Life’s fiery difficulties, if accepted from God, can burn off the dross and make us pure gold. Following the unexpected meal in the Grand Vizier’s home, Jacob’s sons had left with a new supply of grain. But also, unknown to them, was their double payment, and Joseph’s cup in Benjamin’s sack. Stopped just outside the […]
“No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward…” (Heb 12:11). Jacob’s sons head back to Egypt, their first load of grain gone. Simeon awaits in prison there, and Benjamin is compelled to go along, much to Jacob’s grief. In their saddlebags they carry double the money—the returned funds from the […]
Longfellow wrote, “Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small.” More than 20 years have passed since Joseph last saw his brothers, but he recognized them right away. They had come for some grain but would feel some pain before this was done. And why? Because Joseph longed to forgive his […]
Read More… from September 1, 2021 — Caught Between God’s Millstones
From outcast to upper crust! Joseph, Number 2 Man in Egypt, is about to get some visitors. The concluding section of Genesis 41 (vv 38-57) describes the meteoric rise of Joseph in Egypt, now age 30. He becomes second only to Pharaoh. The king’s signet, his authorizing signature, is entrusted to Joseph. He gets the […]
Read More… from August 31, 2021 — Look Who’s Visiting Egypt!
Even in the dark times, don’t forget: God carries the key to every door standing in your way. According to Genesis 41:1, another two long years crawled by for Joseph. From the day he left Hebron to visit his brothers, it seemed downhill all the way. Hated, betrayed, and sold by his own kin. Bought […]
Is Joseph’s time as slave-manager, then inmate-manager, the ideal career path? Stay tuned! Joseph didn’t have a Bible; they didn’t start showing up until the days of Joshua. If you don’t have one, or aren’t reading it, God will get your attention somehow, and may speak through dreams. But be careful! The advantage of the […]
Read More… from August 27, 2021 — The Dreamer And His Dreams
“Flee also youthful lusts” (2 Tim 2:22). “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (Jas 4:7). The focus of Genesis now returns to Egypt and will stay there for the rest of the book. There is evidence the Lord has blessed the erstwhile slave-boy. In fact, “His master saw that the Lord was […]
Read More… from August 26, 2021 — When Flight Is The Best Way To Fight
When God’s plans hang by a thread, it’s good to recall that He hung the world on nothing! In Genesis 38, the scene shifts from Joseph in Egypt back to the family at Hebron. Specifically it deals with Judah, the one who had taken leadership from Reuben, the presumptive firstborn, but who was disqualified since […]
Read More… from August 25, 2021 — Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch
We can’t help but think of Jesus when we see the way Joseph was treated by his brothers. Jacob, in Genesis 37:13, sent the 17-year-old Joseph on a danger-fraught mission. His brothers would move the flocks to greener fields as the summer progressed. It was reported they were near Shechem, 60 miles north. Yikes! Shechem […]
Read More… from August 24, 2021 — Hated, Rejected, Sold – By His Own