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The following is Pastor Nate’s teaching transcription from Calvary Monterey’s 10/20/20 Tuesday Night Service. We apologize for any transcription inaccuracies.

Hey, everyone. Welcome to our Tuesday Night Church Through the Bible Teaching and Study. Right now, we're in the book of Genesis and nearing the end of the book of Genesis, actually. If you'd like to turn to Genesis chapter 44 as we continue on in looking at the life of Joseph. As you're turning there, just a couple of things to mention. If you are brand new to this study, perhaps, you stumbled across it from one of our church channels or nateholdridge.com or the Calvary Monterey podcast and you've seen this teaching being released, you can also go backwards in all of those channels, all the way back to Genesis chapter 1, and play catch up over the months. I'd encourage you to do so.

The book of Genesis is a vital and important book for a Christian to wrestle with and to understand. It is foundational, not just to the planet and the world and humanity, but also foundational to our faith as individuals and as Christians. I'd encourage you to do that. Also, secondly, I would encourage you to share these with friends if they are of benefit to you, however you'd like to do so.

Joseph's Brothers Tested

Here we go in Genesis chapter 44. Now, a little bit of the background or the setting that this passage is in. You might remember that God wanted to move his people from the land of Canaan to the land of Egypt. Now, if you know anything about the Bible, this sounds like a weird direction for God to send his people, the land of promise to the land of Egypt. So much of the Bible focuses on escaping from, exiting from, departing from Egypt, and refusing to go back to Egypt. There was a unique moment where God wanted to bring the small family of Jacob, of about 70 people, to Egypt so that, under the protection of Joseph who was working for Pharaoh, they could grow into a numerous people.

But, before they could fully move to Egypt, the brothers who had sold Joseph into slavery years earlier needed to be reconciled to Joseph. There was a sin that needed to be purged from their community before God could work in their midst. Now, the brothers, of course, have come to Egypt two times now. They came first at the beginning of the famine to seek for food. Joseph recognized them. They did not recognize him. He told them that if they returned for more food, they needed to bring their youngest brother, Benjamin, who did not go with them on the first trip. So, when they ran out of food, they did go back to Egypt and they did bring Benjamin with them.

When they arrived, they saw elements or evidences of God's grace and involvement in their situation. Joseph threw them a feast and they did not know why. The steward told them that God was the one who had put their money back in their sack on their first journey, that God had favored them. Then, when they sat down for the feast, they were seated according to birth order. All of this would have told them that God was moving, God was working. They knew that something was up during this second journey to Egypt.

Joseph, for his part, instructed the stewards to pile five times as much food on Benjamin's plate, as on every other of the brothers' plates. This was Joseph's way of testing their hearts with the same jealousies they exhibited when Joseph was 17 years old, the same jealousies that they had over 20 years earlier. Would those jealousies resurface with Joseph's younger brother, Benjamin, being favored? Would these brothers lash out against Benjamin? In a masterful way, Joseph is going to set these men up. He is going to test these men to see if they've changed, transformed, repented of their past actions.

Setting Up The Test

1 Then he commanded the steward of his house, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack, 2 and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph told him.

Let's move forward in the passage and read it together. It says in verse one, there they are at this feast or after the feast has concluded. It says, "Then, he commanded the steward of his house, 'Fill the men's sacks with food as much as that they can carry and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack, and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest with his money for the grain.' He did as Joseph told him." Now, this is a similar tactic, in one way, to the thing Joseph had done the first time they came to Egypt. They put their money back in their sacks the first time. When they came back to Egypt for the second journey, they returned the money. They were so paranoid about what had happened the first time.

3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys. 4 They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? 5 Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this.’ ”

The new wrinkle, or the new tactic, is that he takes his silver cup and has his steward put this cup inside of Benjamin's sack of grain. This cup was a symbol of authority, but, as we'll see throughout this passage, was also used as a way for the Egyptians to discern the will of, of course, their false gods. Now, it says in verse three, "As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys. They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now, Joseph said to his steward, 'Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good? Is it not from this that my lord drinks and by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this.'"

Joseph, again, sends his steward out to meet with the brothers as they're journeying back to the land of promise or the land of Canaan. He tells his steward, "Hey, look through their sacks of grain. Find the cup that, of course, you've planted there. When you find it, I want you to ask them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good?'" Now, for some this looks like Joseph is trying to set his brothers up or that he's trying to trip them up in some kind of sin, or that he is torturing these men because of the way that he was tortured by them in the past. But, nothing could be further from the truth. This is not the kind of man that Joseph is. No, Joseph wants to have fellowship with his brothers. He wants badly to commune with all of his brothers. He wants badly to be reunited with his brothers. But, Joseph understands that before fellowship can occur, reconciliation must occur. This is an all-important reality.

