Confidence of Faith in the Shepherd’s Care

Genesis 46:28 - 47:12 

28 Then he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out before him the way to Goshen. And they came to the land of Goshen. 29 So Joseph made ready his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; and he presented himself to him, and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while.  30 And Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive.”  31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘My brothers and those of my father's house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 And the men are shepherds, for their occupation has been to feed livestock; and they have brought their flocks, their herds, and all that they have.’ 33 So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 that you shall say, “Your servants’ occupation has been with livestock from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers,’ that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”
    47:1 Then Joseph went and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers, their flocks and their herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan; and indeed they are in the land of Goshen.” 2 And he took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. 3 Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?”  And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers.” 4 And they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to dwell in the land, because your servants have no pasture for their flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”  5 Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6 The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.”  7 Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?”  9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.” 10 So Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.  11 And Joseph situated his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 Then Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father's household with bread, according to the number in their families.

Israel arrived in Egypt to escape the famine, and followed Joseph’s advice to take everyone to the fertile area of Goshen for their flocks.  Notice how they were told to emphasize the fact that they were shepherds because the Egyptians considered tenders of sheep to be abominable and repulsive.  With their gods, they could not love the Shepherd of God’s sheep not see the rich example of shepherds as a picture of the true God’s care for His people in this way; their pride made them see only dirty and dumb animals, and equated those caring for them as the same.  Pharaoh listened to Joseph and told him they were those shepherds and received the best of the land.  God cares for His people and gives them His best by promise.  He gave His people confidence to trust in His care.  We also are under the great Shepherd, Jesus Christ, and some are also under-shepherds who care for the outcast in the world’s view, but who are all precious in His sight.  Though the sheep are despised by the world in the pride of the spirituality blind, we know who leads us and tends to us, and have the confidence of faith as security. 

A Nation Conceived and an Eternal Kingdom

Genesis 46:1-27 

1 So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” And he said, “Here I am.”  3 So He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. 4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.”  5 Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives, in the carts which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 So they took their livestock and their goods, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him. 7 His sons and his sons’ sons, his daughters and his sons’ daughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.
    8 Now these were the names of the children of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: Reuben was Jacob's firstborn. 9 The sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 10 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. 11 The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12 The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 13 The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puvah, Job, and Shimron. 14 The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. 15 These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Padan Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the persons, his sons and his daughters, were thirty-three.  16 The sons of Gad were Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. 17 The sons of Asher were Jimnah, Ishuah, Isui, Beriah, and Serah, their sister. And the sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel. 18 These were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob: sixteen persons.
    19 The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife, were Joseph and Benjamin. 20 And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. 21 The sons of Benjamin were Belah, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. 22 These were the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob: fourteen persons in all.   23 The son of Dan was Hushim. 24 The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. 25 These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and she bore these to Jacob: seven persons in all.
    26 All the persons who went with Jacob to Egypt, who came from his body, besides Jacob's sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all. 27 And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two persons. All the persons of the house of Jacob who went to Egypt were seventy.

Israel began the journey to Egypt out of famine and into temporary prosperity until the times would change and slavery would make more than four hundred years seem like forever.  Yet a nation was conceived, if only to lie dormant as it grew until God lifted it up.  He promised Israel who was formerly Jacob that same promise before, that He would bless and multiply Jacob into Israel’s nation.  God promised to take him there and bring a nation back from all his children and their children who journeyed in the faith of Abraham and Isaac with him.  The names of the twelve tribes of Israel and their children are recorded for us, along with the total number of sixty six in addition to the four there, making the new nation starting with seventy people of God’s children of promise.  Likewise, Jesus Christ started the heavenly kingdom with the twelve (though one was replaced before Pentecost), and that Kingdom of promise by faith in His creation and working will continue to be fruitful as He multiplies it, never to be shaken or fade away. This is not so with the fleeting nations and crumbling society we see in our present time; all will be shaken and fall, so our confidence remains in the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! 

He is Ever Faithful Who Promises

Genesis 45:1-28 

1 Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it. 3 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph; does my father still live?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. 4 And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. 
      9 “Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph: “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry. 10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children's children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. 11 There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.” ’. 12 “And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13 So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here.”  14 Then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15 Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.  16 Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, “Joseph's brothers have come.” So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. 17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan. 18 Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land. 19 Now you are commanded—do this: Take carts out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives; bring your father and come. 20 Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”
    21 Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them carts, according to the command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey. 22 He gave to all of them, to each man, changes of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments. 23 And he sent to his father these things: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for his father for the journey. 24 So he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, “See that you do not become troubled along the way.”  25 Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. 26 And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” And Jacob's heart stood still, because he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived. 28 Then Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

