epcblog

Devotional thoughts (Monday through Thursday mornings) from the pastor of Exeter Presbyterian Church in Exeter, NH // Sunday Worship 10:30am // 73 Winter Street

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Genesis 45


God had accomplished what was necessary in this painful interaction between Joseph and his brothers. Judah was true to his pledge to stand as a substitute for the beloved young son of Jacob, Benjamin. This willing service is very close to the heart of God, who gave Jesus as our Substitute. God moved the heart of Joseph to the point where the great man could no longer control himself. He ordered all the servants out of the room and revealed himself to his brothers.

I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” His brothers were overwhelmed and even terrified at his presence. Joseph knew, and he drew them near. This is what God does to us through our Redeemer. He knows our fears, and He brings us close.

Joseph does not hide the facts. He says, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.” But then he ministers comfort to them by explaining the divine purpose behind their evil deed: God brought Joseph to Egypt to save lives. We know that our sins brought Christ to the cross, but in the gracious purpose of God, Jesus died on the cross in order to provide for our eternal life. When God reminds us of His plan of grace, the honest and horrific fact of our sin must melt away in the presence of the glory of God's goodness in what lies ahead of us.

Joseph is able to see past the Ishmaelites, Potiphar's wife, the cupbearer's forgetfulness, and the strange drama of Joseph's secret identity in the face of his worshiping brothers. He sees the hand of God working out a divine purpose. What a gift to be able to see the Lord! He not only sees God through the clouds; he speaks to the very brothers who wronged him to help them to see the Lord's grace for them.

Like the great man in Luke 15 who catches a glimpse of his lost boy coming to him from afar, Joseph has no interest in dwelling upon his brothers' sins. He has more important business that he needs them to attend to right away. “Hurry and go up to my father.” This is his concernthe father who loves himJacob, who almost died from the false word of his Joseph's death. He has a word for his father, “Thus says your son Joseph, 'God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry.'”

Just as Joseph loves his father, and even more, Jesus loves His Father and has proven His love by laying down His life for our sake. When the time came for His work on earth to be completed, Jesus was eager to return home to His Father in heaven. But the Lord's long-term plan is not to have us all go with Him to heaven just to stay there. Our heavenly stay is a temporary solution to the problem that came upon this world in Adam's sin. God's intention is for the Father and His entire heavenly family to come here to dwell with us forever without sin or death.

At the Joseph stage of God's larger story, we have Jacob going to Egypt with all that he has and settling in the land of Goshen. But when God's great story is fulfilled, He will come here and transform everything. Until then, for a little while, it is appropriate for us to go to Him in heaven while we wait for the fulfillment of His perfect plan. Surely there is much good for us to do above as we prepare everything for the return of the Lord to the earth. Even now we have a few moments in these very brief lives that we spend here below to seek the glory of God and His kingdom.

Joseph tells his brothers to speak to their father Jacob about his glories in Egypt. Perhaps we should find a place in our prayers to speak to our heavenly Father about the glory of His Son. As we gaze upon His face in the Word, and as we discover more of the unsearchable riches of Christ, we should sing about these glories to our great God. The wonder of Jesus and His kingdom should stir our hearts deeply, and our lips should be filled with His praise.

It is this great and honest jubilation that can have an impact on both the church and the world. The news of what happened with Joseph and his brothers reached the ears of Pharaoh, and it pleased him and his servants. Joseph had made a good name for himself in Egypt. Why should we not have a good name all over the earth? We are the people of Jesus Christ, and we want to do good everywhere. Jesus is able to lead us into great works that should cause many to be glad.

Pharaoh wanted to help Joseph in the reunion between Joseph and his father. Is it possible that many in the world might love to see the goodness and order that the church is bringing to their lands, and would actually be happy to assist us in the work that God has for us here below? This can happen. Others may give us the “carts” that speed up that work. Many are eager to welcome literacy workers who will eventually translate the Scriptures into the languages of their lands. They should be happy. Nothing could be better than to have the people of any nation come to know the truth about God.

But we will not have this kind of testimony among our neighbors if we quarrel with each other all the time. Joseph felt obliged to instruct His brothers, “Do not quarrel on the way.” This is good advice. We cannot glorify God and fight with each other. We need to love one another from the heart.

The Father will happily receive our true praise as we discover that Jesus is alive. Jacob was blessed to hear these words: “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” Will our Father in heaven love our boasting in Christ and His grace any less than Jacob rejoiced in the good news of his son? Rejoice in the Lord always and live at peace in the church and, as much as it depends upon you, in the world.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Genesis 44


The sons of Jacob have enjoyed a meal together for the first time in years. Even Joseph is with them, though the other brothers are not aware of this fact yet. The divine drama continues now. Their money is again secretly hidden in the sacks of Jacob's son, but now Joseph has ordered that one very valuable cup be put into Benjamin's sack. Joseph will use this to make it appear that Benjamin is a thief. This is what it will take to bring about something beautiful that the Lord wants us to learn as we read this account today.

When the brothers set off in their journey, they have no inkling of what is about to take place. As the steward of Joseph's house catches up with the men and makes his master's accusation, the brothers are so sure that none of them have stolen anything that they say, “Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my lord's servants.”

The steward restates and reduces the penalty that was suggested: “Let it be as you say: he who is found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent.” No one is going to die here, and only the one who has stolen something, the apparent guilty party, will be held responsible. They all quickly lower their sacks so that they can be searched and vindicated. And then it happens. Joseph's valuable silver cup is found in Benjamin's sack. Of course it is. It was planted there, but the brothers don't know that. They are distraught, and all of them return to the city.

It is Judah who must now step forward. It is the ancestor of Jesus who must bring the good word before Israel's secret son, Joseph. He hears the accusation from the lips of the great Egyptian leader himself, the man who is actually the brother they sold into slavery so long ago. Joseph says, “What deed is this that you have done?”

Judah must speak. He acknowledges the fact that the cup has been found in one man's sack, but he offers them all as servants. Joseph will not have it. “Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

Now Judah must speak forthrightly. He must make the case before Joseph that he, Judah, should be taken prisoner as a substitute for Benjamin. Judah must fulfill the pledge that he made to his father, Jacob. This was the condition upon which Jacob let Benjamin travel to Egypt with the others, that Judah would pay the price if Benjamin's life were in danger.