You see, too many think that just brushing things under the rug, acting as if they've never occurred, is the way towards having fellowship with another. But, that is not God's way with us. It says in First John chapter 1:6 and 7 that, "If we say that we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But, if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His son cleanses us from all sin." In order for fellowship to occur, we must be brought into God's light. We must deal with known sin. It says in Amos 3 chapter 3, "Do two walk together unless they have agreed to meet?" Joseph wanted to walk with his brothers. Jesus wants to walk with us, but He must deal with our sin, just as Joseph had to deal with the sin in his brothers' lives.

6 When he overtook them, he spoke to them these words. 7 They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! 8 Behold, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? 9 Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my lord’s servants.” 10 He said, “Let it be as you say: he who is found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent.”

"Now, when the steward," verse six, "overtook them, he spoke to them these words. They said to him, 'Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing. Behold, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How, then, could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house? Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die and we, also, will be my lord's servants.' He said, 'Let it be as you say. He who is found with it shall be my servant and the rest of you shall be innocent.'" Now, when the brothers were confronted on their journey and accused of stealing Joseph's cup, notice how they responded. They said, "There's no way that we've done this. We brought back the money that was returned to us before. This should be a demonstration that our conscience is clean. We haven't done anything wrong. Why would we steal from you when we brought back the money to you? This is not the kind of people that we are."

With that kind of confidence in their heart before the sacks had been searched, the brothers proposed and they say, "Look, whoever stole the cup, that person will die. If one of us stole the cup, that person will die and the rest of us will be your servants." Now, the response of the steward was simple. He said, "Well, it will be the one who stole is the servant and the rest of you will be innocent. The rest of you can go free." It seems that the steward knows of Joseph's plan, of Joseph's intention. He downgrades their commitment from the death penalty for the thief and lifelong servitude for the group to lifelong servitude only for the thief and freedom for the group. This plays better with the plan of Joseph.

11 Then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. 12 And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.

Then, verse 11, "Each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground. Each man opened his sack and he searched beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack. Then, they tore their clothes and every man loaded his donkey and they returned to the city." Now, obviously, as the steward begins his search and he starts with the oldest and goes down to the youngest, there would have been the possibility of him seeing visibly the difference in age in these brothers, generally.

But, to be able to guess with specificity would have been miraculous. I'm sure that the brothers saw this happening and couldn't believe, just like they couldn't believe what they saw at the table as they ate the feast ordered by their birth order. They would have known again that this is divine intervention. God is involved. Or, they would have suspected that God is involved in this moment. When it's shown when the last brother, Benjamin, the youngest brother, Benjamin, the younger brother of Joseph, the son of Rachel, when it's shown that he has the cup in his bag, they tear their clothes and they all go back to the city with Benjamin.

They didn't leave Benjamin at this moment, even though they could have, perhaps, said they were justified in so doing. Benjamin appears to be a thief, so they could have said, "Well, we're going to leave the thief in Egypt." Instead, they return to Egypt with Benjamin. They are being tested for envy, at this point, tested for loyalty towards Benjamin.

Now, verse 14, "When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground. Joseph said to them, 'What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?'" Now, I love this from Joseph, because, in a sense, he's playing the part. He's in full-on Egyptian mode. He hasn't really used this cup to practice divination. He's a worshiper of the one true God. He doesn't believe in the false gods of the Egyptians. But, he's playing the part. He's acting as if this silver cup was used to figure out, discern the will of the gods.

14 When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground. 15 Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?”

Interestingly enough, we don't know exactly how the Egyptians would have tried to discern their pagan gods' will have from the cup. Some have suggested that they would put oil inside of the cup, which already had water in it and look at the shapes that the oil made, and that there would be certain things they thought the oil shapes indicated. Others have thought that they would look at the ripples or the reflections in the liquid in the cup in order to come to some mysterious conclusion about what they should do. Joseph, though he's not going to read the cup, he's reading his brothers. That's what he's doing. This is how he is discerning the will of the Lord.

16 And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found.” 17 But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

"Judah," verse 16, "said, 'What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or, how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants. Behold, we are my lord's servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found.' But, he said, 'Far be it from me that I should do so. Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. As for you, go up in peace to your father.'" Now, here, Judah steps forward as the leader. In fact, already in verse 14, which we already read. It says, "Judah and his brothers returned to Joseph's house." This is intentional phrasing. Judah, who took the lead in selling Joseph into slavery needs to, now, take the lead in defending Benjamin in order for reconciliation to occur.

