QT 1/6/2026 Gen 45:1-28, Moving on -- Spiritual revival

Genesis 45:1–28 (ESV) —

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.

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. 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.” 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.

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.’ ”

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.”

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.”

 

NOTE: Oops, I think I messed up yesterday and redid the same passage from last week. Oh well.

 

This is the climax of the story, and Joseph can barely hold in his emotions. There are a few responses to this truth. 1) Joseph is in tears to be reconciled to his step-brothers and his brother. They were different. They held no grudges nor bitterness but were truly repentant. 2) His brothers were stunned, almost unbelieving that the person they feared was actually their brother. Joseph's dreams had been true. And he held no grudge. And they could relax a little knowing that their actions had not killed their step-brother. 3) Benjamin recognizes Joseph in some special way since he was too young to really have known Joseph. There is a special connection between the brothers. 4) The spirit of this father revived. For over 20 years, much like his 20 years with Laban, he dealt with personal struggles. He never seems to get over the loss of Joseph because he brings it up so often. I call this a 20-year funk that Abraham never moves on. But now he is revived which should have happened sooner.

 

Are we in some kind of funk where we are reliving years that did not happen, a promotion that got away, the death of a loved one, an embarrassing decision, or something / anything that has zapped us for years. It is time to move on. It is time to be revived in spirit. It is time to return to God.

 

PONDER:

1. What is it that I cannot let go of?
2. Where do I need to move on?
3. What will it take to revive my spirit? It starts with repentance and seeking God wholeheartedly again?

 

PRAYER: Father, sometimes I fall into a morass where I relive something that did not happen as I wished. Forgive me. I am right where you want me to be, doing exactly what you have planned for me. I am grateful for my lot in life, it has fallen in pleasant places.