Torah Portion: Genesis 44:18-47:27.
God is Sovereign - He really is in control, of everything.
Who could have perceived God's purposes when the teenager Joseph was sold by his brothers for 20 shekels of silver to a caravan of Ishmaelites on their way to Egypt; when he was mistreated by Potiphar and his wife, then imprisoned and forgotten for years? Where was the golden thread of His working in all of that?
Stepping back to look outside the immediate events of Joseph's life, over the generations, God was in the process of revealing Himself to the growing nation of His people Israel, leading them to know Him as all that they needed in every way. He took them first to a land of plentiful provision, but then into slavery and finally out into a deserted wilderness where there was nothing else but Him, before He guided them to the beautiful land of His promise.
Joseph’s story was but one thread in this developing tapestry – but nevertheless an important thread that God took great care weaving in.
Conviction of Calling
From his youth, Joseph had a deep sense of identity. Apart from being so favoured by his earthly father, his sovereign Heavenly Father had equipped him through two dreams, giving Joseph a profound conviction of His call to serve Him through leadership. This call was founded so deep down in Joseph’s spirit that it later sustained him through the pain of separation from his father's house, as well as the privations of years in prison and profound injustices he suffered and survived.
Before all this, as a shepherd, Joseph would have learned to be tough and resourceful, especially when far from home. Protecting and providing for a wayward flock was far from a walk in the park but it must have provided him with transferable skills for his future work 'shepherding' people. He would have acquired cultural, administrative, practical and domestic skills in Potiphar's house and in jail. In both places, many people were entrusted to his care and direction.
But, first and foremost, Joseph's identity and sense of belonging was rooted in the community of his large family. Later, becoming a husband and father himself, the fulfilment of his dreams unfolded as he became the administrator of God's plan to save nations – including his own - from famine.
Joseph’s attitude shows that he had fully accepted God's sovereignty in his life. Having taken office as Prime Minister of Egypt, he was able to say to his brothers, "But God sent me ahead of you…it was not you who sent me here but God…" (Gen 45:7-8). What a man that he could eventually forgive his brothers and send them back to their father with joy and even humour: "And don't quarrel on the way!" (Gen 45:24).
Endnote: The Importance of Family
Human family ties run deeper than explanation or description can tell. Even in the grip of worsening famine, when he was experiencing its devastating effect on his whole family of 70 people, Jacob flatly refused to allow Joseph's brother Benjamin to go with the other brothers to buy food in Egypt - such was the extent of his grief over Joseph's apparent death.
When Jacob finally permitted Benjamin to go, they returned with the news, "Joseph is alive! In fact he is ruler of all Egypt." Jacob was stunned in disbelief. "But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived: 'I'm convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.'"
Not a comfortable prospect when you're 130 years old, but blood was thicker and stronger than comfort and convenience and the toll of decades of sadness rolled steeply away. It meant everything to Jacob to know that his son Joseph, eldest son of his most dear wife Rachel, still belonged to their unique family.
How like our loving God to weave into His greater plans for Israel this small-scale family reunion – and how beautiful a picture it presents of Israel’s drawing near and eventual reuniting with their ‘Brother’, Yeshua.
Author: Sally Bolton
