Genesis 45
The speech of Judah just before this is overwhelming for Joseph. Joseph hears about his father, he hears the anguish over the loss of himself from Jacob, and the further anguish over Benjamin.
He sends out all the Egyptians. This is personal, intensely so. But we might see even a bit more in the privacy. Joseph as ruler has become thoroughly Egyptian, thoroughly the lord of the land. None of that helps him in dealing with this deeply personal matter. It has put him in the position to deal with it, but none of it counts now. This is now about the fulfilling of that controlling dream that started the saga – not to lord it over his brothers, not as ruler here - but as a brother himself under the same God. That God is the Lord of history, the Lord of the lands, and the Lord over this story. Only one who truly acknowledges the rule and grace of God could make the stunningly perceptive and grace-filled acknowledgement that starts verse 8.
The make-you-smile, familiar-to-all-of-us family plea of verse 24 is a fitting amen to the moving reconciliation that has just occurred.
Prayer:
Lord, grant me even a small measure of the perception and grace of Joseph, in order to see you at work in the things that would cause me offense. Through Christ. Amen.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
verse 8, for me, strikes right at the heart of the free will versus predetermination conundrum.
without getting into the debate, i'll state that i believe we have free will. but no matter our choice, god shapes things to his purpose, as shown repeatedly in genesis.
what is god's purpose here? why move israel to egypt? just to overcome famine? if it's to set the stage for moses and the exodus, what is god's purpose in that? followed by the babylonian exile and return, followed by the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D., and all the events since then up to today?
it's one thing to discern that an end in god's purpose is for us to join our creator in a community of love, but what about the means? or is purpose in *how* god does things beyond scripture and beyond our knowledge?
paul simon sings:
god only knows, god makes his plan
the information's unavailable to the mortal man
we work at our jobs, collect our pay
believe we're gliding down the highway, when in fact we're slip sliding away
perhaps it's because if we focus on the *end* of god's purpose, we can stay in the moment, we can be present in our relationship with others, and thus truly love them.
whereas, if we focus on the *means,* we'd be more likely to worry about *how* things are going to work out, which might interfere with our ability to stay in the moment.
jesus says: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
pharoah, who loves joseph, responds in verses 16-20 with love and generosity and abundance. he's not worried about scarcity nor israel being the thin edge of the wedge of all these foreigners in egypt.
Post a Comment