Prayer of the Day

Genesis 50

Thank You for the promise of a new life, through Your Son, Jesus.  Thank You for all of the other blessings You have promised me and my family as well.  Help us to believe in Your word and have faith that Your blessings will continue.  Help us to live lives worthy of these promises, and bring these blessings back to You.  Amen.

Genesis 50

"Joseph said to his brothers, 'I am about to die, but God will certainly come to your aid and bring you up from this land to the land He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.'"

Genesis 50:24

The book of Genesis ends with the death of both Jacob and Joseph.  All of Israel is now living in Egypt, where they will be oppressed and enslaved for years to come.  Before his death, though, Joseph ensures his brethren that the God of their fathers will rescue them and take them to the Promised Land.  It's hard, though, to believe in God's promises sometimes, when they seem so far away.

Question: What has God promised you that you find difficult to believe?

Prayer of the Day

Genesis 49

Mold me to Your image, and continue to guide me by the example Your Son set for us.  Help me to have the strength and humility to act righteously at all times.  Amen.

Genesis 49

"These are the tribes of Israel, 12 in all, and this was what their father said to them.  He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable blessing."

Genesis 49:28

This chapter gives some shockingly specific details about some of the "blessings" Jacob gives his sons...  Most of them are more what I'd call prophecy, but not blessings at all - he's pretty harsh to most of his sons.  The only sons he didn't scold were Judah, Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali, and Joseph.  Of these, only Judah and Joseph were given more than one short sentence of praise.

This chapter confirms much of what I was discussing yesterday about blessings and inheritance (these blessings are Jacob's last words to his children before he dies).  In the line of Abraham, God's chosen people, we've seen blessings given as deserved, rather than giving the largest or most lucrative portion to the oldest son.  In fact, here, Jacob's oldest son is rebuked and told that he will no longer excel!

Yesterday, I focused on family inheritance.  Today, I'd like to focus on Heavenly Inheritance.  If God's chosen nation gives blessings in this way, does it not also make sense that God Himself will give more to those who are deserving?  If you doubt that idea, look at where Jacob got his words from - the Lord told him what to say!  Also, we see a common theme throughout both the Old and New Testaments that those who are last will be first.  God's own Son was a servant to His people, and we're supposed to try to mimic His behavior, right?

Question: What inheritance do you expect to receive from the Lord?  How much of it do you deserve?  Why?

Prayer of the Day

Genesis 48

Help me to be more deserving of the gifts that my parents have bestowed upon me, and the blessings that You continuously share with me.  Give me wisdom in determining how best to extend those blessings on to my family, friends, and community.  Amen.

Genesis 48

"But his father refused and said, 'I know, my son, I know!  He too will become a tribe, and he too will be great; nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his offspring will become a populous nation.'"

Genesis 48:19

So far, all of Abraham's line have given the greatest inheritance to the younger brother, rather than the firstborn.  Abraham blessed Isaac instead of Ishmael.  Isaac blessed Jacob instead of Esau.  Now Jacob blesses Joseph's youngest son, Ephraim - the youngest son of his youngest son.

In many of these cases, someone (whether another son, a wife, or some other person) has questioned this, saying that the inheritance belongs to the oldest son.  However, there's never anything telling us why these people think it should go to the firstborn.  We take for granted that the oldest son should get the inheritance because that's what we're taught.  However, we see that God's own Chosen People don't follow that tradition!  In most of these cases, it's even God Himself who tells the father to give the inheritance to a younger child!

I'm not advocating this because I want my father to give me everything when he passes (hopefully, he'll live a hundred more years!), but rather because I think it's important to see the reasons why these younger sons were chosen instead of their older siblings.

First, we saw Abraham give inheritance to Isaac because he was born to Sarah, Abraham's wife, whereas his brother Ishmael was born to a servant, an extra-marital union which should never have happened in the first place.  Isaac was the son God had promised to Abraham.

Second, we saw Isaac give blessing to Jacob instead of Esau because of a trick.  Jacob (and his mother) out-smarted Esau, who was more of a brutish type of person.  This doesn't necessarily make it right, but Jacob showed initiative and cunning.

Third, we see Jacob (Israel) giving his blessing to his grandson through Joseph.  Joseph was the youngest of his brothers, but Jacob loved him best of all, according to the earlier verses in Genesis.  It was never explained fully why he preferred Jacob, but there were plenty of hints to show that it's at least in part because Joseph was a talented, hard-working, intelligent young man.  Hence, he gets more reward than his older brothers do.  As for choosing between Joseph's children, Jacob was just repeating what God had told him about the younger boy's future.

Question: wherever you are in your family's line of succession, how much (if any) inheritance do you deserve, and why?  If/when you have children of your own, how will you divide their inheritance, and why?