Judah speaks and the question that he asked is fascinating. Look at it again in verse 16. He said, "How can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants." Now, this is fascinating. Judah is confessing to guilt he believes that he and all of his brothers have been found out by God. Now, when he says this, it seems that he's alluding to more than simply what Benjamin has done. Benjamin singularly appeared to be guilty, but Judah is talking about group guilt. "We have done something. How can we clear ourselves?" It seems that this man is haunted by his past, haunted by what he did over 20 years earlier. He wants to know, "How can I be clear of this sin?" It seems that Judah, after all these years now, realizes that God is asking for a reckoning. He senses it. He just believes, "I can't get away with this any longer. It's being dealt with. I can't escape it. God has found out that guilt of your servants."

That haunting question, how can we clear ourselves? I believe that, at the core of humanity, this question lurks. How can we clear ourselves? Some try to clear themselves by being ultra-religious, according to Romans 2 and 3. Some try to clear themselves by being incredibly good or moral people, according to Romans chapter 2. Some try to clear themselves by rewriting the rules, even rewriting the laws of nature itself, according to Romans chapter 1. But, none of those efforts to clear the self is effective. The only way to be cleared of our guilt is through the blood of Jesus Christ. We have to look outside of ourselves to a righteousness that God provides, an acceptance that God provides, for we cannot do enough to make ourselves right with Him, or within ourselves.

Now, Joseph, when he hears Judah's proposal, and Judah's proposal was really simple, he said, "We are the lord's servants. Benjamin and us are going to serve you now for this crime." Judah, or, excuse me, Joseph responds and says in verse 17, "No, only the one who stole the cup. As for you, go up in peace to your father." Now, imagine the temptation that the brothers felt at this moment. This statement from Joseph is just hanging there. "We could leave right now, no ramifications, no repercussions. Maybe, God hasn't really discovered our sin. Maybe, God is letting us off the hook. Maybe, Benjamin can suffer just like Joseph had, and we can get everything that we've ever desired." Joseph encouraged the brothers to take all the blame. He wanted to see, would these men have compassion on the second son of Rachel, unlike the way that they treated the first son of Rachel?

Some suspect, if these men had left Benjamin there in Egypt, that God could have started all over again with Joseph, or Joseph and Benjamin. Because in Exodus chapter 32, there was a moment where God suggested to Moses that he would start over with Moses and create a great people from him, suggesting that the promise to Abraham could still be fulfilled through Moses' line. Of course, Moses refused. It was a test that he was going through, not the ultimate intention and will of God. Some wonder, though, from that passage, if God could have started over with Joseph. But, here, what Joseph is doing is purging the jealousy of his brothers.

In this passage, Joseph is similar to Jesus, our great high priest, the one who ministers to us and serves us. He is faithful, like Joseph was faithful, to do things to purge our jealousy and to purge our sinful tendencies from us. As it says in Philippians 1:6, "He who has begun a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of the revelation, the coming, of Jesus Christ." Jesus will not leave us alone. God will not let us be. If you are His child, He is working with the all things of life to produce good in your life. Much of that good is the character, the nature, that He is trying to transform in you. Joseph was doing that in the lives of his brothers.

Judah Passes The Test

18 Then Judah went up to him and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ 20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’

"Then, Judah," verse 18, "went up to him and said, 'Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant. For you are like Pharaoh himself. My lord asked his servant, saying, 'Have you a father or a brother.' We said to my lord, 'We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead and he alone is left of his mother's children. His father loves him. Then, you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me that I may set my eyes on him.' We said to my lord, the boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die. Then, you said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.'"

21 Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22 We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ 23 Then you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.’ 24 “When we went back to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25 And when our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food,’ 26 we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down. For we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27 Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 One left me, and I said, “Surely he has been torn to pieces,” and I have never seen him since. 29 If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in evil to Sheol.’

"When we went back to your servant, my father, we told him the words of my lord. When our father said, 'Go again, buy us a little food,' we said, 'We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down. For we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.' Then, your servant, my father, said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons. One left me, and I said, surely, he has been torn to pieces. I have never seen him since. If you take this one also from me and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs to Sheol.'" Now, as Judah is retelling the story, of course, he is telling the story of Joseph to Joseph. He is telling Joseph that Jacob grieved and Jacob assumed that Joseph had been torn to pieces by wild animals and had grieved that experience for the rest of his life, the last 20-plus years.

30 “Now therefore, as soon as I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy’s life, 31 as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. 32 For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.’ 33 Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers. 34 For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father.”

Verse 30, Judah continues. "Now, therefore, as soon as I come to your servant, my father, and the boy is not with us, then as his life is bound up in the boy's life, as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, he'll die. Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol, for your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, 'If I did not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.' Now, therefore," verse 33, "please, let your servant remain, instead of the boy, as a servant to my lord. Let the boy go back with his brothers. For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father."