Judah is true to that pledge. He steps forward as an honest man. He does not sacrifice Benjamin and then make up a tearful lie to his father. Judah, with all of his own messy history of his involvement in the selling of Joseph; Judah, who fathered two children through the deception of a woman he thought was a prostitute, a woman he later acknowledged to be more righteous than he; Judah, who knows what it is to grieve the loss of sons; this Judah does not spare his own life. He speaks the truth to save his brother Benjamin from lifelong servitude and to protect his father Jacob from another grief that might have been his death. He steps forward as the appointed substitute. He serves, after all his strange history, as an honest man.

It is worth noting that concerning the earlier matter of what the men did to Joseph, Judah's words of repentance still seem to be lacking. If Joseph's only interest was to vindicate himself in that cruelty and deception, he might not have been satisfied. Judah quotes Jacob well enough: “One left me, and I said, 'Surely he has been torn to pieces,' and I have never seen him since.” That is true, in a way. Yet Judah knows better than that, and he just passes on his father's faulty conclusion based on the ugly deception that Jacob's sons hoisted upon him. It would have been a fuller repentance if he had really come clean. He could have said something to Joseph like what the brothers had said privately at the time of their first trip to Egypt: “We are guilty concerning our brother, Joseph, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us. We sinned against our brother Joseph, and now there comes a reckoning for his blood.” That matter is still not fully dealt with. Isn't it often that way with us and our old sins? These men will still be in fear concerning that matter when their father Jacob dies. See Genesis 50.

But self-vindication and the settling of old scores are not Joseph's primary concerns. He loves his brothers who had so abused him, and he loves God. What moves the heart of Joseph is the present honesty of Judah as he comes to him in the current situation. Judah is willing to give his life so that Benjamin and Jacob will live. This display of sacrificial love is powerful before the heart of God, and God rules. God is the one who is working this all for good.

You may wonder about your repentance concerning the sins of your past, thinking that perhaps you in part conceal and in part reveal the truth before God. You may not even know how full and honest your repentance is regarding what once was. It would be good to be free of all the old chains in every conceivable way. As God grants you the gift of repentance, walk in it. But in view of His mercies to you in Christ Jesus, our Lord, walk in honesty today as one who is already a new creature in Christ.

The sacrificial love of Jesus moves the heart of God. That is why we live. Move the heart of the Lord by allowing the Spirit of Christ to lead you to be a living and honest sacrifice today, being true to your pledge that this Jesus, who gave Himself for you, is your Lord.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Genesis 43


The hunger did not stop. The need for food became more and more intense in the land of Canaan. Jacob had not yet met the great man in Egypt who had so frightened his sons. It was too easy for him to say to his boys, “Go again, buy us a little food.”

Reuben, the eldest, had spoken to his brothers about their sin against Joseph. He was ready to repent. Joseph knew this because he heard the honest conversation between the brothers when they had presumed that he could not understand their language. He chose the next oldest brother, Simeon, to be the ransom for the rest. Simeon had been forced to stay behind. We do not hear from Levi at all in this episode. It is the fourth son, Judah, who plays the critical role in this chapter and the next.

But now Judah speaks to Jacob, his father, with a plan that finally secures Jacob's agreement, allowing young Benjamin to be taken to Egypt in accord with the demands of the man holding Simeon hostage all this time. What is it that Jacob finds persuasive? Judah convinces his father that getting food from Egypt has become a matter of life and death for them all. Most of all, Judah, the ancestor of Jesus, places his own life on the line for the lives of everyone in this family. He says, “I will be a pledge of his safety. 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.” This is the way of true sacrificial love. Judah is willing to die so that the family can eat and live. This is what Christ has done for the church.

Jacob must agree with Judah. What else can he do? Can he stand by and simply watch his grandchildren die? He sends Benjamin with his older brothers. He is brought to trust his God in the tough choice between his concern for the survival of his entire family and his fear for the life of Rachel's youngest son. He must take this risk in order to gain food. But he does this in the sight of God, saying, “May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother (Simeon) and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.” He is not happy, but he must trust God for the future that is ahead of him.

Benjamin was not only a favored son of Jacob; he was also the beloved full brother of Joseph. And now Joseph is actually brought to see his younger brother again. On this great occasion, despite Joseph's love for his brother causing him to be greatly moved when he sees the boy, he continues to play his part as the demanding ruler from another world, while he waits for a fuller expression of repentance from his other brothers.

As this difficult drama continues, Joseph has his brothers brought to his house for a banquet. They are more frightened and perplexed by this kindness than by his earlier rough speech. What is he up to? They decide that they better explain about the money left in their sacks the last time they were with him. They are ready to be humble about something, they just don't have the right fault yet. They pick an incident where they were in the right. That won't do. Their old sin is right before their faces in the frightening and generous Egyptian who is beyond their understanding. He is bringing them to repentance according to his own mysterious ways.

Joseph's representative, the steward of his house, reassures them about the money. “Peace to you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.” Soon they see with their own eyes that Simeon is alive and well and they are all feasting at the house of the man who is like God to them. So what's wrong? Why are they not entirely at ease? There is still more soul work to be done, and the Egyptian will do it. When he comes home, they give him their worship, they bow, and they bring their gifts, but the further fulfillment of Joseph's dreams is not what he is looking for. He loves them. He has always loved them. He will not be content until they are what they claimed to be in their first trip: honest men. They still have one massive lie, one great deed of evil they must be rid of. Joseph will use his beloved brother Benjamin to bring them further along on the road to a more godly humility.

Why do we hide our sin so deeply? We know it, but then we willfully repress our knowledge of the truth. We suffer inside and cling to our pride, when we could humble ourselves before the Lord, and He would quickly and abundantly pardon. But repentance is a gift from God. Our soul disease must be removed by His love.

