Trusting God's Path || Genesis 45:9 - 46:27 || Session 70 || Verse by Verse Bible Study

What happens when power, forgiveness, and divine favor intertwine? Join us on this thought-provoking episode of Reasoning Through the Bible as we discuss the profound narrative of Joseph's reconciliation with his brothers in Genesis 45. Witness Joseph, once a betrayed brother and now a powerful leader in Egypt, reveal his identity in an emotional reunion that brings tears, hugs, and heartfelt forgiveness. Experience the themes of salvation and restoration, as we explore Pharaoh's lavish gifts and provisions for Joseph's family in a time of famine, illustrating a powerful message of divine favor and abundance. As we wrap up, the broader theme of trusting in God's guidance through unknown territories emerges, encouraging each of us to rely on His direction, just as Jacob did. Tune in for an enriching discussion on faith, reconciliation, and divine provision, and continue reasoning through the Bible with us.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:46

Hello and welcome to Reasoning Through the Bible. My name is Glenn and I'm here with Steve. We're doing verse-by-verse Bible studies through Genesis. Today we're in Genesis, chapter 45, if you have your Bibles open. There In the story, joseph has been made one of the leaders, or the leader of Egypt under Pharaoh, and he has just revealed himself to his brothers who had abused him many years earlier and that God had put him there in order to preserve life of the family. That's the point where we pick up the story. Steve, if you could start in 45.9 and read through verse 15.

Speaker 2 1:23

Hurry and go up to my father and say to him. Thus says your son Joseph God has made me Lord of all Egypt. Come down to me, do not delay. You shall live in the land of Goshen and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, and your flocks and your herds and all that you have there. I will also provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come and you and your household and all that you have would be impoverished. Behold your eyes, see and the eyes of my brother Benjamin. See that it is my mouth which is speaking to you. Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt and all that you have seen, and you must hurry and bring my father down here. Then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck, he kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.

Speaker 1 2:18

This is the wonderful, loving reconciliation with the brothers. They hug each other, they kiss each other. They have this reconciliation. The family realizes that now there is a way to preserve life, because the famine is going to continue. Everybody kind of sees God's hand in this. We have here the brothers who represent sinful people being reconciled to the Christ figure. This is a wonderful situation where now the reconciliation can happen. Before there was this. Are they going to do right by their brother or not?

Speaker 1 2:53

If I ask myself, what does this remind me of? It reminds me of salvation. It reminds me of the time where we, as lost sinners, have been separated from God, but yet we're now brought back into fellowship with Christ through his death and burial and resurrection. When we do that, we can now have this loving reconciliation. Whereas before we were separated, we were a far off, it says in the New Testament, but we have been brought near. These things remind me of salvation. Christ has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places, it says in Ephesians 1.3. So, steve, what do you see in this very tender?

Speaker 2 3:32

story. I see just that it is tender. It's good to see families reconcile to each other and come together. We just see the love that comes out of it, especially between Joseph and Benjamin. They are blood brothers. The others are half-brothers of Joseph from different mothers, but Benjamin is from the same mother and he hasn't seen him in many years. You just get that last part that we read there. They hugged and they just wept over each other. You just get this feeling of just gladness that they're finally back together.

Speaker 1 4:11

In the passage we just read, they are reconciled. In the next passage it gets even better. Starting in verse 16 says this Now, when the news was heard in Pharaoh's house that Joseph's brothers had come, it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph say to your brothers, do this, load your beasts and go to the land of Canaan and take your father and your households and come to me and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you will eat the fat of the land. Now you are ordered do this take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, bring your father and come. Do not concern yourselves with your goods, for the best of all, the land of Egypt is yours. We see there, steve, after the reconciliation, it gets even better.

Speaker 1 5:00

Now Pharaoh pours these gifts on them the best of the land of Egypt is yours, it says in verse 18, they're going to eat of the fat of the land. Verse 20, the best of Egypt is yours. They were given new clothes. In verse 22. Coming up Back in verse 10, they were given a new land to live in, the best land, the land of Goshen. Not only were they reconciled, but after the reconciliation they have these wonderful, lavish gifts poured out on them. What does that remind us of?

