Milo

JANUARY 16

Reading 16

GOD REVEALS HIS POWER

Exodus 5–11“Who is the Lord, that I should obey Him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go” (Ex. 5:2).In ancient times a nation’s gods were credited with its successes. The more powerful the nation, the greater its gods seemed to be. But in these chapters the God of Israelite slaves—our God!—is shown to be far more powerful than the gods of the greatest nation then on earth.

Definition of Key Terms

Miracles. The Hebrew words used to describe the plagues God brought on Egypt mean “wonder” and “miraculous sign.” Most of the 10 plagues were natural disasters that had occurred at some time in Egypt. However, three things unmistakably marked them off as miraculous: (1) Their intensity. The disasters were far greater than normal. (2) Their timing. The disasters came and left at Moses’ command. (3) Their subject. Several of the disasters occurred only in Egyptian districts, leaving areas occupied by the Israelites untouched. Whether God used natural forces to bring the judgments or not, the Egyptians who suffered under them were forced to acknowledge the power of Israel’s God.

Overview

Pharaoh rejected Moses’ demand and increased the work required of his Israelite slaves (5:1–21). God promised to act to redeem His people (v. 22–7:5). God’s power was unleashed in a series of nine miracles which struck Egypt, devastating that land (v. 6–10:29). The final, decisive plague took the life of every firstborn male in Egypt (11:1–10).

Understanding the Text

Pharaoh’s hard heart. These chapters speak often of the “hard” condition of Pharaoh’s heart. The image suggests stubborn resistance to God. The biblical text speaks of Pharaoh hardening his heart (8:15), of God hardening Pharaoh’s heart (7:3), and of his heart hardening (vv. 14, 22). To understand, we need simply to ask, What did God do to harden Pharaoh’s heart? The answer is that God revealed His power more and more fully. God hardened Pharaoh’s heart in the same way that the hot sun hardens bricks. God did not harden Pharaoh’s heart against Pharaoh’s will. If Pharaoh’s heart had been like wax rather than clay, it would have softened rather than hardened when God revealed Himself more fully. If our hearts are like wax, we will respond to God as He speaks to us. If our hearts are like clay, we will be as Pharaoh. The more God speaks to us, the harder we will become until finally God is forced to break us. “Make the work harder” Ex. 5:1–21. Moses’ request that Pharaoh release Israel for a temporary pilgrimage was scornfully rejected by Pharaoh, who ridiculed the God of slaves (v. 2). He ordered that the slaves’ quota of bricks be maintained, but that they be forced to gather the straw that earlier had been provided. Chopped straw was added to the mud used in making brick. The chemicals in the straw created a harder, longer-lasting brick. The response stunned the Israelites and Moses. They had expected an easy victory because God was on their side! When no easy victory occurred, the people became angry with Moses and Aaron (v. 21). We have to guard against unrealistic expectations. Psalm 37:7 says, “Do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Rather than panic when this occurs, we are to “be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for Him” (v. 7). “Their secret arts” Ex. 6:28–7:24. When Moses showed Pharaoh the authenticating signs God had given him, Egyptian magicians duplicated them. Some suggest the Egyptian magicians used trickery. Snake charmers even today cause cobras to become stiff by pressing on a nerve in their necks. They then throw them on the ground to arouse them. Others believe that the “secret arts” of Egypt’s magicians was actual magic, performed with demonic aid. In this case the confrontation between Moses and Egypt’s magicians was a true test of supernatural resources. It doesn’t really matter. Soon God began to perform such powerful acts that even Egypt’s magicians told Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God” (8:19). Today too human beings attempt to duplicate God’s works. Hospitals promise cures for substance abuse. Psychiatrists offer freedom to the guilt-ridden. In certain cases they even seem to succeed! Yet true release from every dependency, and life-transforming forgiveness, remain a work of God. Pharaoh was unwilling to see the difference between what his magicians could do and what God could do. We need to be aware of that difference, and depend on the “finger of God.” The Ten Plagues