This speech and statement from Judah, this is it. This is exactly what Joseph was working towards and what Joseph wanted to see inside of his brothers. Was there repentance? Was there an owning up to their sin? Was there a desire to make things right? Was there a sense of guilt? Judah comes to a place where, not only does he announced his guilt, but he wants to make things right. He says, "I will stand in the place of Benjamin. The reason I'll stand in the place of Benjamin is because I know that, if Benjamin does not return, it will kill my father." He intercedes for Benjamin in order to preserve and protect his father. Judah is a changed man at this point, fit for the leadership that he will assume in the future.

Now, Judah, of course, here, he appears as a man who has changed, but a man who is concerned about his father. He, of course, didn't think about his father when he sold Joseph into slavery, but he'd learned over the years, the very thing that he'd desired, his father's attention, was the very thing that he could not obtain after selling Joseph into slavery. Jacob mourned and then turned into protective mode over Benjamin. The very thing that the brothers were trying to avoid is the very thing they produced through their sin. Judah learned this over the years, and eventually, became a changed man.

I want to say it like this. I think, when we consider how our actions affect others, that's a major part of repentance. That is a major part of change and transformation in our lives. That's what Judah went through. He realized, like he hadn't realized over 20 years before this, "If I do this, it is going to harm, hurt. It is going to kill my father." We should probably deal with this.

Judah is here a changed man. Now, I want to suggest to you that this change that Judah went through along with the change that his brothers went through, this was important for the new community of Israel that was being formed. You see, community requires care and compassion for others. It requires a sense of responsibility about the way that you treat others. They were about to form the community of Israel inside of Egypt, growing together as God's people.

If they had a willingness to treat each other brutally, then they would not be able to form a healthy and good society. This was an important ingredient, just as it's an important ingredient in modern societies, and also, in the present-day church. We have to be a group of people who care about each other, care about each other's needs, and care about how our actions impact the people around us.

I'm often told, young men, especially, or older men as well, I've talked to them frankly and personally about considering the way that their actions will impact the close relationships around them and the generations beyond them. So often, we don't make those types of decisions. We divorce, we commit sexual immorality, we lie, we steal, we cheat, without thinking about the repercussions, not just in our own lives but in the lives of the people around us. A healthy person thinks about the way that their life impacts others. Judah had thought through this and realized, "I can't go back and let Benjamin stay here. It will kill my father."

Genesis 45 -- Joseph and Brothers Reconciled

1 Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

Let's move on into chapter 45. It said, "Then, Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried and said, 'Make everyone go for me.' No one stayed with him when Joseph made Himself known to his brothers. He wept aloud so that the Egyptians heard it and the household of Pharaoh heard it. Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him for they were dismayed at his presence. This moment came where Joseph, after two journeys to Egypt, after various feasts and accusations, and all of that. He looks at his brothers. He hears Judah's words. He sees this man who loved Benjamin, loved his younger brother. He sees this man who honored his father. He sees this man who would do the right thing when no one was watching, far from home there in Egypt, with every opportunity to abandon Benjamin. Judah wouldn't do it. He wouldn't throw Benjamin into the pit, as he'd thrown Joseph into the pit so many years earlier.

When Joseph saw all of this, it just broke him. It just crushed him. He began to weep. He could not control himself. He wept aloud. The Egyptians heard it. He announced to his brothers, "I am Joseph." He revealed himself to his brothers. Now, as I've been saying, he wanted to reveal himself to his brothers, but there was confession and humility that was required before that revelation could occur. He asked the question of his brothers, "Is my father still alive?" Now, the whole time that the brothers have interacted with Joseph, they talked about Jacob. Judah had just recounted that he could not go back to Canaan without Benjamin because it would kill Jacob. Joseph knows that Jacob is alive. Why does he ask this question, is my father still alive?

4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

I think in a sense, he just wants to be triple sure. I think, secondly, he wants to highlight to them that he cares about his father and he really just wants to know, "How is my father doing?" Not just, does he have a heartbeat? How is he doing? What is the quality of his life? Now, they were still dumbfounded. Joseph continues to speak in verse 4. "Joseph said to his brothers, 'Come near to me, please.' They came near. He said, 'I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. Now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to keep alive for you many survivors. It was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt."

Picture the scene. There's Joseph with his brothers. They are shocked. Here's this Egyptian official, the most powerful man in Egypt, aside from Pharaoh, and he tells them, "I'm Joseph. I'm your brother." I'm sure they were scanning his face, looking at this man, trying to recollect how Joseph had looked. It had been so many years. They'd had no photographs, only their memories to rely on. Joseph is a grown man now, almost 40 years old, rather than 17 years old, as when they sold him into slavery. They're looking at him, observing him. Joseph continues on in their shock. He delivers this speech and he tries to draw them in.

