In Case You Thought Joseph was Perfect
“And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation? That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.” (Genesis 46:33-34)
Joseph has gone from being sold by his brothers into slavery to service in Potiphar’s house to prison on a phony sexual assault charge to the second-most highest position in the most powerful nation on earth. God gives Joseph wisdom to prepare Egypt for a worldwide famine. Because of the wisdom God gave Joseph, Egypt became the food source for themselves and other nations during the famine.
Joseph’s brothers came for food. Joseph knew them. They did not know him. In a series of events, he saw they had had a change of heart. He revealed who he was and the family reunited happily. Joseph also called all his family members to come to Egypt, where they would be cared for during the famine.
Joseph also prepared his brothers to meet Pharaoh. They were shepherds, but Joseph advised them not to say so. Instead, he told them to tell Pharaoh they were cattle ranchers. For whatever reason, Egyptians considered shepherds an abomination, so Joseph basically told them to lie.
Yet when the brothers met with Pharaoh, they told the truth: “And Pharaoh said unto his [Joseph’s] brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.” (Genesis 47:3) Joseph apparently stood there as they said that. Can you imagine him grimacing inside, thinking, “I told them not to say that!”
Now look at Pharaoh’s surprising reply! “And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee: The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.” (Genesis 47:6) God blessed the brothers’ honesty. Pharaoh even offered them jobs as cattle ranchers!
When you’re in a situation where you’re tempted to lie, don’t. “Trust in the LORD, and do good;” (Psalm 37:3) That includes telling the truth. Lying is a way of telling God you can handle the situation better than He can. Be honest and trust God for the results. The brothers did that and saw God work.
Also, when you read of great Bible characters, you’ll see that they sinned at times. Noah got drunk. Abraham lied. So did Isaac. Jacob deceived his father. The Bible tells these things, not to justify sin, but for us to see that sin in a Christian’s life brings chastening. It’s never fun, but we all need it at times: “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” (Hebrews 12:11)
If you have kids, you correct them because you love them. God also chastens us because he loves us: “For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” (Proverbs 3:12) When we confess our sin, God forgives and cleanses us: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
God’s greatest display of love for us happened when Jesus died for our sins on the cross, was buried, and rose again the third day. If you want to see how to receive Jesus as your personal Saviour, please go to www.clevelandbaptist.org, click “Helpful Links,” then “How Do I Go to Heaven?”
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Brian Miller 6/9/2023
Cleveland Baptist Church 4431 Tiedeman Road, Brooklyn, Ohio 44144 216/671-2822