GOD MEANS IT FOR GOOD
PART LXXXV
“I, Joseph, the official under Pharaoh here in Egypt, had my brothers come before me earlier today…They had, in fact, especially requested to see me….I am, of course, always very pleased to spend time with them…I wondered if they wanted to tell me how much they missed our father since his death…. I miss him very much too… But I am so grateful that all my brothers and their families are now living with me in Egypt…. I never thought that would happen… After all, I had been taken to Egypt as a seventeen-year old… But my family was in Canaan… Of course, I dreamed of being back in Canaan one day…. but I did not really believe that could happen… Especially, since I was only a slave in someone’s household for many years…And afterwards I spent time in prison for doing the right thing… It is true, God had given me two dreams in which I saw my family bow down to me when I was a young seventeen year old…. But I had put these dreams out of my mind… As far as I was concerned, they could not ever happen since I was never again going to be with my family…But one day God made these dreams come true…. My family bowed down to me… But not in Canaan… In Egypt…. Only God could have arranged that… I now know that what my brothers did to me all these years ago was used by God to save many lives…. And I told my brothers this when they spoke with me… As I already mentioned, I thought they wanted to talk with me about the loss of our father… However, they approached me because they were afraid I may want to take revenge for the harm they caused me all these years ago…. But they do not need to be worried… I have no intention to do them evil… I intend to continue taking care of them and their families for the rest of my life.”…. Please read the typed out attachment when you will read of Joseph’s encounter with his brothers…
ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES
GOD MEANS IT FOR GOOD
PART LXXXV
Joseph, the official in charge of the grain distribution in Egypt wants his brothers to understand that God is the One who has been in charge of what has happened to him as you can read in Genesis 50:19-21
But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he re-assured them and spoke kindly to them.
Joseph knows his brothers need assurance that he will continue to take care of them after the death of their father Jacob.
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