Genesis 45

Life’s disappointments and failures must be seen in light of the big picture or they will consume us.  Joseph saw the big picture.  In v5 he urges his brothers to see it as well: God was preserving the lives of His chosen ones through 7 years of extreme famine.  But even more, God was preserving a posterity for His chosen ones (v7).  More than saving Jacob and his sons, God was doing what was good for generations to come.  He had told Abraham that his descendants would be afflicted in a foreign land for 400 years, but would come out with great possessions (Gen. 15:13-14).  Bringing His people to Egypt at this time was God’s way of putting them in the iron furnace (Deut. 4:20), the house of bondage (Ex. 20:2), where they would become a great nation.  So we must see the big picture, the picture of what God has been doing, and continues to do, in establishing His Son as Lord over all the earth.

This wonderful chapter, finally bringing us to the revelation of Joseph to his brothers, continues to speak Christ to us.  Consider all that took place in Gen. 45.

·        v1-4: revelation.  Joseph made himself known, a word yada referring to deep, intimate knowledge.  He had longed for this day, and Judah’s marvelous words in Gen. 44 made it clear that now was the time.

·        v5-8: reconciliation.  Joseph had earlier offered to let the brothers go home in peace, but without Benjamin (44:17).  That would not have been true peace.  Now he offers them personal peace (v5) as well as peace with their father.

·        v9-11: provision.  From his exalted position Joseph wants to care for his family in the best way.  Thus he invites them to Egypt where he can pour out fully his abundant blessings.

·        v12-15: reassurance.  Understandably the brothers are fearful, but Joseph assures them of his love so that they finally enjoy fellowship with him.

·        v16-20: blessing.  Added to this was the blessing of Pharaoh himself.  God’s goodness is always beyond normal, beyond what we ask or think.

·        v21-28: joy.  Joy comes to Joseph, potentially to the brothers (v24), and to Jacob, who had earlier thought all these things are against me (42:36).

This chapter gives us a picture of Jacob’s future descendants, the eventual nation of Israel.  They will yet be saved by God, a salvation that will first bring them to repentance and faith so that Christ might be revealed to them (Zech. 12:10-13:1).  They will finally mourn the One they have crucified.  They will know Him, He will reassure them of His love, and they will bow before Him.

It is also a picture for believers today.  For those chosen by God, when they believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, see Christ revealed in their hearts.  This was Peter’s experience (Matt. 16:17) and Paul’s (Gal. 1:15-16).  For every true believer it is said that God “shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).  Have you come to know this One?  Are you growing in His knowledge and grace?  Are you at peace with yourself and with God?

Genesis 44

Chapter 45 begins with Joseph revealing himself to his brothers.  The “revealing” cannot happen without the repentance and faith of the brothers.  That is the story of Gen. 44.

The “test” in vs. 1-13 serves to tell the brothers that God knows their secrets.  It prepares the way for them to be forgiven for the past (after they confess their sin) as well as to state their commitment now to stand up for the new “favored” son of their father.  The last half of the chapter shows this repentant faith.

In vs. 14-16 Judah confesses their sin.  First they come and fall prostrate before Joseph, in complete fulfillment of the first dream of the sheaves (37:5-8).  Joseph likely did not actually practice the water incantations that were common in the time, but rather spoke this way as part of the rouse.  We have seen Joseph determine God’s will and he had no need of these divination practices.

Judah’s words in v16 are amazing and full of instruction for us.  First, he asks “how shall we clear ourselves?”  This is every man’s question.  The term “clear” actually means “to justify”.  The word was used in Gen. 38:26 when Judah said, “she is more righteous (justified or cleared) than I am”.  The reason this is every man’s issue in life is because of the second statement from Judah: “God has found out the iniquity of your servants.”  The term “iniquity”, one of many words for sin, emphasizes the guilt or punishment that is the result of guilt.  Not only had they done wrong; they were truly guilty before God.

