well, initially, as i look back at the beginning of chapter 43, the first thought that comes to mind is my grocery shopping pattern. lol... jacob said to his sons in v 2..."go back, buy us a little food." in our culture today...or more specifically in the reid household...this could mean running by the store on the way home and picking up enough for all six of us to eat lunch...for these men and their families it meant enough grain to feed their families/animals...for months. culture and context differences make my brain hurt sometimes when i think of the days of jacob and joseph....
--old testament understanding--
the record of all of this/the interaction of joseph with his brothers (from the time he was sold into slavery until they came to buy grain in egypt/and later to live in goshen), their reconciliation, and God's provision for them/actually takes more narrative space in genesis (with brief narrative side-stories) than the "primeval history" from adam to the tower of babel...please don't misunderstand...not that it was more important...just significant enough for a lot of detail...and for the chapters committed to telling the whole story.
we thought about forgiveness as we studied the reunion of jacob and esau in chapter 33. joseph's story gives another moment for pause as we have read...even in detail...of joseph's great emotion and forgiveness of his brothers. this is a THEME in scripture! we will see it soooo much in the new testament. it is a command...and it is necessary to be forgiven (see matt. 6:14-15).
as we read through chapters 43-45...joseph seemed to be manipulating circumstances...by holding simeon hostage/hiding his cup in benjamin's sack/etc...and maybe stalling?...until he could work up the courage? (i wonder if it was a courage issue or just timing...?) to tell his brothers who he was and find a way to be able to see his father again (of course, this was all in God's plan). the beautiful emotion-filled drama of his confession, "i am your brother joseph"...is illustrative of joseph's heart.
then, chapters 46-50 record the details of jacob's move to egypt and the account of his twelve sons. i definitely want to draw attention to jacob/israel's confession of faith as he blessed joseph in chapter 48, verses 15-16. especially note 15b and 16a, "the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless...." jacob had been renamed israel...and israel...the name of God's people for generations...this faith being characteristic of this blessed man and the peoples named for him... significant.
--personal thoughts--
more concluding thoughts on genesis and much blogging about exodus...to be posted this weekend as well...love to you. i am soooo pensive and heart-moved to be able to read and study God's moving and His heart in the old testament. i am prayerful for you as i take breaks throughout the weekend to pray...asking Him to speak (looking to scripture to hear)....
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