His speech is ultra-gracious. He tells them over and over again, in certain ways, that they were not to blame for his plight in life. He says, in verse 5, "God sent me." He says, in verse 7, "God sent me." In verse 8, he says, "It was not you who sent me." He says, "It was God who sent me and it was God who made me a father to Pharaoh." In other words, this man just points to the sovereignty of God and says, "Don't beat yourselves up over this. Don't be distressed or angry with yourselves," he says in verse 5, "because it wasn't you who did this to me. It was God who did this to me. It was God who allowed this into my life." Proverbs 16:9 says that a man's heart plans his way but the Lord directs his steps. James 4:15 teaches us that we should not say what our plans are going to be tomorrow, but say, "If the Lord wills, we will do this or that." Always make room for the will of God in our understanding of what will happen in the future in our lives.

This was Joseph. He rested the sovereignty of God. He believes so strongly that all of his being thrown into the pit, sold into slavery, toiling in Potiphar's house, the false accusation of raping or attempting to rape Potiphar's wife, being thrown into prison, interpreting the prisoners' dreams, being forgotten by the prisoners, and then brought into Pharaoh's household once Pharaoh finally had a dream. Joseph believed all of that was God's plan and purpose. He just lets his brothers off the hook. Talk about forgiveness and grace. He says, "God is the one who has done this." He did not blame his brothers, but he credited God. His speech was a reminder that God was in control.

Now, his speech was also a reminder of all the dreams that he had reported to his brothers so many years earlier. "You'll all bow down to me. My father and mother will bow down to me." That was the essence of the dreams that Joseph had received twice from God. Here he's announcing, "These dreams have come to pass. God made me a father to even Pharaoh himself," he says there in verse 8. Listen, are you the kind of person that blames others? Or, do you look to God and say, "God is in control of my life. He's allowed me to experience what I've experienced for His purposes? What purposes is He unfolding, even through the tragic things that I have endured?"

9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. 10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.’ 12 And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13 You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.”

Now, in the course of his speech, Joseph announced to them that there'll be five more years of famine. He let them in on the secret. Of course, now, he can be trusted because he was proved right about those dreams he had had over 20 years earlier. So, they know that he's right about the five more years of famine. He goes on in his speech in verse 9 and says, "Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, 'Thus says your son, Joseph. God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me. Do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen. You shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. There, I will provide for you. For there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household and all that you have do not come to poverty.' Now, your eyes see and the eyes of my brother, Benjamin, see that it is my mouth that speaks to you. You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here." Joseph promises to the brothers and to Jacob that he would provide for the whole family there in Egypt. He is, being raised up, led to a great blessing for the whole family.

Notice, it was a blessing that they could not experience until after they repented. Once they repented, they were able to connect to the great blessing that was present for them. I've often thought of God in that way, that His blessing is being poured out, but He's looking for people that will stand in the place that His blessing can access their lives. The place that he can access our lives is when we are walking in the light.

Now, all of this is so powerful. Joseph has reconciled to his brothers. Now, he's showing them how to apply this great act of reconciliation, how to enjoy all the blessings that are there and attached to him. In a sense, to me, not to overly spiritualize it, but it reminds me of our relationship to Christ in the New Testament era. The Gospels record for us the death of Jesus, the actual act and event that leads to our reconciliation with God, should we believe in Jesus. The epistles, they teach us how to apply that great event into our lives and our daily experience. This speech from Joseph is like that to me. He tells his brothers that they are forgiven. But then, he explains to them what to do now in response to that forgiveness. It's like the epistles teaching Christians what to do in their new relationship with God.

14 Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.

Then, verse 14, "He fell upon his brother, Benjamin's, neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. He kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that, his brothers talked with him." It took a long time for his brothers to begin opening their mouths to speak with Joseph. Finally, after this great speech and Joseph hugging them and weeping on Benjamin's neck, after kissing all of his brothers and weeping on them, they began to talk with him.

In the book of Acts, in the early days of the church, the religious leaders persecuted the church and felt intimidated by many of the apostles after a time. So, they set their sights upon a man named Stephen, one of the first deacons in the church filled with the Holy Spirit. Stephen preached a message in Acts 7, before the religious leaders killed him through stoning. In his speech, Stephen talked about, in the history of Israel, all the moments where God sent a deliverer that was, at first, rejected by God's people. Joseph was the first example. He was originally rejected by the brothers. Moses was rejected originally by the people. The prophets were often rejected by the people. Stephen, of course, preached all of this to set the table or the stage for the idea that Jesus himself had also been rejected by the people, but was the one, the Messiah, that the Father had sent. This was Stephen's message.

