“JACOB AND JOSEPH REUNITED!”

 Genesis 46:28-34                                            (ESV)

“JACOB AND JOSEPH REUNITED!”

“[28] He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way before him in Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. [29] Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while. [30] Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.” [31] Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. [32] And the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ [33] When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ [34] you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.””

Choosing a focal passage for this MESSAGE wasn’t very difficult as the writings from yesterday was about Joseph being elevated to second-in-command to Pharaoh.   Now his brothers have met the boy who they sold into slavery.  The brothers “sin” found themselves out and they were bowing to their brother as a potentate who would save his entire family.  

Joseph was rather special to Jacob (Genesis 37:3) who had taken it very hard when the brothers reported that he had been killed by a “fierce animal”.  Of course, the LIE came back on the brothers as Joseph was now the right hand man to Pharaoh.  But Joseph wouldn’t hold any ill feelings against his brothers as he KNEW the LORD was in CONTROL and was taking care of him……and he would take care of his family!

Far too many times I have “held a grudge” against those who might have done less than gratuitous things to me.  Joseph “wept on his neck a good while” when he saw his father Jacob.  Then he arranged for his family to settle in Goshen, knowing that GOD would move his kin back into the Promised Land in due time.  

Don’t allow grudges or retaliation interfere with GOD restoring relationships with those who have offended you or your loved ones.  Jacob (Israel) and Joseph were both carried to the Promised Land to be entombed.  What more could they ask for than to be “remembered” favorably by those who came behind them?  The thing that mattered most to BOTH of them is that “JACOB AND JOSEPH REUNITED!”