The Nile turned to blood	7:14–24
Frogs infest the land	8:1–15
Gnats fill Egypt	8:16–19
Flies swarm Egyptian districts	8:20–32
Anthrax devastates Egypt’s cattle	9:1–7
Boils fester on all Egyptians	9:8–12
Hail crushes Egyptian crops	9:13–35
Locusts devour all vegetation	10:1–20
Darkness falls on Egyptians	10:21–29
Firstborn males of Egypt die	11:1–10

The devastating plagues the Lord caused were a judgment on Egypt’s gods (Ex. 9:27, 34), some of which are shown here. God’s plagues were directed against the Nile god, whose waters killed rather than sustained life (7:14–24); the goddess of birth, Heqt, whose symbolic frogs became rotting heaps of death (8:1–15); and the sun god, Ra, whose impotence was shown as God imposed three days of absolute darkness (10:21–29). “I will deal differently with the land of Goshen” Ex. 8:22. A distinctive feature of several of the plagues is that they fell only on districts occupied by the Egyptians. Hebrew districts were immune. This clearly demonstrated the miraculous nature of the plagues. It also made it clear to the Israelites that they truly were God’s special people. “Those . . . who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside” Ex. 9:20. The verse reminds us that the Egyptians did not, as some have suggested, suffer innocently for the sin of Pharaoh. They participated, as taskmasters and in other ways, in the oppression of Israel. No one who sees evil and stands silent is guiltless. Even so, God published Moses’ decrees of judgment so that those who came to respect the God of slaves could protect their possessions. God is good to the guilty, gracious to all those who respond to His word. “This time I have sinned” Ex. 9:27. When I last talked with Charlie he was lying in a hospital bed with two broken legs. He’d been lying drunk in a Brooklyn gutter and been run over by a truck. Charlie was like Pharaoh. When things went against him, he vocally turned to God. But as soon as the trouble disappeared, there he was, back in the gutter again. Pharaoh was a deathbed convert. When he was in trouble, he asked for prayer. But when each plague was lifted, Pharaoh went back to his old ways. It’s worthwhile to underline what Pharaoh said in each confrontation with Moses, and note that each expression of repentance was worthless. How do we know? We understand what was in his heart by observing what he did when each plague was removed. Talk is still cheap. Words of repentance, without a change in life, are as empty as Pharaoh’s promises. “Every firstborn son in Egypt will die” Ex. 11:1–10. In the biblical world the firstborn son was special. He was expected to guide the family in the next generation, and he was the one through whom the family name would be preserved. Inheritance laws reflect the importance of the firstborn son: he received at least twice the portion of the other sons in the family. Thus the death of every firstborn in Egypt was a stunning loss. Only this final, devastating plague would at last force Pharaoh to release his slaves. We might view the plagues on Egypt as a series of increasingly painful punishments. If Pharaoh had relented at any stage, he could have avoided the more serious troubles that followed. Because Pharaoh remained hard, however, the ultimate penalty was finally imposed. God’s judgments are often gracious in exactly this way. They become more severe only as we continue to resist Him. When we sense the disciplining hand of God, it’s wise to surrender immediately. Why should God have to strike what is dearest to us before we respond?

DEVOTIONAL

God’s Mighty Hand (Ex. 5:22–6:27)

When Pharaoh increased the burden on the Israelites, Moses was as upset as the people. But his response in the situation was more spiritual. He didn’t blame others. Instead Moses went to God to express his anger and his confusion. We can sense both emotions in Moses’ prayer. “O Lord, why have You brought trouble upon this people? Is this why You sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and You have not rescued Your people at all.” It is wrong to blame others when things go wrong. It is not wrong to speak freely to the Lord. In expressing his emotions, Moses showed that he was willing to be totally honest with himself and with the Lord. And in coming to God, Moses acknowledged the Lord’s sovereignty and power. Moses did not question whether God could rescue Israel. He cried out in frustration, questioning, “Why not yet?” You and I, who believe in God, will feel the same anger and frustration that Moses knew at times. Such feelings need not suggest a lack of trust. But they do raise the question of timing. Why not yet? God gives Moses his answer in 6:1–8. God will deliver with “mighty acts of judgment” so that “you will know that I am the Lord your God.” When our victories are easy, it’s all too likely we will lose sight of God. But when all is so dark and hopeless that we are about to give up, and then deliverance suddenly appears, we know what happened is of the Lord. Often God delays deliverance, not because He wants us to go on suffering, but because He wants us to recognize His hand when He acts.

