Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes. Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man's silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. After this was done for them, they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left. At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack. "My silver has been returned," he said to his brothers. "Here it is in my sack." Genesis 42:24b-28a
Joseph released his brothers from prison after their three day sentence and they decided to leave Simeon behind before being allowed to return home with their grain and then return with Benjamin. You’ll remember from the first part of Chapter 42 that Joseph demanded they bring Benjamin to him to prove they were telling him the truth about having a younger brother and thus showing they could be trusted. All this resulted from Joseph accusing them of being spies. But what Joseph was really interested in was to see his only true blood brother, both born to Jacob by Rachel. Little did Joseph know that his demand was going to cause conflict back home in Canaan.
As his brothers were about to load up and leave Egypt, we read where Joseph does something wonderful for his brothers: he refunds the money they paid for the grain and makes sure they have provisions to return to Canaan. Through his actions, Joseph teaches us an important life lesson about forgiveness, mercy and grace.
You’ll recall that when Joseph’s brothers sold him off into slavery, they not only took away his dignity, but they also took away the thing he valued most…the special coat made for him by his father. Now, faced with an opportunity to do unto his brothers as they had done unto him, Joseph chooses instead to bless them and make sure they would be all right as they returned home to their father…to his father and brother Benjamin who he had to miss dearly. This came after he witnessed his brothers’ remorseful, troubled spirits as they reflected on the sins they had committed against Joseph.
Question: Has anyone done wrong to you and left you like Joseph…betrayed, abandoned, alone and unloved? How would you treat them if you faced them again, especially if they displayed a spirit of regret for what they have done? We can learn a lot from Joseph’s attitude toward his brothers and would be well advised to follow suit. Like Joseph, we should allow God to heal our wounded hearts from the inside so that we might be able to extend His measure of love, pardon and mercy on the outside. Indeed, grace is amazing…and beautiful…both when we experience it and when we give it. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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