45:7,8
Joseph knew that God had worked through the circumstances, including the evil actions of the brothers, to save lives, and to preserve a remnant of Israel. “So it was not you but God”. This whole episode is an illustration of how the sovereignty of God works. Above all else, God’s plans were being worked out. Now the brothers were still responsible for their actions, they were still guilty. What we do with our lives matters, but our actions cannot overturn the will of God. Though the actions of men, whether it be the brothers, the slave traders, Potiphar’s wife etc, had no intentions of this, through them all God worked to make Joseph leader in Egypt. We do not need to fear what men are seeking to do, but should be focused on what God is doing. In the midst of things this may be very hard or impossible to do, as was the case with Joseph for much of his life. But in those times we should just obey God from day to day.
45:9-15
So the next step is to get Jacob down to Egypt. Joseph understood his place in God’s plans. He did not think “isn’t this great that I am lord of Egypt, now I can do what I want and have a party”. He knew his task was to provide for Israel. So he tells the brothers to go back to Jacob, tell him that Joseph was alive, and to get down to Egypt. Joseph had set aside a place for them where they could prosper rather than live in poverty. They were to tell Jacob how God had prospered Joseph.
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