†. Gen 45:1-2 . . Joseph could stand it no longer. Out, all of you! he
cried out to his attendants. He wanted to be alone with his brothers
when he told them who he was. Then he broke down and wept
aloud. His sobs were so loud that the Egyptians could hear, and so
the news reached Pharaoh's palace.
The brothers have repeatedly proven their integrity, their family unity, and
their filial loyalty. Joseph could gain nothing more conclusive than Judah's
impassioned plea by additional stratagems; and by now, his own emotional
tension was becoming overwhelming; even for a big strong man like himself,
and it was all he could do to order his entourage out of the room before
totally losing it right in front of everybody.
I can well imagine the shock and confusion that Joseph's housekeeping staff
must have felt when their normally self-composed, no-monkey-business
master broke down and began sobbing like a little girl who just lost her
favorite Barbie down the garbage disposal. They had probably never once
seen the second highest man in Egypt make an open display of emotion like
this before; and the palace grapevine was instantly abuzz about it.
†. Gen 45:3a . . I am Joseph: he said to his brothers. Is my father
still alive?
That question is so unnecessary that it makes no sense he would even ask.
The brothers had mentioned Joseph's dad no less than fourteen times up to
this point. Reading between the lines, and given the stress of the moment,
what Joseph actually said was: Is my father really, really still alive!? And I
don't think he asked that question of his brothers; but of himself; like a
lottery winner who asks themselves: I won!? Me!?
I think, that as the years in Egypt accumulated, Joseph had given up his dad
for dead and fully expected never to see him again. The news of Jacob's
continuing existence has been just beyond belief, and way too good to be
true. No doubt some of us feel very strongly that the world would be a much
better place to be rid of our own dads; but not Joseph. He enjoyed a normal
relationship at home, and was in fact his own dad's favorite son over all the
others.
Joseph was a very fortunate man to have lived with a dad who filled his
developing years with love and acceptance. Some of us, your host included,
have no clue what that must be like; and never will. I've seen a report online
indicating that upwards of 80% of prison inmates were victims of child
abuse. Following are some interesting "father" facts.
Only about 50% of America's kids will spend all of their childhood in an
intact family. 24,000,000 children in America sleep in homes where their
natural fathers do not live.
Approximately half of the kids in the United States will live in a single parent
home at some point before the age of 18.
Nationally, 40% of kids whose fathers live outside the home have zero
contact with them. The other 60 percent have contact an average of just 69
days during the year.
Kids from father-absent homes are five times more likely to live in poverty,
three times more likely to fail in school, two to three times more likely to
develop emotional and behavioral problems, and three times more likely to
commit suicide.
Up to 70% of adolescents charged with murder are from fatherless homes;
and up to 70% of long-term prison inmates grew up in a fatherless home.
People like that can't be expected to connect with Joseph's feelings for his
dad. Reading this section in Genesis is about as emotional an experience for
them as reading the Wall Street Journal. I'm not criticizing; I'm only pointing
out that it's difficult for some people to relate to this section of Genesis all
because they were emotionally mangled in the meat grinder of a affection
starved childhood.
Note : the physical growth of thousands of North Korean children is being
stunted by malnutrition; while here in America where our cities' homeless
eat like kings in comparison, the emotional development of thousands of
children is being stunted by filial neglect and indifference. I really don't know
which to say is the worse off . . NK children or US children.
†. Gen 45:3b . . But his brothers could not answer him, for his
sudden emergence was making them palpitate.
I think part of their internal shivering was due to the fact that they instantly
realized that this man, whom they assumed was a foreigner, knew their
language and perfectly understood everything they had been discussing in
his presence all along. Coupled with that was their instant terror that Joseph
was in a pretty good position for revenge: to do unto them as they had done
unto him. And the brothers were utterly powerless to prevent him from
doing so.
†. Gen 45:4a . .Then Joseph said to his brothers: Come close to me.
You can just safely bet they had reflexively shrunk back from him as far as
the boundaries of the room would permit.