God’s big reveal of His plan is finally revealed.  Joseph reveals himself to his brothers who he sent for that they may be saved from destruction, and he assures them with comfort and grace.  He sees the bigger picture from God’s view in the heavens over what his siblings have done, telling them not to be grieved or angry with themselves for hating him and selling him off to become a slave in Egypt.  He reveals God’s plan to deliver and preserve His people, them and their descendants, through these circumstances.  Joseph spoke of how God raised him up as second to Pharaoh to accomplish His will, and must have reminded them of his earlier dreams of all bowing to Joseph.  That was simply a foreshadowing of what was to come, not pride or arrogance to dominate his family, and they must have contemplated this as it was all unveiled before them now.  Pharaoh encouraged them to go back and bring everyone down to Egypt to live in the best of the land because they were his beloved Joseph’s family.  Deliverance from famine was at hand, though prophecy pointed to over four hundred years of suffering before the final deliverance would come (Genesis 15:13-14, Exodus 12:40-41).  Israel finally believed and went to see his lost son before he died, with renewed joy and hope for the future of his descendants as promised since Abraham.  We also can rejoice in God’s absolute sovereign grace to save us in Christ to the uttermost, no matter what we need suffer along the way.  He is ever faithful who promises.  We can rely on God’s sovereign plan absolutely and in all circumstances.  We who are in Christ Jesus have this certain hope.  We cannot be disappointed, so we need not be swayed by our circumstances. 

Facing Consequences of Jealousy

Genesis 44:1-34 

1 And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack. 2 Also put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money.” So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. 3 As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. 4 When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? 5 Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing.’ ” 6 So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words. 7 And they said to him, “Why does my lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing. 8 Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house? 9 With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves.”  10 And he said, “Now also let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.” 11 Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack. 12 So he searched. He began with the oldest and left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. 13 Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.
    14 So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was still there; and they fell before him on the ground. 15 And Joseph said to them, “What deed is this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?”  16 Then Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord's slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.”  17 But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father.”  18 Then Judah came near to him and said: “O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord's hearing, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even like Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ 20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, who is young; his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's children, and his father loves him.’ 21 Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22 And we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ 23 But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’  24 “So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord. 25 And our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’ 26 But we said, ‘We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27 Then your servant my father said to us, “You know that my wife bore me two sons; 28 and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn to pieces”; and I have not seen him since. 29 But if you take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.’  30 “Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad's life, 31 it will happen, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave. 32 For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.’ 33 Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. 34 For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father?”

Joseph had place a valuable cup in Benjamin’s sack, along with each one’s money that they paid for their food in each one’s sack.  Then he caught up with them, searched, and found the cup in order to take Benjamin into captivity.  He claimed it was because he could read events as if divination, playing on the theme of his previous dreams in their minds to prepare them when they discovered who he was and how God had provided a foretelling of events.  Jacob (Israel) had his life bound up with Rachel’s sons, Joseph and Benjamin, and now the others were distressed for the heartache they were now further causing him.  They now saw the consequences of their hate and jealousy, and were trapped in it.  We also need to watch our actions, not basing reactions and choices on anything but love for each other, and doing as we would have done to us.  The consequences otherwise bring only heartache to all.  

God’s Sovereign Grace is Merciful

Genesis 43:1-34 

1 Now the famine was severe in the land. 2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a little food.” 3 But Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ ”  6 And Israel said, “Why did you deal so wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another brother?”  7 But they said, “The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”  8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9 I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10 For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.”  11 And their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down a present for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. 14 And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!” 
    15 So the men took that present and Benjamin, and they took double money in their hand, and arose and went down to Egypt; and they stood before Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my home, and slaughter an animal and make ready; for these men will dine with me at noon.” 17 Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.  18 Now the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, “It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.”  19 When they drew near to the steward of Joseph's house, they talked with him at the door of the house, 20 and said, “O sir, we indeed came down the first time to buy food; 21 but it happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there, each man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so we have brought it back in our hand. 22 And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”  23 But he said, “Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.
    24 So the man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed. 25 Then they made the present ready for Joseph's coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there.  26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the earth. 27 Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”  28 And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves.  29 Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, “Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Now his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, “Serve the bread.”
    32 So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. 33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another. 34 Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin's serving was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.

Israel and his sons eventually ate all the food they brought back from Egypt, and they were again facing starvation.  Finally their father agreed to let them take Benjamin to get Simeon back.  They also took gifts of appeasement and twice the money returned to their sacks before which were to pay for the grain the first time, just in case it was not looked at as a mistake.  The steward of Joseph the Pharaoh’s right hand man told them when they arrived that God must have put the money there, because he had theirs as payment already.  They went into Joseph’s house and readied themselves to eat there.  They all bowed down to him as lesser sheafs of wheat.  Joseph was moved to tears upon seeing Benjamin again, but hid it from them all, then returned to have them served a meal.  Joseph had arranged their seating by age to their astonishment, giving the youngest five times as much as the rest.  They then ate and were happy together, yet still not knowing their twelfth sibling was hosting the feast.  We see here how God arranged the smallest detail in bringing Israel’s sons together and put the one sold off as dead with a God-given dream of ruling over them to do exactly that, for their saving from a certain death by starvation.  His sovereign grace is merciful when finally seen. 

What Has God Done, or What We Have Done?

