Genesis 45
45
1Then Ioseph could not refraine him selfe before all that stoode by him, but hee cryed, Haue forth euery man from me. And there taryed not one with him, while Ioseph vttered himselfe vnto his brethren. 2And hee wept and cried, so that the Egyptians heard: the house of Pharaoh heard also. 3Then Ioseph sayde to his brethren, I am Ioseph: doeth my father yet liue? But his brethren coulde not answere him, for they were astonished at his presence. 4Againe, Ioseph sayde to his brethren, Come neere, I pray you, to mee. And they came neere. And he sayde, I am Ioseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. 5Nowe therefore be not sad, neither grieued with your selues, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you for your preseruation. 6For nowe two yeeres of famine haue bene through ye land, and fiue yeeres are behind, wherein neither shalbe earing nor haruest. 7Wherefore God sent me before you to preserue your posteritie in this land, and to saue you aliue by a great deliuerance. 8Now the you sent not me hither, but God, who hath made mee a father vnto Pharaoh, and lorde of all his house, and ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. 9Haste you and go vp to my father, and tel him, Thus saieth thy sonne Ioseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come downe to me, tary not. 10And thou shalt dwel in ye land of Goshen, and shalt be neere me, thou and thy children, and thy childrens children, and thy sheepe, and thy beastes, and all that thou hast. 11Also I will nourish thee there (for yet remaine fiue yeeres of famine) lest thou perish through pouertie, thou and thy houshold, and all that thou hast. 12And behold, your eyes doe see, and the eyes of my brother Beniamin, that my mouth speaketh to you. 13Therefore tel my father of al mine honour in Egypt, and of all that ye haue seene, and make haste, and bring my father hither. 14Then hee fell on his brother Beniamins necke, and wept, and Beniamin wept on his necke. 15Moreouer, he kissed all his brethren, and wept vpon them: and afterwarde his brethren talked with him. 16And the tidinges came vnto Pharaohs house, so that they said, Iosephs brethre are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his seruants. 17Then Pharaoh said vnto Ioseph, Say to thy brethren, This doe ye, lade your beastes and depart, go to the land of Canaan, 18And take your father, and your houshoulds, and come to me, and I wil giue you the best of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eate of the fat of the land. 19And I commaund thee, Thus doe ye, take you charets out of the lande of Egypt for your children, and for your wiues, and bring your father and come. 20Also regarde not your stuffe: for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours. 21And the children of Israel did so: and Ioseph gaue them charets according to the commandement of Pharaoh: hee gaue them vitaile also for the iourney. 22He gaue them all, none except, change of raiment: but vnto Beniamin he gaue three hundreth pieces of siluer, and fiue sutes of raiment. 23And vnto his father likewise hee sent ten hee asses laden with the best things of Egypt, and ten shee asses laden with wheate, and bread and meate for his father by the way. 24So sent he his brethren away, and they departed: and he sayde vnto them, Fall not out by the way. 25Then they went vp from Egypt, and came vnto the land of Canaan vnto Iaakob their father, 26And tolde him, saying, Ioseph is yet aliue, and he also is gouernour ouer all the lande of Egypt, and Iaakobs heart failed: for he beleeued them not. 27And they told him al the words of Ioseph, which he had said vnto the: but when he saw the charets, which Ioseph had sent to cary him, then the spirit of Iaakob their father reuiued. 28And Israel said, I haue inough: Ioseph my sonne is yet aliue: I will go and see him yer I die.
Currently Selected:
Genesis 45: GNV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Genesis 45
45
Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers
1Joseph could no longer contain his pent-up feelings, so he cried out to his attendants, “Leave the room!” So no one was there when Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers. # 45:1 The family secret was a secret no more! Having held this secret for nearly a year, Joseph could contain himself no longer. He had to reveal himself to those he loved. All the Egyptians and the interpreter were ordered to leave. Joseph waited for the last Egyptian to file out of the room, then his long-buried emotions surfaced. 2He began to weep so loudly that the Egyptians heard it—even as far away as Pharaoh’s house! # 45:2 Or “[word] reached Pharaoh’s house.” 3Joseph, through his tears, said to his brothers in Hebrew: “I am Joseph! Is father still alive?” His brothers stood there stunned, scared, and speechless.
4Joseph said to his brothers, “Please, come close to me.” Inching forward, they came close to him. Then Joseph said, “It’s me—your brother—whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. I am Joseph! 5Now don’t be grieved. Don’t blame yourselves because you sold me here. It was God who sent me ahead of you in order to save lives. 6The famine has now endured for two years, and the land will not bear fruit for five more years. 7God sent me ahead of you to ensure that you would live # 45:7 Or “to preserve you for a remnant on earth.” and have descendants. He has saved your lives through this marvelous act of deliverance. 8So it was God, not you, who sent me here. # 45:8 Joseph’s compassion for his brothers ran deep. For the third time, he told them that it was God, not they, who orchestrated all the events to bring him to the throne. Once painfully betrayed by them, Joseph now began to encourage his brothers. His words flowed from a loving, forgiving heart, and Joseph’s kindness washed over them. Their guilt was overruled by Joseph’s mercy. Through his tears, he convinced them not to dwell on their sin but on how God had worked through it all. Joseph had been sent by God ahead of them to preserve their lives. Though they did not realize it, Joseph’s brothers were helping the Lord fulfill his promise to Abraham (see Gen. 12:1–3). Today, we must learn to see that even those who hurt us the most may be those who move us toward the throne. If you see yourself in the hands of a loving God, not of others, you will not be offended. If Joseph’s brothers had not sold him into slavery, how would his dreams have been fulfilled? Some of your dreams will never come true until you can handle both mistreatment and betrayal with forgiving love (see Mark 11:25; Luke 23:34). God has made me a father to Pharaoh, the master of his entire household, and the ruler over all of Egypt.
