...before all his attendants, and he cried out, "Have everyone leave my presence!" So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh's household heard about it.
Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?" But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.
Wow. Talk about some kind of drama. Here was one of the most powerful men in the earth freaking out in front of them. And he drops the bomb that he is Joseph -- the brother they sold into slavery and had convinced their dad that he was dead. But God, Who somehow lives outside of time, knew this was all going to happen and he tipped the parties off with the dreams he gave Joseph.
Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. Now hurry back to my father and say to him, 'This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don't delay. You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me -- you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute."
Wow. God set this all in motion ... and Joseph was smart enough to figure that out. He wasn't blind to the invisible hand of God. He didn't just look at his outward circumstances and think, 'Surely, I have become a great man.' He knew it was God's doing.
It's also interesting how he mentions: "...God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth..." This is like part of the "scarlet thread of redemption" that is woven through the entire Bible. God is saving a remnant for Himself and for the blessing and betterment of the entire world.
Yes, God's people (us) are supposed to be a blessing to the world.
It's up to us not to sit on our self-righteous high horses and serve and bless those around us.
It's true: sometimes the ones we are blessing and serving will not appreciate it. They might even mock us and make us feel bad. But our calling and our purpose is to make this a better place. This news might fly in the face of some theology out there, but the Bible makes a clear and consistent statement throughout the entire counsel of His Word, and it starts with the "Abrahamic Covenant," which says: "You will be a blessing to all the nations."
We can look back at these events and be thankful that this happened, for we are benefactors of it.
Pharaoh heard about this and heaped blessings upon Joseph's family. He told them not to worry about packing their possessions, because "the best of all Egypt will be yours." Wow. He set them up with carts and animals to help transport Joseph's family back. This was amazing.
And to top it all off, when Jacob heard about it he was revived in spirit. He didn't believe it at first, of course, and had to be convinced, but it eventually seaped in and he believed.
Posted by Doug Van Pelt at March 8, 2007 09:13 AM