Recognition (Gen. 45:1-4)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 01-24-2008

 

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  Recognition

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Genesis 45:1-4

 

            Message of the verses:  1 Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried, "Have everyone go out from me." So there was no man with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.  2 He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it.  3 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.  4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come closer to me." And they came closer. And he said, "I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.”

 

            Joseph must have thought that his brothers had learned their lesson and because they had confessed to him their sin of selling their brother into slavery he now reveals himself to them.  However before he does this he send everyone else out of the room so that he can be alone with them.  Joseph was a very compassionate man who was not afraid to cry when the circumstances were such that tears were necessary. 

 

            What was it that was going through the minds of his brothers when they heard this ruler of Egypt tell them that he was their brother Joseph?  They may have wondered how it was that this man knew all about their story and their sin, and they may have also wondered why this person had treated them so harshly if he surely was Joseph.  I am sure that they were fearful regardless whether or not this was their brother.  The statement in verse three seems to sum this section up for me where it records, “but his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.” 

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  The Bible says be sure you sin will find you out, and that is what happened in this story, yet Joseph was very gracious in all of this as we will seein the next edition of my Spiritual Diary.  His brothers were very frightened when facing Joseph because of what they had done to them and because Joseph seems to represent the Lord Jesus Christ here and fear was a good thing and yet a thing that was not needed.

 

            Whenever I sin there should be fear in my life but not the kind of fear that drives me up a wall, for I must realize that all of my sin, past, present, and future has been paid for at the cross of Christ, yet that surely does not give me a free pass to just sin.  I certainly need to remember what it cost both God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ to cancel my debt of sin and therefore not to be casual about, but thankful that my sin has been covered by the blood of Jesus Christ.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  I want to trust the Lord with this new problem that has come up concerning my blood work and the high cholesterol.

 

 

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

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