Personal Application

How does Moses’ experience speak to your own frustrations and anger?

Quotable

“You will hear men say that people ’in olden times’ believed in miracles ’because they didn’t know the laws of Nature.’ A moment’s thought shows this to be nonsense. If events were not known to be contrary to the laws of nature how could they suggest the presence of the supernatural? How could they be surprising unless they were seen to be exceptions to the rules? And how can anything be seen to be an exception till the rules are known? If there ever were men who did not know the laws of nature at all, they would have no idea of a miracle and feel no particular interest in one if it were performed. Belief in miracles, far from depending on an ignorance of the laws of nature, is only possible in so far as those laws are known.”—C.S. Lewis

Exodus

JANUARY 15

Reading 15

GOD REVEALED TO MOSES

Exodus 1–4 “This is My name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation” (Ex. 3:15).In these chapters we meet Moses. But most important, in these chapters we meet God, and learn His most personal name, I AM.

Overview

The Israelites multiplied in Egypt, but were enslaved (1:1–22). Moses was found and adopted by a princess (2:1–10), but as an adult he identified with his people and was forced to flee (vv. 11–25). When Moses was 80 years old, God revealed Himself to Moses as I AM. Bearing the divine name, Moses was sent to Pharaoh to win Israel’s freedom (3:1–22). Equipped with miraculous signs, a reluctant Moses returned to his people (4:1–31).

