Daily Scripture Reading Genesis 45:4-23
When bad things happen to us, it is very easy to become discouraged and pessimistic. If the bad thing is the result of malevolent actions of other people, we often have a desire to seek revenge. It is often difficult to notice the positive aspects of whatever trial we are enduring.
However, the book of James tells us to consider it joy when we encounter various trials. The life of Joseph illustrates what that looks like and why we should rejoice when we encounter various trials.
After Joseph manipulated events to create a pretext for keeping Benjamin in Egypt, Joseph’s other brothers began pleading for Joseph to allow Benjamin to go home. Judah offered to go to prison in Benjamin’s place, reciting the harm that would befall their father if Benjamin did not return. After seeing the reaction of his brothers, Joseph could no longer restrain himself, and he revealed his true identity.
Gen. 45:4 ¶ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” And they came near. And he said, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.
Gen. 45:5 So now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.
Think about Joseph’s reaction to everything that had happened to him. At this point Joseph had been in Egypt for almost 20 years. He had spent time as a slave. He had also been imprisoned for multiple years. He had lived most of those 20 years with little hope of ever seeing his family again.
And yet, when he revealed his identity to his brothers, he did not focus on the bad thing they did to him, he focused on the positive. He looked on the bright side. He emphasized God’s role in orchestrating events so that Joseph could protect his family from death during the famine.
When bad things happen to us, it is very easy to become discouraged and pessimistic. If the bad thing is the result of malevolent actions of other people, we often have a desire to seek revenge. It is often difficult to notice the positive aspects of whatever trial we are enduring.
However, just as there were benefits to Joseph’s calamity, so too when we go through trials, there are advantages for us to enjoy. Our trials make us better people. Our adversity may move us to a different life-situation which may be a better place for us.
The book of James tells us to consider it joy when we encounter various trials. Joseph is an example of what that looks like. We should emulate his attitude when we suffer hardship.
Gen. 45:6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.
Gen. 45:7 So God sent me before you to establish for you a remnant in the earth and to keep you alive for a great remnant of survivors.
Joseph repeated his belief that God sent him to Egypt to preserve his family.
Gen. 45:8 So now, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has set me as a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Notice the word “father”. We often picture Joseph as being younger than the Pharaoh he served; however, the word father indicates Joseph was older than Pharaoh.
Gen. 45:9 Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, “God has set me as lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay.
Gen. 45:10 And 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.
Gen. 45:11 There I will also provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, lest you and your household and all that you have be impoverished.”’
Gen. 45:12 And behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you.
Gen. 45:13 So you must tell my father of all my glory in Egypt and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and bring my father down here.”
Gen. 45:14 Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck.
Notice the word “wept”. Joseph and Benjamin were full brothers, having the same father and mother. The rest of the brothers were only half brothers to Joseph and Benjamin.
Gen. 45:15 He kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.
Gen. 45:16 ¶ Now the news was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” And it was good in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants.
Gen. 45:17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go to the land of Canaan,
Gen. 45:18 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.’
Gen. 45:19 Now you are commanded, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come.
Gen. 45:20 Now do not concern yourselves with your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”
Gen. 45:21 ¶ Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them wagons according to the command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey.
Gen. 45:22 To each of them he gave changes of garments, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments.
Gen. 45:23 Now 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.
When bad things happen to us, it is very easy to become discouraged and pessimistic. If the bad thing is the result of malevolent actions of other people, we often have a desire to seek revenge. It is often difficult to notice the positive aspects of whatever trial we are enduring.
When Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, he did not focus on the bad thing they did to him, he focused on the positive. He emphasized God’s role in orchestrating events so that Joseph could protect his family from death during the famine.
Just as there were benefits to Joseph’s calamity, so too when we go through trials, there are advantages for us to enjoy. Our trials make us better people. Our adversity may move us to a different life-situation which may be a better place for us.
The book of James tells us to consider it joy when we encounter various trials. Joseph’s reaction to his misfortune illustrates how we should react to trials and why we should be joyful when we suffer hardship.
What are some of the benefits you have gained as a result of going through trials in your life?
What trial are you currently slogging through?
What might be some of the positive results of your current adversity?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”