The Plan to Gather in Egypt

16 When the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, 18 and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.’ 19 And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Have no concern for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”

In a sense, what you have here in Joseph, this second appearance of Joseph, now you have every knee bowing and every tongue confessing, so to speak, that Joseph is who God said that he would be in. One day, every knee will bow and tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Now, verse 16, when the report was heard in Pharaoh's house Joseph's brothers have come, it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Save your brothers. Do this. Load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan. Take your father and your households and come to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt. You shall eat the fat of the land. You, Joseph, are commanded to say, 'Do this. Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come.' Have no concern for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours."

The sons of Israel did so. Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. To each and all of them, he gave a change of clothes. But, to Benjamin, he gave 300 shekels of silver and five changes of clothes. To his father, he sent as follows. 10 donkeys, loaded with the good things of Egypt, and 10 female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. Then, he sent his brothers away. As they departed, he said to them, "Do not quarrel on the way." Joseph and Pharaoh gave the brothers elaborate provisions for their journey, including clothing and food. For Jacob, he got to receive the best things from Egypt. Remember the small little gift that Jacob had sent with the brothers to Joseph of the best things of Canaan? Now, Pharaoh sends wagons full to Joseph of the best things of Egypt.

21 The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22 To each and all of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five changes of clothes. 23 To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.”

But Benjamin, it says there in verse 22, is still being favored above the rest of the brothers. He gives everybody a change of clothes, but he gives Benjamin 300 shekels of silver and five changes of clothes. This is, in a sense, to demonstrate that they are no longer envious. They'll just allow one of them to be blessed above the others. This is a key to overcoming envy, to allow God to bless others and to just be satisfied with Jesus, to be satisfied with who He is to you and what He has given to you. In verse 24, he told them before they left, "Do not quarrel on the way." Did you notice that there? It's as if Joseph knows the temptation that his brothers will endure. They might get in an argument, perhaps, with each other about what they should do, maybe changing the plans, maybe, even disbelieving the grace that Joseph had extended to them. He says, "Don't argue about this. Just be quick and punctual about coming back."

25 So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26 And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

Verse 25, "They went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father, Jacob. They told him, 'Joseph is still alive. He is ruler over all the land of Egypt.' His heart became numb, for he did not believe them. But, when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father, Jacob, revived. Israel said, 'It is enough. Joseph, my son, is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.'" Now, when they come back to the land of Canaan and announce to Jacob that Joseph is alive and that he is the second most powerful man in Egypt, I'm sure that there were many awkward questions that Jacob had to ask these brothers. How is he alive? Where did you find his jacket, those 20-plus years earlier? How do you know that he's alive? Why did you think that he was dead?

Genesis 46 -- Joseph's Family Reunited

This is a massive turning point. Jacob makes the decision to go to Egypt. Now, let's read chapter 46 together. Remember, restoration has taken place between Joseph and the brothers. Now, it's time for Joseph and Jacob to be reunited. This is very similar, in a sense, to the New Testament story of Jesus, the Son of God, with the Father, with Father God. There was a betrayal in Jesus's life, a denial in Jesus's life, the cross where he died and suffered. He rose. He raised back to life. Then, he ascended back to the Father. Here, Joseph and his father are going to be reunited after it appeared that Joseph was dead.

1 So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

Verse 1, "Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba and offered sacrifices to the God of his father, Isaac." Now, Beersheba is the last settlement or outpost in the land of promise before heading to Egypt. You might remember that, in previous years and episodes, Jacob's ancestors had failed by leaving the promised land and going down to Egypt. Abraham had gone during a time of famine and repeated that mistake later on in his life.

Isaac had made the mistake of interacting with the nations around them, and was fearful of ever leaving the land of Canaan. Jacob himself had made the mistake of running from Beersheba earlier on in his life. It appears that what's happening here at Beersheba is one last moment where Jacob is going to seek God to ask him, "Is this right? Am I doing the right thing? You've put me in this land of promise. You have promised this land to me and my descendants forever. My ancestors got in trouble for leaving this land. Is this really what you want me to do?" He had to make sure that he was doing the right thing.

I love this about Jacob at this point in his life. He's a very mature man, but he still had a fear of himself, a healthy fear of himself. He knew that the human heart is able to produce great evil. He just wanted to know, what does God want for my life? What is the will of the Lord for me in this moment? This is a good thing for us to practice as well, to double-check, to make sure that we are heading in the right direction. In my own life, this has often come through the simple times of fellowship with the Lord, spending time in His Word.

I often think of those words of Jesus in Mark chapter 3, when they told Him as He was in a house with people seated around Him and He was teaching them the word. The people came from outside and said, "Your family, your sister,'" or excuse me, "Your mother and your brothers are here, asking for you." He said, "Who are my mother and my brothers and my sister?" He looked around at the people that were there with Him seated at his feet, listening to His word he said, "These are my brother and sister and mothers. These are those who do the will of God."

