Exodus 1:6 Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died….
I’m feeling a bit unmoored this morning. I assume it has to do with the time of year, my mental and physical exhaustion, and the fact that my nine week journey through Genesis has come to an end. I imagine the Israelites were feeling a bit unmoored themselves. Joseph and his whole generation had died. The pharaoh who thought so highly of Joseph was no longer in power. The new pharaoh was not kind to the Israelites.
Exodus 1:7 …but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.
So what can we learn from this first chapter of Exodus? Perhaps perseverance, the importance of keeping on, of staying focused, even when times are tough. Perhaps about the sovereignty of God, even when circumstances are difficult. Perhaps about the fact that God can, will, and does use those who will stand up to authority and do what is right in God’s eyes.
Exodus 1:8 Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.
Lord, Thank You for this day, this scripture, this reminder that You are at work, even if we feel unmoored. Thank You for the reminder of the importance of perseverance and focus, of standing up for what is right, even if it is not popular. Draw us closer. Give us strength. Help us to fix our eyes on You. Amen.
Exodus 1:17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.
Have a blessed day.
The way of peace and hope…. (devo reflection)
Gen 50:15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for the wrongs we did to him?”
My heart hurts a bit for the brothers here. They are so firmly locked into the human mindset that they are afraid that now that Jacob has died, Joseph will exact revenge on them for their earlier treatment of him. Not only are they wary of Joseph’s true motives, believing his kindness was because of their father and not God, but also, they believe that Joseph’s forgiveness of them earlier was not genuine. Or perhaps they had not forgiven themselves, and that caused their skepticism. At any rate, their turmoil and fear floats just below the surface and is a bit heart breaking to see.
Gen 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good….”
Throughout the commentary on Genesis, there has been a parallel drawn between Joseph and Jesus. It is something I have never thought of before and definitely something I would like to think on and read about further, but I can definitely see, in Joseph and Jesus, an unwavering trust and faith in God’s sovereignty, regardless of earthly circumstances. I want that type of unwavering faith, and the peace that it brings, in my life.
Rom 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this walk through the book of Genesis. Thank You for the unexpected lessons and the timely reminders encountered here. Thank You for the reminder at the end of Genesis that Yours is the way of peace and hope. Help me to trust and obey. Draw me closer. Amen.
Gen 50:21 “So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
Have a blessed day.
A personal relationship…. (devo reflection)
Gen 49:22 “Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring….”
Jacob, Israel, has reached the end of his life. We see, as he is blessing his sons, particularly in this section where he is blessing Joseph, that he, Jacob, finally seems to have a real and personal knowledge of who God is.
Gen 49:24 “But his bow remained steady… because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel….”
In Gen 31:53, Jacob refers to God as “…the God of Abraham.” He knew God through his father’s relationship with God. In this section, he refers to God as “the Mighty one of Jacob, the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel” (Gen 49:24), “your father’s God, the Almighty” (Gen 49:25). This God is personal to Jacob. This is a God that he has formed a relationship with, that he has personally come to know and understand. That is what I want for my own children—for them to know and love and trust God, not because I do, but because they have come to know Him personally.
Gen 49:25 “…because of your father’s God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you….”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this scripture. Thank You for wanting and pursuing a relationship with us. Help us each to pursue a personal relationship with You. Help us to lean into You, to trust You, to know You for ourselves, on a personal level. Draw us closer. Amen.
Gen 49:26 “Your father’s blessings are greater than the blessing of ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-old hills….”
Have a blessed day.
The way things “should” be…. (devo reflection)
Gen 48:18 Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
I am the world’s worst for thinking about the way things “should” be. The older I get, the more I see how I have lived my life using the expectations of the world. “But this isn’t the way it SHOULD be!” has often been a refrain in my head if not on my lips.
Gen 48:19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know….his younger brother will be greater than he….”
But we see God subverting this attitude again and again in scripture, including throughout Genesis. Abraham should be too old to father children. Sarah should be barren at her age. Isaac should take the sacrifice with him when he goes up the mountain with Abraham. Jacob, as second born, should not receive the blessing of the covenant. He also should not be considered a godly figure. He’s rather devious. Joseph, as a slave, should not be second in power only to Pharaoh. Again and again and again, God shows us that we can’t bank on what the world thinks should (or should not) happened. God doesn’t think, act, or work according to the world.
