Gospel Light Christian Church Thru-The-Bible Series (24.1)

The Book of Genesis

Genesis Chapter 45 to 46:1-27 - Read this Bible passage once through before referring to the notes below.

The Reconciliation of the Brothers

v.1-3 Probably moved by the great love demonstrated by Judah for Jacob and Benjamin, and unable to “refrain himself” (v.1) any longer, Joseph “made himself known unto his brethren” by a tremendous outburst of emotions in tears (v.2).  Joseph’s weeping and his immediate inquiry about his father (v.3) showed that he strongly desired to be reconciled with his brothers and united with his family.  He could finally reveal his identity and true feelings towards them because he now knew that his brothers were changed men.

His brothers were understandably “troubled at his presence”.  The word “troubled” is not strong enough to capture the actual description of the brothers’ feelings at this sudden revelation.  They are terrified at his presence!  They were fearful before but now, they are terrified because they were unsure what this reunion with this brother whom they had sold into Egypt for dead 25 years ago might all lead to.  Will Joseph seek revenge for the great wrong they had done to him?

v.4-8 Joseph’s words to his brothers opened the way for reconciliation between them.  It is also one of the clearest statements of the sovereignty of God in human affairs in the book of Genesis.  There is much to learn about the divine perspective Joseph possesses towards the unfortunate events of his life.

After identifying himself as Joseph, “[their] brother, whom [they] sold into Egypt” (v.4), he proceeded to console and encourage them – “Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves” (v.5).  This is utterly amazing because it would be normal for Joseph to be angry, bitter and to desire to seek revenge.  Even if Joseph did not seek revenge, it would be normal for him to desire to be coldly distant from these men who had acted cruelly as “evil beast” towards him (cf. 37:20, 24-25).  No, not any of these reactions do we see from Joseph because a Spirit-controlled man acts and reacts super-normally to life problems.  Led and taught by the Spirit of God, Joseph saw the divine hand of “God [who] send [him] before [them] to preserve life”, not the wicked hands of his brothers to destroy him.  God was moving in his life amidst conflict, pain, success, imprisonment, and achievement – Joseph saw and knew that God had permitted all these in His purposes.

As the famine would last for another 5 years (v.6), the purpose of Joseph being sent to Egypt, being made a lord and a ruler over all the land of Egypt was to “preserve [Israel’s descendants]  a posterity in the earth” (v.7) for they are sure to perish in the severe famine apart from this “great deliverance”.  Joseph’s whole purpose was to ensure that the remnant of God’s people would be saved in this crisis.  His statement in verse 8 forms a classic expression of God’s providence – “So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God….”  From Joseph’s Spirit-illumined perspective, he was convinced that God’s will, not the will of human beings, was the controlling reality in the events of his life.  What this meant was the brothers, though acting out of malice, had not acted independently of God’s will because God overruled their evil intentions and worked out His purposes through their actions.  In other words, the act of sending Joseph to Egypt was attributed both to men and to God, but for different purposes – they acted because they hated him, but God planned to use Joseph as their deliverer.  Both were true but Joseph chose to look at the events of his life from God’s vantage point.

However, a word of caution is required.  The knowledge that God overruled an evil plan may have brought great relief from years of guilt but there was also fear and sadness from realising what might have happened  (cf. Isaac in 27:33).  God is able to bring good out of evil but every sin, every failure, every self deceiving enterprise that appears to work in some way carried its own costs because it is sin.  The brothers’ life was not what it might have been, had they not sinned; had they obeyed and followed God’s plan, they would have enjoyed His blessings to the full and spared themselves and their family the pain and the anguish.  On the other hand, Joseph’s willingness to submit himself entirely to the sovereign hand of God placed him in the sure path of strength and blessing from God.  He may not have always understood God’s plan but he accepted it by faith, and thus perceived the hand of God in the course of events.  Joseph’s confidence in the sovereignty of God in the affairs of life freed him from the baser human instincts of bitterness, blame, rancor, grudge and revenge.   Faith in the sovereignty of God over affairs of life forms the basis of reconciliation in human relations.

v.9-15 The second part of Joseph speech contains his instructions for the family.  He told his brothers to “go up to [his] father” and ask him to “come down to [him], tarry not” (v.9).  Joseph promised to provide for the entire family “in the land of Goshen” (v.10) and to nourish them for the 5 remaining years of the famine “lest [they] come to poverty” (v.11).