God's Gifts and Peace in Christ

Speaker 2 5:33

It shows us how much Pharaoh thought of Joseph. It says, when Joseph said my family's here, my brothers are here, that Pharaoh was pleased about that. He was happy to see that Joseph is going to be reunited with his family, because Joseph had told him earlier on that I'm here and put into slavery and put into jail unjustly. So Pharaoh is giving them everything that they need and giving them permission for Joseph to take care of his family there in that land of Goshen. That's an area to the east of the Nile River and it's one of the most fertile areas that are out there. So we see this Pharaoh fertile areas that are out there. So we see this Pharaoh. He's really lavishing Joseph's family with prime land on which for them to settle.

Speaker 1 6:19

He gives them wagons to go down up to Canaan and bring back. Imagine if you had little kids, old folks, things like that. It's very hard to travel. Now they get to ride in a wagon back Again.

Speaker 1 6:33

This is God's providence, because God worked on Pharaoh's heart to where he would lavish these gifts upon them. Remember this same Pharaoh that had put the cupbearer and the baker in prison and decided to keep one of them and not the other. He could do things on a whim. God worked on his heart providentially, to where now he's providing the best. They get all the provisions they need, all the food they could need, wagons for the journey, the best lands when we come to Christ.

Speaker 1 7:04

He gives us every spiritual blessing in heavenly places, it says in Ephesians 1.3. And when God provides resources, he makes it overflowing. Well, above beyond all we could ask or think, it says in the Gospels quote give and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, says in Luke 6.38. So when God gives gifts, he knows how to give gifts. He gives us spiritual blessings that are overflowing. I think, steve, that this is just a picture of the spiritual life. We might not always get money in wagons, but we will get spiritual blessings, we get forgiveness, we get reconciliation with the Lord God. He gives us a new life, he regenerates us from the inside out and gives us new motivations to let us go and bless those around us. And I just see so many parallels to the Christian life. Let's move on. Steve, if you could read start in verse 21 and go down to 28.

Speaker 2 8:07

Then the sons of Israel did so and Joseph gave them wagons according to the command of Pharaoh and gave them provisions for the journey.

Speaker 2 8:16

To each of them he gave changes of garments, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments. To his father he sent as follows ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and sustenance for his father on the journey. So he sent his brothers away and as they departed he said to them do not quarrel on a journey. Then they went up from Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. They told him, saying Joseph is still alive and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt. But he was stunned, for he did not believe them. When they told him all the words of Joseph, that he had spoken to them, and when he had saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father, jacob revived. Then Israel said it is enough, my son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.

Speaker 1 9:16

In this. Joseph sends them 20 donkeys loaded down with food, all the best things of Egypt, and wagons in order to carry your entire extended family back up to Egypt. When we get right with God, he gives us all that we need. And Joseph one of the things I noticed here, steve he sends them on their way with all these things. He gives them new set of clothes. We talked about this before. They get new clothes. And what do we get? When we get to heaven, we get a new set of clothes. When we come to salvation, all our old rags are gone and we get fresh, clean garments that are his righteousness. But he tells them don't quarrel on the way back home.

Speaker 1 9:56

Joseph was concerned with there being peace there in the family. He didn't want quarreling. Bring peace to the family. Remember, in the Gospels there was the story of the woman that had the flow of blood that had been to all the doctors and spent all her money. She said if I just touch the hem of his garment, I'll be healed. She did and she was healed. That's in Mark, chapter 5. It says she didn't have peace until she touched Jesus. When he sent her away in peace, she finally had rest. She had peace. Jesus said in John 16, 33, in me you may have peace. I see here, steve, that's a sign again of salvation. He sends away and say don't quarrel. Do we have peace in the Christian life?