9“Hurry back to my father and tell him that you have found me alive. Tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says, “God has made me ruler # 45:9 The brothers once asked in Gen. 37:8, “Do you actually think you’re destined to rule over us?” Joseph’s words, no doubt, would have reminded them of their question. of all Egypt. Come to me without delay. 10You will settle in the land of Goshen, # 45:10 Goshen means “drawing near.” It was a fertile area in the eastern part of the Nile delta that today is called Wadi Tumilat. It was known as a place for grazing livestock (see Gen. 46:32–34; 47:6, 11). Joseph’s palace was apparently near Goshen. where you will be near me—you and all your children and your grandchildren, your flocks and herds and all that you possess. 11For there will be five more years of famine, but I will provide all that you need to live in Goshen. You, your household, and all that you have will not live in poverty.” ’
12“My brothers, you each can see for yourselves, and Benjamin can too, that I really am Joseph, for I’m speaking to you face-to-face in our own language. # 45:12 Or “that it is my mouth that speaks with you.” 13You must tell father everything you have seen here and how greatly I am honored in Egypt. But hurry and bring my father here to me.”
14Then Joseph threw his arms around Benjamin’s neck, sobbing, and Benjamin wept on Joseph’s neck. 15With tears streaming down his face, Joseph kissed each brother, one by one. After their tearful, emotional embrace, they took time to speak brother-to-brother. # 45:15 All that transpired that amazing day was a prophetic portrayal of the glorious reconciliation that one day will occur between Jesus and his alienated Jewish brothers (see Rom. 11:25; Eph. 4:18). Through the last two thousand years, he has been unrecognizable to many of the Jewish people in his “gentile garb,” as it were. But one day the time will come when hearts will soften in repentance toward the Father and Jesus will reveal his full identity as their long-lost Jewish brother and Messiah. See Rom. 9–11.
Pharaoh’s Invitation
16The news reached Pharaoh’s house: “Joseph’s brothers have come.” Pharaoh and his officials were greatly pleased when they heard it.
17Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers: ‘Load your donkeys and return to Canaan. 18Get your father and your families and come back to me. I will give you the best of the land in Egypt, and you will enjoy the fat of the land.’ 19Tell them also: ‘Take Egyptian wagons with you for your wives and little ones and bring their father with them. 20Give no thought to leaving your possessions behind; the best of all the land of Egypt will be yours.’ ”
21Israel’s sons did as they were instructed. Joseph gave them wagons, as the king had ordered, and provided food for their journey. 22He gave each of them a set of garments, and to Benjamin he also gave three hundred pieces of silver and five sets of garments. 23He sent his father ten donkeys loaded with the best Egyptian goods and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and other provisions for the journey. 24Then he sent his brothers off, admonishing them, “Don’t quarrel # 45:24 Or “be trembling [with anxiety].” along the way.” And they departed.
25They left Egypt and went back home to their father Jacob in Canaan. 26When they arrived, they ran to their father and announced, “Joseph is still alive! Not only that, he is the ruler of all Egypt!” The news so stunned Jacob that he nearly fainted. # 45:26 Or “his heart was numb.” He could not believe his ears! 27But when they told him all that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons Joseph had sent to take him to Egypt, he recovered from the shock. 28“My son Joseph is still alive!” Israel said. “Now I’m convinced! I must go to see him before I die.” # 45:28 Why did Joseph wait for nine years before he sent for his father Jacob? He could have sent chariots to Canaan before now, bringing his father to Egypt to share his wealth and power. Why did he wait so many years until now? Was it because he did not care? No, Joseph cared deeply for his family; something else kept him back. Joseph was a man who chose to bear the pain of separation from his father rather than run ahead of God. He was an enthroned prince, yet he placed God’s interests over his. He knew that the plan of God must be fulfilled, not just his own desires. So he waited and waited again. Instead of initiating contact with his father and brothers, he stayed within the timing of the Lord. Even when it was in his power, Joseph waited nine years before his loneliness was removed. The dreams of his youth included Jacob, his father, bowing before him also. More than anything else, Joseph longed to see his father, but for nine years he did nothing. Even when the time came, he himself did not go; he waited until the others brought Jacob back. He was restricted to the will of God. This is why Joseph was a ruler and a prince. If you are unable to rule yourself, you will not be a good ruler over others.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Passion Translation® is a registered trademark of Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc.
Copyright © 2020 Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc.
Learn More About The Passion Translation