Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Jan 1st Let There Be Light

Today’s Passage – Genesis 1 – 3 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 1 – 2; Proverbs 1; Psalms 1 – 5)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Deuteronomy 32:4

Read the “0101 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from today’s reading – “In the Beginning“; “He Is Still Creating Me“

“And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.” (Genesis 1:4)

This is the first of three separations in this chapter. Here light is separated from darkness; later, the sky will be separated from the water; and then the land will be separated from the water. This is also the first spiritual picture of the doctrine of separation. God divided the light from the darkness. We are the children of light (1 Thessalonians 5:5).

“Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” (1 Thessalonians 5:5)

“While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.” (John 12:36)

“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:” (Ephesians 5:8)

We are commanded to shine the light of God, and we are also instructed to not fellowship with darkness.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” (Ephesians 5:11)

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14)

“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” (John 3:19-21)

There is a lot of darkness in the world, which should, at least theoretically, cause our light to appear brighter. Unfortunately, too many Christians are also becoming darker because of the attraction that we have for this world and its culture and our desire to be accepted. The Bible commands us to love the people in the world, but also to “love not” the worldly culture and anti-God philosophies. The best way to do this is to live separated lives as we shine the light of the gospel to the people around us.

Jan 16th Are You Willing to Wait?

Today’s Passage – Genesis 41 – 42 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Mark 3 – 4 ; Proverbs 16; Psalms 76 – 80)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 92:1

Read the “0116 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from today’s reading passage – “Saving for the Future”

“And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.” – (Genesis 41:38-41)

There are two questions that I would like to consider this morning:

1  Would you be willing to wait all of the years that Joseph waited if you new there was a marvelous and exciting plan for your life in the distant future?

2  Would you be willing to endure all of the hardship that Joseph endured and remain faithful to the Lord if you knew that those trials were necessary to advance the plans and purposes of God?

The story of Joseph begins in Genesis 37. In these chapters we discover that Joseph goes from being a favored son of Jacob to a slave in the house of Potipher, and then to a prisoner in Pharaoh’s kingdom. Joseph’s downward slide began with a dream that he had which revealed to him that God was going to elevate him above his brothers, and even above his father. His brothers would have none of Joseph’s dreams and sought to be rid of him, and for a long time they were. However, many years after they sold their brother into bondage, the sons of Jacob went down into Egypt at the request of their father to purchase food, and who do you think was the guy in charge of the food? You guessed it: Joseph. Egypt was the only place that had food in this time of famine, and the only reason they were prepared  was because Joseph had revealed to Pharaoh that he should store up food in the days of plenty, so that Egypt would have enough when times got hard. By the way, that’s not a bad idea for us, either.

At any rate, when the brothers finally come to Egypt, their little brother is no longer a slave; he is the prime minister of all of Egypt. However, it took a long times and a lot of hardship before Joseph was elevated by God to this prominent position. I am sure that there were times in those many years that he doubted God; but he never wavered. Joseph remained faithful to God. In God’s time, Joseph was delivered from his brothers, from the bondage, from the prison, and from the humiliation of it all; and all of the world could see that Joseph was God’s man. Though, Joseph certainly did not enjoy all of the days of trial and affliction, I bet that at the end of his life he would say that it was all worth what God finally gave him.

We sing a song that says “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus”. I bet when Joseph hears us singing that song from his vantage point in Heaven, he says “Amen. It was worth it all”.

Stay faithful to God. You may be in Pharaoh’s dungeon right now, but if you are a child of God, I promise you, that He will some day pull you out of that awful place. Trust God. He has a purpose and a plan for it all. God doesn’t often fill us in about all of the details of His sovereign plan, but we can trust that He will work it all out in the end.

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” – (Romans 8:18)

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” – (Romans 8:28)

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” – (Isaiah 40:31)

Jan 11th Moving Forward

Today’s Passage – Genesis 29 – 30 

(Second Milers also read –Matthew 21 – 22; Proverbs 11; Psalms 51 – 55)

“And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.” – (Genesis 30:43)

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” – (Philippians 3:13-14)

Our passage today reveals the blessing of God upon the life of Jacob. Jacob was a man who was certainly not always deserving of the abundant favor of God upon his work and his family, yet God always took good care of him. In chapter 30, we see God increasing the livestock of Jacob. Notice in vv. 37 – 42 that Jacob devises a peculiar and rather devious plan in order to make sure that his cattle prosper. However, I do not believe that Jacob’s “scientific” methods were the reason for the increase. It was God that had His hand upon Jacob’s life. I believe that God blessed Jacob the way He did because God saw the big picture. He was not blessing Jacob because of the things that Jacob had done in the past to deserve the blessing, because Jacob really hadn’t done anything yet. Up until this point, Jacob is mostly a deceptive person who takes matters into his own hands rather than place his trust in God. However, God saw what Jacob would become. God will change his name from Jacob (which means trickster or deceiver) to Israel, which means a prince with God. God was going to do something someday with Jacob. He saw what Jacob would become.

