From Eden to Egypt- Day 49

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. 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.’ So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ 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.”- Genesis 46:31-34 (NKJV)

Joseph did something with his family that many in Western culture may not be able to relate in recent generations.  Too many of us may be so far removed from our families being immigrants that we have no real understanding of what it took to be outsiders in a new land.  Upton Sinclair conveyed the concept in his classic The Jungle  and John Steinbeck shared a similar story in The Grapes of Wrath.  Immigrants have long come into lands of opportunity, willing to do the work that others regarded as below them.

 
Joseph Advised His Family: He shared with them and spoke them.  He gave them advice from having some experience from being in the land during the recent "lean years" and before then.  He had some understanding and insight into how the Egyptians viewed shepherds.  Joseph shared what he knew and understood about the culture and circumstances that his family was embarking on living within at that time.

He offered keen advice to his family members on how they would be viewed by the Egyptians.  He seems to have gathered them together before they unloaded their carts.  It is like seeing the Joads packed altogether with their belongings piled up on their Model A Ford in the 1940 classic film "The Grapes of Wrath" inspired by Steinbeck's novel.  Most probably, Joseph huddled his family together to speak in a hushed voice or with whispers of wisdom in order to make sure that everyone was on the same page. 

He coached them on what to say.  He prepared them for being called before the king of Egypt.  He wanted to ensure that all of his people had their stories straight before they ever encountered or interacted with Pharaoh or any of his other officials.  He wanted to make sure that no one made a mistake or brought about any trouble due to ignorance of what they had come into when they entered into Egypt.

Joseph Advocated for His Family:  Joseph stated that he would vouch for them.  He shared with his family that he would inform Pharaoh of their arrival and their occupation.  He would alert Pharaoh so that the king would not be taken by surprise when he discovered that more foreigners had arrived in his land.

He would speak up for his family in the royal court and share what they all did for a living.  Joseph had a prominent position and could share such information with Pharaoh without the ruler feeling that these outsiders would present a threat to his kingdom.

In The Jungle, that is how the newcomers were able to join other family members in the factories and mills after their arrival into the city.  When you watch "Fiddler on the Roof," Tevye and his family are forced out of the land with other Jews during the Russian Revolution and, just like many other characters in the play, they plan on going to America where other relatives have settled.  The Joads were viewed as Okies and met obstacles in their travels as they sought to escape the dust bowls of Oklahoma and find work in California.  In many cases, foreigners, immigrants and refugees face opposing forces upon their entry into a new place.

Joseph Assured His Family: Based upon his position, Joseph was able to assure his family that they would live in Goshen as shepherds.  They would be able to herd their livestock.  Even though every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians, they would be able to tend to their flocks freely in Goshen. 

These people would be able to practice their trade in this new land.  The occupants of the land would not care for them,according to Joseph, due to their occupation.  Yet, they would not bother them either.

Joseph gathered his family together to inform them.  He brought them together to prepare them.  He huddled them together to coach them.  He did all of this to protect and support them.

Look at Joseph's family leadership example.  He did not seek to usurp any authority from his father.  He did not claim to stand in the stead of his eldest brother.  He did not seek to break any cultural traditions or forsake any religious practices.  He simply spoke up and shared some advice that could help his family survive in a foreign land. 

We sure could use a reminder of how to do likewise these days.

From Eden to Egypt Day 48

3Then 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. 4And 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. 5But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6For 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. 7And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8So 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.

-Genesis 45:3-8 ( NKJV )

Joseph took his brothers through some hoops before revealing his identity to them.  He gave them grain,but told them not to return without their other brother, Benjamin. He played a trick on them and had them returned to his presence for questioning.  He used some deceptive measures in dealing with them.

He could have done more and worse.

Finally, Joseph cannot contain himself.  He orders everyone else out of the room, leaving him alone with his brothers.  He reveals his true identity.  He addressesthe elephant in the room before going any further.  He tels them to have no fear of him.  He assures them that God has ordained things to happen as they did in order to position him in Egypt.  He appears to be content with all that has transpired.

 

Joseph's brothers had every right to fear him.  He was sold into slavery by them.  The Bible doesn't say how they got hold of him.It doesn't tell us if Judah or one of the others grabbed the coat from him as the others pounced upon him.  We are not given the gross details of the incident.  However, I believe that the scenes of that incident played back in the minds of those men as they stood before Joseph that day. 

I figure that these guys probably trembled with fear.  Despite all of Joseph's assurances, these men had every reason to legitimately fear their own brother.  They probably felt that Joseph was ready to take full advantage of them and lord over them.  They probably realized how real his dreams had become on that day.

Reciprocity is one of those things that arises when we least expect it.  It comes about when we have let our guard down and we think that we have gotten away with whatever it is that we have done.  We believe that all is good until it shows up.  It borders somewhere between de ja vu and karma.  That's when we somehow catch our breath and simply submit to the will of God in whatever the situation.

Live without guilt and regrets.  Don't make the mistakes of these young men.  Just when they think that their plot has worked out for them, Joseph appears alive and in a position of power.  You don't know what the future holds for you or anyone else.  Your best bet would be to hold to the Golden Rule, live up to the first commandment and uphold the Law of Christ which is love.  Otherwise, you would have to watch your back every single waking moment of every single day.  Payback could be around the corner.  Fear and anxiety can wear you out and wear you down.  You don't have to live in fear.  Just live right.  Live right now.

From Eden to Egypt- - Day 47

Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.
- Genesis 42:6 (NIV)

Did you remember that Joseph had a dream? Yeah.  I am talking about the dream that he shared with his brothers.  That's the one.  In verse 4, it says that they hated him and couldn't find a good thing to say about him.  then, in verse 5, it escalates a notch and it says that they "hated him even more."  Yet, when you get to verse 8, it ends with these words: So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. 

Their hate went so far as to hate the dreamer, his dreams, and his words.  These were his blood, his family, and his brothers.  Yet, they hated him.  Imagine the unsettled hostility at the dinner table.  Think about how their seething hatred towards him must have kept growing as he talked among them.  They truly hated Joseph.

Fast forward some years and enter into Genesis 42.  A famine strikes the land of Canaan.  No Burt Lancaster cannot come into the land of Canaan with his dividing rod and find water buried beneath the earth.  Jacob directs his sons to do something to preserve their family, seeking grain in Egypt.  So, when this band of brothers arrive, minus their "dead" brother and Jacob's other favored son Benjamin, the find the man who has charge over all of the grain in the land.  They come to that man and bow their heads.

Joseph's dream came true.  He may not have been ready for it, but it came true.  He may not have thought that his day would involve an interaction with those who had told his father that he was dead, but it came upon him in an instant.  Joseph's dream came true as he stood over his brothers who bowed and prostrated themselves with their faces to the ground before him.

Take note that others may despise and hate you all that they want to, but you don't have to buy into it.  You don't have to do the same.  You can uphold the Golden Rule, doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Set yourself apart from the fray and the ruckus of low level thinking and behavior.  Be a model of patience and obedience for others.  Surely, as we see with Joseph, your day will come.  Hopefully, you will be able to say like Joseph: So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.