Understanding the Text

“The Israelites . . . multiplied greatly” Ex. 1:1–7. A family of 70 persons entered Egypt. Based on the number of men of military age reported in Numbers 1:46, there must have been between 2 and 3 million Israelites at the time of the Exodus! “Multiplied greatly” suggests God’s reason for Israel’s sojourn in Egypt. Canaan served as a land bridge between Egypt and great northern empires. Armies marched across it and fought in its hills and valleys. If the Israelites had remained in Canaan, they could never have grown the population base needed to establish a nation. “They put slave masters over them” Ex. 1:8–22. Initially the Israelites enjoyed a favored position in Egypt. They were settled in “the best part of the land” and many were employed by Pharaoh himself (cf. Gen. 47:5–6). Some time after Joseph’s death, however, the Israelites were enslaved. This passage emphasizes the terrible conditions under which God’s people were forced to live. Words and phrases like “oppress,” “forced labor,” “worked ruthlessly,” and “lives bitter with hard labor” are used. The ultimate oppression is seen in Pharaoh’s command that Hebrew boy babies be thrown into the Nile to drown! The Israelites’ situation in Egypt is intended to mirror the spiritual condition of the human race. As Israel was in bondage to Egypt, so all humanity is in bondage to sin. Only the miracle-working power of God, which forced Israel’s release, can break the bonds forged by sin and make us truly free. Moses Ex. 2:10. Moses is the dominant figure in Exodus and the next three Old Testament books. He was 80 years old when God commissioned him to deliver the Israelites, and he led God’s people for 40 years. We can learn much from Moses’ life, and will do so as we read Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The New Testament says Moses was “faithful as a servant in all God’s house” (Heb. 3:5). We can discover much about faithfulness in such revealing stories about Moses as are told in Exodus 32–33, Numbers 12, 16, and 21. “He became her son” Ex. 2:1–10. This simple phrase reminds us that Moses, found by a princess, was adopted into Egypt’s royal family. As the princess’ son, Moses may even have had a claim to Egypt’s throne! Stephen repeated an accurate oral tradition when he said that “Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action” (Acts 7:22). Despite his advantages, Moses identified with his oppressed people and their God. Hebrews 11:24–25 says that “by faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.” This surely is one source of Moses’ greatness. His priorities were not shaped by wealth or privilege. He truly cared about God and about God’s people. “He killed the Egyptian” Ex. 2:11–24. Despite Moses’ concern for his people, he apparently wavered until he was 40 years old. Then when Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew he first glanced “this way and that and seeing no one” he then killed the Egyptian (v. 12). Moses was unready to take a public stand with the Hebrews, or to lead a slave uprising. We can sympathize with Moses. How can anyone represent an oppressed people to their oppressors? Still, when even righteous anger is expressed in hostile acts, little is accomplished. “Who am I?” Ex. 3:1–22 When God spoke to Moses from a bush that burned without being consumed, the 80-year-old seemed a very different person from the angry firebrand of age 40. Four decades of life in the desert had humbled Moses. The one-time prince of Egypt who dreamed great dreams had learned his limitations. When God said, “I am sending you to Pharaoh,” Moses replied, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” The rest of the passage, which reports Moses’ dialogue with the Lord, shows how hesitant Moses was. Moses brought up difficulty after difficulty—a pattern that continues into Exodus 4 despite God’s repeated promises to be with Moses and bring him success. Again we can identify with Moses. As we grow older, and discover our limitations, the dreams of youth fade away. We won’t be famous. Or rich. Or find the cure for cancer. Or become a well-known evangelist. As our early self-image shrinks, we find ourselves less willing to risk. Instead of opportunities we see problems. Instead of trying, we think of all the reasons why we are sure to fail. This is what happened to Moses. Even promises from God weren’t quite enough to change a view that had developed over 40 years of failure. Yet in a sense it was Moses’ awareness of his weaknesses that made him suitable for God’s purpose! Moses had finally realized that there was nothing he could do. Now all Moses needed to learn was that God can do anything! It’s the same with you and me. It’s healthy to acknowledge our weaknesses. But we need not dwell on them. What we really need to do is to fix our eyes on the Lord, and remember that there is nothing too hard for Him. Any task God may call you or me to do is a task that He can accomplish through us. “What is that in your hand?” Ex. 4:1–9 Moses continued to object, focusing on his weaknesses rather than on God’s strength. Finally the Lord gave him three miraculous signs to serve as evidence to the Israelites that God truly had sent Moses. The signs weren’t spectacular. And God chose simple things—the shepherd’s staff Moses carried. His own hand. Water from the river. But what strikes me as special is the phrase “in your hand.” God took what Moses already had and transformed it. We may not perform miracles. But God still takes what we have at hand and uses it to convince others that He is real. “I will harden his heart” Ex. 4:18–23. Earlier God had given Moses repeated promises. Now He gives Moses a warning. Why? Sometimes human beings misunderstand the promises of God. We assume that God will make our lives easy and remove all the obstacles in our path. But God’s promises never imply that! Instead the promises of God express His commitment to be with us and help us when the obstacles are greatest! It is only in facing, and living through, pain and tragedy that we experience God’s faithfulness. “The Lord . . . was about to kill him” Ex. 4:24–26. This puzzling event teaches an important lesson. Centuries before, God had commanded that male descendants of Abraham should be circumcised as a sign of their membership in the covenant community (Gen. 17:9–14). Moses had not yet circumcised his own sons. It seems likely Zipporah, his wife, had objected, for when Moses was taken deathly ill she apparently knew the reason, and acted immediately to circumcise her two boys. Her subsequent anger (Ex. 4:25) suggests she had been against the rite. But why was it so important that Moses’ sons be circumcised? Because Moses was to be a leader. A spiritual leader in any era must himself be obedient to God. If we are to be used by God, we must first be responsive to Him. “And they believed” Ex. 4:27–31. The Israelites welcomed Moses and believed his promise of deliverance. It must have been encouraging to Moses. But this early response, as is often the case, would soon turn into angry accusations as things didn’t work out as the people of God expected. Faith that counts is faith that persists, even when things seem to go wrong.

DEVOTIONAL

God Reveals Himself (Ex. 3)