Prayer of the Day

Genesis 47

Show me my imperfections and help me to eradicate them with all haste.  Give me Your strength and Your commitment, and help me strive for Your perfection in all that I do.  Amen.

Genesis 47

"The land of Egypt is open before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land.  They can live in the land of Goshen.  If you know of any capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock."

Genesis 47:6

Pharaoh has been so impressed with Joseph's success in running the nation's food and finances that he offers his family the opportunity to care for his livestock.  This shows not only a great deal of trust in Joseph, but also respect for his abilities.

Almost everyone who has a job can say that our bosses constantly ask us to do more than we're already doing.  Sometimes, this is because we aren't doing enough, and the boss has to remind us to do more.  However, some of us perform so admirably at our jobs that the boss knows he/she can entrust us with more.

No matter what your profession, you should do it to the best of your ability.  Even if you don't have a job, you should take care to work flawlessly at everything you do.  This is the only road to success.

Question: what am I doing at work, at home, at church, or anywhere else, that I can do a better job of?

Prayer of the Day

Genesis 46

Thank You for giving me a complete and happy life!  Continue to bless me and my family, so that we may always be ready to meet You.  Amen.

Genesis 46

"Then Israel said to Joseph, 'At last I can die, now that I have seen your face and know you are still alive!'"

Genesis 46:30

This is such a silly phrase, when you think about it, but it's also one of the most commonly quoted bible verses - even though most people don't realize where it comes from.  It makes you wonder... what other common quotes come straight out of the bible that we don't even think about?

But what does this phrase really mean?  Jacob is so thrilled to see his youngest and most beloved son still alive that he is instantly a man at peace.  At peace with the world, with himself, with his God.  Before this point, when he thought that Joseph was dead and lost forever, he had no hope.  As we can see from the previous chapters, he has been quite cynical and self-deprecating.  Now, he's the happiest man alive.

It's amazing how God can make changes like that happen in our lives!  His blessings are capable of turning the worst sorrow into joy.  That's even the closest meaning for the word blessing that we really have in the English language: to make someone happy.  I call it happification, or to happify (don't you just love making up your own words?).

So God has made Jacob (Israel) so happy that he's ready to die...  Or at least, so happy that - if he did die - he'd die a happy man with a complete life.  I think that's the biggest thing that most people mean when they use this phrase: my life feels complete again!  We humans abhor the idea of living incomplete lives.

Prayer of the Day

Genesis 45

Guide my path, and prepare me for future entanglements.  Teach me to see Your will and understand how my life falls into it, so that I may be a better servant to You.  Amen.

Genesis 45

"God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance."

Genesis 45:7

Finally, Joseph can bear it no more, and he reveals himself to his brothers.  He informs them that there are still 5 more years of famine to come, and instructs them to bring their entire households back to Egypt, where he can sustain them.  When Jacob discovers that his son is alive, he is overjoyed and prepares to set out immediately!

Joseph's attitude towards this whole matter is astonishing.  It's obvious that, up until now, he has been a little petulant towards his brothers.  He's been playing with them - concealing his identity from them.  However, he reaches a point where he can't help but ask after his father.  He recognizes that the whole situation in which his brothers sold him as a slave, and all of the imprisonments and servanthood that ensued, were God's way of putting him in position to rescue his family from this famine.

How grand the world would be if we all recognized our hard times as God's way of preparing us for the next portion of our lives!  It's so easy to look back afterwards, as Joseph does here, and see this... but we very rarely see it while it happens.  

Prayer of the Day

Genesis 44

Father, show me what I must do to make You proud of your son!  Help me to make my life worthy of the sacrifice your Son gave for me.  Change my heart, and make me accountable for the life I live.  Amen.

Genesis 44

"Now please let your servant remain here as my lord's slave, in place of the boy.  Let him go back with his brothers."

Genesis 44:33

Just as Joseph's brothers feared, they were treated as thieves when the servant found the money in their bags.  In particular, the servant found a silver goblet in Benjamin's bags, which belonged to Joseph.  Even though these had been placed in the brothers' bags by the servant, he was given orders to treat them like slaves and bring Benjamin back to Joseph's house.

When told that Joseph would only be taking Benjamin, Judah spoke privately with Joseph and offered to take the young brother's place.  This came, not out of love for the brother, but out of love for the father.  Judah had given his word that he would be personally accountable for Benjamin because he knew how much the boy meant to their father.

Have you ever felt like your parents were playing favorites?  Or maybe a teacher, boss, or some other leader?  Have you ever felt like God Himself was playing favorites, loving someone else more than He loves you?  Obviously, God had a favorite son: Jesus - His only begotten son.  In that case, though, it was the most beloved son standing in place for all of God's other children.  That's sort of a reverse of what Judah did for Benjamin.