Through all the struggles of our lives, the Son of God loves us just as surely as Joseph loved his brother Benjamin. If we come to the conclusion that His discipline is a sign of His hatred, we are not right, and we do not yet see what the Lord in His grace is doing. He weeps for us. He even gives us food and wine from His table. But He does insist that we worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

The ways of Jesus Christ may alarm us. He who received all His glory back again by way of the cross and the resurrection is leading us now in paths of righteousness for His own Name's sake. It is through many tribulations that we will enter the kingdom of heaven, but we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Our Lord may use perplexing methods to make us honest in His presence, but we need not doubt His powerful love for His people.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Genesis 42


Hunger forces our hands. We have to eat if we want to live. Jacob and his extended family needed grain, as did many other people, and they knew where to find food. There was grain in Egypt.

These details of life would bring the sons of Jacob, all except Benjamin, into contact with Joseph again for the first time in many years. When Jacob had received false evidence of Joseph's death, he thought that his grief would bring him down to the grave. He was not willing to risk the loss of Rachel's only other son, Benjamin. Rachel had died giving birth to this boy, and it was thought that his older brother, Joseph, had been torn to pieces by wild animals. Jacob did not know if he could live through the loss of Benjamin. He would not let him go. The weakness of their father concerning Benjamin was an unwanted reminder to his other brothers of what they could never forget: They had sinned in the matter of Joseph.

God was about to reveal something that they had tried to hide for so many years. The process of bringing the truth to light would take place before the face of Joseph himself. It would involve a wrenching series of events that would bring the sons of Jacob to repentance.
Joseph's brothers did not recognize the man they had sold to the Ishmaelites now that he was in his glory. They bowed down to him as they would have to any great stranger in his position. In their show of respect, they fulfilled the word that God gave to Joseph so many years before in a dream that his brothers would bow before him.

Joseph did not immediately reveal himself to his brothers. It was within his power to give them comfort at that instant, but he chose to do something better for them. He questioned them, challenged them, and put them in a very tight spot; and not for just a few days, but for a long time. He was working on a better goal than quick happiness, and that would take some time to accomplish. Recognize here the love of God for you through tough times. Remember that He disciplines those He loves as a true father does his beloved sons.

In this process, Joseph secured necessary information about his father and absent brother. He found something that would make a difference to the other brothers. Years before they had sold him into slavery without an adequate consideration of what the consequences would be. Now they displayed some understanding of what Benjamin's death would mean to their father. It would be through these painful dealings with this mysterious great man of Egypt that the Lord would produce an amazing repentance that would bring some healing to Jacob's family.

How did Joseph do this? He made this demand of his brothers: “You shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here.” This requirement touches at the appropriate tender spot, their father's special love for one of the brothers above the others. He imprisons them for three days, after which he sharpens his demand, making one suffer for the rest as a representative: “Let one of your brothers remain confined where you are in custody, and bring your youngest brother to me. So your words will be verified, and you shall not die.”

In their own hearts they made the connection between this distress concerning Benjamin and their horrible sin in the matter of Joseph so long ago. “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” Joseph understood their earnest conversation among themselves, and it moved him greatly.

Simeon would be the Christ-like representative this time, staying behind in Egypt as a pledge. The rest of the brothers returned home. They had to witness the binding of Simeon before their eyes. But they were given the grain that they needed, and Joseph even saw to it that their money that they brought to buy grain was secretly returned to them. When they found this out they were alarmed. They said, “What is this that God has done to us?”

When Jacob heard the whole story of how this great man of Egypt had probed them closely regarding Benjamin, he was alarmed. Reuben offered his own two sons for surety in order to secure their father's permission to return to Egypt, this time with Benjamin, according to the demand of the man who insisted that they could not see his face again unless they brought the boy. Jacob was adamant: “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If harm should happen to him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.” Yet there would be hunger again, and hunger would eventually force the issue.

It is normal for a father to care about his son. Jacob loved the two boys who came from Rachel. He set them above the rest. We may not like it, but his devotion for Joseph and Benjamin was a fact.

There is another Father who had an even stronger love for His Son. God the Father loved His Son in the fullest measure, but He was willing to give Him up for us all. This was a tremendous sacrifice. It had to be done in order to achieve the Lord's eternal purpose.

Yet Jesus lives even now. Jacob will soon be able to wash away tears of his old deep grief. And soon the plans of God will be perfectly accomplished. But the grief of our Father for the suffering of His Son was very real. Thus we know that the love that God has for us is true and deep. He gave His Son for our sake. When He calls us His beloved, He means it.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

1 Samuel 18


Jonathan, the son of Saul, the man who would have been in line to be the next king of Israel if Saul's dynasty had been established, loved David. His soul was knit to the soul of David. Even Saul saw something in David that was worthy of admiration, and he sent him out to do battle for Israel as a leader over the Lord's men of war.
All the people of Israel agreed with this, and that recognition of David provoked a murderous envy that was lurking within the soul of Saul. Twice David evaded Saul's spear in the king's malicious spiritual agitation.
Saul sent him forth in battle, not so much to lead Israel into victory, but to see David killed. When that plan failed, Saul came up with another. He used his daughters as a prize of war, seeking the young man's death by the hands of the Philistines. But David was victorious in all that he set out to do. He exceeded every expectation.
Saul saw and knew that the hand of the Lord was with David, and it frightened him.
This story is as old as Cain and Abel. We see it in the hatred of the sons of Jacob for Joseph, and we would see it again in the hatred of Haman for Mordecai.
Most especially, we know of One who was truly hated without a cause. Herod wanted to see Him stopped before he was a youth. After He suddenly presented Himself to be baptized by John, the Spirit sent Him into the wilderness to face the evil plans of a most envious spirit. He was rejected by the leaders of His people who should have received Him as Lord. But even when they thought that they were snuffing out His life through a most disgraceful death, they could not defeat Him.
How could Jesus, the Son of Mary, win against the most tremendous odds? He knew the Lord Almighty as His Father, and He was filled with a most excellent Spirit. Everything about Him is worthy of our eternal meditation and admiration.
He fought for His bride and won. He went forth for love, for the glory of God, and for the eternal joy that was set before Him and defeated the enemy that stood against us.
This great Jesus reigns. He was and is simply unstoppable.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