When Moses held back, fearful, on the doorstep of commitment, God told Moses His name. In biblical times names had meaning. They were intended to convey something of the identity, the essence, of the thing or person named. So when God told Moses the name by which He was to be known “forever”—the name “by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation” (v. 15)-that revelation was significant. The name the Lord revealed was “I AM.” We know it as Jehovah or Yahweh. Wherever most English versions have Lord, the Hebrew reads “I AM.” That name is constructed on the Hebrew verb “to be,” and is best taken to mean “The God Who Is Always Present.” God, who was with Abraham centuries before, was present with Moses and the Exodus generation. God, who delivered them then, would be present with every coming generation as well! In the past, in the present, and in the future, GOD IS! He who was with Moses is with you and me even today. These Exodus chapters help us see why this name of God is so important. When Moses hesitated to respond to the Lord, God gave him a series of promises. Note each of these in the text. “I will be with you” (v. 12). “The elders of Israel will listen to you” (v. 18). “I will stretch out My hand . . . and [perform] wonders” (v. 20). “I will help you speak and teach you what to say” (4:12). How could Moses know that God would keep His promises? The name told him. God is the great I AM. Because He is always present with His people, God is able to fulfill in our present every promise He made in our past. When God told Moses “this is My name forever,” God was speaking to you and me as well as to His prophet. God truly is The One Who Is Always Present. He is with you today. He will be with you tomorrow. And because God IS, every promise He has made us in Christ will surely be fulfilled.

Personal Application

Is there a time or situation in which you need to hold on to the fact that God IS, and that He is present with you?

Quotable

“If I could give you information on my life it would be to show how a woman of very ordinary ability has been led by God in strange and unaccustomed paths to do in His service what He has done in her. And if I could tell you all, you would see how God has done all, and I nothing. I have worked hard, very hard, that is all; and I have never refused God anything.”—Florence Nightingale

Exodus

INTRODUCTION

Exodus means “going out.” The book tells the story of the Israelites’ release from bondage in Egypt about 1450 B.C. Exodus tells how God, faithful to the covenant promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, performed miracles to shatter the bonds holding His people. The fast-paced adventure moves quickly to Sinai. Here Exodus lingers, and in careful detail explores the Law that God gave His people to live by. This code was intended to teach the Israelites how to love God and how to love one another. Exodus also introduces Moses, that towering Old Testament character who is revered in Judaism as the lawgiver, and whose faithfulness to God serves as a model for modern Christian laymen and leaders. Most significant, however, is what Exodus reveals about God. God uses His power to redeem His people. God demands holiness from those who claim relationship with Him. And God provides a way for sinners to approach Him and be transformed.

OUTLINE OF CONTENTS

I.	The Story of Deliverance	Ex. 1–19
	A. Moses’ call	Ex. 1–4
	B. Miracles	Ex. 5–13
	C. On to Sinai	Ex. 14–19
II.	God’s Design for a Holy Community	Ex. 20–40
	A. Laws for living	Ex. 20–23
	B. Provision for worship	Ex. 24–40

JANUARY 14

Reading 14

“GOD WILL BE WITH YOU”

Genesis 47–50“ I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers” (Gen. 48:21).Genesis ends with Jacob’s family settled in Egypt. Yet the passing of the patriarchs marks the beginning, not the end, of what God will do for and through the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is the same with us. The passing of one generation is not the end. As we trust in God, we can say to our children, “God will be with you.” We can rely on God to work out His purpose in their lives.

Overview

The family arrived and was settled on prime Egyptian land (47:1–31). Jacob counted Joseph’s 2 sons as his own (48:1–22), and blessed all 13 before he died (49:1–33). Joseph buried his father, reaffirmed his forgiveness of his brothers, and obtained a promise that when God brought their offspring back to Canaan, Joseph’s bones would be returned to his homeland (50:1–26).

