Genesis 45:17 “And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy
brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land
of Canaan;”
Genesis 45:18 “And take your father and your households, and come
unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye
shall eat the fat of the land.”
Joseph was now hurriedly sending his brothers to get his father,
Jacob, and all the family. He told them he would take care of their
needs.
Isn’t that just what Jesus is telling us? He is building us a
mansion. There will be a river of clear water and a tree that gives
off fruit each month of the year. Jesus will see to our every need.
Can you see the type and shadow here in that Joseph was promising his
brethren and what Jesus promises His. The time is urgent for the
Christian, as well. Time is running out.
Genesis 45:19 “Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you
wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your
wives, and bring your father, and come.”
Genesis 45:20 “Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all
the land of Egypt [is] yours.”
Here, they were told to carry wagons from Egypt to bring their
families back in. He was, also, telling them not to use their material
things in Canaan as an excuse to stop them from coming. The things
prepared for them in Egypt, a place of refuge, was much better. Just
leave all that behind, and begin a new life here.
Genesis 45:21 “And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave
them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them
provision for the way.”
This was fully approved by Pharaoh. Jesus will come and get us
when God the Father says it is time. Jesus will remain in the clouds
in the air, and we must go to him. The shadows of things to come are
all through out this lesson.
Genesis 45:22 “To all of them he gave each man changes of
raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred [pieces] of silver, and
five changes of raiment.”
We are told over and over not to show partiality, but throughout
the Bible, there were favorites.
Joseph showed so much favoritism, because he was his own brother.
They had the same mother and the same father. It is extremely
difficult not to show partiality to your own flesh and blood. Jesus
said even sinners knew how to give good gifts to their own children.
This change of clothes, here, has a shadow, also. When we leave this
earth we will put on our white robes of righteousness, furnished for
us by Jesus. Not our righteousness, but His.
Genesis 45:23 “And to his father he sent after this [manner]; ten
asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden
with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way.”
Joseph loved his father very much. You can easily see, this, by the
things he sent to help his father make this journey.
Genesis 45:24 “So he sent his brethren away, and they departed:
and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.”
Here, he was saying make your path strait. Do not let things of
this world make you stray.
Genesis 45:25 “And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the
land of Canaan unto Jacob their father,”
You can imagine the joy of the father when he saw them coming?
His greatest fears had not come to pass. They were home safely.
Benjamin and Simeon were both with them unharmed. Even at a glance, he
could see all the food stuff they were bringing.
Genesis 45:26 “And told him, saying, Joseph [is] yet alive, and
he [is] governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob’s heart
fainted, for he believed them not.”
Jacob was shocked at the news that Joseph was not dead. He was alive
and had been made governor of all Egypt. Their father could not believe it.
It has been twenty two years since he had seen or heard of Joseph. He
had thought him dead for many years. How can this be true? It was
almost too much for Jacob. Good news can shock you sometimes, almost
as much as bad news. How would the same sons who lied to him before,
be able to convince their father that Joseph is alive?
Genesis 45:27 “And they told him all the words of Joseph, which
he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had
sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:”
Jacob had been depressed for twenty two years. The younger son,
Benjamin, of his precious Rachel, had helped, but Joseph had been his
favorite for so many years.
These sons had to admit to their father, that they lied about
what happened to Joseph so many years before. They, also, told him that
Joseph felt this had been planned by God Almighty to bring them to
Egypt. They told of Joseph’s stay in Potiphar’s house, how he was cast
into the dungeon and brought out when the butler told Pharaoh about
Joseph’s interpretations of his dream. They told of Pharaoh’s dreams,
and how Joseph interpreted them. He was given the high office of the
governor of Egypt. Joseph was in charge of the food during the famine.
The one thing that finally convinced Jacob was the abundance of
food on the wagons. Joseph had to be the one who sent it.
Genesis 45:28 “And Israel said, [It is] enough; Joseph my son
[is] yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.”
The only thing I can compare this to our day, would be a son
missing in action from twenty nine years ago, and suddenly and
unexpectedly be found. what a joy. Like Jacob, we would want to see
this son before we die.
Chapter 46 of Genesis is the next lesson.