Genesis 42:25-38 

25 Then Joseph gave a command to fill their sacks with grain, to restore every man's money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. Thus he did for them. 26 So they loaded their donkeys with the grain and departed from there. 27 But as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed at the encampment, he saw his money; and there it was, in the mouth of his sack. 28 So he said to his brothers, “My money has been restored, and there it is, in my sack!” Then their hearts failed them and they were afraid, saying to one another, “What is this that God has done to us?”
    29 Then they went to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them, saying: 30 “The man who is lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. 31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is with our father this day in the land of Canaan.’ 33 Then the man, the lord of the country, said to us, ‘By this I will know that you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, take food for the famine of your households, and be gone. 34 And bring your youngest brother to me; so I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. I will grant your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.’ ”
    35 Then it happened as they emptied their sacks, that surprisingly each man's bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. 36 And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me.”  37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.”  38 But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.”

After the brothers of Joseph left Egypt to return to their father Jacob, they found that the money they paid for the grain was put back in their sacks.  This was a big problem because they had already been accused of being spies, and now appeared to be thieves as well.  They left Simeon their brother as collateral until they could bring back Benjamin to prove they were telling the truth, and now that seemed in jeopardy as well.  What did they do?  They immediately blamed God by asking what He had done to them.  Jacob refused to allow them to take another son from him, having now lost one of Rachel’s and being asked to risk losing the other who was the last reminder of her to him.  Reuben (Genesis 37:21) offered the life of his own sons in exchange if they did not bring all back safely, yet Jacob still refused to consider the matter, not wanting to endure more sorrow to his own death by grief.  We see how the murderous plot of the brothers fueled by jealousy now cost them increasingly more, and Reuben who spoke out against the selling of Joseph and deception of his death to their father, even he was remorseful and wanting redemption from his part in not stopping their sin against God and man.  We also will sometimes ask what God has done to us instead of what we have done to ourselves and how He works to redeem us. 

God’s Working for Good and Glory through Adversity

Genesis 42:1-24 

1 When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2 And he said, “Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die.” 3 So Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “Lest some calamity befall him.” 5 And the sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.  6 Now Joseph was governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth. 7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted as a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them. Then he said to them, “Where do you come from?”  And they said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”  8 So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them, and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!”  10 And they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all one man's sons; we are honest men; your servants are not spies.”  12 But he said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”  13 And they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.”
    14 But Joseph said to them, “It is as I spoke to you, saying, ‘You are spies!’ 15 In this manner you shall be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you, and let him bring your brother; and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be tested to see whether there is any truth in you; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies!” 17 So he put them all together in prison three days.  18 Then Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God: 19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses. 20 And bring your youngest brother to me; so your words will be verified, and you shall not die.”  And they did so. 21 Then they said to one another, “We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us.”  22 And Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us.” 23 But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter. 24 And he turned himself away from them and wept. Then he returned to them again, and talked with them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

God’s appointed extensive famine eventually brought Jacob to send ten of his known remaining eleven sons to Egypt to buy food from their brother whom they sold off and who Jacob was led to believe was dead by their treachery.  Joseph as the governor, the head sheaf as it were (Genesis 37:7-8), now had them bowing to his authority.  He was not recognized because of the Egyptian grooming, and because God blinded them to his identity until the time was right and His people were brought there to be multiplied and to suffer (Genesis 15:13-14) for their ultimate good and God’s glory.  Joseph therefore accused them of spying on Egypt as they pleaded with him and said they had lost one brother already (without admitting they were responsible).  He sent them back to bring their other youngest brother, Benjamin, from the same mother as Joseph.  After three days cooling off in prison, he sent them back.  Reuben’s conscience saw their guilt and debt of blood for blood as due atonement.  Joseph heard them speak Hebrew and did not let on, but bound Simeon and kept him there.  We see here how God demands an atonement of death for death, blood to redeem life.  We also see how God’s sovereign grace warned of this whole situation out of their sin to be worked for good through suffering for His ultimate glory. 

Delivered Through Trials to Save Many

Genesis 41:37-57 

37 So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?”  39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”  42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph's hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On. So Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
    46 Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. 47 Now in the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth abundantly. 48 So he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; he laid up in every city the food of the fields which surrounded them. 49 Joseph gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable.  50 And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. 51 Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father's house.” 52 And the name of the second he called Ephraim: “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”  53 Then the seven years of plenty which were in the land of Egypt ended, 54 and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do.” 56 The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt. 57 So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands.

Joseph demonstrated God’s knowledge and wisdom, and was put over all Egypt except for the throne of Pharaoh so that he would administer the storing and later distribution of grain in the prosperous and famine times.  He went from disliked for God’s hand on him by his family to being sold as a slave, to being falsely accused, to such a time as this prepared for him and his people.  Pharaoh even gave him a wife from whom Manasseh and Ephraim were born, signifying forgetfulness of hard times and fruitfulness going forward.  When he had successfully stored grain beyond measuring, the famine hit and the people had food.  Yet the famine extended far beyond Egypt, and those in other countries came to Joseph to buy food also.  God had allowed such suffering to put Joseph in the right place in the right time to save many.  How will He not direct our lives as well for the gospel’s sake to deliver many others eternally?  

