October 7, 2020
GO TELL MY FATHER
GENESIS 45:13
The scales had fallen from their eyes, and they knew him at last, “I am Joseph,” he said (Gen 45:3). “Ye sold… God did send” (vs.4-5). Then came the challenge. ” Tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and all that you have seen” (vs. 13). That is the very essence of worship, to tell the Father of the beauty of Jesus that we have seen. This challenge was two fold. First it required the bothers to expose their sin.
The last time they spoke to their father about Joseph was when I brought home Joseph’s coat of many colors, all stained with blood. They had thrown it at Jacob’s feet and (disowning Joseph) demanded, , “Do you know whether or not this is your sons coat? ” Now they have to confess. We can well imagine the things they had to say.
“Father, we have seen him, your son. He is alive! We have seen his glory! We hated him, father.
“We hated him for the life that he lived, a life so different from ours, He always did those things that pleased the father, and we hated him. He showed us up.
“We hated him for the truth that he taught, especially for those dreams of his that spoke of his exaltation and glory. He declared that every knee would bow to him one day. We hated him.
We hated him for the witness he was. He brought to you the evil report of our ways. And we were wicked, father. He simply bore faithful witness to what he heard and saw, We hated him.
We hated him for the authority he assumed, He was your well-beloved son and he wore that royal robe you gave him like a born prince, He exercised the authority it bestowed , the authority you gave him. We hated him.
We envied him. We could not speak peaceably to him. He came to us, and we received him not. We sold him for the price of a slave and handed him over to the Gentiles.” That was how they must have begun—with the exposure of their sin.
But, then, this confession required them to exalt the Savior: “Tell my father of all my glory . . . that ye have seen,” Joseph said. They would continue: “Now, father, our eyes have been opened. We see him now, at last, as you have always seen him.
“We have seen the glory of his person.. We only saw him before as oné of us, engaged in the everyday affairs of life. But now, ah, now!’ We have seen him enthroned in splendor surrounded by magnificence. beyond anything our imaginations could have conceived. We have been awed by his wisdom, his love, and his power..And we have been made the recipients of his grace.
We have seen the glory of his position. All:we have ever known is a beduin camp; but now, down here in Egypt, we have seen another world, a world the like of which we never dreamed could be, a world of towering pyramids, a world where gold is as common as brass, where power is godlike, and where runs: a river. that: brings life to all. We have seenithe high throne on which he sits;.and we have seen his great and gifted servants rushing to-do his will. ‘And now he has a name above. every name, and before that name every knee must bow.
We have seen too, the glory of his power. He-wields absolute power; but he wields it in benevolence and for the blessing of all.
Finally, father, we have seen the glory of his pardon. He did not; for one moment, excuse our sin; but he covered it with his grace: It was all overruled by God, he said, so that he could become the Savior of the world.
But that is not all. He has arranged: that where he is, there we shall be also.
Tell my father of all my glory…. that ye have seen,” said Joseph to his brothers. Go and tell my Father of all my glory that ye have seen, says the Lord Jesus to us!
100 Devotions for Leaders – 2008 by John Phillips – Published by Regal Publications Grand Rapids, Michigan
Pastor Lee’s Thoughts: When I think about the picture of Joseph’s life compared to that of our Lord Jesus Christ I am amazed at the similarities. The most amazing similarity in my mind is the sacrifice and the grace that is offered in both accounts. We serve an AMAZING Savior who truly does love us and gave His life for us! Blessed be the name of the Lord!
October 6, 2020
Joseph At Home
Genesis 30; 35:19; 37:11
Joseph had 10 older brothers one younger brother and a sister. Since Joseph had four wives, all fiercely competitive to give him sons, his children were relatively close in age. Joseph lived in a disorderly home, for his father and mother doted on Joseph, and his older brothers detested him. Let us take a closer look at this home.
First, there was his mother, a very beautiful woman, and one who ruled supreme in Jacob’s heart. Doubtless she shielded her beloved Joseph from the malice of his older brothers. She died, however, when Joseph was about seventeen years of age, and brokenhearted Joseph was thrown to the wolves. His father was in a fog of loneliness and unhappiness over the death of his dear Rachel and seemed unaware of Joseph’s peril.
Then there was Joseph’s aunt, Leah, a plain-faced woman. Jacob had never loved her with the passion with which he loved Rachel. In fact, she had married Jacob by being party to a trick promoted by her father, Laban. Many a time, likely enough, Joseph would find Leah crying in some remote corner of the farm. Never let yourself be used against your better judgment is the lesson of Leah. Never do someone a wrong just because that is the easy way out of a difficult situation. That was a lesson Joseph learned well and which stood him in good stead when he was confronted by Potiphar’s wife.
And what about Grandpa Laban? What a fierce, grasping, unscrupulous, vindictive old man he was. Joseph saw clearly that Laban loved things and used people. Joseph learned from that. Joseph used things and loved people. Moreover, Laban was more than half a pagan. Watching Laban bow down to graven images taught Joseph the folly of idolatry- a valuable lesson when later he was brought into contact with the gross polytheism of Egypt, and was married to the daughters if a pagan priest.
Joseph discovered what a bad lot some of his older brothers were. He was with the four slave-born sons of Bilhah and Zilpah. They were an unscrupulous quartet. Once out of sight of Jacob’s encampment, they were up to all kinds of devilry ~ When Joseph refused to conform to their wicked ways, doubtless, they threatened him: “Don’t you dare tell, you smug young psalm singer. We’ll kill you.” Joseph ignored their threats and told the truth about them. He learned thus how to take a lonely, unpopular stand for God no matter what.
His oldest brother, Reuben, was no help either. He had neither character nor courage. Joseph was doubtless aware of Reuben’s adulterous affair with Bilhah, one of his father’s wives. The sordid business, and Reubens consequent lifelong fear of being found out, taught Joseph the high price of immorality. He vowed to steer clear of that kind of thing, at all costs. The Price tag was too high.
As for Simeon and Levi, Joseph had good cause to fear the pair of them. Simeon was a cruel man, and Levi was even worse for he had a touch of the fanatic about him.
Then there was calculating Judah. “What’s in it for me?” was his motto. He was the one who suggested selling Joseph into slavery for twenty silver pieces. No doubt he was motivated by the fear that Jacob would give the double portion of the birthright blessing to Joseph. Judah would have had designs on that for himself.
And what about Dinah, Joseph’s only sister? Well, she was seduced as a result of some clandestine trips to the nearby town of Schechem and by the friendships she forged with the unsaved. Terrible, indeed, were the consequences. Joseph learned the lesson well—playday is followed by payday.
But the dominating member of the family, when all was said and done, was Jacob. Joseph was into his teens, and old enough to learn the value of a new life in Christ, when Jacob came to the Jabbok and was changed from Jacob to Israel. All these things molded and made Joseph, as God knew they would. That is why He put Joseph in that family. He has equally good reasons for putting us in ours.
100 Devotions for Leaders – 2008 by John Phillips – Published by Regal Publications Grand Rapids, Michigan
Pastor Lee’s Thoughts: God placed us all in our unique families and we can certainly relate to some of what Joseph was experiencing with those in his family. We may not always understand what God is doing in our lives when it comes to our families, however we need to constantly learning from our family in order to grow in our relationship with the Lord! Also remember that God has given us an AMAZING church family and the family of God!