My Summary
Ch. 45: Joseph could not longer control his emotions. So he sent everyone away and told his brothers who he was. They were terrified, but Joseph assured them that God had used their evil for good. God had sent Joseph to Egypt to be able to save them. Joseph sends the brothers back to bring Jacob and the family to live in Goshen in Egypt. He gives them many gifts as proof for Jacob that Joseph is still alive. Pharaoh heard about Joseph's brothers and repeated the invitation to come live in Egypt. At first Jacob does not believe, but finally is convinced and decides to head to Egypt. Ch. 46: On the way to Egypt, Jacob stops at Beersheba where God appears to him and supports the move to Egypt. God promises that He will make Jacob into a nation there and that Joseph would be with Jacob when he dies. The next several verses list the sons and grandsons of Jacob. Jacob sends Judah ahead to get directions to Goshen. Joseph takes off in his chariot to meet his father. Joseph instructs his family to emphasize to Pharaoh that they are shepherds.
Random Historical Things
1. We do not know for sure where the land of Goshen, which Joseph promises to Jacob's family, is in Egypt. Most archaeologists believe it is in Northern Egypt in the Nile River Delta.
2. Joseph tells his family that the Egyptians despised shepherds. We do not have any other historical data to confirm this. It does not mean it is not true, but it is also possible that Joseph meant "shepherds that aren't Egyptians," since historical documents do show the Egyptians looked down on those from other countries.
And So What We Have Learned Applies to Our Lives Today...
1. Joseph's speech to his brothers is a great example of the doctrine of God's sovereignty and the doctrine of human responsibility. Joseph tells his brothers that even though they meant to do evil, God used it for good. Good and bad circumstances are part of God's plan. Although God is not the author of evil, He is the One who ordains everything that happens. It is not just that He sees when people do bad and works around it, but their evil is part of His plan to glorify Himself and save sinful humans. However, the brothers could not say, "Well it was God's plan, so we did nothing wrong." We as humans still have responsibility for what we do! The brothers still suffered dearly for what they did. So God's sovereignty and man's responsibility exist side by side. It may sound confusing, but it is present all throughout the Bible. So we must try our best to always do right, but at the same time be secure in the knowledge that we can not mess up God's plan!
2. Abraham was a wanderer for a hundred years. He never settled down and was always a stranger in the land. When Isaac thought he would settle down, a famine forced him to wander once more in a foreign land. Jacob was in Haran for 20 years, and when he returned he tried to settle down. Then another famine sends Jacob's family to Egypt where they will be aliens for 430 years. There is a lesson there from the Patriarchs. The Promised Land is before them, but until then they are foreigners and strangers in a land not their own. In the same way, we are aliens and strangers in this world. Our home is in front of us, but we are not there yet! Let us not get too homey here with the world! Our home is yet to come! 1 Peter 1:1, 1 Peter 2:11
3. Finally we see Joseph's forgiveness of his brothers. He was in a position to pay them back, and he welcome them with tears and hugs! In the same way, we should not only forgive those who wrong us, but be ready to restore them.
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