Day Thirteen

Day Thirteen -- Genesis 42-43

(Remember! Verses are on http://www.bible.com/)

Hello and welcome back! This is not your usual typer today and it's my first time making a devotion so please bare with me here!

Ok everyone! (whoever you are...) We have a amazing story for you today!

You remember where we left off right? Joseph was made head of collecting food for the bad seven years ahead. And this is where our story starts. So the famine comes and everywhere (but in Egypt) people were dyeing of starvation, so Jacob sends all of his sons but his youngest, who was born after Joseph was sold, out to Egypt to get food for everyone in their family.

But when they get there and try to buy food Joseph recognizes them but they do not recognize him. Joseph decides to not tell them who he is and accuse them of being spies for Canaan to see how vulnerable Egypt had become. I don't blame the guy! His own brothers sold him to slavery!

He's only human right?

So they try and tell him they are not spies by saying things like "We have a family to feed! There is twelve of us, we have another brother and a brother that is no longer with us. We have a father and children too!" Joseph tells them to go home and bring back their brother to see that they aren't spies. He said that he would keep one brother in prison until they came back with the brother. Joseph tells his servants to fill their bags with the food they needed and to put the money they paid on the top of the food. His bothers agree to go get their youngest brother and bring him back. They leave Simeon in Egypt.

On their way back to Canaan they stop to rest and find the money in the bags. They ask one another "What has God done to us?" They think that this is Gods punishment to them for selling Joseph so long ago. They think that the ruler (Joseph) back in Egypt will think they stole from him and kill them.

When they reach Canaan and talk to Jacob they tell him all about what happened in Egypt and how they have to bring Benjamin (the youngest brother) to Egypt to get Simon. Jacob is furious. He rants on about how they are stealing his sons from him and keeps all of them in Canaan until the food runs out. Only then does he allow them to go back to Egypt. But he has them go with bags and bags of the best things from Canaan to be gifts. Then they pack the money needed and the money from before and are on their way with Benjamin.

When they get there and Joseph saw the youngest brother he told his house manager to take them all to his house and that they would eat at noon. Then Joseph went to his private room and, the bible says he "wept for he was so overpowered with emotion for his brother." Awwww he's sensitive too! Man that and the handsome thing from yesterday Joseph is turning out quite nicely.

Meanwhile while Joseph is crying with emotion the brothers are all freaking out about the money from last time. They tell the House manager and he simply states that he knows they pain him and it must have been a gift from their God, the God of their father.

He released poor Simon who really got the short end of the stick in all of this, and were off to eat. Joseph sits them all youngest to oldest.

I'm pretty sure this was just to mess with them. They were all impressed and Joseph is probably thinking "Yeah because I'm your BROTHER!!" I don't know how he kept this up, not telling them. Personally I would have jumped up and yelled "Look! I'm alive!!! That'll teach you to sell me off!"

But thats just me.

Back then all the Egyptians refused to eat at the same table as Hebrews so all were surprised when Joseph gave them the best food and sat with them. Our story ends with them all "Drinking and feasting freely with Joseph at his own table."

Wow that was a lot. These were mostly just getting the wheels in motion for the next chapters! This is a great story with a really good message behind it. Joseph could have been all depressed and not wanted to go on after his own brothers sold him. But he didn't. He said he would make the best of this. He would use the gifts God gave him and not let this hurt him. And he was not mad at his brothers. He forgave them. I think thats a big part of this. I think what God want's us to get from this is that he created us all for a reason and he has a mapped put plan for each and every one of us! He gave us all different gifts to do great things. So if your feeling down and depressed just talk to him. Sit down and just talk. He wants to hear from you. He made you and he loves you. And if you think you've done something or lived your life wrong then just ask for forgiveness and move on. Start now! It's never too late to start living for God! Another thing is that we should forgive those who have hurt us. We need to pray for them that God will help them.

Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that God will bless them.

-Romans 12:14

Thats all i got for now! Remember! HE LOVES YOU!!! Never forget that. I really hope I've helped by writing this, I think i helped learn about myself too :) I also hope I did a good job for my first time writing one of these! So go in peace! Be happy! And live for God! And stay tuned for another chapter in our thrilling story........THE BIBLE!!!!!!!