God’s Direction Given to be Safe and Secure

Genesis 41:1-36 

1 Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river. 2 Suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. 3 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river. 4 And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke. 5 He slept and dreamed a second time; and suddenly seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, plump and good. 6 Then behold, seven thin heads, blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. 7 And the seven thin heads devoured the seven plump and full heads. So Pharaoh awoke, and indeed, it was a dream. 8 Now it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.
    9 Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: “I remember my faults this day. 10 When Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker, 11 we each had a dream in one night, he and I. Each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. 12 Now there was a young Hebrew man with us there, a servant of the captain of the guard. And we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us; to each man he interpreted according to his own dream. 13 And it came to pass, just as he interpreted for us, so it happened. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.”  14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.” 16 So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”
    17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “Behold, in my dream I stood on the bank of the river. 18 Suddenly seven cows came up out of the river, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. 19 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such ugliness as I have never seen in all the land of Egypt. 20 And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat cows. 21 When they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were just as ugly as at the beginning. So I awoke. 22 Also I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven heads came up on one stalk, full and good. 23 Then behold, seven heads, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. 24 And the thin heads devoured the seven good heads. So I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
    25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do: 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are seven years of famine. 28 This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29 Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; 30 but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land. 31 So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe. 32 And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.  33 “Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. 35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. 36 Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine.”

Two years after Joseph gave God’s interpretation of the dreams of the Pharaoh’s butler and baker, the king of Egypt had his own disturbing set of dreams.  They were of cows and grain, plentiful and lean; each ate the lesser version of itself in the dreams.  He was so troubled by these images that he summoned all the wise men and magicians of his kingdom, but none could tell him what the Pharaoh had dreamed and the meaning.  That is when the chief butler remembered Joseph and his request to talk to the king after being reminded of his own dream and God’s hand in revealing the meaning and its fruition it to Joseph.  Pharaoh brought Joseph from the dungeon and asked him to interpret, but Joseph made it clear that it was not in him but in God to do so.  Pharaoh explained his dreams and how nobody could explain them.  Joseph was given the sense by God and laid out the fact that both dreams were about the same thing; seven good and plentiful years of harvest, and seven extremely lean years of famine to follow.  He was then moved by God to advise the potentate to set an overseer over Egypt and others under him to store away grain in the plentiful seven years to feed the people in the empty seven years to come afterwards.  This reserve of food, this food bank as it were, would keep the nation from perishing.  Here we see God’s straight forward answer to both save a nation and provide for Joseph’s future generations who were to become the chosen nation of Israel.  God gives wisdom in many ways to keep what is His safe and secure from all alarms.  

Dreams Reveal His Sovereign Grace

Genesis 40:1-23 

1 It came to pass after these things that the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief butler and the chief baker. 3 So he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined. 4 And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; so they were in custody for a while. 5 Then the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream, both of them, each man's dream in one night and each man's dream with its own interpretation. 6 And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad. 7 So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in the custody of his lord's house, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?”  8 And they said to him, “We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.”  So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.”
    9 Then the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “Behold, in my dream a vine was before me, 10 and in the vine were three branches; it was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes. 11 Then Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand.”  12 And Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days. 13 Now within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your place, and you will put Pharaoh's cup in his hand according to the former manner, when you were his butler. 14 But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. 15 For indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; and also I have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon.”
    16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, “I also was in my dream, and there were three white baskets on my head. 17 In the uppermost basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.”  18 So Joseph answered and said, “This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days. 19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head from you and hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from you.”   20 Now it came to pass on the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. 21 Then he restored the chief butler to his butlership again, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand. 22 But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

After Joseph had been falsely imprisoned for a while and given charge over other prisoners because God’s hand was on him in wisdom and grace, two others from Pharaoh’s court joined him in the prison.  The head jailer put Joseph in charge of them, and that is when he heard their unsettling dreams.  Joseph stated clearly that interpretation of dreams belongs to God alone, and that He would tell Joseph what they meant if they told them to him.  He also begged them to tell the Pharaoh about how he was kidnapped, sold, and falsely accused that he might be set free from the dungeon.  He interpreted their dreams, one ending in restoration, the other in punishment of death.  Both came true, but the butler who did not do it forgot all about Joseph and did not speak to Pharaoh about him.  We see that our desires to interpret dreams are faulty and presumptuous, but if God tells us what they mean the result will be interpreted in light of His sovereign grace and not our own desired outcomes.  

Trust in Trials, Fleeing Temptation

Genesis 39:1-23 

1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. 5 So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field. 6 Thus he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.
    7 And it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.”  8 But he refused and said to his master's wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. 9 There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”  10 So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.  11 But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, 12 that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. 13 And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, 14 that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.”  16 So she kept his garment with her until his master came home. 17 Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; 18 so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.”
    19 So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, “Your servant did to me after this manner,” that his anger was aroused. 20 Then Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. 23 The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph's authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.