1 Samuel 17


In the previous chapter, Saul was first introduced to David the musician who is able to bring a song of peace to his troubled soul. In this chapter he receives a second introduction to David, now as the courageous and faithful man of war, used by God to bring a different peace to Israel, the peace that comes through the defeat of enemies that are more than they can handle. In both chapters he is beyond what others would have thought possible. His own family does not seem to understand him, but Saul's son Jonathan has the eyes to see him for who he truly is, the Lord's anointed savior.
The adversary that David defeats in this great contest is the frightening warrior of Gath, the giant Goliath. This Goliath openly taunted the Israelites, calling for a volunteer who would dare to go head to head against him. No one was found who was up to the challenge among the frightened warriors of Israel. Even Saul was afraid.
David had a different spirit in him. He said, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” His oldest brother, Eliab, thought he knew what was in David's heart; presumption, thrill-seeking, and evil. David's words of courage brought him before Saul, who questioned David's ability to face the big man. But rather than be discouraged by the words of those who wanted him to back down, David considered the providence of the Lord in his life. Goliath was a beast who was defying the God of Israel. The Lord had enabled young David to defeat wild beasts in the past. How much more would God help him now.
Rejecting Saul's heavy armor, David went out with a staff, five smooth stones, and a sling to meet a man in battle that caused all of the men of Israel to run and hide. Goliath looked at David with the same disbelief that came from all who look only at the outward appearance. He taunted David and cursed him by the gods of the Philistines.
Now was the moment for the true king of Israel to shine. What was his confidence? The God of Israel. “The battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand.”
We all know what happened next. Nothing could have been more unlikely than for young David to prevail over Goliath with a sling and a stone. Yet here is another story that was even more unlikely: that a man of Nazareth would defeat sin, misery, death, and hell by the power of a righteous life and His own death on the cross. This is what Jesus has done for us.
When David won his amazing victory in the name of the Lord, it caused Saul to question whether he had the right understanding about this man's background. When the disciples of Jesus witnessed His amazing miracles they also wondered. “Who is this man? Even the wind and the waves obey Him.” They might have asked Saul's question: “Whose son are you?”
Jesus, the long expected Son of David, was not only the Son of Mary; He was also the Son of God. He was not only David's descendant; He was also David's Lord. By His death He accomplished an astounding victory over sin. Death no longer has the final say for us because of Him.

Monday, September 24, 2012

1 Samuel 16


God rejected Saul in favor of a son of Jesse, a Bethlehmite from the tribe of Judah. But which son would it be? God would show Samuel.
When Saul was chosen as king, he looked the part. But this time the Lord said to Samuel, “The Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
This is worth our consideration. Paul instructs the church so many centuries later, “You have the mind of Christ.” What a privilege! But will we seek that holy mind, or continue to rely on what our eyes see?
This spiritual eyesight, this heavenly vision, can be cultivated or it can be ignored. Will we let the mind of Christ be in us according to Philippians 2, or will we grieve the Holy Spirit by fleshly thinking?
The Lord's way of seeing might surprise us. Samuel would have picked the seven older sons of Jesse above the young one who was out in the field keeping the sheep. The Lord had not chosen the older ones. When David was brought before Samuel, the Lord said to Samuel, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” Samuel obeyed the Word of God. Then God confirmed His Word by placing His Spirit upon David “from that day forward.”
Lord, speak to your children according to Your Word! But also, please confirm Your Word by the manifest work of Your Spirit that changes hearts and lives.
The Spirit of the Lord not only rushed upon David. He also departed from Saul. Instead of that good spirit, the Scriptures tell us that a “harmful spirit from the Lord” tormented the king. God was accomplishing His purposes, but even speaking about such things causes us to wonder what words we could use to describe what had taken place.
The servants of Saul saw the change in him, and they correctly said that this was from the Lord. They also were rightly aware that a servant who could play the lyre in his presence would be a help to Saul during his episodes of difficulty. Who was the man for the job? None other than young David, the new anointed of the Lord.
In former days, the Lord's Spirit had powerfully used Saul. But now he was tormented. Between this provision of David as the calming musician, and the next chapter's amazing account of David as the faithful warrior, the rejected king was introduced to the man who would replace him.
It troubles us to hear of temporary spiritual blessings. Saul had the Spirit. How could he not have the Spirit any more? But when the true Messiah King came, He would have the Spirit forever and beyond measure. As the reigning King of righteousness over all of God's people, He will never again face a moment when it could be said of Him that the Spirit of the Lord departed from Him.
Though words fail us in speaking of this horror, there was a day when the Father seemed to turn His face away from the Son for a time. Yet that day when Christ took the penalty for our sins was a necessary day of darkness. Through His cross and resurrection the King of peace has been provided for us. He has driven away from us the storm of the Lord's wrath that was coming against us.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Genesis 41


So many years ago, God had given a word to Joseph indicating that his brothers would bow before him. As Joseph lived in an Egyptian prison, forgotten by the man who might have remembered him to Pharaoh, rejected and abandoned by his brothers, and mourned by his father, he seemed a most unlikely human being to fulfill that prophetic word. But now, though all hope seemed to be lost, the long-awaited deliverance and exaltation of this favorite son of Jacob was about to begin.

Pharaoh had two very troubling dreams, dreams of life and death, dreams where the darkness of death more than swallowed up the fruitful bounty of life. In the morning, Pharaoh was troubled in his heart over these dreams, and there was no man who could be found to give Pharaoh a true interpretation.

It was then that the strange providence of God so perplexing to our minds fell perfectly into place. If Joseph's brothers had not sold him into slavery, he never would have been in Egypt now. If Potiphar's wife had not lied about Joseph, he never would have met the cupbearer of Pharaoh and interpreted his dream. If the cupbearer had not ignored Joseph's plea and forgotten him for two years, then Joseph might have been long gone, back again in Canaan, when this all-important moment finally arrived. God held Joseph in just the right place of humiliation until the night that Pharaoh had two unsettling dreams and needed an interpreter. It was then that the cupbearer remembered Joseph.

From that moment of remembrance onward, nothing would ever be the same. Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and this Hebrew slave and presumed criminal was brought up out of the pit of prison to stand at the place of power.