Speaker 2 10:45

We have peace in the Christian life If we allow ourselves to have peace. Some people still can't believe that they can be forgiven and they beat themselves up and they have doubts about whether or not they truly have salvation. Yes, we can have peace. Listen to our Colossians study. Paul makes it very clear that when you're in Christ, you have all these characteristics and attributes and you can go and live a Christian life and have peace through all of that. I think also Glenn Joseph's encouragement for them to not quarrel goes back to when he revealed himself. He said don't beat yourself up over what you did to me, because God's hand of providence was in this, and he gave him the reasons that we talked about in our last session. I think he's continuing that here. Don't continue to quarrel about anything that's happened in the past. We're moving on to a new future where you're going to be taken care of. I'm going to be taking care of you. Let's don't be quarreling. Let's have peace in the family.

Speaker 1 11:49

God is indeed interested in peace in the family. He wants us to have peace and he tells us to go away in peace. The Lord is interested in us having peace and rest. Look at the people here. What was going on around the famine? Turmoil. There was people in trouble. Don't quarrel, go away in peace. I think even in the midst of the world around us being in turmoil, then we can have peace in Christ. That's what he said in John 16, in me you can have peace. That's one of the lessons here. Then they go and they tell old Jacob, the old father. Joseph's not dead, he's a leader in Egypt. See all the wagons. And in the last verse of that chapter, it is enough. So, steve, who else do we see in the New Testament? That was once dead and now he's alive again.

Speaker 2 12:42

Well, we see Jesus Christ, Jesus the Messiah. He also says that I'm enough. He says take my burden upon you, because my burden is light. Believing in Jesus Christ for our salvation is enough.

Speaker 1 12:57

Jesus was dead and is alive again. And we were dead. At least those of us that are Christians were dead and are alive again. He says that, though we were dead, at least those of us that are Christians were dead and are alive again. He says that, though we're dead in our trespasses and sins, we can be alive again in Christ. Remember Lazarus, who was dead four days.

Speaker 1 13:14

Jesus told his sisters I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. That's in John 11, 25. Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. That's in John 11, 25. So when we are dead in our trespasses and sins, we can be alive again. It tells us in 2 Corinthians 5, 17, that old things pass away. Behold, all things become new. We are newly regenerated people. Joseph here's the Christ figure. He was dead, and now he's alive again. He brings life to those around him, like his father. At the end of verse 27,. Their father, jacob, was revived. Why is he revived? Because Joseph is alive. Why are we revived? Because our king is alive. Jesus is alive and therefore it revives our spirit. Those of us that have gone through salvation know what happens when your spirit is revived. I just find these tremendous, tremendous sections, steve.

Older Adults in Ministry

Speaker 1 14:10

So let's move on to the next chapter 46. As they go back. Starting in, verse 1 says this so Israel set out with all that he had and came to Beersheba and offered sacrifices to the God of his father, isaac. God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said Jacob, jacob. And he said here I am. He said I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt and I will also surely bring you up again and Joseph will close your eyes. Then Jacob arose from Beersheba and the sons of Israel carried their father, jacob and their little ones and their wives, and the wagons in which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. They took their livestock and their property which they had acquired in the land of Canaan and came to Egypt. Jacob and all his descendants with him, his sons and his grandsons with him, his daughters and his granddaughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt. This is the place, again, where Israel goes from Canaan to Egypt. Of course, this is the beginning of what becomes the Egyptian captivity, which later becomes a big story under Moses and the Exodus. But here, right here, this is where they go to Egypt Once again.

Speaker 1 15:34

In this passage, I find it interesting it uses both the name Israel and Jacob at the same time. In fact, if we go back to verse 1 and 2, what does he say? There? Israel set out with all that he had. In verse 2, god spoke to Israel and said Jacob, jacob. We see here the name Israel is true for both the individual and the nation. The individual is known as Jacob and Israel.

Speaker 1 16:06

The reason we keep pointing that out, steve, is because a lot of times it's really clear back here in the Old Testament, but because not enough people really spend enough time in the Old Testament, when they get over to New Testament and it says Jacob, they don't quite realize that it's really talking about Israel. That's one of the things we'll find out when we get into the New Testament. But we have here, steve. Jacob is old and he's starting out on a new phase of life, a new ministry, if you will. Can God take today older people and set older people out on a new journey and a new Christian journey? A new phase of life, a new ministry. If you will, can God even use older adults?