Joseph, sold into slavery by his jealous brothers who were angry at his God-given dreams of ruling over them, found himself in the house of an officer of Pharaoh, King of Egypt.  Everything Joseph put his hand to do was fruitful as if an echo of the command from Eden, and Potiphar noticed and promoted him as if above any normal servant.  He was given control of the officer’s household due to his ability by God’s hand on him.  But because Joseph was a handsome man, Potiphar’s wife tried to get him in bed with her on many occasions.  When they were finally all alone, she grabbed him and pulled off his robe as he wisely fled from her advances, seeing that she was another man’s wife, and he still but a slave.  The spurred woman then falsely accused him and got him thrown in prison with her lies concerning his moral and ethical behavior.  She slandered him and tried to ruin him because she did not get her pleasure from him.  But by God’s mercy and grace, even in prison Joseph was seen to have God’s hand on him, and the head jailer put him over the other prisoners, just as he was in Potiphar’s house.  We see here that God’s hand is sovereign in every situation we find ourselves in, both good and terribly bad.  We also see His hand to make us fruitful in our work and faithful to prosper us when we flee temptations which would only lead to sin if we stayed to dwell on them.  He who honors Him, God will absolutely honor (1 Samuel 2:30), so we dare not dishonor and be lightly esteemed. 

Sin’s Consequences and Redemption

Genesis 38:1-30

1 It came to pass at that time that Judah departed from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah. 2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua, and he married her and went in to her. 3 So she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. 4 She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. 5 And she conceived yet again and bore a son, and called his name Shelah. He was at Chezib when she bore him. 6 Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord killed him. 8 And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother's wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother's wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother. 10 And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; therefore He killed him also.
    11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father's house till my son Shelah is grown.” For he said, “Lest he also die like his brothers.” And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.  12 Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah's wife, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And it was told Tamar, saying, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she took off her widow's garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face. 16 Then he turned to her by the way, and said, “Please let me come in to you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law.  So she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”  17 And he said, “I will send a young goat from the flock.”  So she said, “Will you give me a pledge till you send it?”  18 Then he said, “What pledge shall I give you?  So she said, “Your signet and cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” Then he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 So she arose and went away, and laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood.  20 And Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand, but he did not find her. 21 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, “Where is the harlot who was openly by the roadside?”  And they said, “There was no harlot in this place.”  22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I cannot find her. Also, the men of the place said there was no harlot in this place.”  23 Then Judah said, “Let her take them for herself, lest we be shamed; for I sent this young goat and you have not found her.”
    24 And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah was told, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; furthermore she is with child by harlotry.”  So Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!”  25 When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these belong, I am with child.” And she said, “Please determine whose these are—the signet and cord, and staff.”  26 So Judah acknowledged them and said, “She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he never knew her again.
    27 Now it came to pass, at the time for giving birth, that behold, twins were in her womb. 28 And so it was, when she was giving birth, that the one put out his hand; and the midwife took a scarlet thread and bound it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, “How did you break through? This breach be upon you!” Therefore his name was called Perez. 30 Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand. And his name was called Zerah.

Judah left his brothers after the Joseph incident, and married a local woman who bore him three sons, and one had taken a wife also so that Judah should have had a grandchild.  But his son Er was so evil that God took him off the earth.  His brother refused to complete his duty to bring a child to his dead brother and God took his life as that which Onan spilled on the ground in spite.  Judah promised his third son to Er’s widow Tamar when he was old enough (he was the youngest), but failed to keep that promise when he grew up.  Therefore Tamar disguised herself as a harlot to get Judah himself to give her children; when he found out that she was pregnant and unwed, he would have killed her until he found out he was ultimately to blame for the deception by not keeping his promise to her.  “She has been more righteous than I” was his response.  The twins that Tamar had from Judah fought for firstborn status coming out of the womb, and Perez who prevailed was mentioned well later in the book of Ruth (Ruth 4:12, 18-22) as part of the lineage of King David.  Here we observe how evil actions can lead to death, how sinful actions can have unexpected consequences, and how God can redeem and use us in spite of our lack of faithfulness. 

God’s Sovereign Control over our Sinful Decisions

Genesis 37:12-36 

12 Then his brothers went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.”  So he said to him, “Here I am.”  14 Then he said to him, “Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.” So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem.  15 Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, “What are you seeking?”  16 So he said, “I am seeking my brothers. Please tell me where they are feeding their flocks.”  17 And the man said, “They have departed from here, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan.
    18 Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. 19 Then they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming! 20 Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!”  21 But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.  23 So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. 24 Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.
    25 And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. 26 So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.  29 Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes. 30 And he returned to his brothers and said, “The lad is no more; and I, where shall I go?”  31 So they took Joseph's tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. 32 Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son's tunic or not?”  33 And he recognized it and said, “It is my son's tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. 35 And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.” Thus his father wept for him.   36 Now the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.