At that critical juncture in Joseph's life he could have so easily glorified himself in his sudden appearance before one of the big men of the world. He instead testified to the greatness of God. He said, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”

The first insight that the Lord gave to Joseph is that the two dreams of Pharaoh had one interpretation. They were both describing the same events that would soon take place. These dreams were about the next fourteen years, seven of which would be very fruitful, followed by another seven that would be years of drought and famine. The doubling of the dream was like a divine oath showing certainty. These events would surely take place.

Joseph not only understood what the dreams were all about, he also knew what should be done to prepare for the famine that would eventually come to the entire region. Saving for seven years was the most practical solution to the problem of the years of trouble that would soon be upon them. The solution that Joseph proposed involved the selection of an able administrator who would save thousands of lives. A discerning and wise man needed to be set over the land of Egypt during this time of future crisis and present opportunity.

Pharaoh was pleased with the idea and recognized Joseph as the best man for the job. “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” What a change had taken place in just a few short hours! This forgotten young man had been lifted up to the highest station in the Egyptian Empire in a matter of hours.

When we think that our lives are over, we make a conjecture about matters that are clearly beyond us. God is able to take a man from the ash heap and to make him sit with princes. He does not need a lot of time to accomplish such an amazing transformation.

Imagine what it was like for Joseph to hear these words: “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” God also provided him with a wife and two children that would be a part of the twelve tribes of Israel. His brothers would still have to be brought by God to Egypt in order to see the one who had risen to such a lofty height, but it was already possible that their arrival would mean the fulfillment of Joseph's great dream so long ago. His brothers would bow before him.

For now he would begin to implement the plan that would save so many lives that he had spoken of in the hearing of Pharaoh. Seven years of saving followed by seven years of controlled spending– this would be the way that so many people would escape starvation.

If we accept this story as one of the great turn-around moments in the Bible, we need to see it as a preparation for a far greater event in the life of Jesus, and through Him, in our lives as well. Jesus was lying as a dead man in a borrowed tomb. Then He was risen from the grave. One day, in the twinkling of an eye, the dead will be raised imperishable, and those who are alive at the coming of the Lord will put on immortality without having to go through the ugly gate of death.

The exaltation of Joseph is only a hint. Even the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a very small beginning for a kingdom movement that would take over the world. It is the full coming of the new resurrection world that will surely take our breath away.

Be strong and of good courage. A man has been found who knows the full story of the coming new heavens and earth. This Jesus has begun, in His own resurrection, a life for you that will never end. He knows the full meaning of the current moment, and when we least expect it, He will gather us with the power of a world of resurrection glory.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Genesis 40


There is so much suffering in this world. It is not only about Joseph and his brothers. There are so many other stories, many that we barely know.

Our lives draw near to the trials of other people by the Lord's design. If we listen, we can hear the oppression, the bondage, and the misfortune that others have faced. It is rare when we have any useful words to speak on such occasions.

But Joseph had something very important to say to two other prisoners that was not something that he discovered through reasoning or experience. He had a word that came to him from the revelation of God touching upon two troubled lives. The men with him in Pharaoh's prison were not Hebrews. They were servants of the Egyptian king, two members of his executive staff. To be the cupbearer or baker to Pharaoh was to be in a position of important trust near the ear of a very powerful man. Both men had fallen out of favor so badly that they were in prison with Joseph. And both men had dreams that they could not understand.

When Joseph heard these dreams, he was confident that the Lord could reveal the correct interpretations. He said, “Do not interpretations belong to God?”

So the two men told their dreams to Joseph, and Joseph interpreted their dreams by the truth that came to him from the Lord. One man would live, and the other would die. One would be restored to his post of honor. The other would meet a final disgrace.

It is an amazing gift to know the secrets that only God can tell. Joseph does not steal secrets from spiritual realms through the power of his own magic. This man who had been brought low by God was given the true word from heaven regarding the dreams of these two men.

To receive an accurate word like this from the Lord's servant was a great gift to the cupbearer, the man who would live. The worth of the gift would be confirmed by the accuracy of the events that had been predicted. When the baker was gone and the cupbearer was at Pharaoh's side again, the greatness of the word would be proven. What should the cupbearer give Joseph in return for this wonderful interpretation?

Joseph only asked one thing: “Remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house.” He had faith in the word that God had given, and so he asked for favor from the cupbearer. He knew that this man was going to be next to Pharaoh in honor. So he said, “Remember me.”

Of course the man did not remember him, at least not right away. When he was lifted up again, he found it convenient to forget about the man who was back in prison. That is how the chapter ends: “The chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.”

Joseph, who had been sold out of the land of the Hebrews, and who had done nothing wrong with his master's wife but still ended up in prison, this Joseph was still in the right place. His deliverance did not come yet. The time for that would be soon enough. It was too early for deliverance. Pharaoh had not yet had his own dreams that would require a word from heaven.

For now, Joseph would stay in the pit, but not forever.

Forever is a long time to be stuck in a pit. To sin against our eternal and holy God... What can anyone say about that? If we ended up in a pit for eternity because of our rebellion against the Lord of glory, that would not be unjust. But is there a way out of that pit? Is there some way that the pit of divine retribution would not be forever? That would have to involve some great mercy of God.

Consider the thief on the cross who died next to Jesus. What did he deserve for his sin? He knew that Jesus did not deserve the cross, and he believed that Jesus was the king of an eternal kingdom. So as he was about to die, and as Jesus was near the end of his own life, this thief on a cross made a fervent request of the Lord. He said, “Remember me.” He could not claim innocence. He could only appeal for mercy.

But when Jesus was exalted on high at the right hand of the Father, would He forget that wretched dying thief who had asked Him to remember him? Would He become comfortable in His restored position of honor? Jesus had promised, “Today, you will be with Me in paradise.” But would He remember?

Our great King has not forgotten His promises. He came to suffer and die for us. His assurance to us is without condition. “Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you.” He has gone to prepare a place for us, that where He is, we also may be.

Jesus has not forgotten us. Our names are written on the palms of His hands. His assurance is a great comfort to us as we watch a loved one pass from this world: He says, “I will come again, and receive you to Myself.” When we die, the Lord Jesus remembers. He comes and takes us to Himself.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Genesis 39


Jacob's son, Joseph, had not been torn to pieces by fierce animals. Jacob, based on the evidence of the bloody garment presented to him by the boy's lying brothers, had concluded without a doubt that Joseph was dead. He was quite wrong. Joseph was alive.

