That the first response of Joseph’s brothers to his revelation was dismay might demonstrate the need for his handling of their meetings. They needed healing for their guilt, if their first response to being reunited with their long-lost brother was dismay. Joseph was no longer dealing in guilt – “do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, for God sent me here….” If only we could learn from Joseph’s example and understand that our enemy is not people, but Satan, and apprehend that all things that come to us come through the hand of God. That understanding frees us from resentment or bitterness or any other tactic Satan wants to use to prevent us from realizing God’s purpose in our trials. Can you use Joseph’s example to guide you today in seeking healing from past hurts and any bitterness with which they might still be afflicting you, or to seek the realization of God’s purpose in your trial rather than being diverted from it with your eyes on people or yourself?
Jacob, on the other hand, had apparently stepped back from his relationship with God, for when he offered sacrifices as he left the Promised Land, he offered them to the God of his father Isaac. God didn’t call him by the name of his transformation; we can only surmise what that meant. When he was presented to Pharaoh, feeble old Jacob described the years of his life as few and unpleasant, although he had already lived to an age well past the average age of Egyptians of that day, had never known want, and had enjoyed God’s care and blessing throughout his life. Contrast that with Joseph’s description of his life’s much greater trials: “Do not be upset because you sold me here, because God sent me here.” There is much to ponder in the differences between Jacob and Joseph.
Note that Israel now dwelled outside the Promised Land as part of God’s plan, and that God continued to bless them there so that they thrived. The story shows that they will thrive for generations in such a way that the people in whose midst they lived couldn’t help but take notice and feel the urge to do something about it. (A common theme throughout Israel’s history.) Are there any lessons in God’s thus dealing with the Israelites that you can apply to your life?