Joseph was sent by Jacob to his brothers tending his flock in Shechem, but found they had moved to Dothan, so he went there.  Even before he arrived, as his brothers saw him coming a long way off, they conspired to kill the dreamer.  They assumed Joseph made up the dreams to make himself the favored child or to look better than them, and they were livid with hate towards Joseph.  Little did the brothers know that the dreams were God’s message of what was to come in their deliverance through Joseph’s exaltation.  They grabbed him, tore off his coat of many colors, and threw him in a dry pit instead of murdering him.  Then they left Joseph to die until selling him instead to a wandering group of Ishmaelites (Arabs).  Reuben who had dissuaded his brothers from killing Joseph was not there, so when he came back to get him and return him to Jacob, Joseph was gone.  The torn coat was then further colored with the blood of a goat to cover their sin and was given to Jacob on their return.  They spun a tale of wild animals killing Joseph to cover their sin with goat’s blood, but it did not atone for what they had done, and it also greatly grieved Jacob for the loss of a beloved son.  But Joseph was sold to the Pharaoh’s captain of the guard as a slave.  Here we see that sin cannot be covered with the blood of goats and denial of what we do against each other, yet also how God is completely in sovereign control at all times; He does not wait for us to make a move and then scramble to fix our bad decisions, for He leads and guides us even as we sin to the outcome of His celestial plan. 

Sovereign Assurance in Trying Situations

Genesis 37:1-11 

1 Now Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2 This is the history of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father.  3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.
    5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. 6 So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: 7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.”  8 And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.  9 Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”  10 So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” 11 And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

Jacob called Israel was settled in Canaan with his children when the trouble began.  His youngest, Joseph, the only one besides Benjamin born of Rachel, told on his brothers who were sons of other mothers.  Since Israel loved him more as the one who reminded him of his most-loved wife who died giving birth to Benjamin the youngest.  The other sons hated their brother for pointing out their bad behavior, and the dreams God gave Joseph put them over the edge against this younger appearing to are himself their better.  The first dream made him the master sheaf over the others bowing to him, and the second with the sun and moon and stars indicated his parents and brothers all bowing down to serve Joseph.  His father rebuked him, yet still mulled over what this could mean; he most likely acknowledged God’s work in bringing these visions to his son, and therefore waited to see if they came true.  Now we know that God rarely uses dreams to reveal what He is going to do, but when He does we see the results from His word as our examples.  These are to show what He is about to accomplish according to His predetermined plan.  This assurance of His sovereignty gives peace and comfort when the situations look bleak around us.  We can absolutely rest in hope and trust on His plans for good.

Ruled by Kings, or the King of Kings?

Genesis 36:20-43 

20 These were the sons of Seir the Horite who inhabited the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the chiefs of the Horites, the sons of Seir, in the land of Edom.  22 And the sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam. Lotan's sister was Timna.  23 These were the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.  24 These were the sons of Zibeon: both Ajah and Anah. This was the Anah who found the water in the wilderness as he pastured the donkeys of his father Zibeon. 25 These were the children of Anah: Dishon and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah.  26 These were the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 27 These were the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. 28 These were the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.  29 These were the chiefs of the Horites: Chief Lotan, Chief Shobal, Chief Zibeon, Chief Anah, 30 Chief Dishon, Chief Ezer, and Chief Dishan. These were the chiefs of the Horites, according to their chiefs in the land of Seir.
   31 Now these were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel: 32 Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom, and the name of his city was Dinhabah. 33 And when Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place. 34 When Jobab died, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. 35 And when Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad, who attacked Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his place. And the name of his city was Avith. 36 When Hadad died, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place. 37 And when Samlah died, Saul of Rehoboth-by-the-River reigned in his place. 38 When Saul died, Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place. 39 And when Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor died, Hadar reigned in his place; and the name of his city was Pau. His wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.   40 And these were the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their families and their places, by their names: Chief Timnah, Chief Alvah, Chief Jetheth, 41 Chief Aholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon, 42 Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar, 43 Chief Magdiel, and Chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their dwelling places in the land of their possession. Esau was the father of the Edomites.

Names are listed for several reasons; one is to keep track of who was related to whom, another is to remind us how God upholds His promises, and another is to give insight into peoples not of God and their end.  The sons of Seir of the Horites are named so we know who Edom later wipes out in battle; otherwise, we would not know who they were nor why they were later killed.  Those of Edom, descendants of Esau, are shown to move from a loosely-governed group of tribes to setting up kings to rule over them.  It is interesting that it is mentioned that this was before Israel had Kong’s ruling over them.  The sons of promise through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were given God’s rule, while those of Edom were prospered outside of being a chosen people, and ruled over themselves.  The lesson shows us that God is our King for those He calls out as His people, no matter what rulers are given by Him over us. 

Edom’s Esau and the Purpose of Genealogies

Genesis 36:1-19
1 Now this is the genealogy of Esau, who is Edom. 2 Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite; Aholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite; 3 and Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebajoth. 4 Now Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, and Basemath bore Reuel. 5 And Aholibamah bore Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah. These were the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan. 6 Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the persons of his household, his cattle and all his animals, and all his goods which he had gained in the land of Canaan, and went to a country away from the presence of his brother Jacob. 7 For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together, and the land where they were strangers could not support them because of their livestock. 8 So Esau dwelt in Mount Seir. Esau is Edom. 
    9 And this is the genealogy of Esau the father of the Edomites in Mount Seir. 10 These were the names of Esau's sons: Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, and Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau. 11 And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.  12 Now Timna was the concubine of Eliphaz, Esau's son, and she bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These were the sons of Adah, Esau's wife.  13 These were the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife.  14 These were the sons of Aholibamah, Esau's wife, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon. And she bore to Esau: Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah.
    15 These were the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn son of Esau, were Chief Teman, Chief Omar, Chief Zepho, Chief Kenaz, 16 Chief Korah, Chief Gatam, and Chief Amalek. These were the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom. They were the sons of Adah.  17 These were the sons of Reuel, Esau's son: Chief Nahath, Chief Zerah, Chief Shammah, and Chief Mizzah. These were the chiefs of Reuel in the land of Edom. These were the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife.  18 And these were the sons of Aholibamah, Esau's wife: Chief Jeush, Chief Jaalam, and Chief Korah. These were the chiefs who descended from Aholibamah, Esau's wife, the daughter of Anah. 19 These were the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these were their chiefs.

