Written by Efe Abbe
The Word
16 When the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” it pleased Pharaoh and his servants.17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, 18 and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.’ 19 And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Have no concern for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”
21 The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22 To each and all of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five changes of clothes. 23 To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.”
25 So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26 And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
Genesis 45: 16-28
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Matthew 5:9
Reflection
After Joseph’s brothers passed his test and he tearfully revealed himself to them, they were speechless because “they were dismayed at his presence” (Genesis 45:3). It was only after Joseph pleaded with them to come near, explaining to them that “God sent me before you to preserve life” (v. 5), that they were able to engage with Joseph (v. 15).
When Pharaoh heard about the family reunion, he and his officials were pleased and instructed Joseph to make the finest arrangements to relocate Jacob and his family to Egypt in order to be taken care of during the remaining five years left of the famine. As his eleven brothers were about to head back to Canaan, in godly foresight Joseph gently implored them saying “Do not quarrel on the way” (v. 24).
It was Joseph’s God-given perspective on his brothers’ actions and all he endured that enabled him to respond as he did; how else could he have pursued peace with and among his brothers who literally had tried to kill him? Joseph’s life as one who unjustly suffered as part of God’s will, then made peace with and among his perpetrators points to the life of Jesus, God’s son and promised Messiah. The prophet Isaiah (c. 800 BC – 701 BC) foretold of the sufferings of Jesus, as God’s will to make Him a guilt offering of peace between God and us – unrighteous humanity:
10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
Isaiah 53:10-11
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
Application
Roughly three years before His death, Jesus had taught His followers what living in God’s Kingdom looked like. In the Sermon on the Mount He said “blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God” (Matthew 5:9), meaning that they are part of and will bear the likeness of the family of God! As followers of Jesus, in this broken world, this high calling we have to make peace with our enemies will come at a great cost but we have an example in Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit to rely on.
Our Lord and Savior Jesus laid down His life to give us, His enemies, eternal life i.e. union with His Father. As He hung publicly bloodied and beaten senseless on a tree outside Jerusalem, among His last words was a prayer of forgiveness imploring “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for being so kind to me that You would pursue peace with me, even though You knew it would cost You everything. Thank You for the precious life of Jesus Your Son, my Savior, and Mediator. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit at work in me to help me make peace even with my enemies. Amen.
City Life Starter 
Leave a Reply