He said something similar to Martha when she came to Jesus after Mary would not help Martha in the kitchen, or busy about the house. She was just sitting at Jesus's feet, listening to Jesus. Martha complained about Mary's inactivity. Jesus said, "Martha, Mary has chosen the better part. She is doing the right thing. She is doing the will of the Lord. She was just there, sitting at the feet of Jesus." Now, oftentimes, I've discovered just a strong sense of God's direction or leadership in my life, by really and merely, just getting into His word.

But there's also a place for our fellowship with solid believers. Solid believers will often give us the perspective that we need. Then, there's the role of the Holy Spirit, an inclination, a sense, a word of knowledge, or wisdom. Then, finally, there's our own walk with the Lord, and our spiritual leaders as well, who will speak into our lives and help us. All of these elements can help us discern the different things that God has in store for our lives.

2 And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” 3 Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. 4 I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.”

Jacob, there in Beersheba, offered a sacrifice to God, wanting to know, I think, "What do you have for me?" "God spoke," verse 2, "to Israel in visions of the night, and said, 'Jacob, Jacob.' He said, 'Here I am.' Then, he said, 'I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there, I will make you into a great nation. I, myself, will go down with you to Egypt. I, also, will bring you up again. Joseph's hand shall close your eyes.'"

Now, God here, when he addresses Jacob, He uses a new title for Himself, one that's not been used before in the book of Genesis. He calls himself the God, the God of your father. This is significant to Jacob, of course. It means that God is the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. The covenantal God, in other words, the one who makes promises that He keeps for this particular family, He is on the move in their lives. He tells Jacob to not be afraid to go down to Egypt. This was a comforting vision for Jacob to receive.

Then, He says in verse 4, "I will bring you up again," or, as some translations say, "I will bring them up again." Your people, in other words, are going to come back to this land. I will bring them back to Canaan, in a sense, so would Jacob, as well. This is a great comforting word from the Lord. When Jacob left Canaan as a young man, he was doing it, really, in rebellion against God. Now, he can know, this time around, as he leaves Canaan, he is doing it with God's permission. This is part of God's will for his life.

Jacob And Company Arrive In Egypt

5 Then Jacob set out from Beersheba. The sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 They also took their livestock and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him, 7 his sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters. All his offspring he brought with him into Egypt.

"Then, Jacob," verse 5, "set out from Beersheba. The sons of Israel carry Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. They also took their livestock and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him, his sons and his sons' sons with him, his daughters and his sons' daughters. All his offspring, he brought with him into Egypt." Now, it is interesting, Pharaoh had told them, they didn't need to bring anything. But Jacob just couldn't resist. He didn't listen to Pharaoh and they bring all of their flocks and all of their belongings in these carts.

8 Now these are the names of the descendants of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons. Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, 9 and the sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. 11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan); and the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 13 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Yob, and Shimron. 14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. 15 These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, together with his daughter Dinah; altogether his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three.

Now, in verse 8 and following, there's a detailed list of the whole family, 70 descendants. This would be helpful to the future generations that would come from this family to know who specifically they were connected to, what tribe they were part of. The other thing that's interesting about this list is that the sum total of the list will be 70 people, which is fascinating because, earlier in Genesis, before the story of Abraham, there's what is called the table of the nations back in Genesis chapter 10. There we find 70 nations that had ultimately descended from Adam. In a sense, it's like we're seeing a new world or a new nation beginning to unfold through Jacob, through his family of 70 descendants.

The first group that's mentioned in this genealogy is Leah and her descendants. Let's read it together without many comments. "Now, these are the names of the descendants of Israel who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons, Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and the sons of Reuben, Hanoch, Phallu, Hezron, and Carmi. The sons of Simeon, Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. The sons of Levi, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. The sons of Judah, Er, Onan, Shelah, Pharez, and Zarah. But, Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul. The sons of Issachar, Tola, Phuvah, Job, and Shimron. The sons of Zebulun, Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. These are the sons of Leah whom she bore to Jacob in Padan-aram, together with his daughter, Dinah. Altogether, his sons and daughters numbered 33."

16 The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. 17 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, with Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. 18 These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob—sixteen persons.

19 The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife: Joseph and Benjamin. 20 And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, bore to him. 21 And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

Now, we have the family of Zilpah in verse 16. "The sons of Gad, Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. The sons of Asher, Jimnah, Ishuah, Isui, Beriah, with Serah, their sister. The sons of Beriah, Heber and Malchiel. These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah, his daughter. These she bore to Jacob, 16 persons. Now, the sons of Rachel," verse 19, "Jacob's wife, Joseph and Benjamin. To Joseph, in the land of Egypt, were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-pherah, the priest of On, bore to him. And the sons of Benjamin, Belah, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. These are the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob, 14 persons in all."

