GENESIS 40 – EXODUS 2
I have to cut this one short, as hubby isn’t happy I’m on the computer. 
Joseph was let out of prison to interpret Pharaoh’s dream, which turned out to be 7 great years of harvest, followed by 7 years of famine. Pharaoh gave high regard to Joseph, and made him governor of Egypt. Joseph was in charge of storing all the excess grain up for the famine years.
Jacob heard about the grain in Egypt, and sent his sons to get some for the family. Benjamin, Joseph’s true brother from his mom, stayed at home. The brothers bowed to Joseph, and did not recognize their brother that they had sold into slavery. Joseph recognized them, and questioned them, saying they were spies. He requested they bring back the other brother, but Jacob would not allow it. When they ran out of food again, Judah promised his father that they could go get food only if Benjamin was with them, and that would also release Simeon from prison. He told him that Benjamin would return home to his father, or he would take the blame. After some turbulent times, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, and sent them to bring back his father and the rest of the family to live in Goshen, where he could easily provide for them. Jacob lived in egypt for 17 years before he died. When Jacob knew his time was short, he asked Joseph to bury him in his family burial place, and not in Egypt. Jacob hadn’t seen God’s promise yet, but he had faith that it would come, and that God would lead the people back to Canaan. Joseph took his sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, to see his father. Jacob blessed the boys, whom he considered like his own, and he put Ephraim before Manasseh. Manasseh was the firstborn, but Jacob said that the younger brother would be greater than Manasseh. It strikes me now that I’ve seen that before. Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob instead of Esau, Joseph instead of reuben, and Ephraim instead of Manasseh. And think of little David. His brothers were in an army that was scared of Goliath, but God chose David to defeat him. God has a plan, and it’s not always going to make sense to us. We just need to listen and follow.
Soon after, Jacob dies. Joseph wept, and threw himself over Jacob and kissed him. Jacob was embalmed, which took 40 days, and then the Egyptians mourned him for 70 days. On the way to the burial site, Joseph observed another 7 day time of mourning. I guess what has me in awe here is the difference in the times today. My hubby’s grandpa passed away in June, and there was a viewing one evening, and the funeral service the next day. I’ve been to my share of these things, and they’re NEVER easy. The close family greeting everyone, standing by the casket of their loved one, rehashing over and over about the last days. The more of them that I’ve been to, the more people I’ve heard say ” I don’t want you to do that, just have a quick funeral and be done with it.” The end of the funeral does not signal the end of the mourning, but as hard as it may be, I took some comfort in seeing Grandpa in his earthy body two more times. He was at peace because he’s no longer suffering. Sorry… I’m rambling and forgot the point I was trying to make… I guess just that Joseph had around 4 months of mourning, and that was a deep time. We often think because we’re Christians that we shouldn’t be sad or cry when we lose another Christian, because we know where they’re going. But the bible tells us it’s OK to cry and mourn, and be sad. Don’t try to rush it.
In Exodus, the new king felt there were too many Israelites, so he oppressed them with forced labor. When they continued to multiply, he told the midwives to kill all the baby boys, but to let the girls live. The midwives couldn’t do this, and God blessed them. Moses was born in that period, and when he was 3 months old, his mother was unable to hide him anymore. She placed him in a basket beside the Nile, where Pharaoh’s daughter found him. Moses sister was watching, and asked if she would like her to find a Hebrew woman to nurse him, and then she took Moses to his mother. When he grew older, his mother took him to Pharaoh’s daughter, who raised him as her son. When Moses was grown, he saw Hebrew being beaten by an egyptian, and Moses killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. He then fled to Midian where he lived with a priest and married his daughter.
So much for making that short! God’s protection and promises are faithful, we must remember that. I’ll see you tomorrow when we discuss Exodus 3-15.
