Reunited
Welcome to the 87th issue of Pulpit to Pew Crew Newsletter, I'm Brad McClure, and we are on a journey through the Bible in 2023.
Welcome back to Day 30 of our journey thru the Bible.
Congratulations, you've finished another book!
I'm going to wait till Thursday's podcast to introduce the book of Exodus, so today, let's reflect on how we ended Genesis.
Famine is devastating the land.
Egypt, though, is flourishing and has stored enough food to supply many.
The secret to their success was none other than–God working through Joseph. A young man once forsaken by his brothers, enslaved to Potiphar, and later imprisoned–interpreted a dream for Pharoah and positioned Egypt to prosper and lead the known world.
Back in Jacob's home, the famine is taking its toll.
He sent his sons early to request food, but they were accused of being spies and sent back to get Benjamin. Simeon got left behind and held in prison.
What the sons of Jacob didn't know is they were dealing not only with a leader in Egypt. This was their brother, Joseph, whom they sold into slavery!
After a series of tests by Joseph confirming his brother Benjamin's health and the brokenness of his brothers over their sin, the time had come.
Joseph reveals the truth about who he is to his brothers.
Can you imagine their faces?
We know their thoughts–Uh oh! We're dead.
But Joseph had a different thought. A thought different than most people today.
Joseph had forgiven them. Joseph didn't need revenge. He wanted reconciliation. Over the next several chapters, Joseph is reunited with his dad and moves all his family to join him in Egypt.
Now, if you attend my church, you heard two messages about these chapters yesterday from a man that has meant a lot to me over the 30+ years I have listened to him preach.
I will wrap this email up by linking to both of those messages. I know they may be 30 minutes long, but if you can find some time, I'd encourage you to listen.
Final Thoughts
I'm sure several lessons can be drawn from this week's reading but nothing more than that of forgiveness. Joseph wasn't consumed with bitterness and it allowed him to prosper in unlikely circumstances.
What is eating at you?
Are you holding on to some wrong that's been done to you?
We have covered a lot of territory in Genesis. This is truly a book of beginnings. As we move forward Israel will no longer just be Jacob's "other name." Israel will be a budding "nation" of thousands/millions of people.
A Word of Warning...Exodus starts off easy but gets difficult. Most people stop reading toward the end of this book.
Not you though!
Enjoy these sermons and I'll talk to you Thursday.
Message 1: "Get in the Wagon" - Genesis 45:16-46:5
This message will be one I will remember for years! It's a great message using an illustration of wagons from these verses to teach the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Message 2: "The Land of Egypt is Before Thee" - Genesis 47:1-12
This message answers the question, "How do we live for the Lord in a wicked world?"
Thursday, we will introduce the book of Exodus and see what happened to "Israel" in Egypt.
HINT: It turned bad!
Happy Reading,