Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning.
Friday, March 10, 2023
Today's Passage : Today's Passage :Joseph’s Brothers Arrive in Egypt Again
Bible Verse:Genesis 43:16-25 (ESV)
"When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make ready, for the men are to dine with me at noon.” . . .
And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house, and they said, “It is because of the money, which was replaced in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may assault us and fall upon us to make us servants and seize our donkeys.”
So they went up to the steward of Joseph’s house and spoke with him at the door of the house, and said, “Oh, my lord, we came down the first time to buy food. And when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was each man’s money in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it again with us, and we have brought other money down with us to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”
He replied, “Peace to you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.”
Then he brought Simeon out to them. And when the man had brought the men into Joseph’s house and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder, they prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there."
Message:
The situation is ironic. Joseph’s brothers are guilty of a crime — seizing Joseph, plotting to murder him, and finally selling him into slavery. Moreover, they have been brought before the very person against whom the crime was committed and they are entirely in his hands: Joseph himself, now a powerful Egyptian official.
But they do not know the situation. They appear to have stolen the Pharaoh’s money on the previous journey, which they did not do. They have been caught red-handed in a crime they did not commit. On the other hand, they think they have gotten away with the crime they actually did commit, the enslavement of their brother. Whereas in reality, the exact opposite is true.
But they carry with them the weight of a great sin and they live in fear of God’s wrath for their sin. They live in the expectation of punishment. Joseph would have lived in a great house and the prison would have been in his basement, a practice common throughout history; perhaps “dungeon“ would be a more appropriate term. Like all of us, if they approach judgment with a guilty conscience, they approach in fear, for their judge can improve their situation or he can punish them.
As is true through so much of the Bible, their sin will be — and actually, has already been redeemed — by another, their innocent young brother Benjamin. Because Benjamin has come with them, risking his own life even though he had no responsibility for the events, Joseph forgives them; and not to his glory, but to the glory of God.
Meditation
: “All human discoveries seem to be made only for the purpose of confirming more and more strongly the truths contained in the Sacred Scriptures.”
Prayer :
Good shepherd, seek me out, and bring me home to your fold again. Deal favourably with me according to your good pleasure, until I may dwell in your house all the days of my life, and praise you forever and ever with them that are there. .... Amen
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