One Year Bible Reading and Commentary for Saturday January 22nd! Joseph Forgives His Brothers, Jesus Feeds the 5,000 and Walks on Water!
Click Here to Listen to All Four Readings
Click Here To Read Genesis GENESIS 44:1-45:28
The climax of the story of Joseph and the reunion with his brothers has been building slowly in the story. Finally, Joseph reveals himself to his brothers. Joseph had one more test for his brothers to see if they had changed. As they left, he had one of his servants put his personal silver cup he used for drinking into Benjamin's pack unbeknowst to them. After they had left, the palace manager caught up with them and confronted them for taking their master's silver cup. They fiercely denied doing such a thing. You can only imagine how distraught they must have been, after all they had gone through. But sure enough after going through the sacks of the oldest to youngest, they find the cup in Benjamin's sack. Now they are even more distraught.
When they get back to the palace, Joseph questions them. They vehemently tell Joseph they will all stay back as his slaves rather than giving up Benjamin. But Joseph will have none of it. Only the brother who stole the cup would be his slave. Judah takes Joseph aside and makes an impassioned plea to protect his younger brother's life. He tells Joseph of the special relationship his father Jacob has with his youngest son, who is the only remaining son of his wife, Rachel. Finally, Judah offers himself in place of Benjamin as evidence of his deep love for his father. Despite their previous failings, Judah's speech shows how much his character has changed. He has repented of his sin and his behavior shows it. More importantly, Joseph sees it too.
"This is especially significant when we think of how deeply Jacob, Judah’s father, must have hurt him and the other brothers through the years of his constant favoring of Joseph and Benjamin. This was a deep wound; yet Judah’s heart was changed to care even about the father who wounded him so deeply." (Guzik)
Judah's courageous words push Joseph over the edge. He can't hold back his emotion any longer seeing the true character of his brothers finally emerge. Joseph orders all of his servants out of the room, so he is left alone with his brothers. He weeps so loudly the Egyptians could hear him (assuming that is outside of the palace it had to be pretty loud!). He reveals himself to his brothers finally, and they are stunned. Joseph says to them, "Don't be angry with yourselves, it was God who sent me here to preserve your lives."
Joseph tells them to go back and bring Jacob back and settle in the land of Goshen, so he can be near his children and grandchildren. They would be supplied with everything they need. Hearing all of this, Pharaoh is greatly pleased that Joseph is reunited with his brothers. He loads up the brothers with all kinds of supplies, donkeys, and new clothes. The reunion between Joseph and Benjamin is especially sweet, and he is given not just one set of new clothes, but five sets of clothes and 300 pieces of silver. I guess the favoritism to the younger brother has not ceased.
When they get back to Jacob in Canaan, at first Jacob doesn't believe them. But when when he sees the animals and the richest of supplies and food, he is convinced. As he realizes his son he thought was dead was alive, he shouts, "“It must be true! My son Joseph is alive! I must go and see him before I die.”
Jesus will show the disciples two more miracles proving that He is the Son of God. His first miracle will show his power over food, and his second miracle will show his power over nature.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
After Jesus hears about the fate of his relative John the Baptist, he goes to a solitary place to grieve. But the crowds don't get the memo and follow him. Though the religious and political leaders rejected him, the masses followed him. (Guzik) Many still had sicknesses, and Jesus healed them.
There is a problem though. It is late and these people have followed him and there is no place to get food, the disciples inform Jesus. Instead of telling them to fend for themselves, Jesus has compassion on them. The disciples would just as soon as gotten rid of them, but Jesus says, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” This disciples remark, "We only have five loaves of bread and two fish."
Jesus takes the food, give thanks to His Father, and gives the food to the disicples who distritbute the food to the crowds. Everyone is fed and satisfied. Guess what? There are even leftovers! That day 5.000 men were fed not including women and children.
Jesus Walks on the Water
The day is not over yet for the disciples. As he dismisses the crowd, he sends the disciples back into a boat, while he goes up on a mountainside to pray. Jesus modeled prayer in his life. Though He was the Son of God, he still needed to pray like we do.
"Jesus was jealous for time spent alone with His Father. In the midst of His great ministry to others, He did not – He could not – neglect prayer." - Guzik
In the middle of the night, Jesus went out to the disciples, who were on the lake. It was windy and the boat was being buffetted by the waves. Needless to say, their anxiety was pretty high. When they see Jesus approaching them hovering over the lake, they think he is a ghost. Peter, never the shy one says, "Lord if it is you tell me to come to you!'
Peter then becomes part of the miracle. When he keeps his eyes on Jesus, he can do what Jesus did, walk on water. But when he takes his eyes off of Jesus and instead focuses on the wind and waves, he begins to sink. Peter's faith caused him to walk on water, but when he focused on his doubts, he sunk. When the disciples saw what had just happened they exclaimed, "Truly you are the Son of God."
“This is the first time we meet with so plain and open an acknowledgement of his being the Son of God.” (Poole)
Click Here to Read Psalm 18:37-50
"I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them so that they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.
39 You armed me with strength for battle;
you humbled my adversaries before me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
to the Lord, but he did not answer.
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;
I trampled them[a] like mud in the streets." (37-42)
In the previous psalms we have seen David crying out for God's help. In this psalm we see the confidence of a man who put his trust in God and saw God deliver him. You can just feel how empowered he felt, as he can't wait to praise God for giving him the strength to destroy his foes! There is nothing more empowering as a believer than trusting in God for something you could never do on your own, and then operating in the power that God gives you!
Click Here to Read Proverbs 4:11-13
I use Google maps to get me where I want to go. Because I am terrible with directions, I am heavily reliant on it. When I actually follow the instructions, I usually get to the place I wanted to go.
Today, voice of wisdom says
"I will teach you wisdom’s ways
and lead you in straight paths.
12 When you walk, you won’t be held back;
when you run, you won’t stumble." verses 11,12
“Living according to wisdom is like walking or running on a safe road, a course that will be free of obstacles, so that progress will be certain.” (Ross)
"What Now" Study Questions:
Joseph forgave, in the power of God's mercy. Is there someone desperately longing for your forgiveness today?
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