That is not to say that Joseph's situation was good. His brothers had sold him. He was a slave in the home of an influential Egyptian man. Far from the Promised Land, Joseph was able to thrive by the grace of God.

This is the kind of story that was retold many times over the history of Israel. Daniel was far from the Promised Land and he also did very well. Mordecai, living in the Persian Empire, was able to thrive despite the formidable opposition of significant enemies. More than all of them, the Son of God left His Father's throne above, and went far away into a place of great danger. Yet during His stay there, though it looked to others as if His mission were failing, He did everything that He was supposed to do, and He secured for us the glory of an eternal kingdom.

Back to Joseph: This talented young man who brought the Word of God to his family in a way that offended them was being prepared to fulfill the prophecy that he had been given about his own eventual preeminence. The home that he ended up living in was very close to where he would need to be when Pharaoh would require a true Word from God.

In the way that men look at events, it would appear that everything had gone very poorly for Joseph. In reality, everything was very much on schedule. Yet Joseph would have to travel lower than where he was at present. It was not enough for Joseph to be a slave in the home of one of Pharaoh's officers; Joseph needed to spend some time in one of Pharaoh's prisons.

The person who would bring him there was an immoral woman, the wife of his master. Joseph would go to prison, not because of his unrighteousness, but because of his righteousness. If Joseph had gone along with the demands of this woman, they would have had a secret intimate relationship together, and he would have continued to serve as a trusted servant of the captain of the guard. Because Joseph would not agree to this, the man's wife accused Joseph of attacking her, and Joseph ended up exactly where he needed to be for the next chapter in God's story.

While Joseph was serving as a slave, his master was able to come to some conclusions concerning him. Joseph was a hard worker who was capable of handling significant levels of responsibility. He trusted Joseph, and Joseph was worthy of that trust. But Joseph's master saw something else. He noted that the Lord caused all that Joseph did to succeed.

But someone else was also keeping an eye on Joseph, and her intentions were evil. She wanted Joseph to lie with her, which he refused to do. This servant of the Lord knew the truth. What this woman wanted to do was wrong. It was a sin against his master, her husband, and it was a sin against God, and Joseph told her that. He also attempted to protect the honor of the woman involved, not wanting to expose her in her foolish entreaties. He simply tried to stay out of her way.

The day came when she trapped him. When he again refused her, she grabbed on to his garment as he ran away. Now she was in trouble. She had Joseph's garment in her hand and the young man was running away from her. She quickly turned the matter around with her lies, making it appear as if Joseph was the aggressor and that she had barely escaped from him. When it was all over, Joseph's master believed his wife, and Joseph was in prison.

This was not just any prison. It was the place where Pharaoh's prisoners were confined. This brought Joseph into contact with a man who would be the one God would use to take him from captivity to a position as the Lord's man in a time of crisis.

Through all of his troubles, the Lord was with Joseph. Much as he had prospered in the home of his Egyptian master, Joseph was again found to be a trustworthy and capable man in Pharaoh's prison. No matter what the project was that needed to be accomplished, the Lord made Joseph succeed.

Joseph learned to serve God in all kinds of circumstances. Whether Joseph was high or low, he was honest and competent. The Lord was with him through it all, and that made all the difference. Everything that Joseph did was a success.

We need a servant of God who does all things well, and we have found such a man in Jesus Christ. The required Sin-Bearer had to be a perfect Law-Keeper before He could atone for our transgressions. The Lord brought His Son exactly where He needed to be at precisely the right time.

Jesus came to serve. He was not afraid to be in a low position. When every duty had been accomplished, He needed to take the lowest places ever known to man: the cross and the grave. These were His to own and to conquer in order for the plan of God to be fully accomplished. Now He is exalted to the highest place in heaven. His time of lowliness was necessary for our redemption. But beyond that divine requirement, we have come to see that He sanctified a life of humble service for us. When we hear His call to service, we know that He is asking us to travel a road that He, like Joseph of old, has already walked Himself.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Genesis 38


Where did Jesus come from? That story is very complex. Jesus is and always has been the Word, the eternal Son of God. But in the fullness of time, the Word became flesh. In His human nature He had a heritage. Part of that heritage goes back to Jacob's son Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar. Mary, the mother of our Lord, came from the tribe of Judah.

The tribe of Judah would be the tribe of kings. They were a very fruitful and important tribe, but the beginnings of the tribe, described in Genesis 38, were not particularly promising. Judah became connected with a Canaanite woman who bore him three sons, two of whom died long before their time.

These two sons were judged directly by God. They were wicked, and the Lord put them to death. The wife of the oldest was a woman named Tamar. When her husband died, by Judah's direction, the second son took the place of the first son in order to produce offspring with Tamar in his brother's name. When that second son also died, Judah promised to give his youngest son to Tamar in due time. However, he was quite unwilling to keep his promise. This is the sad beginning of the line of Judah: Three sons, two of whom died, leaving him with one younger boy and a daughter-in-law who had no children. Judah had determined to ignore that daughter-in-law, Tamar, in her misery and loneliness.

Tamar had another plan. After the death of the Canaanite woman by whom Judah had the three boys, Judah eventually came to a town to sheer his sheep. He found a woman there who seemed to be a prostitute. Little did he know that the woman that he had relations with was Tamar, who was not content to be abandoned and ignored by her father-in-law. Tamar became pregnant by Judah without Judah knowing that it was her.

When it became known that Tamar was pregnant, her presumed intimate actions were considered scandalous. When Judah heard about it he commanded that she be burned to death. She came to him personally with the proof that the father of her child was none other than Judah himself. She had his signet, his cord, and his staff which she had kept as a pledge for a future payment when she was posing as a prostitute with her head veiled so that Judah did not recognize her. She said to him, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.”

Judah was convicted by what Tamar had done. He said, “She is more righteous than I,” since he had not given his youngest son to her as he had promised.

This story is in the heritage of all the kings of Judah and is part of the account that ultimately leads to the birth of Jesus Christ many centuries later.