Speaker 2 16:48

That principle is repeated over and over in Scripture, especially the Old Testament, that God takes people in their latter years and uses them for great things.

Speaker 1 16:59

What are the advantages and disadvantages of older, mature people getting into ministry?

Speaker 2 17:04

Advantages and disadvantages of older, mature people getting into ministry. The main advantages is they have their life lessons that they've learned. They have the wisdom from the Lord that they have learned through the years and they are able to apply that learnings, and their faith that has been strengthened, to pass that on to a younger generation. That's the main advantage, I think. Pass that on to a younger generation, that's the main advantage. I think One of the disadvantages is we're old and our bodies aren't the way that they used to be and so we don't necessarily get around or have the stamina that we once used to have.

Speaker 1 17:36

Over and over again, we see God using people in all phases of life young children, middle-aged people and even older people. Here Jacob is going off to a new ministry, a new phase of life. He's going to even be able to speak to the most powerful man in the world at this point, Pharaoh. So, my Christian friend, don't feel like you're too old, and God may have put you on the shelf. There's always a chance for him to use you as long as you're willing. The real question is not how old you are, the question is how willing you are. I remember in Isaiah, the angel says who will go? Isaiah says I will go, send me. That's the ones where we need to be. Next, he picks up and they go down and they stop at a place called Beersheba. So, Steve, what's the significance of him stopping at Beersheba?

Speaker 2 18:25

It says there that he worships God there. God previously had told them this is the land that I'm going to give you, them being Abraham, isaac and Jacob. This isn't the first time that there's a famine in Canaan that's driving people to go to Egypt. Abraham went to Egypt because there was a famine, but Abraham didn't get permission from God to do it. Then you remember Isaac, his son. There's another famine that comes in Canaan. As he's starting to go down to Egypt, god stops him and says no, don't leave the land, you stay here and stay in the land. Now we have Jacob another famine being taken down to Egypt, and you kind of get this sense that he stops in Beersheba to worship God to possibly get a confirmation from God that, okay, it's okay to leave the land. We actually do see that God gives him that confirmation to leave the land.

Speaker 1 19:21

We actually do see that. God gives him that confirmation. Beersheba was the southernmost tip of the promised land and remember, god had told them stay in the land and live there and worship there. Jacob, still a little hesitant, just like you said, he gets down to the southernmost tip just before he leaves the land. And then look again at verse one he came to Beersheba and offered sacrifices plural, not just one, he offered more than one sacrifice. That tells me Jacob is checking here with God. He's okay, god, is this really what you want? Remember, jacob at this point is a changed man. God has changed him and he is now a true follower of the one true God. Any true follower of God is going to check with God, going to pray to God, going to ask God what do I do? That's exactly what happens in the next couple of verses is that God says it's OK to go to Egypt. That's what he's doing. The lesson for us is the same. God has given us commands and sometimes again, all these things. Hey, I don't understand Egypt. Well, that's not really where I'm supposed to go. I'm supposed to live in the land. So he prays to God. It seems like this is right. But God is this right? He's checking with God as he goes along the way.

Speaker 1 20:37

Great example, great example for us Jacob believed that God would make Israel a great nation in the land and that the hope of the Bible is for an earthly kingdom in that land, as God promised it. As we've touched on Steve, as we've gone through this many times, god said I will do this, I will do this, and it is an everlasting promise. We're going to see that again. Before we get out of the book. There's an additional promise where he says everlasting. You always get it. The great hope of Israel from the beginning was to have an earthly kingdom in that land and the Bible reinforces that. That's true from stem to stern. That's what we're seeing here.

