Tag: A chapter a day

“And as they left, he [Joseph] called after them, “Don’t quarrel about this along the way!”

What thoughtfulness, what kindness these words convey! Isn’t this the heart of God?

“God is punishing us for our sins.”

Why does Joseph continue to play this cat and mouse game? Is he trying to extract a confession from them for the way they treated him, and deceived their father?

“May God Almighty give you mercy as you go before the man… But if I must lose my children, so be it.”

Jacob was distraught to hear that he must let Benjamin go back to Egypt with his brothers, for Joseph (the “man” Jacob refers to) had insisted upon it.

The situation was out of his control, and so he appeals to God Almighty for mercy. Along with that appeal, there is an acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty – “…so be it”.

Joseph had the upper hand now. He controlled all the cards. His brothers thought him harsh; they were bewildered by his actions toward them. And yet Joseph’s chief desire was to reconcile with his family.

How like the God of Job! As Katharina von Schlegel expressed it in her hymn written centuries ago, “Through thorny ways, [He] leads to a joyful end.”

“Pharoah’s chief cup-bearer forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought.”

Joseph was disheartened, but not despairing. Disappointed, but not dejected. Forgotten by man, but remembered by the LORD.

“How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.”

Joseph owned up to his personal responsibility to God. He could have been a very bitter young man. Instead, he trusted the LORD with his circumstances.

Esau was Isaac’s firstborn. He was the rightful heir to the special blessing given the oldest son. But the special blessing wasn’t special enough to Esau; he traded it away for a bowl of stew.

Esau was a man of this world. Spiritual things apparently meant little to him. After the death of his father Isaac, he returned to Edom and became the father of a great nation, but sadly, a nation that seemingly followed in the footsteps of their patriarch, steps that led away from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The Bible isn’t a story of man’s exploits. It often describes his failures. It is rather the story of God’s exploits, i.e. – his faithfulness and covenental determination to bless a called-out people.

“Then they slaughtered every male there, including Hamor and his son Shechem.”

Jacob had been a deceitful man, but he was never a violent man. His sons however, in exacting revenge for their sister Dinah, were not only deceitful, but murderous. How would God use this?

What a strange meeting between Jacob and Esau. Jacob bowed low to the ground before his brother. Esau ran to greet him. There were hugs and tears.

And yet, jacob would go no farther to restore the relationship. Perhaps he thought that if he told his brother that he must get back to Caanan – the land promised to their grandfather, to their father Isaac and to his descendants – Esau’s wrath would be kindled, and he and his family would be in grave danger.

God did not require Jacob to lie to his brother; but he did so, and journeyed to Succoth instead of Seir.
God knew Jacob’s weaknesses, and his innermost desires. And He used them both.