The story of the line of Judah is a story of death, and not accidental death, but the loss of the lives of two men by the direct judgment of God. Two of the three sons of Judah were deemed to be so wicked that they should not live another day. It is hard to think of a providence more distressing than that in the life of any father.

Yet the story does get worse. It includes the record of Judah's entrapment by a woman he supposes to be a prostitute. This is a very embarrassing way to continue the account of what will be the tribe of kings. The patriarch of the clan went into his daughter-in-law as she was posing as a prostitute.

We are tempted to think that nothing good could come from such a beginning, but we need to find a way to celebrate the gift of life under even the most challenging circumstances. The problem is our sin, not the child that may come from that sin. The child is always a gift of God.

In this case there was more than one child. Tamar had twins, Perez and Zerah. Those two boys had such a fruitful heritage that the tribe of Judah, despite its very modest start, became one of the biggest tribes among all the clans of Israel. When Ruth and Boaz married many years later, the people of Bethlehem gave these words of blessing concerning their union: “May the Lord make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem, and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young woman.”

What had been a story of shame, by God's grace had become a blessing to be desired by others seeking the Lord's favor. How much more blessed was the union of Judah and Tamar when we consider that the Messiah came through this tribe.

God is able to put to death the wicked in a moment. This we must acknowledge with great sadness, recognizing what we ourselves deserve because of our sin. But the Lord is also able to bring His Son into the world through humble people who are counted as nothing by those who would presume to judge every baby to be worthy or unworthy. The Lord is God, and He has saved us through Jesus of Nazareth, a descendant of Judah through Tamar.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

1 Samuel 15


God had a plan for the land that would be Israel that He began to reveal to Abraham 2000 years before Jesus was born. The Lord renewed His promises concerning the destruction of the peoples in that land, the land of Canaan, during the lives of Moses and Joshua.
Though the people of Israel would not always obey the Lord's directives concerning the land and His judgments against the people that lived there, He had never abandoned His intentions. Now He had put Saul in place as king, and He expected Saul to follow out His directives spoken through Samuel in every detail.
The Lord remembered what the people of Amalek had done to Israel on their way out of Egypt. See Exodus 17:8-16 and Deuteronomy 25:17-19. Now centuries later, the Lord told Saul to utterly destroy Amalek, just as He had revealed to Moses. The instruction was unmistakeable. “Devote to destruction all that they have.”
Saul did not do this. He substituted his own judgment for the Word of God. He kept alive what might be useful and destroyed what seemed worthless.
Even before Samuel was able to assess Saul's disobedience with his own senses, God had already passed judgment upon Saul. When confronted, Saul claimed that he had obeyed. He first hid behind a supposed plan to offer sacrifices to the Lord, and then he blamed the people.
This was not Saul's best moment.
The Lord used this turning point in Saul's reign to make one very important point: God wanted a king who would obey Him entirely in everything that He said. God was looking for a man who would lead others in hearing the Word of the Lord and following that Word. Saul would not be that man, nor would that man come from Saul's descendants.
“Because you have rejected the Word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king.”
There was nothing more to say, at least not in this life. But there was much more to happen, as the chapters that follow this sad moment will show.
This was a dark moment in the history of Israel. In those generations recorded for us in the Scriptures where confusion and disobedience seem to overtake the Lord's people, even the inspired accounts that we have of these people and events seem to reflect the dim light of the times they record.
The heaven that Christ has won for us is a kingdom of light. The kingdom under Saul was increasingly a place that was hard to understand.
When bad news seems to take the lead, our hearts yearn for the good news of eternity. There will be no need for excuses and lies when the Lord's good purpose has been fully established. Even now, we can walk in the light as He is in the light. Even dark episodes of fear, disorder, and sin can find a satisfying resolution in the righteousness and blood of the Lamb of God. Forgiveness is freely available, and a new day of light and life is abundantly granted to all who will put their trust in King Jesus.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

1 Samuel 14


In the previous chapter we were introduced to the first great disappointment in Saul's record as king recorded for us in the Scriptures. Saul had pursued the way of fear rather than the path of faith. There would be further disappointments concerning Saul even in today's chapter. But first we are blessed with a glorious contrast to Saul in his own son, Jonathan.
Saul had been overwhelmed by the numbers of the Philistines gathering against Israel, so he had panicked, disobeying the Lord's instruction to wait for Samuel to offer a sacrifice prior to going out to battle. Now we read of Jonathan's amazing victory against a host of Philistines with the aid of only one armor-bearer.
Jonathan was a picture of courage, not in himself, but in the Name of the Lord. His words are worth memorizing: “It may be that the LORD will work for us, for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few.”
If Jonathan was a picture of our heavenly Captain, who won the great fight of faith for us in solo battle against sin, the flesh, and the devil on the cross, what can we say about the man that was carrying his armor? Shouldn't we have his willingness to follow? “Do all that is in your heart. Behold, I am with you heart and soul.”
Jonathan was not rash with his life. He tested the will of the Lord in this matter in a way that God blessed. We should read of this episode not as judges of others, but as people who want to learn how to trust God in situations that seem overwhelming to us. Be amazed at what God did through these two men, and believe that Jesus will use your life to win a great victory for the cause of His love.
Who will panic today? Panic easily spreads. A growing panic leads to defeat. There is forgiveness for panicking, but the Lord has something better for us than fear. He has His Word. He has His Holy Spirit. He has our brothers and sisters throughout the whole earth who believe in His Name. He has the gift of faith.
Jonathan led Israel into a surprisingly large victory on a day when his father was making a strange vow binding the fighting men to eat nothing until evening. Who violated the vow without even knowing it? Jonathan, the man of faith, who had been the hero of the day, had a taste of honey. Would he now have to die? Saul thought so, but the people would not allow it.
Saul led Israel in great victories over many enemies, but the world according to Saul was getting increasingly bizarre. Where would all of this lead? Could Saul be trusted to lead Israel in a good direction?
Jesus came preaching and teaching the kingdom of God. Where does He lead us? His ways may look strange to the world, but they are never false or self-serving. We have come to appreciate the wisdom, power, and love of Jesus. He is utterly trustworthy. The kingdom that He is building is perfect.

