July 27, 2023

Joseph finally revealed himself to his brothers and sent them to gather their father and his people and bring them into Egypt so they wouldn’t starve during the famine. It was a tremendous relief to them knowing that Joseph wouldn’t cause them any more torment; though they had yet to be harmed, only their fear gripped them. The point made here is that anyone who lives a sinful lifestyle is subjected to fear because no matter what, we all know that God is real, and without Jesus, he will bring every sinner to justice. Joseph didn’t reveal himself to everyone that day, only his brothers, much like the Holy Spirit when he showed us Jesus.

The Holy Spirit shined a ray of light on the story of Joseph. He was sold as a young man into slavery and in prison for three years, but he made the best of it, so God raised him as a leader and savior of a foreign people. During the seven years of plenty, he gathered as much food as possible throughout the land. When the famine hit, Egypt’s abundance drew others that were suffering to come and eat. Most importantly, it drew in Israel, and they came to know and love the savior of Egypt because it was their brother. The whole story is a prophecy of Jesus. His own people rejected him, so he gathered those from foreign nations, which thankfully is us. We are still living in the time of plenty, but it’s easy to see that famine is coming, and that’s when Israel will be drawn in and get fed by Jesus, our modern-day Joseph. Joseph was the picture of what was to come, a living testament to the power of God. If you’re not gathering food during this time of feasting, famine will hit you hard, and you will watch as those around you either starve or come to the table of Jesus and eat. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few; we must gather now before it’s too late. 

And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. Genesis 45:7