Unlike his brother Jacob who married within God’s people, Esau married from outside the children of promised, the idolatrous of Canaan.  They both were materially fruitful, enough so that Esau packed everything and everyone up and moved to Mount Seir, which became known as Edom as we see later when the freed nation of Israel left Egypt and came into the promised land following forty years of desert wandering.  Esau’s genealogy is recorded here for those coming back later to not destroy Jacob’s brother’s descendants as they conquered those inhabiting Israel’s land in the future.  These long lists of names are evidence of great use in these matters.   We see also how genealogies proved the human side of Christ’s lineage back to Adam as the God-man Messiah as well.  They are not for other supposed spiritual pursuits of pride, position, or special knowledge (1 Timothy 1:4, Titus 3:9) which only lead to endless arguments. 

True to God’s Calling by Faith

Genesis 35:16-29 

16 Then they journeyed from Bethel. And when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel labored in childbirth, and she had hard labor. 17 Now it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said to her, “Do not fear; you will have this son also.” 18 And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin. 19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 And Jacob set a pillar on her grave, which is the pillar of Rachel's grave to this day.   21 Then Israel journeyed and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.
    22 And it happened, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine; and Israel heard about it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: 23 the sons of Leah were Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; 24 the sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin; 25 the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant, were Dan and Naphtali; 26 and the sons of Zilpah, Leah's maidservant, were Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Padan Aram.
    27 Then Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had dwelt. 28 Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. 29 So Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

When Jacob and Rachel left Bethel she gave birth to Benjamin, but died from the difficult birth.  After burying her and marking her grave, he continued on his journey, led by God.  Their twelve sons were all there, and already sin crept in with Reuben fornicating with his father Jacob’s concubine.  Jacob still moves on until he came to Hebron where his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham had lived.  Jacob finally died there after reaching one hundred and eighty years old, and his sons buried him.  The journey and struggles to the land promised were many, but these all died in faith, knowing God would multiply them with His covenant of blessing.  They suffered, sinned, trusted, and died in hope for the future, never giving up on God nor their calling to follow.  Neither must we. 

Hiding Sin or Turning from it?

Genesis 35:1-15 

1 Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.” 2 And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments. 3 Then let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have gone.” 4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree which was by Shechem.   5 And they journeyed, and the terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. 6 So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him. 7 And he built an altar there and called the place El Bethel, because there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother.  8 Now Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the terebinth tree. So the name of it was called Allon Bachuth.
    9 Then God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Padan Aram, and blessed him. 10 And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.” So He called his name Israel. 11 Also God said to him: “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. 12 The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land.” 13 Then God went up from him in the place where He talked with him. 14 So Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it. 15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel.

Jacob left after they took revenge on Dinah, and they came to the place named the house of God, Bethel.  He was commanded to go there to live and worship at the very place where God showed Himself to Jacob as he ran from his brother’s vengeance before for taking the right and blessings of the firstborn from him (which was despised by Esau and sold for a bowl of food, by the way).  Jacob told all with him to get rid of the false gods, which they did by burying them - but looking closely we see Jacob took and hid them, he did not dispose of them with the intent never to look on them again.  Hiding sin is not the same as turning from it.  God had gone before them on their journey to put His fear in the lands they were led through until they arrived at Bethel in Canaan.  There he built the altar of worship and God appeared again to bless him and renamed him Israel.  There he was told by Almighty God to be fruitful and fill the earth as Adam was once commanded, and he was promised the land of Abraham and Isaac for their descendants forever.  After God had so talked with Israel, He left and Israel set up a pillar of worship and remembrance with a drink offering poured out as he would pour himself out for His God in the years to follow.  This was the place of God’s house where he met Him, Beth El.  We should learn not to hide sin away under a tree but trust God’s promises and live in obedience and unfeigned holiness, with worship of thanksgiving as we pour out our lives for the One who did so for us on the cross!  

Sinful Self Justice

Genesis 34:18-31

18 And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor's son. 19 So the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob's daughter. He was more honorable than all the household of his father.  20 And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city, and spoke with the men of their city, saying: 21 “These men are at peace with us. Therefore let them dwell in the land and trade in it. For indeed the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters to us as wives, and let us give them our daughters. 22 Only on this condition will the men consent to dwell with us, to be one people: if every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised. 23 Will not their livestock, their property, and every animal of theirs be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us.” 24 And all who went out of the gate of his city heeded Hamor and Shechem his son; every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.
   25 Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males. 26 And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem's house, and went out. 27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because their sister had been defiled. 28 They took their sheep, their oxen, and their donkeys, what was in the city and what was in the field, 29 and all their wealth. All their little ones and their wives they took captive; and they plundered even all that was in the houses.  30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have troubled me by making me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and since I am few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, my household and I.”   31 But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a harlot?”