Monday, September 17, 2012

1 Samuel 13


One quick translation note: We have a problem in the Hebrew of the first verse that does not allow us to know Saul's age when he became king or how long he reigned prior to the events described in this chapter. These numbers seem to have been lost in the transmission of these verses over the centuries.
We do know that Saul had a son Jonathan who was a very significant man in the events that lead to the rise of King David. We also see that Jonathan and Saul have had a victory against a Philistine garrison, provoking a massive response from this numerically and technically superior enemy. The result is that the fighting men of Israel are afraid.
Saul waited seven days with an outnumbered force under his command. According to Samuel's instruction, the elderly prophet was to arrive at that time and to offer a sacrifice to God prior to the battle. Waiting required faith. Panic and faith don't work well together.
When Samuel did not arrive at the appointed time, Saul decided to offer up the sacrifice himself. As soon as he had done this, Samuel arrived. His assessment of Saul's actions: “You have done foolishly.”
Why was this action of Saul's such a breach of faith? The command to wait for Samuel was not just Samuel's idea. It was a command of the Lord. This time of waiting was a test of Saul's heart. The result: Samuel announced that Saul's kingdom would not continue. “The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”
The first Israelite king had been humiliated by a great prophet of God. His fear had been exposed. His life of faith was wanting. The men of Israel were outnumbered and lacked adequate weapons. The Lord had been their only hope, but Saul had not been willing to obey His Word given to the king through Samuel.
We have a Captain of our Salvation that carefully obeyed the voice of His Father. He is reigning over the church and the world from heaven's heights as the glorious Ruler over all. When He faced the humiliation of the cross it was not for something lacking in His character. He took our episodes of embarrassing faithlessness, and was true to His Word to the end.
Does this mean that we don't have to concern ourselves with the warfare that we face as Christians in the present hour? Not at all. He calls us forward to “fight the good fight,” and to “put on the whole armor of God.”
The choice between faith and fear is right in front of us every day. When we think that we have no time left to trust in God, and when we imagine that our faith is useless, we need to keep on going. Do not give up today. The Lord will strengthen you in battle by His grace. Giving up is not the way to become a great warrior for the Lord.
Take up the Word of God and keep on going. The Captain calls you forward for duty. The sufferings that you have faced were not designed to destroy you, but to strengthen you for further service.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Genesis 37


Who can understand the mind of God? We bow before the One who not only reveals but also conceals. He knows all things. It is His glory to choose when to keep a matter to Himself and when to show it to the sons of men. It was His choice to use the favorite son of Jacob, Joseph, as the one who would receive His revelation and communicate it among men.

That special gift was known to Joseph even as a young man. When he was seventeen years old and living in Canaan, his brothers began to hate him. The fact that Joseph spoke for the Lord did not change that hatred. It added to it.

In his dream, Joseph saw his preeminence over his brothers and even over his mother and father, and he spoke of this to his family. Even Jacob rebuked Joseph for his report of his dreams, but his father kept the words of his son in his mind.

The hatred of Joseph's brothers led to their horrible attack against their brother and a ruthless deception against their father Jacob. The older boys sold him into bondage in Egypt and gave his special clothes to his father, stained with the blood of a goat. They presented this false evidence to their father for him to draw his own conclusions.

This story is a very powerful one which began years of lowliness for Joseph that speak to us of the humiliation and suffering of the Son of God. Through the story of Joseph, we are prepared to feel the facts of the abuse of Jesus more forcefully.

A long period of intense grief began for Jacob, the boy's devoted father. If Joseph's sufferings prepare us for the coming of Jesus and for the cross, Jacob's grief reminds us that the Father loved the Son, but gave Him up for us all. The illustration must fall short, since Jesus was a willing victim, and His Father, while truly feeling grief, did not allow Himself to be deceived by us.

We find our place in the drama of the ages in the position of the brothers. It is because of us that Jesus went to the cross. In the flesh, we would be those who bring the blood-stained garment back to Jacob, acting innocent. We would allow a man to grieve for years if we could maintain the fiction that we were guiltless.

The brothers did have some struggle and intrigue before settling on the eventual plan that would lead to Joseph's slavery in Egypt. Their first inclination was to kill him themselves. “Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.”

It was Reuben, the oldest, that told them not to take the boy's life, and who even had a private intention to get Joseph out of the pit after a little brotherly discipline that would teach the boy a lesson. But that was not to be.

They were all a part of the tearing down of the one who truly had a Word from God, a Word of his royal authority that would fit into the Lord's plans for the salvation of his people. They would not hear that Word in their hearts. They tore off the boy's robe and threw him into a pit.

Reuben stepped away for a moment, and the rest of the brothers came up with the wicked idea to sell Joseph to some slave-trading Ishmaelites who were on their way to Egypt. They even made themselves sound good in their restraint. “Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” Think of the chief priests and the elders of Israel. They wanted to be ceremonially clean so that they could eat the Passover. … Let Judas do his part. Let the Romans be the ones to strike the final blow. We can remain guiltless regarding what happens to Jesus of Nazareth.

When Reuben returned, he saw that his own intention to secretly rescue Joseph had now been thwarted. He despaired of the consequences to himself, the oldest brother, because of what the others had done to their father's favorite son. “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?”

That is when they took Joseph's robe, dipped it in blood, and brought it to their father. “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son's robe or not.”

Something died in Jacob that day. Grief and unending sorrow began. The only thing that could have taken away this loss would be to overturn it with resurrection.

He thought he knew for certain what had taken place. “It is my son's robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” The deception had worked. But God knew. And Joseph knew. Would the brothers ever tell the truth? Will we ever admit that our sin brought Jesus to the cross?

The Lord who not only reveals, but also conceals, knows the truth, and He knows the right time to reveal it openly. Though men do what they will by their own hands and by the hands of others, God works all things for good.

Joseph's journey down to Egypt would fit in with the Lord's good plan. The cross of Christ would also work tremendous good centuries later. His resurrection would bring joy to the Father and to all those who would be cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. Draw near to God. Tell Him the truth about yourself that He already knows. Be forgiven and restored through the blood of His Son.