In vs. 17-34 Judah pleads the case of the brothers, or to be more accurate, pleads the case of his father Jacob.  Of Judah’s words here Martin Luther said, “I would give very much to be able to pray to our Lord God as well as Judah prays to Joseph here.”  Judah’s concern is not himself nor even Benjamin but for his father. Jacob loved Benjamin (v20) and would die if Benjamin did not return (v22).  He even quotes Jacob so Joseph will know his true heart (v27-29).

This is always how we are to come to God.  It is the way Christ taught us to pray: “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name.  Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.”  It is the way Christ prayed: “Father the hour has come.  Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You” (John 17:1).  

In vs.33-34 Judah offers himself as Benjamin’s substitute.  Again, the reason is to satisfy Jacob: lest “I see the evil that would come upon my father.”  In this regard it is now Judah who becomes for us the picture of Christ.  Isaiah 53 tells us that the Messiah would be just such a One for us.  “By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify (clear) many, for He shall bear their iniquities” (Isa. 53:11).  What Judah did for Benjamin he did for his father.  What Christ has done for men, He has done to satisfy His Father.

Have you come to acknowledge your guilt or “iniquity”?  How will you clear yourself?  Like the brothers, you can’t!  What has been done has been done.  But there is One of whom it is said: “all my iniquity on Him was laid.”  Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31).

Genesis 43

The correction of the Lord continues for the brothers.  They still do not know true forgiveness, nor do they have a hunger for righteousness.  Consider the main characters in the chapter.

·        Judah (v3-5,8-10).  He had influence with the brothers (37:26-27).  God is working in his life (38:26).  He is able to help clarify the situation for his father (43:3-5).  Shunning Reuben’s ridiculous offer, Judah takes responsibility for Benjamin and will bear the blame if anything happens.  That is really all the assurance he can give.  The facts are: they must go to Egypt for food, and they cannot go without Benjamin.  Perhaps Judah’s words give Jacob the assurance he needs to allow Benjamin to go.

·        Israel (Jacob, v11-14).  Is this the same old Jacob trying in the flesh to do what God said He would do?  I don’t think so.  Two things demonstrate Jacob’s faith, both in v14.  First is his God.  Jacob calls upon “God Almighty” to bless the journey.  This is El Shaddai, the title God gave to Abraham (Gen. 17:1). Isaac had used that Name to bless Jacob (Gen. 28:3).  Jacob had grown from simply believing in the God of his fathers to knowing God by that Name himself (Gen. 35:11).  This is huge, that he now blesses Judah by the name El Shaddai.  In our lives God must come to be greater and more personal through our trials.  Second is the nature of Jacob’s faith.  It is seen in the words, “if I am bereaved, I am bereaved”.  He has come to lay the matter before the Lord, realizing he cannot do anything to save Benjamin.  Consider this yielding of oneself to God in Job (Job 1:21; 2:10), Eli (1 Sam. 3:18), Esther (Esther 4:16), Paul (Acts 20:24), and our Lord Himself (Matt. 26:39,42).  We cannot live to glorify God without that abandonment to Him and His purposes.

·        Joseph (v15-17, 26-31).  We again see that Joseph is a grand picture to us of Christ.  To the brothers he is their Lord, the one before whom they must appear (v15).  He is their Judge, the rightful cause of fear (v18).  And he is their Savior, the cause of their enjoyment (v34).

·        The brothers (42:11,21,28; 43:18-25, 32-34).  These “honest men” who know they are “truly guilty” and that God is working will, by the end of the chapter. be feasting with Joseph.  But their journey will not be complete.  At best they are saying, “We will never do that again.  If we could relive the past we would treat Joseph better.”  But God’s plan for us is not simply to bring us to good intentions.  He desires righteousness.  The brothers, and we, must be tested so that the “genuineness of (our) faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7).

Let us not run from trials, but rather let us run with endurance the race set before us (Heb. 12:1-2) that we might say in the end, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7).  Let us not be satisfied with good intentions but with His likeness (Ps. 17:15).