Confession: brotherly concern displayed: Submission

1/22/2008 6:38 PM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time      Focus:  Confession: brotherly concern displayed:  Submission

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  Genesis 44:14-17

            Message of the verses:  “14  When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.  15  Joseph said to them, "What is this deed that you have done? Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed practice divination?"  16  So Judah said, "What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and the one in whose possession the cup has been found."  17  But he said, "Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.’”

            It can be seen from this section and also from the section that proceeded this one, while the brothers were about to leave their father, that Judah advances as a leader of this group of brothers.  Judah has distinguished himself very well in the former chapters of this book, for it was his idea to sell Joseph and then he had the affair with his son’s wife, but this was in the past and now it seems like he is being changed and later on while Jacob is on his death bed he too recognizes this too.

            Judah had no excuses or answers for what had happened as far as how the money and the cup were where they were. Judah then makes the statement that God has found out the iniquity of your servants and thus he then says that all of them will be Joseph’s slaves, but Joseph has another idea about this for he will now test the brothers by stating that only Benjamin need be his slave, thus seeing how these brothers will react to this.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I can take away from this section that people do change, as was the case of Judah, and so this helps me to realize that I can change and also people around me too can change.  The change that I am speaking about is changing for the good, being more conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I want to be willing to change old bad habits and stop them whenever the Holy Spirit prompts me to do so.

Memory verses for the week:  Philippians 1:9-11

9. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,
10. so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;
11. having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.