Lesson 92: Pharaoh is Pleased Genesis 45:16-25

Pharaoh Confirms Joseph’s Offer to His Family- “Come and Join us!45:16- 20

English Standard Version Chapter 45

16 When the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, 18 and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.’ 19 And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Have no concern for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”

The big reveal has brought Joseph out of family obscurity (he was definitely not obscure in Egypt, but rather he was obscure in is own hometown, as in dead obscurity) and now into the limelight and new found favor with Pharaoh. Pharaoh’s affirmation of what Joseph had already gone went a long way in Joseph’s mind to remind him he was second in command. Pharaoh puts his stamp of approval on Joseph’s family. He is genuinely pleased. His instructions to Joseph to have his brothers to go back to Canaan, load up the wagons, beasts of burden, all of your households and move back here to Egypt.

Pharaoh’s wagons, the pomp of the caravan, and regal authority with which they traveled must been impressive. It had to be impressive for all of this had to do one thing: convince Jacob that Joseph is still alive and that he is a ruler in Egypt. To top it all off, He wants his dad, brothers and their families to move in with him to the land of Goshen. That really is a tall order for the brothers, because they have disappointed Jacob on several occasions. Pharaoh says to not have concern for your goods or stuff back home. That word in verse 20 literally means utensils. They were being instructed to walk away from from a lot of their stuff because: “The best of the land of Egypt is yours. Your could say they were getting a “carte blanche” for the move and for the future.

No Fighting in the Backseat! 45:21- 24

English Standard Version Chapter 45

21 The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22 To each and all of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five changes of clothes. 23 To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.”

The wagons would have been 2 or four wheel, a vehicle not seen often in Canaan. The wagons, chariots, or ox carts were definitely Egyptian. All of this was loaded with provisions for a return journey, changes of clothes, and male and female donkeys for Jacob. They were laden with grain. All of it was baring the motive of impressing Dad. Before they left for Canaan to impress, a needful command was given: “Don’t quarrel on the way home!” The brothers could have spent a lot of time blaming each other for the trouble they had seen, but now they have to reason to quarrel. Joseph is alive, let’s tell dad, and then move to Egypt where there is food!

One commentary said that Joseph was sent almost naked into Egypt. His coat and garments had been stripped from him, but now he retaliates with gifts to his estranged household. What a contrast and story of forgiveness. A small amount of money was used to buy his services from the Midianites, but he strikes back with treasures and fine gifts in their time of famine. Joseph had been sold to likely be the leader of camels, but he fights back by giving his brothers chariots and wagons. It is definitely a show of divine grace, great favor, wondrous mercy, and definitely void of any appearance of retribution. I’m sure their heads hung down just a bit as they remembered their sins, but this overwhelming show of love has appeased their heavy consciences.

Jacob Experiences Revival 45:25- 28

English Standard Version Chapter 45

25 So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26 And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

By this time, Joseph has been missing for 15 years- from the time of the famine until this time , two years into famine. Think back 15 years, yourself. The year is 2008 and you believe you have lost your child to some savage beast in the desert country. You have given up on ever seeing that child again. 2008, the summer Olympics are in Beijing. Michael Phelps wins 8 gold medals. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are taken over buy the Federal government. Following those failures Lehman Brothers files for the largest bankruptcy ever and the Dow drops 777 points in one afternoon. The recession of 2008 has begun. Probably only one thing you would remember from 2008 is that your child was probably murdered, abducted, or even worse the child might have become a bureaucrat. It’s a year you want to forget, but it will remain because Joseph is gone. Nothing else would have mattered the rest of that year and for many years afterward, because parental love is a powerful force.

Getting the news of Joseph being alive breathed new air into the patriarch’s body and soul and he is revived! Jacob is no longer humming the William Tell Overture ( to dah dumps, to dah dumps, to dah dumps dump dumps) He is no longer down in the dumps. He has been preserved! He is like new again. Yes, he did not believe them at first( who could blame Jacob for not believing the sons) the evidence was overwhelming for believing. Nothing is much more satisfying than a good word with tons of good stuff to back it up. To top it all off, “my child is alive and he’s the boss of Egypt!” I will go and see him before I die. Dad brings some more drama here with this statement...”before I die”. Can someone give him a shoulder to cry on?

English Standard Version Chapter 46

Joseph Brings His Family to Egypt

46 So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” 3 Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. 4 I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.”

Jacob goes to the altar and offer sacrifices to God and God speaks! Isn’t it amazing that this time before reacting, he consults the Lord. The Lord reassures Jacob, don’t be afraid to go down to see Joseph. The Lord re-iterates all the promises through the Abrahamic covenant and the personal promises to him. 66 or 75 people, depending on how you count it does not make a great nation. But it does in 430 years. By that time, there’s about 2-3 million people. Now that’s a nation.

The last line must have given him some comfort: “Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes!” No longer can he be the drama king, The Lord has said it and it will be so.

King James Version Chapter 23

19  God is not a man, that he should lie;

Neither the son of man, that he should repent:

Hath he said, and shall he not do it?

Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

It’s been said that God said it, I believe it and that settles it for me.

Actually, it has already been settled in heaven if God has said it! What does it take for us to accept and believe the record that God has given us. Here are we Lord, we believe. How, when and where do you want us to go?