Speaker 2 21:21

Let's pause here for just a little bit, glenn, and talk, before we move further in the story and get away from Joseph's confirmation that God's hand has been in all of this so that the remnant is how Joseph put it earlier can be preserved and that the family can be preserved. I want to take us back to Genesis, chapter 15, whenever Abraham, or Abram at the time, is making that covenant with God. It's the unilateral covenant that God made with Abram. One of those is that you're going to become a great nation. The other is that you're going to have the land here that I'm going to give to you. The third is and all the other nations are going to be blessed. But there in chapter 15 and verses 13 and 14, god says this. He says God said to Abram know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed 400 years. But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve and afterward they will come out with many possessions. So I wanted to make the point here in that we know the rest of the story because we've read it and we've actually done the study in Exodus that is coming up, but we see God working through this to not only preserve the remnant, but they're in this land of Goshen for 400 years, where they become a great nation. As to when they go back into the land, they're a nation that can go in and actually occupy the land and take over the land.

Speaker 2 22:59

While Joseph sees God's hand, all his brothers and Jacob can see God's hand in preserving them, we also see God working in increments what his plan is. God is clear to Abraham that they're going to be in some land for 400 years and they're going to be enslaved. This is the beginning of that period. I'm bringing this up in that it's all God's timing as far as how God works things out. It's also where God sees these things, knows about these things, and he assures Abraham you've got to know that these things have been passed down to Isaac and Jacob as well that God is still going to provide for them. Now, the enslavement that they had is something that is not a good thing and we pick that up whenever we get into Exodus. But it's God's timing and we can see how God works out his plans, which should give us encouragement that, as you mentioned before, we might not always see all the various intricate things that God is working and has his hand in revolving around our life, but we can be assured that he is doing that very thing.

Speaker 1 24:12

One of the terms that the theologians use is progressive revelation, and in progressive revelation God reveals things as he goes in his timing. For example, the New Testament church was not revealed in full to the Old Testament saints, but the New Testament calls it a mystery that has now been revealed, and part of that is that the Gentiles are brought in. And so we have this idea that God will reveal things over time, and he reveals parts of his plan. He never goes back and changes. He's not fundamentally changing how we are made right with him. He doesn't change the theology around salvation. He doesn't change the theology of things, but he didn't tell Abraham the entire story. He didn't tell Jacob or Joseph all of the story, but he did. Like you just said. He's bringing them along. They're going to be in this land 400 years, but he tells them they're going to come back. So God progressively reveals his plan.

Speaker 1 25:14

I think we should not be so high and mighty that we could say, hey, there may be still some things that God could reveal that I just haven't learned yet. That's entirely possible. Moving along in this, god tells Israel that he will send him to Egypt and bring him back. That's what he tells him here. In this passage he says I'm going to make you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt verse 4, and will bring you up again. He's telling them that I'm taking you down into Egypt. Don't be afraid to go into Egypt, because I'm going to be with you there and then I'm going to bring you back. The Jewish people will forever be associated with that land.

Trusting God's Leading Into Unknown

Speaker 1 25:58

This concept becomes important over in the New Testament, especially when we get to passages such as Romans 9 through 11. He's reassuring Jacob it's okay to go into Egypt and his descendants are going to be there. God is sending Israel, jacob, to a new place. The other thing I think of Steve is that missionaries today often go off to a new place. The other thing I think of Steve is that missionaries today often go off to a new place. They pack up and say, well, where does God want me to go? And God will lead them to a place. Jacob is going to go and die in Egypt.

Speaker 1 26:32

Many missionaries go off and die on the mission field. If you look at the history of missions, many missions have been buried on the mission field or buried their wives or their children on the mission field. Genesis 46, 8 through 27 tells us the names of all these people going into Egypt. We're not going to read that because it's sort of an exercise in pronunciation, but there's all these people going off on this journey. None of them have really seen Egypt, but, just like today, god will lead us off into a journey. He will lead us off into a ministry. God, I'm going to trust you're there with me, that you'll get me through this, because oftentimes he's leading us into a place of which we don't know yet. We just know that he's good and he's leading us into a good place.

Speaker 2 27:15

Jacob does die in Egypt, but he's not buried there and we're going to see that in future sessions which goes into everything that you were talking about of his expectation that the land has been given to him and his descendants.

Speaker 1 27:29

So we'll stop there for today because of time, but we trust that you will be back here with us to help us reason through the Bible.

Speaker 2 27:35

Thank you so much for watching and listening. May God bless you.