†. Gen 45:4b-7 . .When they had done so, he said: I am your brother
Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed
and do not be disappointed in yourselves for selling me here,
because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two
years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five
years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead
of you to preserve for you a progeny on earth and to save your lives
by a great rescue.
If it was only God's ambition to preserve Israel's future, He could have
easily prevented the famine. And if He was looking ahead to Israel's rescue
from Egyptian slavery, then couldn't He have just simply ordered Jacob to
move everybody down to Egypt? No, that wouldn't have worked because the
Hebrews were an abomination to the Egyptians. They would never have
allowed the Hebrews to immigrate and settle in Egypt's choicest land under
normal circumstances. So then, God set things up so that Egypt would owe
the Hebrews a big favor; and would welcome them in spite of their disgust.
Pharaoh and the Egyptians couldn't just take Joseph's providence for
granted; no, they were deeply indebted for saving them all from starvation
and possibly conquest by foreign powers.
Note : famines are the result of climate change; which is a natural earth
cycle. Nowadays, climate change is depicted as a man-made evil; but in
reality, climate change is normal and would happen anyway regardless of
the amount of fossil fuel man burns or doesn't burn. In other words: God
didn't cause the famine in Josephs' day as a special event like the Flood; no,
He simply saw it coming before anybody else did; just as He had seen many
like it in the past.
†. Gen 45:8 . . So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He
made me father to Pharaoh; lord of his entire household and ruler of
all Egypt.
The sense in which Joseph was a "father" to Pharaoh, was in the capacity of
a guardian; viz: of a provider and a protector. If not for Joseph, Pharaoh's
kingdom would have surely collapsed.
The Hebrew word for "father" is 'ab (awb); which is ambiguous in that it has
several applications. It can apply to a genetic ancestor (e.g. Gen 2:24), an
inventor of skills and trades (e.g. Gen 4:20-21), a political big shot (2Kgs
5:13), a spiritual counselor (2Kgs 6:21), and a deity. (Ps 44:1)
Cont.
/
cried out to his attendants. He wanted to be alone with his brothers
when he told them who he was. Then he broke down and wept
aloud. His sobs were so loud that the Egyptians could hear, and so
the news reached Pharaoh's palace.
The brothers have repeatedly proven their integrity, their family unity, and
their filial loyalty. Joseph could gain nothing more conclusive than Judah's
impassioned plea by additional stratagems; and by now, his own emotional
tension was becoming overwhelming; even for a big strong man like himself,
and it was all he could do to order his entourage out of the room before
totally losing it right in front of everybody.
I can well imagine the shock and confusion that Joseph's housekeeping staff
must have felt when their normally self-composed, no-monkey-business
master broke down and began sobbing like a little girl who just lost her
favorite Barbie down the garbage disposal. They had probably never once
seen the second highest man in Egypt make an open display of emotion like
this before; and the palace grapevine was instantly abuzz about it.
†. Gen 45:3a . . I am Joseph: he said to his brothers. Is my father
still alive?
That question is so unnecessary that it makes no sense he would even ask.
The brothers had mentioned Joseph's dad no less than fourteen times up to
this point. Reading between the lines, and given the stress of the moment,
what Joseph actually said was: Is my father really, really still alive!? And I
don't think he asked that question of his brothers; but of himself; like a
lottery winner who asks themselves: I won!? Me!?
I think, that as the years in Egypt accumulated, Joseph had given up his dad
for dead and fully expected never to see him again. The news of Jacob's
continuing existence has been just beyond belief, and way too good to be
true. No doubt some of us feel very strongly that the world would be a much
better place to be rid of our own dads; but not Joseph. He enjoyed a normal
relationship at home, and was in fact his own dad's favorite son over all the
others.
Joseph was a very fortunate man to have lived with a dad who filled his
developing years with love and acceptance. Some of us, your host included,
have no clue what that must be like; and never will. I've seen a report online
indicating that upwards of 80% of prison inmates were victims of child
abuse. Following are some interesting "father" facts.
