Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons' wives—numbered sixty-six persons. With the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family, which went to Egypt, were seventy in all. Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time. Israel said to Joseph, "Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive." Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, "I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, 'My brothers and my father's household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.' When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, 'What is your occupation?' you should answer, 'Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.' Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians. Joseph went and told Pharaoh, "My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen." He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked the brothers, "What is your occupation?" "Your servants are shepherds," they replied to Pharaoh, "just as our fathers were." They also said to him, "We have come to live here awhile, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants' flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen." Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothers have come to you, and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock." Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed Pharaoh, Pharaoh asked him, "How old are you?" And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers." Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence. So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their children." Genesis 46:26-34, 47:1-12
From as early as I can remember, my parents always stressed the matter of respect as they raised me. They taught me to respect my siblings, to respect others, to respect myself but, most of all, to respect them. They were the parents, they were the adults, they had the life experience and they were in charge…and I was to listen, obey and learn. In return, they took care of me, my needs and watched out for my best interests…even though there were times when I wondered if my interests weren’t better. Funny how much smarter our parents become as we get older. I think that’s true in most cases.
So today, more than ever, I respect my parents. They played a large role in making me the man I am today and for that I am eternally grateful. My mother introduced me to God and His Son Jesus. It was that spiritual introduction that has blossomed into full adult maturity and allowed me to minister to countless others. The roots of my faith are not only in the Lord but her as well. What a blessing she is.
And now I have adult children who are on their own and learning all about life’s challenges. My prayer for them both is that they never depart from their foundation of faith that my wife Grace and I established within them during their upbringing. I pray as well that they never forget the premise of respect that we taught them, just as our parents had taught us. There’s little wonder that when God handed down the Ten Commandments through Moses, He listed "Honor Your Father and Your Mother" as the first commandment in dealing with people. It’s that important.
It was important to Joseph in our scripture lesson from Genesis, Chapters 46 and 47. For as Jacob and all his family (which "numbered sixty-six persons") got close to Egypt, we read that Jacob "sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen." We read further that "when they arrived in the region of Goshen, Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time. Joseph, first reunited with his youngest brother Benjamin, now gets back together with his father. Jacob’s first son born of Rachel was not dead but very much alive. He was minus the "richly ornamented robe" he had given him in his younger years (Genesis 37:3) but how much more treasured was Joseph now. So much so that "Israel (or Jacob) said to Joseph, "Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive." Jacob was at peace and ready to go to the Father now that he knew Joseph was fine.
Well, Joseph didn’t stop showing respect for his father by reuniting with him. For we read that he takes his father to meet the great Pharoah, ruler over all Egypt and the one who had granted Joseph permission to bring his family out of Canaan so they would not perish from the famine. You’ll remember that Pharoah promised Joseph’s family "the best of the land of Egypt and…the fat of the land." (Genesis 45:18) So just as Pharoah blessed Jacob and his family, so too do we read that Jacob blesses Pharoah (47:10). In return, "Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their children."
In closing, I will mention what hasn’t been mentioned yet…and it’s the most important thing to remember about respect. For when we honor our father and mother, we honor our Father in Heaven…the One who ordained all fathers and mothers, appointing them guardians over His precious little children. Joseph, in honoring his father and family, did so not just because he loved his father and family but because he loved his Lord…and loved Him so much that he remained obedient to Him in good times and bad. In the end, as we have studied, Joseph realized God’s greater plan for him…that he had endured hardship to be placed in a position where he not only would save his family but all of Egypt and Canaan. In the final analysis, we can’t possibly expect to properly respect our father and mother without first respecting the Father above…the One who created, defined and first commanded respect. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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