Understanding the Text

“Egypt and Canaan” Gen. 47:1–31. Canaan depended on rainfall for the moisture needed to raise crops. Egypt, however, depended on the Nile River, which overflowed annually and enriched the farmlands lying along its banks. Times of famine are reported in ancient Egyptian records, yet the Nile generally made Egypt famine-proof. Egyptian reliefs and records depict peoples from Syria-Palestine asking permission to stay in Egypt in famine, and coming to Egypt to buy food. “The land became Pharaoh’s” Gen. 47:20. Ancient inscriptions confirm that Egypt was considered to belong to Pharaoh, and that 20 percent of the crop was to be his. Records also show that temple lands did not belong to Pharaoh, which meant that Egypt’s rulers were often troubled by too-independent religious hierarchies. No independent Egyptian records tell the story of Joseph or explain how Pharaoh’s ownership was established. “Your two sons . . . will be reckoned as mine” Gen. 48:1–22. It is sometimes confusing. The “12 tribes of Israel” are frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. Yet if we compare lists, there are actually 13 tribal groups! Levi is not included in some lists, because this tribe provided priests and worship leaders. On other lists, such as the one in Revelation 7:5–8, Levi is included and Dan is left out. What happened is that Jacob “adopted” the two sons of Joseph. These two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, became heads of tribal groups, and the name “Joseph” was dropped. It’s helpful for us to remember this if someone else is given credit for what we have done while our name remains unmentioned. Genesis reminds us that it isn’t recognition that is important. It’s contribution. Joseph’s name may not appear in Scripture’s lists of Israelite tribes. But we know—and God knows—that he made a greater contribution than any of the other brothers! Jacob’s blessing Gen. 49:1–28. The concept of blessing is a powerful one in the Old Testament. In giving a blessing, a superior, such as a father, verbally conferred a gift or endowment to another person. This was not magic, for the Old Testament makes it clear that all blessing is from God (14:19; Num. 22; Deut. 10:8). Only a person who was in a close personal relationship with God could act as a channel through which God blessed others. In Genesis 49, Jacob, enabled by God, looks ahead and in his blessing makes oft-obscure predictions about the future of each family group, based in part on the character of each of his sons (v. 28). What is more important to us, however, is a phrase found in the blessing given Joseph. That phrase is, “Because of your father’s God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you . . . your father’s blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains” (vv. 25–26). The deep faith in God that Joseph displayed blessed his sons, and remained a vital influence even on distant generations. If we want to be a blessing to our children’s children, there is no surer way than for us to live as close to God as Joseph did. When we are faithful and obedient, our “blessings are greater.” “The scepter will not depart from Judah” Gen. 49:10. Jesus came from the tribe of Judah. This blessing, which predicts a ruler to emerge from Judah’s line, is one of the earliest and clearest of the Old Testament’s messianic prophecies. “A full forty days” Gen. 50:1–14. The text again provides an accurate picture of cultural backgrounds. Israelite burial took place as soon after death as possible, with no attempt made to preserve the body. In Egypt, however, a lengthy process of removing viscera and treating the body with preservatives was followed. Jacob was embalmed after the Egyptian pattern because he had asked his sons to bury him in Canaan, too long a journey to take with a corrupting corpse. Why would Jacob want to be buried in Canaan? Jacob’s request was an affirmation of faith. God had promised that his descendants would inherit Canaan. In choosing to be buried with his father and grandfather in Canaan, Jacob affirmed his conviction that his descendants would return and God’s promises would be fulfilled. “God will surely come to your aid” Gen. 50:22–26. When death finally visited Joseph, he too took the opportunity to affirm his faith in God’s covenant. He had the family promise that, when God did bring the Hebrews out of Egypt and give them the Promised Land, his body would be carried home. The deaths of Joseph and Jacob remind us that the funerals of believers, while darkened by grief, are also bright with hope. Neither Joseph nor Jacob viewed death as the end. Each looked beyond his own time on earth and found comfort in what God would do in the future. This is also the case with us. Because of Jesus we understand even better than they. Death’s sting still hurts. But we know that the death of the body is our induction into a full experience of eternal life.

DEVOTIONAL

What If? (Gen. 50:1–21)

