Harsh Word in this Time of Testing (Gen. 42:3-14)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 01-08-2008

 

My Worship Time                                          Focus:  A Time of Testing, Harsh Words

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Genesis 42:3-14

 

            Message of the verses:  3 Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt.  4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, "I am afraid that harm may befall him."  5 So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also. 6 Now Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.

7 When Joseph saw his brothers he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, "Where have you come from?" And they said, "From the land of Canaan, to buy food."  8 But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him.  9 Joseph remembered the dreams which he had about them, and said to them, "You are spies; you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land."  10 Then they said to him, "No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.  11 “We are all sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants are not spies."  12 Yet he said to them, "No, but you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land!"  13 But they said, "Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive."  14 Joseph said to them, "It is as I said to you, you are spies.”

 

A few brief words on verses 3-6; Joseph’s brothers had no choice but to go down to Egypt or else they would starve.  I wanted to make note on the phrase, “down to Egypt,” and that is that the Bible, when it talks about Egypt seems to always say that it is down to Egypt.  I believe that there is a spiritual reason for this and it seems to be a place that indicates slavery and sin, especially for the nation of Israel.  When they came from Egypt they came up out of slavery, and when a person accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior they are a new person and therefore are not slaves to sin any more.  All unbelievers are in slavery to sin.  It is also worth noting in these first few verses that Jacob would not allow Benjamin to go with the ten brothers for fear of loosing him as he did Joseph, and in verse six the writer explains that Joseph was now the ruler in Egypt and also the brothers had to fulfill Joseph’s dream by bowing down to Joseph, even though they did not know it was him at this time.

 

It was now time for Joseph’s brothers to be treated with harsh words.  I believe that Joseph was treating them in a harsh way so that they would repent of their sins that they had committed against both Joseph and their father, for he was not doing this to get even with them for I believe that he realized now that he was sent to Egypt to preserve this family so that they would become a nation that God wanted them to become.  When one looks at these chapters and stories in Genesis one can see how fragile things were, for God would bring Messiah through this family, and this family had done many things that could have caused it to become extinct, yet this would not happen for it was in God’s plan that they survive.

 

Another reason that I believe that Joseph was not trying to get even with them was because he had to leave because of his grief, for he began to weep.  In Joseph’s dream all eleven brothers had bowed down to him and Benjamin was not there in order to bow down to him, so it was necessary for him to do this to in order to fulfill the dream.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Joseph did not take any revenge out on his brothers, but was working with them in order that they would repent and confess their sins to God, and Joseph, and Jacob, for vengeance belongs to the Lord.  I want to be able to live this out in my life too.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I trust the Lord to see me through these first three hard days of my fast and to teach me what it is that He wants me to learn while I go through this fast, as to how long He wants me to fast and what I will learn.