How can Benjamin make it up to Judah for sticking up for him?  Go back to their father and make him proud!

How can we make it up to Jesus for sticking up for us?  Go back to our Father and make Him proud!

Prayer of the Day

Genesis 43

Search my heart, my home, my entire being, and show me anything that doesn't belong to me.  Help me to return things that aren't mine to their rightful owners.  Ultimately, help me to return all things to You.  Amen.

Genesis 43

"Then the steward said, 'May you be well.  Don't be afraid.  Your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your bags.  I received your money.' Then he brought Simeon out to them."

Genesis 43:23

Joseph's brothers have come back to buy more food, this time bringing Benjamin with them.  They have also brought the money that had been returned to them the first time, out of fear that the Egyptians would think they are thieves.  When they tell Joseph's steward that they have the money, he reassures them that they are in no danger, and that Joseph (who they still don't recognize) is preparing a feast for them.

We rarely see this kind of open honesty in our current society...  When we're given too much change at the grocery store, we have a tendency to walk away with it, whereas we come back complaining if we're not given enough change.  With modernized cash registers, this doesn't often happen in either direction any more, but it's not just at stores that this kind of thing happens.

When was the last time you saw some money lying on the ground?  Did you make any attempt to return it to its owner?  If so, how much of an attempt did you truly make?

What about non-monetary goods?  When was the last time you picked up a piece of furniture from the side of the road or ate a snack at a friend's house without asking?  The list goes on and on, and would be different for every person.  My point is: when we do these things we are very rarely honest with the person we've taken something from.

Sometimes, this is because we don't think they'll notice or that they'll care.  Other times, it's because we're too ashamed.  Whatever the reason may be, taking something that doesn't belong to you without getting permission from the owner is stealing.  Our society shrinks the definition of thievery so that we can get away with it every day and keep a clear conscience, but the truth remains clear to anyone who looks for it.  Even if somebody gives you something by accident (like the sons of Jacob having their money returned to them), that does not give you the right to keep it.

Prayer of the Day

Genesis 42

Protect my family, and prevent untimely separation from one another.  Watch over each one of us and rescue us from harm.  Steer us away from sin and destructive habits, from physical and spiritual destruction.  Amen.

Genesis 42

"Joseph then gave orders to fill their containers with grain, return each man's money to his sack, and give them provisions for their journey.  This order was carried out."

Genesis 42:25

Joseph, despite the troubles he's had with his brothers in the past, has compassion on them.  Not only does he fill their sacks with grain, but he also gives back their money.  He does all of this without them even knowing who he is!  He gives them instructions to go home and bring back their youngest brother who wasn't with them.

Since the brothers do not recognize Joseph, they are afraid when they see their money still in their bags.  Their specific fears are not specified, but my guess would be that they fear being framed for stealing the grain.  Their father Jacob refuses to let them take his youngest living son back with them, so they stay and do not return - leaving their brother Simeon in Egypt and assuming he has been killed.

As a father, I can't blame Jacob for grieving and not wanting to send any of his sons back to Egypt.  He believes that he's lost a second son now, and he can't stand the idea of losing another.  I can hardly imagine what it would be like to lose my own son... and I don't even want to think about it!

Prayer of the Day

Genesis 41

Open my ears to Your wisdom and guidance.  Direct my path according to Your will.  Bring me back to You when I stumble on the circumstances around me.  Give me wisdom to see past my present situations and find You with me.  Amen.

Genesis 41

"'I am not able to,' Joseph answered Pharoah.  'It is God who will give Pharoah a favorable answer.'"

Genesis 41:16

Pharoah hears that Joseph is able to interpret dreams, and calls him in.  However, Joseph is humble and gives credit where it is due: to God.  The story of Joseph has always been one of those that I view as a great example of reaping and sowing.  We're constantly told by parents, teachers, bosses, friends, etc. that we will reap what we sow.  Even Jesus preached about this: our righteousness will be rewarded and our evil will be punished.

Here, we see a man who is humble before God, even when he's been deserted by his brothers, sold into slavery, and thrown into prison.  He has continually done his best to be wise and Godly, and everyone he's come into contact with has rewarded him for this!  Now, he gives Pharoah God's interpretation of the king's dreams, and advises him on how to survive the coming famine.

Because of Joseph's connection with God and because of his wisdom, Pharoah selects Joseph to essentially take his place.  Although not king in title, Joseph has all the power of the king throughout Egypt.  All this is simply because he was humble before God and acted righteously and wisely.

In what areas are you shunning God's advice?  How much better could our lives be if we were strong enough to humble ourselves before the Lord at all times, and act according to His wisdom?  Far too often, we allow situational or circumstantial problems divert us away from His narrow path.  No matter what comes our way, we must stand firm in our faith that God has a bigger plan.