I remember how strange I felt that afternoon. I slipped into our living room, edged past my dad, and headed for my room. Usually it wasn’t like that. Usually I hurried home, ran to Dad, and asked if we were going fishing that afternoon. Not that day. That day I’d gone to school clutching a coin Dad gave me to buy new shoelaces. I went into Eli Bassett’s store. But I never made it past the candy counter. At school I tried to eat the candy, but it didn’t taste right, and I threw it away. That afternoon I told my dad I had lost the money. Somehow knowing that I had done wrong distorted my relationship with my dad. I didn’t feel comfortable with him that afternoon. Not at all. So I really can understand Joseph’s brothers. They remembered the wrong they had done, and it made them uncomfortable. What if Joseph held a grudge? What if Joseph intended to pay them back? What if? Joseph must have understood too. The text says that “he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.” Joseph even made his commitment to them unmistakably clear: “I will provide for you and your children.” What was it that freed Joseph to forgive so freely? Perspective. Joseph realized his brothers had intended to harm him. But he also understood that God had used his siblings to achieve a good and important end. In looking beyond the act to consider God, Joseph was able to see his brothers’ sins in a fresh perspective. Sensing the good hand of God even in the evil others did freed Joseph from anger and from any desire to take revenge. It’s strange, isn’t it? The brothers suffered more from their earlier sins than the man they had sinned against! Just as a child I suffered more from misusing the money Dad gave me to buy shoelaces than he did. I suffered more because my act made me feel guilty, and awareness of guilt created what seemed to me an uncrossable gulf in my relationship with my dad. When someone we know sins against us, we need to adopt Joseph’s view of things. We need to realize that God can and will use even our hurts for good. We need to understand that sin hurts the sinner, perhaps even more than it hurts the person sinned against. We can react with anger when we are hurt. We can strike out or use silence as a weapon to express our pain. Or we can take Joseph’s course and “speak comfortably” to the person who sins against us. This doesn’t mean that we ignore the sin. After all, Joseph said, “You intended to harm me.” But Joseph went on to “speak comfortably” to his brothers, to reassure them of forgiveness and express again his commitment to them. When we take Joseph’s course, making plain our willingness to forgive and our continuing commitment to care for the one who has hurt us, then the pain of sinner and sinned against can be healed. And we will have walked in a path marked out not only by Joseph, but by Jesus as well.

Personal Application

If you sense your alienation from someone who has hurt or sinned against you, why not try Joseph’s approach?

Quotable

“Of the seven deadly sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back; in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you.”—Frederick Beuchner

JANUARY 13

Reading 13

WAIT AND SEE

Genesis 42–46 “Now we must give an accounting for his blood” (Gen. 42:22).Twenty-two years had passed since Joseph’s brothers sold him as a slave. When famine drove the brothers to Egypt, and they applied to Egypt’s second most powerful man, they had no idea he was Joseph. Yet it’s clear that none of them have forgotten what they did to Joseph. The question was, Had they changed?

Overview

When famine drove Joseph’s half brothers to Egypt to purchase food, they failed to recognize him (42:1–38). On a second visit, bringing Joseph’s full brother Benjamin, Joseph tested them (43:1–44:34). Joseph finally revealed himself to his stunned family (45:1–28). The clan moved to Egypt, where Jacob was reunited with the son he thought was dead (46:1–34).

Understanding the Text

“You are spies” Gen. 42:1–17. When the brothers appeared in Egypt to buy grain, Joseph accused them of being spies. This, and the other things that Joseph did to his brothers, should be understood as tests. Twenty-two years earlier, when Joseph was only 17, his half brothers had sold him as a slave. Joseph wanted to know if the Lord had worked any change in their characters. The tests that Joseph devised showed that God had! “Surely we are being punished because of our brother” Gen. 42:18–38. The brothers were shaken by their brief imprisonment and by the suspicions voiced by Egypt’s ruler. The conviction that they were being punished shows they had never forgotten Joseph’s pleading as they cruelly sold him into slavery. For over two decades they had lived with that memory. People sin lightly, as if doing wrong were no great matter. But once committed, sin’s memory snaps at our heels, burdening us with guilt and shame. Note too Reuben’s statement, “Now we must give an accounting.” It sums up the Old Testament view of sin as (1) a violation of a known standard (2) for which one is accountable (3) and which merits punishment. “Deeply moved” Gen. 43:1–34. This chapter is deeply emotional. We sense Jacob’s anguish at the thought of danger to Rachel’s other son, Benjamin. We sense the brothers’ terror as they faced a return to Egypt, where they were convinced the ruler intended to “seize us as slaves and take our donkeys” (v. 18). Only the prospect of starvation in Canaan forced Jacob to send Benjamin, and compelled the brothers to take the road to Egypt once again. Joseph too was torn by emotion. He could hardly control himself at the sight of his brother, and word of his father. Yet Joseph controlled his emotions not out of necessity but out of wisdom. The test of his brothers was not complete. Joseph still needed to know their hearts. All too often we act from emotion rather than wisdom. It is especially important in dealing with our children to do what is best for them, rather than what our heart tells us. “Do not let me see the misery that would come upon my father” Gen. 44:1–34. The final test Joseph devised placed unbearable stress on his brothers—but it revealed what Joseph needed to know. How significant it is that Judah is the one who makes the plea recorded in verses 18–34. Years before Judah had been against murdering Joseph, but had been more than willing to sell him as a slave and bring home evidence that Joseph had been killed by a wild beast (cf. 37:26–31). Now Judah offers to become a slave himself in place of young Benjamin, motivated by thought of the anguish that the loss of Benjamin would cause his father! God had worked a real change in the heart of this man who was so calloused just 20 years before. It may seem strange, but realization that we have sinned often launches personal transformation. Guilt is not intended to drive us from God but to Him. Even a person who has something as terrible to look back on as Judah did need not despair. God is the God who forgives sin and who transforms the sinner! Judah’s reaction here offers hope to all who are burdened with memories of past sins. Our past need not determine our future! We can confess our sins to God and, like Judah, we can be changed. “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt” Gen. 45:1–46:34. A stunned Jacob heard the news and realized that before he died he would actually see the lost son he loved so dearly. Emotionally this is the climax of the story of Joseph. In the flow of Genesis, it is not. The historic significance of Joseph is that through his rise from slavery to power, God made it possible for his little family to move to Egypt where they could multiply and become a great people. Yet the joy that echoes in the brothers’ excited announcement of the news that Joseph lived serves as an important reminder. In working out His grand master plan for the ages, God never forgets the individual. He remembers each one of us and truly cares about our joys and our sorrows. I confess that I get tears in my eyes as I read Genesis 45:26–28. I suspect that God, figuratively speaking, had tears in His eyes as He witnessed that scene. Ultimately, God’s most important works are not those He does in shaping history’s flow, but those He does in the hearts of human beings. Transforming a Judah. Bringing a Jacob unexpected joy.