It is quite possible that the brothers remained stunned at this moment not only because of the forgiveness and consolation of Joseph but also because of the magnanimity and kindness he displayed towards all of them.  Thus, Joseph reassured them that it is indeed he, Joseph, whom their “eyes see” (v.12).  After reminding them to tell Jacob of “all [his] glory in Egypt…and [to] haste and bring down [his] father,” Joseph had an emotional reunion with Benjamin (v.14) and with all his brothers (v.15).

v.16-24 When the news of “Joseph’s brethren” (v.16) reach Pharaoh, he was well-pleased to instruct Joseph (v.17) to bring his entire family into “the fat of the land” in Egypt (v.18).  The wheel was a major invention.  Jacob and his family were not using wagons yet, but in Egypt they were.  Pharaoh kindly provided wagons for their “little ones, and for [their] wives, and…[their] father” (v.19) and generously promised to furnish all that they need – “for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours” (v.20).  This gives us a glimpse of the favour and glory Joseph enjoyed in Egypt because of the LORD’s blessing on him.  Joseph thus made provisions for the brothers return to fetch their father (v.21).  Interestingly, he once again gave Benjamin far more than the others (v.22) and send a rich gift to his father (v.23).  Cautioning them to “see that ye fall not out by the way”  (v.24), he sent them off.

Israel’s Move to Egypt

v. 25-28 Upon the brothers’ return to Jacob (v.25), they announced to him two wonderful pieces of news – “Joseph is alive and he is governor over all the land of Egypt” (v.26).  At first, Jacob was numb from astonishment but when “all the words of Joseph” were told to him and when he “saw the wagons” (v.27), “his spirit revived” and he resolved to go and see his son before he died (v.28).  The royal invitation from Pharaoh to come and dwell in Egypt was a fulfillment of the prophecy to Abram (cf. 15:13-16) that they would go into a strange land for a period of time.

Chapter 46

v.1-4 On the way down to Egypt, Israel stopped at Beersheba, a long favourite place of worship for the patriarchs, and “offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac” (v.1).  The journey to Egypt must have caused Jacob deep concern because his grandfather, Abraham, suffered great humiliation there (cf. 12:10-20) and his father, Isaac, was forbidden to go there (cf. 26:2).  Thus Israel would need more than an invitation from Pharaoh and an encouragement from Joseph to enter the land of Egypt; he desired the approval of God.  The transformation of his life that began at Peniel (cf. 32:24-32) shows definite signs of Spirit-taught maturity at this point of his life.   As a man who didn’t think he needed God in his life very much, he has learnt that that was not the correct way to go.  In offering sacrifices to God, he was coming to God and wanting to know His will.

As a man who has finally learnt the ways of God, he immediately responded to God’s call to him – “Here am I” (v.2).  God graciously chose to appear to Jacob and assured him that he may proceed to Egypt (v.3).  The LORD promised to “make [him] a great nation” there, to be with him and to bring them out (v.4).  Hence, Israel migration to Egypt was a step of faith in God that made possible the growth of the twelve tribes into the nation of Israel (cf. Ex. 1:7).

v.5-6 In obedience to the LORD’s direction, Jacob “rose from Beer-sheba” (v.5) and took all that they had and “came into Egypt” (v.6) with “all his seed” (v.7).

v.8-27 The register here gives the “names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt” (v.8), which is the first time that the family as a whole was referred to in this way.  A total of seventy names are listed (v. 27) – a full number for the foundational family of God’s nation, which corresponds to the seventy nations in the Table of Nations in chapter 10.  In Deuteronomy 32:8-11, Moses explained that the nations’ boundaries were established according to the number of the children of Israel.  As a full family unit, Israel settled in Egypt, where they would become the great nation God had promised.