Bible Study Online Article
Have you ever watched a movie that showed you how a story was unfolding in two different locations? You'll be watching the movie, and all of a sudden, the movie switches to a split screen, so you can see the complete story although the development is happening in two different places. This is what we have here when we reach this part of the account that deals with the rise of Joseph. For we are now taken back to the land of Canaan where Joseph's father Jacob lives and the scriptures have now informed us, that the famine of seven years has taken it's toll upon that land as well. Although Joseph's brothers seemed to be clueless when it came to trying to find a solution for the famine of seven years -- word had reached Jacob letting him know that there was grain in Egypt: "Why do you keep looking at each other? I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die," Jacob would tell his sons. After hearing this, Joseph's older brothers, all ten of them -- went down to go and buy grain from the land of Egypt. The youngest of them all Benjamin, would not journey with his brothers, since Jacob had feared for his safety. Just the mere fact that they were going to be traveling to foreign lands and on top of that, with the food being as scarce as it was, would lead to an increase of crime and violence that could have created a very unsafe volatile environment. Now the story comes back together, being that the screen is no longer split. The scriptures have now informed us, that Joseph's brothers had arrived at Egypt looking to buy grain. Soon after their arrival, they would find themselves bowing face down in front of Joseph, since it was their brother who was now governing the land and was in charge of the selling of the grain to the people as well. I find this to be very interesting, so therefore let's take a quick moment to look at something? We have to make sure that we pay close attention, for if we don't -- we could easily think that all of Joseph's dream interpretations had come to pass, up to this point in the account? It would seem as if they had, but it wasn't until this point from within the account, that we could have truly said that everything that Joseph had interpreted had actually come to pass? For we must not forget -- back when Joseph was a teenager around the age of fifteen or sixteen, he had interpreted his own dream and it was because of this interpretation, his brothers had become envious and ill willed towards him. "Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves (bundles) of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it. His brothers said to him, 'Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?' And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said." (Genesis 37:6-8) Joseph is now thirty seven years old, and it has been a little over twenty years since he had told this interpretation to his brothers. Now, we can truly say, that all that Joseph had interpreted up to this point in his life -- has now been fulfilled. The scriptures have informed us, that Joseph's brothers are now bowing down in front of the very one they sought to destroy -- their brother who is now known as: The Prime Minister of the Egyptian State -- Zaphenath-Paneah the Revealer of Secrets. This is a very interesting moment and I must say, a true test for Joseph. What will he do, now that he has his brothers who betrayed and sold him into slavery -- now bowing down before him? I'm curious? What would you have done, if you had the very person who tried to destroy you -- now before you, in dire straits asking you for help? I feel another wisdom lesson that we all can benefit from, coming together here.
Jacob - The Path of Uncertainty **YOUR CURRENT SERIES WOULD BE HERE** 84) Joseph's Dark Dreams Interpretation 85) Joseph the Overseer of Egypt 86) Joseph the Revealer of Secrets 88) The Seven Years of Abundance 90) <-CURRENT PAGE-> 91) Joseph's Temptation of Revenge 93) The Confessions of the Ten Tribes  CrossDaily.com Web Search where you can VOTE FOR THIS SITE & other great ones. Christian search engine, directory & voting index. You'll find Bible, chat, churches, jobs, music, reviews, software, theology, & more. See the best sites!
|
