Week 4 Day 4 Reunited

Genesis 44 and 45

When we left Joseph yesterday, he was hanging out with his brothers, eating dinner. Well, they were in the same place, but the brothers had to sit at another table and all. Hebrews and Egyptians didn't mix typically. At least while eating.

It was time for the brothers to leave. Can't you just feel the excitement building. Joseph needed a plan. He needed to figure out how to tell his brothers the truth without just coming out and saying it.

The brothers headed out of town, only to be stopped by some of Joseph's servants. The servants accuse the brothers of stealing from their "master".

The brothers of course protest. "Don't you remember we brought back the money that mysteriously ended up in our bags last time? Why would we teal from you now? If we did, just kill that guy and have the rest of us be slaves."

Predictably, at least for Joseph's men who knew what was going on (or at least this part of it), the servants found a cup, a silver one at that, of Joseph's in Benjamin's bag.

Poor Benjamin.

The baby brother always gets the raw end of the deal.

So back to Egypt they all go.

As soon as the brothers see Joseph, they are bowing to the ground, on their knees, begging.

Again, it sounds like a dream someone I knew had...

Joseph toys with the men. He suggests he should just keep Benjamin as a slave.

The brothers protest.

And they come clean. Well, Judah does.

Partly. They don't quite explain the whole throwing in the well thing, but they admit that their father has never quite recovered from the demise of his son, and that losing Benjamin would be too much for their father's heart. So Judah pleads for Joseph (or rather to him just the great ruler, second in command) to please, please, pretty please, keep him and not Benjamin.

This moment takes my breath away.

Joseph was SO overwhelmed with emotion, he asked his servants to leave the room. He cried. He wailed. So loudly that Pharaoh's household heard him. I wonder what they were thinking?

He told the brothers who he was. I love this. They just sat there. They were scared and didn't move a muscle. They were speechless.

Joseph says, "Come closer to me."

This time they did. And they listened.

This part just amazes me.

Joseph doesn't start spouting off angry words (which I would have been SO tempted to do). He doesn't launch into a pity party. He doesn't even say, "What the heck were you thinking?" Sorry, I do use that word sometimes...heck that is.

All he said was that the brothers did not send him to Egypt. God did. God had a plan. God knew that his own family would need to be saved one day.

This is why he is one of my favorite people in the Bible.

Wow.

I want to be like that.

I want to have a forgiving heart.

I want to know that even if I end up in a place where I don't feel like I belong, God put me there.

I am not there yet.

Hmmm. I have a few things to ponder...

Reba
Tomorrow's reading: Genesis 46-47