When we look at people, we also need to look past what they have been in the past, and even what they may be right now, and we need instead to try to see what they could be in the future. God has a wonderful tendency to make something marvelous out of ordinary, sinful people like us. In order to do this God has chosen to forget about the sins that we have committed in the past, and He even chooses not to “impute”, or record the sins of today and tomorrow. God had a plan for Jacob in the future that was not yet apparent at this point in Jacob’s life. I bet God has a plan for us too. If God chooses to see what we can and will be tomorrow, why don’t we do the same thing. Let’s not let the past bog us down, and cause to stay where we are. Let’s move forward into that abundant life of God’s blessing.

There is a passage of Scripture regarding Abraham that supports this thought:

“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” – (Genesis 18:19)

Notice in this verse that God knows some good things about Abraham, yet the things that He knows are all in Abraham’s future. God reveals His plan to Abraham, not based upon what He remembers about Abraham’s past, but what He sees in Abraham’s future. God saw what Abraham would be, and He did’t choose to remember any of the failures in Abraham’s past. We need to develop our spiritual eyesight so that we can see the possibilities of someone’s future rather than dwelling on what they were in the past. We have to learn to see people as God sees them.

Jan 9th The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From The Tree

Today’s Passages – Genesis 25 – 26 

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 17 – 18; Proverbs 9; Psalms 41 – 45)

“And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said,

She is my sister: for he feared to say,

She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah;

because she was fair to look upon.” – (Genesis 26:7)

In order for you to fully understand this morning’s thought, you might want to go back and read Genesis chapter twenty. If this account of Isaac lying about the true identity of his wife sounds familiar to you, it is because we read back in Genesis 20 that his father, Abraham, did the exact same thing to Abimelech. It appears that the apple doesn’t fall very far the tree. Isaac apparently had picked up some of his father’s bad habits.

There is an old expression which states that parents don’t get what they want in child-rearing, they get what they are. I have observed that to be true. Our children definitely begin to emulate our values, character traits, and even our mannerisms. As a school teacher, I have closely observed the children in  my charge, and it is amazing how much the children are like their parents. It’s kind of scary to think that we are also passing on our bad habits. Isaac learned how to lie from his dad.

As parents, we must be very careful to remember that our children are always watching us; almost analyzing us. They mistakenly think that everything we do is right, so they have no reason not to mimic who we are. Even later when they are taught with words regarding bad behavior, the message that they received from the life of the parent will often leave a stronger impression. Parents, and mentors, need to be very careful to watch their own behavior, especially around those young ones that are so impressionable. We need to be what we want them to be. Be the right example to your children.

Jan 4th Don’t Move – Unless God Moves You

Today’s Passage – Genesis 10 – 12 

“And Abraham journeyed, going on still toward the south” (Genesis 12:9)

There has only been two times in my life that God has clearly revealed His perfect will to me. I am not referring to the will of God that is revealed to all of us in the Word. What I am referring to is when God miraculously showed me where He wanted me to go and what He wanted me to do. The first time was when God showed me where to go to Bible College. I had been searching for His will regarding my training for the ministry and frankly I was not sure what to do. I won’t go into to all of the details, but after spending a lot of time in prayer, God made it crystal clear to me where He wanted me to go.

I will tell you a little bit more about the second time. I was in my last year of Bible College and the day of my graduation was at hand. I did not know at that time what God had planned for me after I finished. I had some thoughts about what I wanted to do, but I wanted to make sure that I was following God, not trying to get Him to follow me. I was out on my bus route in Texarkana one Saturday, and again I was praying about what to do. All of a sudden I thought about Pastor Charlie Clark, a preacher that I had known back in New Jersey. I decided to give him a call and ask his advice. I remember that he had once told me that he wanted to help start twenty new churches in south Jersey. Maybe God would allow me to be the pastor of one of them. I called 411, got his number, and then called him, and surprisingly Pastor Clark picked up the phone. I shared with him my dilemma, and after a long conversation, he agreed to help me start a church when I returned home. I later found out that as soon as he hung up the phone with me, the phone rang again. This time it was Pastor Dan Owens, the pastor of Jersey Shore Baptist Church. Pastor Dan had been called by God to become a chaplain in the military, and he needed somebody to take the church that he had started in Galloway. God used Pastor Clark to connect me with Dan Owens, and the rest, as they say, is history. I never candidated anywhere else, and I didn’t really candidate here at Jersey Shore. I just met with the pastor, and preached a couple of times for him; and upon his recommendation, the church voted me in. I believe with all of my heart that God, through those circumstances, revealed His perfect will regarding where He wanted me to go after I graduated from college.