Only about 50% of America's kids will spend all of their childhood in an
intact family. 24,000,000 children in America sleep in homes where their
natural fathers do not live.
Approximately half of the kids in the United States will live in a single parent
home at some point before the age of 18.
Nationally, 40% of kids whose fathers live outside the home have zero
contact with them. The other 60 percent have contact an average of just 69
days during the year.
Kids from father-absent homes are five times more likely to live in poverty,
three times more likely to fail in school, two to three times more likely to
develop emotional and behavioral problems, and three times more likely to
commit suicide.
Up to 70% of adolescents charged with murder are from fatherless homes;
and up to 70% of long-term prison inmates grew up in a fatherless home.
People like that can't be expected to connect with Joseph's feelings for his
dad. Reading this section in Genesis is about as emotional an experience for
them as reading the Wall Street Journal. I'm not criticizing; I'm only pointing
out that it's difficult for some people to relate to this section of Genesis all
because they were emotionally mangled in the meat grinder of a affection
starved childhood.
Note : the physical growth of thousands of North Korean children is being
stunted by malnutrition; while here in America where our cities' homeless
eat like kings in comparison, the emotional development of thousands of
children is being stunted by filial neglect and indifference. I really don't know
which to say is the worse off . . NK children or US children.
†. Gen 45:3b . . But his brothers could not answer him, for his
sudden emergence was making them palpitate.
I think part of their internal shivering was due to the fact that they instantly
realized that this man, whom they assumed was a foreigner, knew their
language and perfectly understood everything they had been discussing in
his presence all along. Coupled with that was their instant terror that Joseph
was in a pretty good position for revenge: to do unto them as they had done
unto him. And the brothers were utterly powerless to prevent him from
doing so.
†. Gen 45:4a . .Then Joseph said to his brothers: Come close to me.
You can just safely bet they had reflexively shrunk back from him as far as
the boundaries of the room would permit.
†. Gen 45:4b-7 . .When they had done so, he said: I am your brother
Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed
and do not be disappointed in yourselves for selling me here,
because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two
years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five
years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead
of you to preserve for you a progeny on earth and to save your lives
by a great rescue.
If it was only God's ambition to preserve Israel's future, He could have
easily prevented the famine. And if He was looking ahead to Israel's rescue
from Egyptian slavery, then couldn't He have just simply ordered Jacob to
move everybody down to Egypt? No, that wouldn't have worked because the
Hebrews were an abomination to the Egyptians. They would never have
allowed the Hebrews to immigrate and settle in Egypt's choicest land under
normal circumstances. So then, God set things up so that Egypt would owe
the Hebrews a big favor; and would welcome them in spite of their disgust.
Pharaoh and the Egyptians couldn't just take Joseph's providence for
granted; no, they were deeply indebted for saving them all from starvation
and possibly conquest by foreign powers.
Note : famines are the result of climate change; which is a natural earth
cycle. Nowadays, climate change is depicted as a man-made evil; but in
reality, climate change is normal and would happen anyway regardless of
the amount of fossil fuel man burns or doesn't burn. In other words: God
didn't cause the famine in Josephs' day as a special event like the Flood; no,
He simply saw it coming before anybody else did; just as He had seen many
like it in the past.
†. Gen 45:8 . . So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He
made me father to Pharaoh; lord of his entire household and ruler of
all Egypt.
The sense in which Joseph was a "father" to Pharaoh, was in the capacity of
a guardian; viz: of a provider and a protector. If not for Joseph, Pharaoh's
kingdom would have surely collapsed.
The Hebrew word for "father" is 'ab (awb); which is ambiguous in that it has
several applications. It can apply to a genetic ancestor (e.g. Gen 2:24), an
inventor of skills and trades (e.g. Gen 4:20-21), a political big shot (2Kgs
5:13), a spiritual counselor (2Kgs 6:21), and a deity. (Ps 44:1)
Cont.
/
