Monday, January 30, 2012

Joseph Sends for his Father, Israel:

Jesus said to his disciples, I have  food to eat you know nothing about John 4:32.
The Plumbline is a blog to encourage the Body of Christ.

Joseph Sends for his Father, Israel:
J. C. Sheridan, II
Genesis 45:6–7 (NKJV) 6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

There are five years, where there shall neither be earing nor harvest—“Ear” is an old English word, meaning “to plough” (compare 1Sa 8:12; Is 30:24). This seems to confirm the view given (Ge 41:57) that the famine was caused by an extraordinary drought, which prevented the annual overflowing of the Nile; and of course made the land unfit to receive the seed of Egypt.1

Genesis 45:14–18 (NKJV) 14 Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15 Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him. 16 Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. 17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan. 18 Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.

Joseph fell upon … Benjamin's neck—The sudden transition from a condemned criminal to a fondled brother, might have occasioned fainting or even death, had not his tumultuous feelings been relieved by a torrent of tears. But Joseph’s attentions were not confined to Benjamin. He affectionately embraced every one of his brothers in succession; and by those actions, his forgiveness was demonstrated more fully than it could be by words.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, Tell your brothers—The king himself invited the patriarch and all his family to migrate into Egypt; and he made most liberal arrangements for their removal and their subsequent settlement. It displays the character of this Pharaoh to advantage, that he was so kind to the relatives of Joseph; but indeed the greatest liberality he could show could never recompense the services of so great a benefactor of his kingdom.

Joseph gave them wagons—which must have been novelties in Palestine; for wheeled carriages were almost unknown there.

Changes of raiment—It was and is customary, with great men, to bestow on their friends dresses of distinction, and in places where they are of the same description and quality, the value of these presents consists in their number. The great number given to Benjamin bespoke the warmth of his brother’s attachment to him; and Joseph felt, from the amiable temper they now all displayed, he might, with perfect safety, indulge this fond partiality for his mother’s son.

Joseph sent his father —a supply of everything that could contribute to his support and comfort—the large and liberal scale on which that supply was given being intended, like the five messes of Benjamin, as a token of his filial love [see on Ge 43:34].

Joseph sent his brethren away—In dismissing them on their homeward journey, he gave them this particular admonition:

 See that ye fall not out by the way—a caution that would be greatly needed; for     not only during the journey would they be occupied in recalling the parts they had     respectively acted in the events that led to Joseph’s being sold into Egypt, but     their wickedness would soon have to come to the knowledge of their venerable  father.

No comments:

Post a Comment