Now I told you all of that to tell you this: it was thirteen years ago this week that the people of Jersey Shore Baptist Church voted me in to be their pastor. But before they chose me, God did. Now through these years there have been many good days, but there have also been many times of trial and testing. However, because I knew that I was where God wanted me to be, I did not quit. Though I have been tempted to do so many times, I did not move away.

In Genesis 12:6 – 8, Abraham entered into the land of Canaan, and God appeared to him and told him this was the place where He was going to bless him. X marks the spot. You don’t need to go anywhere else, Abraham, because this is the place of God’s blessing. How sad it is that in verse 9, Abraham is leaving the place of God’s calling. Verse 10 reveals that when a famine comes, he moves further away into Egypt. Do you know that God does not speak to Abraham again until he gets back to the place where God had told him to stay? (Genesis 13:14)

Christian, be very careful about the decisions you make in life. Things like where you live, whom you marry, what school you go to. All of the major decisions should be carefully prayed over, and counsel needs to be sought after. Don’t move unless you are sure you are in the perfect will of God. All of these decisions have long-term consequences. Make sure you get it right.  And once you find God’s perfect plan for your life, don’t move, unless you are absolutely sure that God is moving you.

Jan 1st He Is Still Creating Me

Today’s Passage – Genesis 1 – 3

(Second Milers also read – Mathew 1 – 2; Proverbs 1; Psalms 1 – 5)

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.” (Genesis 1:1-5)

Before I share my thought from this morning’s Bible reading passage, I would like to make perfectly clear something that I believe to be very important. I believe that the Scriptures teach that the earth was created in six literal days and that it is also a very young earth, existing only for thousands of years, not billions as the evolutionist often tell us. The reason that I wanted clarify my position on creation is because I didn’t want there to be any doubt about it as I develop the following thought from these first five verses in Genesis.

Genesis 1:2 teaches, “the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep“, which means that in the beginning of the creation process, on the first day, the earth was incomplete. God would develop the earth into a beautiful and finished product over the next seven days. I see a picture here in Genesis 1:1 – 5. Man in his lost state is incomplete without God. In fact, we know from the New Testament that man is actually spiritually dead in his trespasses and sins. (Ephesians 2:1 – 5; Colossians 2:13) Man is literally in spiritual darkness until the Spirit of God moves upon him and shines the light of spiritual understanding to his lost and  dark condition. When the Holy Ghost of God illuminates and brings conviction upon the lost sinner, he can then realize his need for the salvation that can only come through the Lord Jesus Christ. This does not mean that a person is saved automatically because the Holy Spirit brings him to this understanding, as he still has a choice as to whether or not he wants to be saved. John tells us that some men love darkness rather than light. (John 3:19) However, the Holy Spirit must move upon a person and Light must be given in order for a person to be saved; born again into the family of God. I remember very clearly the day that I trusted Christ as my Savior. It was literally as if somebody turned on a light, and I could finally see (understand) my need for Christ’s salvation. I finally “got it” because the Holy Ghost shined a light on my dark soul.

The exciting thing about this first day of creation is that it didn’t end there. There was more work to be done, and for five more days God continued to create. And, there is still a lot more work that must be done by God on the lost sinner after he receives the Lord Jesus as his Savior. The Holy Spirit will continue to move and transform the lives of those who become the children of God. God has been working on me for nearly three decades, and He is far from being finished. He will continue to work on me until He brings me into the very presence of Christ.

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2)

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Romans 8:29)

Jan 10th Savoury Meat

Today’s Passage – Genesis 27 – 28 

“And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.” (Genesis 27:4)

This chapter of Genesis has always been a source of irritation to me. It is one of those passages where nothing is as it should be; and every character in the story is behaving badly. I will not rehearse the story as you can surely read it for yourself; but let’s examine the bad behavior of each character, and learn something from all of this.

