Reflections from January 28, 2011

The time of Israel's death is at hand and as is the custom of this people, he gathers his sons to give them a blessing. He gathers them all, and starts with his oldest, Reuben, to his youngest, Benjamin. When he blesses Joseph, we read part of that in Genesis 49:25-26,
"By the God of your father who will help you, and by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of your father have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be upon the head of Joseph."

Wow! Every parent desires his children to excel over them, and Israel was no different. But here, Israel knew how he had been blessed far beyond what Abraham and Isaac had and he wanted that and more for Joseph. How wonderful that must have made Joseph feel, to hear those words from his father as the last words Israel would say to him.
The blessing of a parent was not law, but a cultural rite of passage. But parents then realized the benefit of doing so and we would do well to follow this ancient tradition. Our children will benefit from hearing formal declarations of their value and receiving formal statements wishing them well in life. A blessing is a great way to pass on a godly heritage, as it reminds our children of their connections to God and to their family.

With Israel's passing, Joseph's brothers again worried about his retaliation for selling him into slavery. Joseph erased their worries when he said in Genesis 50:19-20,
"Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive."

God meant it for good, another way of saying all things are to the glory of God. Having the benefit of a few thousand years since Joseph walked the earth, and said these words, we can see the far reaching purpose of why Joseph was saved and then placed in high authority in Egypt. By saving his family, he saved his people, the Israelites. By saving his brother Judah, he saved the lineage that Jesus came from. By saving this lineage, he saved people today that accept Jesus as their risen Savior, accepting their sins for them, and becoming their Lord. We see in the Old Testament, and in particular in Genesis, how God's plan is initiated in Genesis 3:15 and carried through to Joseph for the ultimate fulfillment outside of Jerusalem.

God's purpose has always been to save alive as many people as possible by bringing them into right relationship with Him.

Blessings to all