. I will take care of you and your children.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. —Genesis 50:19–21 CSB
After all these years and all Joseph has faced, he has resolved that God is faithful.
A NT Example
So those who were scattered went on their way preaching the word. —Acts 8:4 CSB
What was meant to squelch and put an end to their propaganda, became the catalyst for propelling the Gospel to the ends of the earth — a movement that continues to reverberate across the globe, a movement you are a part of even today.
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. —Romans 8:28 CSB
Genesis is first look we have at God turning evil for good. He’s been doing it ever sense. You can expect him to do that in your life too.
Summary
Joseph had a dream from God as a youth and instead of beginning to walk out that dream as he imagined he would, he went through a bunch of what seemed like detours, and his life ended up looking a lot different than I’m sure he had imagined.
As Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, he made it clear that he understood the full picture of God’s purpose: The trials and challenges that brought all of them to that moment—from his brothers’ jealous actions to Potiphar’s wife’s lustful attempt to entangle him—all led to his position of power, which preserved his family through famine.
God used these apparently unrelated actions to mature Joseph and solidify his faith and ultimately to preserve His people and uphold His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Although God’s ways can be difficult to understand at times, it’s clear that He uses everyday events and ordinary people to accomplish His will.