Joseph’s years of preparation for his exaltation were long and hard but demonstrated yet another part of God’s promises to Abraham.’ ‘all peoples of the earth will be blessed through you.’ Clearly this is not the ultimate fulfilment of the promise but a foretaste of what is yet to be as Joseph is now in a position to provide food for those ‘in all the world’ 41.57 affected by the famine.
Those who come include his brothers, sent by their father Jacob who has heard that there is grain in Egypt and the account of this and subsequent events is the stuff of high drama especially if the story is unknown. But for those of us who have heard it often I pray that it still comes with that sense of anticipation as the brothers get their comeuppance for the way they have treated Joseph and their father, and family harmony is restored.
The different stages are fascinating as the drama is played out and the detail is too lengthy to be repeated in these daily comments so even if the narration is very familiar I encourage you to read the story again and reflect on the amazing grace and mercy of God as he uses ordinary frail and sinful people for the outworking of his purposes.
As you do so, reflect on the illustration below and focus on the one to whom he pointed!
Just like his brothers
Outcast by them
Sold by them
Exalted above them
Provided for them
Helped them