Shechem wanted Dinah so much that he allowed himself to be circumcised right away to gain her as wife.  He had at least that much honor as a man, the most of his family it appears, to marry the woman he violated and to be circumcised to try to fit in.  Ah, but circumcision without faith in Israel’s God did no good before Him.  We see this in Hamor again telling his people to accept Jacob’s family and intermarry with them, not understanding nor agreeing with God’s command to the contrary.  When all Hamor’s family was in pain from the circumcision after three days, Dinah’s brothers swooped in and killed Shechem, his father, and all the family’s males as revenge for the rape of Dinah their sister.  They further plundered the city who supported Shechem, but Jacob was fearful of retribution from others in that country.  The sons retorted that their sister should not have been abused as a harlot to justify taking justice in their own vengeful hands.  We see again how sin often brings out sinful reactions in others who do not allow God to take vengeance instead (Deuteronomy 32:35, Romans 12:19, Hebrews 10:30).  When we see injustice, our anger must give way to the law of the land in whose hand government lies to deal with sin and crimes, knowing they are God’s ministers of justice (Romans 13:1-4). 

Vengeance for Injustice?

Genesis 34:1-17 

1 Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. 2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her, and violated her. 3 His soul was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke kindly to the young woman. 4 So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this young woman as a wife.” 5 And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his livestock in the field; so Jacob held his peace until they came. 6 Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7 And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved and very angry, because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, a thing which ought not to be done. 8 But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife. 9 And make marriages with us; give your daughters to us, and take our daughters to yourselves. 10 So you shall dwell with us, and the land shall be before you. Dwell and trade in it, and acquire possessions for yourselves in it.”
    11 Then Shechem said to her father and her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. 12 Ask me ever so much dowry and gift, and I will give according to what you say to me; but give me the young woman as a wife.”  13 But the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father, and spoke deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. 14 And they said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a reproach to us. 15 But on this condition we will consent to you: If you will become as we are, if every male of you is circumcised, 16 then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us; and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. 17 But if you will not heed us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and be gone.”

Jacob’s daughter was raped by the prince of the land where Jacob settled; he saw her and violated her against God’s law and for his own pleasure.  Then he covered it up with a declaration of love (though forcing himself on her is hardly true love).  Jacob heard of it, but did not tell her brothers right away until Shechem’s father Hamor spoke with Jacob.  Then they were infuriated at the disgraceful act.  Hamor tried to make it legitimate by asking Dinah as wife for his son to intermarry and be fruitful as part of those not of God’s people.  Therefore the sons of Jacob, her brothers, lured him in by first demanding that he be circumcised as if to be joined to God’s people (but it was a deception).  They also told him that all his people must do this before they could live together as one.  If he disagreed, there would be no wedding.  Here we see vengeance against the unrighteous by taking God’s justice in hand instead of letting God first tell them to do so or to allow God Himself to intervene.  How often we see injustice and jump in with further injustice as if we were seated on His throne.  This is why God gave us civil governments and laws to keep even well deserved retribution out of individuals’ hands. 

Reconciliation Cannot be Bought

Genesis 33:1-20 

1 Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. 2 And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. 4 But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, “Who are these with you?”  So he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and bowed down. 7 And Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed down.  8 Then Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company which I met?”  And he said, “These are to find favor in the sight of my lord.”  9 But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.”  10 And Jacob said, “No, please, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present from my hand, inasmuch as I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me. 11 Please, take my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” So he urged him, and he took it.  12 Then Esau said, “Let us take our journey; let us go, and I will go before you.”  13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are weak, and the flocks and herds which are nursing are with me. And if the men should drive them hard one day, all the flock will die. 14 Please let my lord go on ahead before his servant. I will lead on slowly at a pace which the livestock that go before me, and the children, are able to endure, until I come to my lord in Seir.”  15 And Esau said, “Now let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.”  But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, built himself a house, and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
    18 Then Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan Aram; and he pitched his tent before the city. 19 And he bought the parcel of land, where he had pitched his tent, from the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for one hundred pieces of money. 20 Then he erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel.

Jacob finally comes limping back to his brother Esau.  Because Esau had four hundred with him, Jacob split up his family and entourage into groups, presumably to save some if attacked.  “But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.”  Jacob’s fears were not justified, no matter what happened in the past; they were still brothers, and the greeting proved that.  Jacob had to urge his brother to accept his gifts of reconciliation, and finally Esau accepted them (though he had enough himself already).  Then Jacob finished his journey alone, built a house, and set up booths, naming the place Booths (Succoth).  Thereafter he came to Shechem in Canaan and bought land there, building an altar of worship called God, the God of Israel after his new name and called identity.  We learn here that reconciliation takes the heart of another, and not on what we offer to buy it with.  We also see that God’s grace deserves worship and thanksgiving for all He leads us through.