1 Sam 16:7 …“The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that Your thoughts and ways are beyond anything we can imagine. Thank You for being bigger, stronger, wiser, and more sovereign than the ways of this world. Help me not to worry about what “should be” according to anyone but You. Help me to fix my eyes on You. Draw me closer. Amen.
Isaiah 55:8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
Have a blessed day.
Moving forward in You…. (devo reflection)
Gen 47:11 So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land…as Pharaoh directed.
Nothing in Genesis 47 immediately struck me as I was pondering what my Savior wanted me to reflect on in this chapter. Joseph seems to just keep doing the next right thing, providing for his family, being fair in his dealings with the Egyptians, being honest in his accountings with Pharaoh.
Gen 47:12 Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with food….
And I’ll be honest, it was only after prayer for direction that He nudged my heart, whispering, “That’s My point. Be honest in your dealings with others. Show integrity. Persevere. Keep doing the next right thing, taking the next step I show you. Lean into Me. Trust Me.”
Gen 47:27 Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that being honest, persevering with integrity, working hard—all these things are from You and can be done for You, in You, and with You. You don’t always have us trepidatiously slogging through valleys or joyously shouting from mountaintops. Many times we are just moving forward in You. Even that can be done intentionally, with focus, giving glory and honor to You, even in quiet and reserved ways. Help me to keep taking the next step in You, Lord. Help me to persevere with integrity. Draw me closer. Amen.
Gen 47:28 Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven.
Have a blessed day.
A change of heart…. (devo reflection)
Gen 46:1 So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
Jacob, Israel, has had a change of heart. He goes from an attitude of “Everything is against me!” in Gen 42:36 to willingly moving his entire family and all of his possessions in Gen 46:1. His actions indicate solid trust in God, a trust that has often been sorely lacking in his actions of the past. His entire demeanor seems changed by God’s peace.
Gen 46:2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”
Today is a pretty appropriate day for me to read this chapter. It is the day before I go back to work after Thanksgiving break, the first day in almost a week I’ve had to set an alarm. It’s raining, and I have a lot of schoolwork to attend to today because I haven’t worked as studiously along as I had planned. It’s easy to default to “Everything is against me” instead of rejoicing in this day that the LORD has made (Psalm 118:24).
Gen 46:4 “I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder to rejoice in this day because You have made it and not to get lost in my circumstances. We all have a lot going on, Lord, and it’s not all pleasant, so help us to see You, to rejoice in You this day, no matter what we face. Thank You for being our shield and our very great reward (Gen 15:1) in this life. Your presence, Your peace, Your strength are more than enough for what we will face today. Draw us closer. Amen.
Gen 46:29b …As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time.
Have a blessed day.
Content in Him…. (devo reflection)
Gen 45:5a “And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here….”
What really strikes me in this chapter, in this whole section of Genesis, is Joseph’s attitude. He seems utterly at peace with the past 22 years, even though no one would have begrudged him feelings of anger and bitterness. Perhaps that’s why the past several chapters, where he was testing the brothers and their change of heart, were so difficult for me—because if he were just getting back at his brothers, it would indicate revenge instead of contentment. Throughout this experience, however, throughout all the false claims and unfair actions, Joseph has been at peace in God, content in Him, and that is a beautiful thing.
Gen 45:5b “…because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.”
Just thinking about anger and bitterness gets my heart rate going. I physically feel my breath quicken. My muscles contract, perhaps in fight or flight mode. The physical sensations of anger, bitterness, anxiety, and stress are real and incredibly unpleasant. The feelings of peace and contentment, which Joseph finds in God, are just as real. The ability to take deep, nourishing breaths, the slowing of the heartbeat, the relaxing of the muscles—it feels totally different. I feel like Joseph has been able to tap into that peace the whole time because he contented himself in God, in where God placed him, and the fact that God is in control.
