Dr. Michael D. Halsey
“MORE THAN HOT DOGS AND COKES”
GENESIS 45:16-46:30
INTRODUCTION
All kinds of fulfillments are going on in this story at this point, all positive.
It’s time now for the family to move into Egypt. The brothers need to go get their families and their father and make the transition. All is well with official Egypt as we see in 45:16-20. Here, Pharaoh tells the brothers to go get their father and families and that when they return, he’ll give them the best of everything, including land for them. The reason he does this is out of gratitude to Joseph for what he’s done for Egypt. Genesis 12:1-3 comes into play here, and God will bless Egypt for their kindness to the family.
Joseph knows human nature all too well, so he has some instructions for his brothers on the trip—don’t waste your time arguing (vs. 21-28). Why would they have a tendency to argue? For the same reasons we would—there would be a tendency to say, “Why did you . . . Why didn’t you . . . “How could you have made us all lie to our father . . Why did we have to listen to you. . . .” You get the idea. It would be a waste of time, you can’t go back and change it, and it’s been done.
Before they leave, he gives Benjamin a great deal more than the others. At first, we want to say, “Not fair.” But this isn’t another test; they’ve already shown their change of heart. The reason Joseph did this is because, after all, Benjamin is his full brother, but also because in these tests he’s done, he’s put Benjamin at risk because he didn’t know if the brothers would maltreat their little brother or not.
We can say one thing about the
Joseph story at this point—it doesn’t hype up the emotion. We might like to
have the entire conversation recorded when the brothers had to come to their
father and confess to him what liars they’d been all these years and confess
what they’d put him through all these years, but we have a brief account of it
and that’s it.
We’d have to say that what’s given is right to the point. At least they didn’t
mumble or hesitate (vs. 26). Jacob finally believes them and makes plans to
move.
Once the family starts the move into Egypt, they would also be remembering something else—Genesis 15:13-16. Although they wouldn’t have to face it, they knew that one day this move would result in oppression and grief for their descendants.
As they make the move, they all know for sure now that God’s hand is on Joseph, so whatever he tells them to do, they’d better do it.
On the way, Jacob makes a sacrifice at Beersheba. It’s at this time that God restates the Abrahamic Covenant to Jacob, telling him that He’s going to make the family into a great nation, and one day He’ll bring them back to the land. (46:1-4). Right before the move, God reaffirms the Covenant as an encouragement to Jacob that’s everything is all right.
In 46:5-7, God fulfills the dreams of Joseph: the reconciliation is complete; the family is in Egypt and Joseph is their ruler.
The family now numbers 70. This is the foundation from which God will build the nation. When they enter, they know that this is where God wants them for the time being—vs. 3).
Talk about high drama—the reunion of Joseph and his father after 23 years is one of the most moving scenes in literature. In verses 28-30, father and son meet for the first time in a long time. Joseph is overcome with emotion and, again, the details of their conversation aren’t revealed to us, as much as we might like to hear them. The reunion is now complete.
One of the things we do with the Bible sometimes is turn it into a maudlin, syrupy piece of fluff. (That sells well at Christian bookstores, and makes a “nice” devotion or sermonette for Mothers’ Day). But this is far more than the story of a sentimental journey. It’s the amazing story of what God has done and it’s a very encouraging story.
At those times when Joseph was in the pit, on the way with a caravan, sold as a slave, then in a prison in Egypt, the most optimistic Pollyanna in the world would have had to say, “It’s all over. There’s no hope. There’s no way out of this.”
This is more than a hot dog and hamburger sentimental story of a family reunion. God has been at work for 23 years to fulfill His word. This reunion shows Israel that God’s plan had never been put aside.
When the Exodus generation would read this story, they’d be encouraged when they read 46:4—“I brought you here, and I’ll bring you back.”
Israel would forever know how they got into Egypt in the first place, it wouldn’t be one of those unsolved mysteries of history—God brought them there for good reasons, as we’ll see.
Israel would also know that they needed to make their decisions in line with the wisdom of the leaders that God appoints for them—Moses, Joshua, on into the judges, then the kings, as well as the God-appointed prophets. (A truth they didn’t learn, even when the Messiah came to them.) They would learn that God’s plan will be accomplished, even when it looks impossible.
For us—no matter in what age we live—we constantly learn and are amazed at how God works to bring about making good on His promises. Such learning develops our faith.