GENESIS 43 THEN CAME JOSEPH As time passed the staple foods that sustained life were depleted in the family of Jacob, and I could see from my place in the history of God's grace, the gathering of Jacob and his sons. But not everything can be purchased with money. If we look at our life as the people of the world do, we put a dollar value on everything. People of faith who have experienced the grace of God being shown to them, and have responded in gratitude to God Himself, see way beyond that. How much is a brother worth to me? Judah, for all his failures, was willing to accept full responsibility for Benjamin. He had convinced his brothers to sell Joseph. He had joined in the lie to his father about Joseph's fate. Now he was willing to die that that others might live. God can bring about changes in a person that no one else ever could.
There was still access to some specialty items that could be used as a gift. "A man's gift maketh room for him." Each one has been given access to unique things that opens doors and often the hearts of people. We have natural talents that come to us by nature. When a person becomes a child of God, gifts are given to that person by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit that we might be a benefit to others. We may not know when such gifts are needed, but God does. We can trust Him to use what He has given us in ways that are appropriate.
To return to the place of strange events must have made the ten brothers fearful. Joseph looking out would have seen them nervously standing before his steward and then being led in their fear to the house of Joseph. Even their double money and attempts at honesty seemed to bring greater concern. There are times in life when we cannot understand what is happening to us or why it is happening. For those who only live for the moment or only think in terms of human logic and understanding, this is a fearful thing because it defies what we have been taught to expect. To people of faith who have learned to trust God in all circumstances of life, we can rest assured that what we do not understand, God does. He allows and arranges things in His own way to work out His own will. When those times come, all we need to do is rest in faith and let the Holy Spirit guide and direct us through the uncharted water of our life.
I saw that everything changed when Joseph came home. When Joseph came, all eyes were on him. When Joseph came, everything else was stopped to listen to what he had to say. Joseph was the one all were looking to as their savior. He was the one who held their life or death in his control. When our Lord Jesus Christ came, He was despised and rejected of men. When He came to His own, His own received Him not. There was no acknowledgement of Him as Lord. But Jesus is going to come even as Joseph came to his brothers. He knows all about each of us and can set us in the order that will please Him.
When Joseph saw the young man he only knew as a child, he was moved to tears. This was his true brother. The blessings our Lord has shown to the whole body of Christ, the Church, will be enjoyed as each one appreciates what God has done for them. He knows the order, the place, each one holds in the kingdom of God. The one who was least esteemed in the eyes of his brothers, and perhaps was the weakest because of his youth, was the one Joseph yearned over. Benjamin was a late-comer in the family and small in the eyes of others, but he was the one Joseph blessed with the most from his table. All were rejoicing but Joseph was watching to see if the jealousy was still there. I don't know exactly how God views the whole body of Christ. Those who seem to be strong or of full age may not be the ones God can bless the most. He has "chosen the weak things of earth to confound the mighty." His strength "is made perfect in weakness." The outward appearance of success and usefulness may be very different in God's eyes. All will be made manifest when Christ comes. There is a time of reckoning when every idle word, every unspoken thought and motive will be seen for what it truly is. When Joseph came there was no question as to who was in control now. There was no careless attitude even though there was joy.
When the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed, everything will be seen as it really is. There will be no covering up as if we think God doesn't know all about us. In one way, there will be fear when all is brought into the light of His holiness and seen for what it really is. In another way there will be the relief that comes when we have nothing to hide and yet know we have been freely and fully forgiven. What fellowship! What joy and gladness we will experience with Him! What praise and worship will we be able to give when we are unhindered by our deceitful nature!
What hope we have, O God of grace, As we think of that coming day - When we will Thy ways with us retrace, And learn how Thou didst lead the way To places we hadn't stopped to think Were in our life ordained by Thee - Or ever know how close to the brink Of total failure sin had caused me to be.
What joy we have, O God of love, When we gather in Jesus' name. There we can recall all that we have Because of the fact Christ came To prepare for us a bountiful supply Of the grace and the mercy, we need. And here we learn on Him to rely, As we to His will give our heed.
What faith we have, O God of mercy, Because we have come to know There is abundance in Thee, mercy is plenty, That Thy forgiveness we can show By commitment to Thee, to Thy gracious Word, And submission to Thy will. Thou art full of mercy, O Jesus, Lord, And my cup of need Thou dost fill.
It is not my right to make demands, O Lord God, Thou art indeed supreme. But in Thy fullness, Thou hast filled my hands With more than all my hopes and dreams. When our heavenly "Joseph" comes who is Lord alone, May my life be in tune with Thine. May every act of service be done According to Thy holy will, not mine.
"O Lord God, the awareness of Thy greatness and holiness makes me to bow this morning in reverence and holy fear. To be able to address Thee at all is way beyond my right except to appeal to Thee for mercy. And yet I have been given this new nature from Thee that makes it seem right to say, 'Abba Father.' So with a sense of being in a very holy place I bow my head and heart to worship Thee. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."