Daily Bible Portion (Monday)
Daily Bible Portion - 2 of 7
"HE APPROACHED"
(Weekly Reading>>Genesis 44:18-47:27, Ezekiel 37:15–28, Colossians 1:1-29)
Joseph said to them, “I am Joseph,” but his brothers were unable to answer him, because they were terrified. As they stood in the presence of this mighty man of Egypt, they were not able to fully take in what Joseph was saying, so shocked were they by his words. Flooded by memories long buried, they struggled to put everything together and tried to understand that it was indeed Joseph standing before them.
If you had plotted a murder twenty years earlier and now found this person standing right in front of you as one of the most powerful people in the land, having authority over life and death, you might think that your life was in imminent danger. As the brothers so freely took away Joseph’s life, so now Joseph was in the position to take theirs.
Dishonor/sin done in secret is always seen by Yahweh. Eventually the dishonor will be exposed if we do not deal with it in our lives. The brothers had acted out of their fleshly/sinful nature and now it was catching up with them. They feared Yahweh was repaying them for the hatred they had held toward Joseph and for the lies they told their father about his beloved son. Joseph’s dreams seemed to be coming true before their very eyes (Genesis 37:2-11).
The truth is, the brothers were looking at resurrection life. Joseph, who had been dead to them, was now standing before them – alive!
In the same way, Yeshua was dead to His disciples and then stood before them alive after His crucifixion.
Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me” (Genesis 45:4).
Likewise Scripture says, “Now in Yeshua [we] who once were far away [scattered] have been brought near [adopted/same status as a native born Israelite] through the blood of Yeshua” (Ephesians 2:13).
Joseph declared, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!” Oh, the brothers’ worst fears now coming back to them! Joseph, reading their anguish, said, “Do not be distressed and angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that Yahweh sent me ahead of you” (Genesis 45:5).
Joseph had freely forgiven them. Notice the brothers did not respond at this point. Forgiveness is the theme of this study.
Forgiveness
Again, it had been a long journey for Joseph to this point in his life. Many thoughts were going through his mind during this time. Twenty-two years had passed since he was sold into slavery. His anguish would have been deep. In a sense he had given himself up to save his brothers and for their deliverance, and now he stood before them.
Yeshua, of whom Joseph was a type and shadow of, anguished in the Garden before giving himself up for our deliverance (Luke 22:39-44).
Why could Joseph’s brothers not see/recognize him? His brothers had sold him into slavery because of the bitterness that was allowed to grow in their hearts. This covered their eyes spiritually. It was not Joseph who had been in slavery all these years - it was his brothers. They were slaves to the evil inclinations of their hearts and imaginations. Unforgiveness was the stronghold that prevented them from seeing the truth before their eyes. This needed to be revealed, taken responsibility for and repented of before Joseph’s brothers could really see him.
What happened to Joseph’s brothers will be the same for us if we harbor dishonoring sin. Sadly, many choose personal preference in handling sin issues over the biblical principle of applying forgiveness. They chose instead to forget and move on. Without forgiveness, choosing to move on can leave a trail of shattered lives in its path, which never ends. The past will ever be in the present as we see in the lives of Joseph’s brothers.
continues tomorrow...
"HE APPROACHED"
(Weekly Reading>>Genesis 44:18-47:27, Ezekiel 37:15–28, Colossians 1:1-29)
Joseph said to them, “I am Joseph,” but his brothers were unable to answer him, because they were terrified. As they stood in the presence of this mighty man of Egypt, they were not able to fully take in what Joseph was saying, so shocked were they by his words. Flooded by memories long buried, they struggled to put everything together and tried to understand that it was indeed Joseph standing before them.
If you had plotted a murder twenty years earlier and now found this person standing right in front of you as one of the most powerful people in the land, having authority over life and death, you might think that your life was in imminent danger. As the brothers so freely took away Joseph’s life, so now Joseph was in the position to take theirs.
Dishonor/sin done in secret is always seen by Yahweh. Eventually the dishonor will be exposed if we do not deal with it in our lives. The brothers had acted out of their fleshly/sinful nature and now it was catching up with them. They feared Yahweh was repaying them for the hatred they had held toward Joseph and for the lies they told their father about his beloved son. Joseph’s dreams seemed to be coming true before their very eyes (Genesis 37:2-11).
The truth is, the brothers were looking at resurrection life. Joseph, who had been dead to them, was now standing before them – alive!
In the same way, Yeshua was dead to His disciples and then stood before them alive after His crucifixion.
Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me” (Genesis 45:4).
Likewise Scripture says, “Now in Yeshua [we] who once were far away [scattered] have been brought near [adopted/same status as a native born Israelite] through the blood of Yeshua” (Ephesians 2:13).
"Once [we] were alienated from Yahweh and were enemies in [our] minds because of [our] evil behavior. But now he has reconciled [us] by Yeshua’s physical body through death to present [us] holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation” (NIV Colossians 1:21-22).
Joseph declared, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!” Oh, the brothers’ worst fears now coming back to them! Joseph, reading their anguish, said, “Do not be distressed and angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that Yahweh sent me ahead of you” (Genesis 45:5).
John 11:49-52 “But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, ‘You people don’t know anything! You don’t see that it is better for you if one man dies on behalf of the people, so that the whole nation won’t be destroyed.’ Now he didn’t speak this way on his own initiative; rather, since he was high priest that year, he was prophesying that Yeshua was about to die on behalf of the nation [All Israel] and not for the [Jewish] nation alone, but so that he might gather into one [Flock/Nation] the scattered children of Yahweh [all twelve tribes of Jacob/Israel].”
John 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this[Jewish] fold: them[Scattered Tribes/Gentiles] also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
James 1:1 "James [Jacob], a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting."
James 1:1 "James [Jacob], a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting."
1 Peter 1:1 "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia [Galatians], Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,"
Joseph had freely forgiven them. Notice the brothers did not respond at this point. Forgiveness is the theme of this study.
Forgiveness
Again, it had been a long journey for Joseph to this point in his life. Many thoughts were going through his mind during this time. Twenty-two years had passed since he was sold into slavery. His anguish would have been deep. In a sense he had given himself up to save his brothers and for their deliverance, and now he stood before them.
Yeshua, of whom Joseph was a type and shadow of, anguished in the Garden before giving himself up for our deliverance (Luke 22:39-44).
Why could Joseph’s brothers not see/recognize him? His brothers had sold him into slavery because of the bitterness that was allowed to grow in their hearts. This covered their eyes spiritually. It was not Joseph who had been in slavery all these years - it was his brothers. They were slaves to the evil inclinations of their hearts and imaginations. Unforgiveness was the stronghold that prevented them from seeing the truth before their eyes. This needed to be revealed, taken responsibility for and repented of before Joseph’s brothers could really see him.
What happened to Joseph’s brothers will be the same for us if we harbor dishonoring sin. Sadly, many choose personal preference in handling sin issues over the biblical principle of applying forgiveness. They chose instead to forget and move on. Without forgiveness, choosing to move on can leave a trail of shattered lives in its path, which never ends. The past will ever be in the present as we see in the lives of Joseph’s brothers.
continues tomorrow...