DEVOTIONAL

Beersheba

(Gen. 46:1–27) Beersheba lies in southern Canaan. It is a pleasant place, some 974 feet above sea level. Further south, however, one can look down on the Negev and the wilderness of Zin, deserts through which an ancient highway wound its way toward Egypt. In a sense, Beersheba lies on Canaan’s border. To go further south is to leave the Promised Land behind. I suspect this is why Jacob stopped at Beersheba to build an altar and offer sacrifices to God. Jacob was so eager to see Joseph again. The dry and devastated land of Canaan was no longer livable. Yet Jacob stopped at Beersheba. I appreciate Jacob’s wisdom. Many decades before, Abraham, driven by another famine, had hurried on past Beersheba in his rush to reach Egypt (12:10–20)-even though God had placed him in Canaan. Jacob wasn’t about to leave the land in which God placed him, despite strong motives, without stopping at Beersheba to pray. Genesis 46 tells us that there God spoke to Jacob in a vision, and told him not to be afraid to go down to Egypt. There God gave Jacob confirmation that he was doing the right thing. I suspect that this part of the Joseph story provides a model for our own decision-making. We carefully consider our options. We note reasons to do one thing rather than another. On the basis of our information and our desires we “set out.” And this is right. God has given us minds with which to consider and desires that move us toward one goal or another. Our decision-making as Christians should not be mystical, but just as practical and reasoned as was Jacob’s decision to bring his family to Egypt. But, as we set out, we need to be sure we stop at Beersheba. We need to be sensitive to God’s leading and ask the Lord to confirm or to correct us in the direction we’ve chosen to move. The 70 members of Jacob’s family who were united in Egypt could be sure that they were where God wanted them to be. Jacob had stopped at Beersheba. How good it is, as we make important decisions in our lives, to stop at Beersheba and indicate our willingness to continue or turn back at God’s direction. When we stop at Beersheba, we will have the confidence that, whatever happens, we are living in the center of God’s will.

Personal Application

Make decisions carefully. But make it a practice as you act on them to stop at Beersheba.

Quotable

“Gethsemane teaches us that the kingdom of God is entered only through a denial of one’s own will and the affirmation of the will of God. Therefore, the cross must stand central to an understanding of the kingdom. Since the essence of the kingdom is our obedience to the absolute will of God, we understand it only as we bring our own will to the foot of the cross. No self-will can live unchallenged in God’s kingdom.”—Dennis Corrigan