First, let’s consider Rebekah. She is conspiring with her younger son against her husband. Right or wrong, her husband asked the older son, Esau, to go get him some dinner so that he could bless him. Rebekah did not want to see her favorite son, Jacob, lose the blessing, so she lies to her husband and works up an evil plan to deceive him. Wives, your husband may not always be right; but it is always right for you to submit to him unless of course he is telling you to do something against the clear command of God; and besides that, it is never right for you to lie or connive in order to get your way.

Now lets’s talk about Jacob. He was also clearly wrong. Although he did not want to do it initially, he was certainly complicit in the deception. He did what he knew to be wrong. He can not claim innocence because he was obeying his mother’s will. His mother was clearly doing wrong, and Jacob knew it; and he should have refused her.

In this story the one that seems to be the most innocent is Esau. However, we have already seen what makes Esau tick. You will remember that back in chapter 25, he sold his birthright for a bowl of chili (red pottage). Here, he claims that he was tricked out of his birthright, but he wasn’t. He gave it up willingly. Now he is trying to get back some of the blessing that comes with the birthright he already gave up.

Now we come to Isaac. At first glance it may appear that Isaac is completely a victim in this saga, but let’s carefully consider some things. First, notice how many times it states in this chapter that Isaac loves savoury meat. Now don’t misunderstand, I like savoury meat also. My wife just learned how to cook a bottom round roast with a high temperature recipe that really makes the meat tender and juicy. I love it. But when the Scripture emphasizes this point, it is telling us that Isaac’s appetite was the driving force of this whole story. I love my son, and I want to bless him; but my blessing him will not be dependent on whether or not he makes me dinner. Isaac in his birth is certainly a picture of Christ, but in his old age he seems to be a picture of the flesh.

Notice also in this story that Isaac is deceived because of his feelings. He felt the fake skin on Jacob’s hands and came to a faulty conclusion. How many times in our lives to we get messed up because we make decisions based on our feeling rather than on the clear will of God. If I only did right when I felt like it, I would rarely do it. We don’t come to church because we don’t “feel” good, or we don’t “feel” like it. Kid’s don’t go to school for the same reasons. We must do the will of God out of obedience to His word, not because of our feelings. It’s great when our feelings are in agreement with the Word, but when they don’t, we should follow God, not our feelings. Notice also that Isaac was dim of eyes. Now, I am not picking on his poor eyesight, but it is a picture of spiritual blindness. Isaac knew the will of God regarding his two sons. Jacob was God’s choice. Isaac didn’t particularly like the choice God made. Isaac preferred Esau because Esau fed Isaac’s flesh with savoury meat.

There is certainly a lot to “chew” on in this chapter isn’t there? Sorry I couldn’t resist.

Jan 3rd It Doesn’t Take Long, Does It?

Today’s Passage – Genesis 7 – 9 

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 5 – 6; Proverbs 3 ; Psalm 11 – 15

Read previous posts from this passage – “A Token” and “I’m Getting Too Old For This“

Last night it snowed about 5 or 6 inches here in southern New Jersey, and when I got out this morning to take my walk I noticed two things. The first thing that caught my attention was how white and clean everything looked, which is quite the contrast from the dreary, dark browns that are the norm here in the winter. The second thing that struck me was the quiet. There were very few cars on the road, and most people were “hunkered down” in their houses. All I could hear for most of my time outside was the wind. With all of the people that populate our area, it is very rare to experience that level of tranquility. It was very cold, however, and the tiny ice particles that were still falling and blowing around were stinging my face a little; but, all in all, it was a wonderful time, walking with the Lord this morning.

Now for this morning’s thought:

“And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.” (Genesis 9:21 & 22)

In Genesis 7 we have the account of the flood. God was grieved because mankind had become completely corrupted, and their wickedness was great upon the earth. God decided to start over with a man who walked with Him, named Noah. Noah and his family are instructed to build an ark that will keep them safe during the deluge of water that is about to cover the entire earth. For forty days it rains, and everything that breathes air on the earth dies. All. that is, except Noah and his family. In chapter 8 the rain stops, and the water levels gradually decrease until, finally, the dry land appeared, and Noah and his family were able to leave the ark and start a new life for themselves.