22 These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob—fourteen persons in all. 23 The son of Dan: Hushim. 24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. 25 These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob—seven persons in all.

26 All the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt, who were his own descendants, not including Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all. 27 And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two. All the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy.

Now, we have the descendants of Bilhah in verse 23. "The son of Dan, Hushim, the sons of Naphtali, Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter. And these she bore to Jacob, seven persons in all. All the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt who were his own descendants, not including Jacob's sons' wives, were 66 persons in all. The sons of Jacob who were born to him in Egypt were two. All the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were 70." There's a little bit of debate about the numbers here. We have 66 being mentioned, and then, 70 being mentioned a couple of verses later. It appears that 66 is the number of people who traveled and 70 represents the people who traveled, plus Joseph's family who was already there in Egypt.

Jacob and Joseph Reunited

28 He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way before him in Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. 29 Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while.

Verse 28, "He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way before him in Goshen. They came into the land of Goshen. Then, Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel, his father, in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while." Here, they reunite. Joseph and his father, they reunite after all of these years. Joseph falls on his father's neck and weeps a good while. This is what he did with Benjamin. This is what he did with all the brothers. You may have to remember here that Joseph endured painstaking separation from his father for over 20 years at this point. All of that was done, of course, to save Israel, to preserve and prepare a future for their family, which would become a nation. It, still, was a painful thing for this young man to endure, the separation that he experienced, the heartache that he experienced.

Of course, it's not hard for us to see the connection between Joseph's experience and the experience of Jesus himself, who was separated, so to speak, from his father in order to save us, make a way for us. He said on the cross, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" It speaks of the only moment that Father and Son, from all of eternity, were out of step with each other. They were so together that they are part of the triune Godhead. Jesus said in John 10:30, "I and My Father are One." They are singular, together. He is, right now, sitting at the right hand of the Father. These things speak of the mystery of the tri-unity of God. Jesus endured all of that, so that we might have life. Joseph endured all of these things so that his family might have life. It hurt him. It harmed him. It grieved him. It was a painful thing that he experienced.

30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.”

I think, so often, we take sin far too lightly. When we think about what it cost Jesus to deal with it, it might help us have a more holy perspective or a more sober understanding of what sin is. "Now, Israel," verse 30, "said to Joseph, 'Now, let me die since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.'" They say that one of the greatest griefs that can ever be experienced is the grief of a parent who has to bury a child. Joseph was presumed to be dead by Jacob all of these years. He had grieved for so long as a man. So much so that the brothers knew that, if Benjamin was lost, Jacob would just die. He would perish. Now, after all these years, he realizes this grief is reversed. This same man, Jacob, who had said before that all these things were against him, that his years had been few and evil, he begins to understand, "God was at work, God was moving. It wasn't all that I thought it was. God is a redeemer."

I want to just mention for a second without making too big of a deal of this, because the text does not. What you have here is the reunification between a father and a son. It's been over 20 years. Of course, they lived in a society and during the time where parents and siblings had a different kind of dynamic in relationship than we even have in our modern world and era. After all of these years, through all of these events, this dad and his boy are reunited together. There is still a love for each other. You see, it's written in the cosmos.

This is what God has done. God has designed a father and his children to have a bond together. Though the enemy in our era works overtime to try to disrupt the family and devalue the father and tell human beings that their relationship with their dad is no big deal. We know intuitively, by just looking at humanity, seeing our design, and looking at our own feelings and experiences, that the power of a father is all-important. It is never too late, as long as both parties are alive, for a reunification to occur. That's what happened here with Joseph and Jacob.

31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 And the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ 33 When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

Now, let's close by reading the last paragraph of our passage together. Verse 31, "Joseph said to his brothers and his father's household, 'I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, my brothers and my father's household who were in the land of Canaan have come to me. The men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock. They have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.' When Pharaoh calls you and says, 'What is your occupation,' you shall say, 'Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth, even until now, both we and our fathers,' in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.'

All this was done so that Joseph could get his family to stay in the land of Goshen, which was a fertile area and would allow them to continue on in their family practice of shepherding. The Egyptians considered those who cared for cattle, especially, to be an abomination. Joseph tells them, "Hey, say these words to Pharaoh. Then, he will send you to Goshen. He'll want to separate from you. That'll be good, so that you don't have to assimilate into Egyptian culture. You'll be able to develop your own thing in the land of Goshen, and also, continue on in the family business or trade of raising livestock." Here, this is Joseph's way of interceding for his brothers, just as Jesus intercedes for us. God bless you, church. Have a wonderful week.