Gen 45:8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this example. You know it is so easy for me to get caught up in my humanity, so easy to give in to anger, bitterness, anxiety, and fear. But I don’t like what those emotions do to me, Lord, and I know that if I can find contentment in You, I can wrap myself in Your peace. Always. Help me, Jesus. Draw me closer. Amen.
Gen 45:15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them….
Have a blessed day.
Look to their character…. (devo reflection)
Gen 44:1 Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house….
It feels very much like Joseph is playing cat and mouse with his brothers, torturing them to exact retribution for all that he endured because of their treatment of him. That thought has certainly been rolling around in the back of my head for the past several chapters. But today’s commentary urges me to remember the character of Joseph—Joseph, who knows that God is in control. Joseph, who has humbly served God throughout his time in Egypt, despite false accusations, unfair imprisonments, and forgotten promises. Joseph has been humble and faithful from the beginning. Why would he turn to revenge now?
Gen 44:2 “Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack….”
Lord, Your ways are not our ways, and Your thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). Forgive us when we apply faulty human logic to things we don’t understand. When we see people acting in ways that don’t make sense, help us to remember to look to their character and to lean on You for wisdom and guidance.
Gen 44:4 …”Go after those men at once… say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?’”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that things are not always as they appear. Help us to remember that “The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them, people judge by outward appearances, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Sam 16:7). Help us to trust You. Draw us closer. Amen.
Gen 44:14 Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in….
Have a blessed day.
Yours, fully and completely…. (devo reflection)
Gen 43:2 So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”
Jacob, Israel, is the father of 12 grown sons, many of whom have families of their own. I tend to think of someone in that position as wise and mature, but he still seems to be struggling with God and man and, most chiefly perhaps, himself. There is much commentary on this chapter showing Jacob’s leadership missteps. He seems to be driven primarily by fear. He has already lost Joseph, firstborn of his beloved Rachel. He is afraid he is going to lose Benjamin as well.
Gen 43:6 Israel asked, “Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?”
In ways that I am ashamed to admit, I understand Jacob’s motivation. I know what the fear of something happening to my children feels like—it is the worse, most helpless sort of horror. My wrestling with my precious Savior over the safety of my children brought me to the realization that He loves them even more than I do, that He knows far more than I about the future, their future, that if we will let Him, He will make a way in their wilderness, not necessarily to safety but to a solid relationship with Him, one that could be forged no other way than through trials. That knowledge doesn’t make it any easier to not worry for their safety and well being. I still have to remind myself that He is in control, that He is sovereign. Help me, Jesus, to never lose sight of the fact that my children are Yours, fully and completely.
Gen 43:14a “And May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder of Your sovereignty, grace, and mercy. Thank You for being our shield and our very great reward. Help us to trust You. Always. Draw us closer. Amen.
Gen 43:14b “As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
Have a blessed day.
Reminders to be vigilant…. (devo reflection)
Gen 37:34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days.
When Jacob believed Joseph had been killed by an animal in Genesis 37, he grieved as one who had no hope. Jacob came from a rich history of trusting God and seeing His faithfulness. Abraham was his grandfather and Isaac his father. Hadn’t Jacob heard the stories of God’s faithfulness to them? Did he not remember the times he had seen God’s faithfulness with his own eyes? Did his limp not serve as a reminder?
Gen 37:35b …he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave.” …
My heart hurts for Jacob, for his pain. And I understand his struggle. I, too, have wrestled with God over my children. I’ve battled pain, anger, and bitterness. I’ve walked through frightening valleys, comforting myself with the knowledge that my children belong to Him, they are gifts from Him, that as much as I love them, and I love them with all that I am, He loves them still more. He walks with them, even through the valleys. And STILL I have to consciously let go of anger and bitterness at the things they have to endure at times, knowing that God can work ALL things to our good and His glory if we will allow. Jesus, Help me.
Gen 42:36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your fierce and steadfast love. Thank You for the reminders to be vigilant against bitterness and anger so that we don’t slip into the mindset that “Everything is against me!” Lord, help me to cling to You always. Help me to remember always that You are my shield and my very great reward (Gen 15:1). Blanket me with Your hope and peace. Amen.
Gen 42:38 But Jacob said, “My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow.”
Have a blessed day.