Chapter 9 begins with God blessing Noah and his family, and God also promises that He will never again destroy the earth with a flood. He seals the covenant with the rainbow, which was to serve as a reminder every time it rains. Everything seems to be going well. Noah and his family have the opportunity to live in peace with the full blessings of God on their lives. However, when we get to verse 21, we see how quickly even godly men like Noah can mess things up. Here we see that Noah is drunk. This is the first mention of wine in the Bible. Theologians tell us about a law of Bible interpretation, which is called the Law of First Mention. This principle teaches that important clues can be gathered about a doctrine by studying the way it is first used in the Bible. Here we see the use of wine associated with drunkenness and other sins. Maybe, we should learn a lesson from this. The Bible will have much more to say in future chapters regarding drunkenness.

My point, however, is not to discuss the sin of drunkenness. I merely want to point out that man will quickly mess up a good situation. Adam and Eve did, Noah did, and we do the same thing today. It doesn’t take long for our sinful nature to reveal itself. We are two days away from the New Year. Many have resolved that this is the year that their lives are going to be different. Yet, most have already blown every resolution that they have made. We are desperately wicked people. Yet, for some strange reason, God loves us; and if we are saved, He doesn’t even see our wickedness anymore. Through the blood of His Son Jesus, God sees us, not as sinners, but as sons.

Don’t throw in the towel, however. You have blown in the past and you will blow it again in the future. Just get back up, confess the sin, and move forward. God knows your frame; He remembers that you are dust. Don’t let your failure keep you from coming back to God. He will always take you back. Get as close to Him as you possibly can. He will work in you, and make the necessary changes that need to be made in your life. He will continue to mold you into the image of Christ.

Jan 1st In the Beginning!

Today’s Passage – Genesis 1 – 3 

(Second Milers also read – Mathew 1 – 2; Proverbs 1; Psalms 1 – 5)

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” – (Genesis 1:1)

“And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” – (Revelation 21:5)

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” – (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Isn’t it wonderful that our God is a God of new beginnings? 24 years ago, almost to the day, God gave me a completely new beginning, and charted a radically different course for my life. God gave me a chance at that time to start over again with a clean slate. The awesome thing about our God is that since He took my sins away through the blood of Jesus Christ, my slate has remained clean (at least positionally).

I thank God for this new year that we are beginning today. I always look at the New Year as a time to hit the re-set button; a time to review the successes and failures of the year before and make the necessary adjustments in order to make the most out of the coming year. It’s kind of a new beginning. Last year is gone. 2014 is brand new, and we have the opportunity to strive to make this year the best one yet. Early this morning, as I was walking, I thought about the fact that so far this year I haven’t said anything or done anything yet that would displease the Lord. I am sure, however, that it won’t be long before I break my streak, but it is a good feeling to know that the old is gone, and today is a brand new day. Let us serve the Lord with gladness this year!

Tonight, we will be studying the Bible and praying together as a church. None of us have missed any church services yet this year, so let us all be in our place, assembling ourselves together for exhortation and edification. This Sunday, in our evening service, we will be casting the vision for the new year. We will unveil the new theme, and reveal some of the changes that we will be making in order to make 2014 our most fruitful year ever. Don’t miss it; and don’t miss out on the opportunity to make the necessary adjustments to your personal life and schedule in order to make a new beginning out of your own life in 2014.

Note – Today also begins our new Bible reading schedule. Please make it a point to carve out some time daily in your schedule to read the Word and to pray.

Jan 17th Passed the Test

Today’s Passage – Genesis 43 – 44

(Second Milers also read – Mark 5 – 6; Proverbs 17; Psalms 81 – 85

“Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.” – (Genesis 44:33-34)

Joseph’s brothers, especially Judah, demonstrated to Joseph in this passage of Scripture that they had truly repented of the sin that they had committed in selling Joseph into slavery. Joseph put them to the test, and they passed. Joseph had to be sure that his brother Benjamin would be safe from his other brothers. After all, they did sell Joseph; how did he know that Benjamin wasn’t their next target. By putting his cup in Benjamin’s sack, Joseph had made sure that Benjamin would be staying with him in Egypt. Now all he had to do was wait and see what the other brothers would do. If they did the right thing, he would know that they had truly changed, but if they did not do the right thing, then at least Joseph would still have his brother Benjamin.

Judah, the third son, takes the lead in this dilemma. He is the one that speaks on behalf of the family, and he offers to take the place of Benjamin as Joseph’s servant. He explains to Joseph that if they did not return to their father with Benjamin, that the father would be overcome with grief. Joseph could not bear the thought of hurting his father, and since the brothers have come clean regarding their sin, and have demonstrated that they are not the same men that were, he will come clean with them, and reveal himself to them; and best of all, he forgives them.

I can’t wait until we get to the next chapter where Joseph will tell his brothers who he really is. And then will come the reunion with Dad! Great Stuff!