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†. Gen 47:1-2 . .Then Joseph came and reported to Pharaoh, saying:
My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that is
theirs, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in the region
of Goshen. And selecting five of his brothers, he presented them to
Pharaoh.
Aren't you curious which five of the eleven brothers Joseph selected; and
what guided his decision?
When Christ went up on a mountain to transfigure (Matt 17:1, Mark 19:2)
he took along only three of his twelve hand-picked apostles. Some
expositors believe he took Peter, James, and John not because they were
the strongest in faith of the twelve; but on the contrary, the weakest. But
who really knows. It could be that Christ chose those three men because he
knew for himself they could be trusted to keep a secret. (cf. Mark 9:9-10)
Quite possibly, Joseph had carefully gauged all eleven brother's reactions
under the stress to which he only just recently had subjected them and
noted the ones who were not easy to intimidate. These would be his best
choice to meet the king because the last thing Joseph needed was his kin
stammering and shivering in the audience of his boss; the Pharaoh of Egypt.
He wanted them to leave the impression that they knew what they were
doing in the world of animal husbandry. (This is all conjecture of course
because I don't really know why Joseph selected the five.)
†. Gen 47:3 . . Pharaoh said to his brothers: What is your
occupation? They answered Pharaoh: We your servants are
shepherds, as were also our fathers.
Bang! Direct question/Direct answer-- no stammering, no shivering, no
apologizing, and no beating around the bush as if they had anything to be
ashamed of for being ranchers.
†. Gen 47:4 . .We have come; they told Pharaoh; to sojourn in this
land, for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks, the famine
being severe in the land of Canaan. Pray, then, let your servants stay
in the region of Goshen.
After first assuring the king that they had no intention of settling
permanently in his jurisdiction, they then boldly request exactly what they
want. It's a pity more people don't pray like Joseph's brothers because
there's no need to circumnavigate the issue with God. He already knows
what's on your mind before you even open your mouth so you might just as
well get right to the point.
"And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they
think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like
them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask
Him." (Matt 6:7-8)
"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain
mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb 4:16)
The Greek word for "boldly" is parrhesia (par-rhay-see'-ah) which means all
out-spokenness, i.e. frankness, bluntness, and/or confidence.
In other words: God's people shouldn't be shy about speaking up and telling
Him exactly what's on their minds. Rote mantras like the Ave Maria and/or
the Our Father etc. are not what I call forthright, out-spoken, frank and/or
speaking up.
†. Gen 47:5-6 . .Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: As regards your father
and your brothers who have come to you, the land of Egypt is open
before you: settle your father and your brothers in the best part of
the land; let them stay in the region of Goshen. And if you know any
capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.
Communication between the brothers and Pharaoh was probably of the very
same nature as their own first encounter with Joseph; which was through an
interpreter. In this case, Joseph is the interpreter; viz: actually a mediator
between king and subjects. A mediator doesn't only interpret, but also looks
out for the best interests of both parties and brings about a resolution of
their differences; if any. The brothers were foreign herders, and for that
reason, the king was loathe to speak with them; much less to associate with
them. If not for Joseph, there would have been no audience; the men would
have been barred from Pharaoh's court.
Joseph was both an Israelite and an Egyptian. He understood, and moved
about, in both cultures; consequently he was accepted by each party as one
of their own.
In the same way; remove Christ, and nobody would ever be able to contact
God; not even anybody in the Old Testament. Since Christ is both Divine and
Human, he is perfectly capable of resolving the differences between God and
Man; and he is accepted by both because he's one of their own.
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus" (1Tim 2:5)
†. Gen 47:7a . .Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and
presented him before Pharaoh.
Probably no other moment in Pharaoh's life would be more historic than this
one. Standing before him, as a feeble old common rancher, was one of the
most significant men who ever lived on this earth; but Pharaoh could have
never guessed it under the circumstances. How was Pharaoh to know that
this tired, broken down old man standing before him was to be the
progenitor of a monarch that would dominate not only the entire over-world;
but even the netherworld.
"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of
Adam, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days
and was escorted into His presence. He was given authority, glory and
sovereign power; that all peoples, nations and men of every language should
worship him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass
away, and his kingdom is the one that will never be destroyed." (Dan 7:13
14)
"God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above
every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven
and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus
Christ is supreme-- to the glory of God the Father." (Php 2:9-11)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
†. Gen 47:1-2 . .Then Joseph came and reported to Pharaoh, saying:
My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that is
theirs, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in the region
of Goshen. And selecting five of his brothers, he presented them to
Pharaoh.
Aren't you curious which five of the eleven brothers Joseph selected; and
what guided his decision?
When Christ went up on a mountain to transfigure (Matt 17:1, Mark 19:2)
he took along only three of his twelve hand-picked apostles. Some
expositors believe he took Peter, James, and John not because they were
the strongest in faith of the twelve; but on the contrary, the weakest. But
who really knows. It could be that Christ chose those three men because he
knew for himself they could be trusted to keep a secret. (cf. Mark 9:9-10)
Quite possibly, Joseph had carefully gauged all eleven brother's reactions
under the stress to which he only just recently had subjected them and
noted the ones who were not easy to intimidate. These would be his best
choice to meet the king because the last thing Joseph needed was his kin
stammering and shivering in the audience of his boss; the Pharaoh of Egypt.
He wanted them to leave the impression that they knew what they were
doing in the world of animal husbandry. (This is all conjecture of course
because I don't really know why Joseph selected the five.)
†. Gen 47:3 . . Pharaoh said to his brothers: What is your
occupation? They answered Pharaoh: We your servants are
shepherds, as were also our fathers.
Bang! Direct question/Direct answer-- no stammering, no shivering, no
apologizing, and no beating around the bush as if they had anything to be
ashamed of for being ranchers.
†. Gen 47:4 . .We have come; they told Pharaoh; to sojourn in this
land, for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks, the famine
being severe in the land of Canaan. Pray, then, let your servants stay
in the region of Goshen.
After first assuring the king that they had no intention of settling
permanently in his jurisdiction, they then boldly request exactly what they
want. It's a pity more people don't pray like Joseph's brothers because
there's no need to circumnavigate the issue with God. He already knows
what's on your mind before you even open your mouth so you might just as
well get right to the point.
"And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they
think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like
them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask
Him." (Matt 6:7-8)
"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain
mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb 4:16)
The Greek word for "boldly" is parrhesia (par-rhay-see'-ah) which means all
out-spokenness, i.e. frankness, bluntness, and/or confidence.
In other words: God's people shouldn't be shy about speaking up and telling
Him exactly what's on their minds. Rote mantras like the Ave Maria and/or
the Our Father etc. are not what I call forthright, out-spoken, frank and/or
speaking up.
†. Gen 47:5-6 . .Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: As regards your father
and your brothers who have come to you, the land of Egypt is open
before you: settle your father and your brothers in the best part of
the land; let them stay in the region of Goshen. And if you know any
capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.
Communication between the brothers and Pharaoh was probably of the very
same nature as their own first encounter with Joseph; which was through an
interpreter. In this case, Joseph is the interpreter; viz: actually a mediator
between king and subjects. A mediator doesn't only interpret, but also looks
out for the best interests of both parties and brings about a resolution of
their differences; if any. The brothers were foreign herders, and for that
reason, the king was loathe to speak with them; much less to associate with
them. If not for Joseph, there would have been no audience; the men would
have been barred from Pharaoh's court.
Joseph was both an Israelite and an Egyptian. He understood, and moved
about, in both cultures; consequently he was accepted by each party as one
of their own.
In the same way; remove Christ, and nobody would ever be able to contact
God; not even anybody in the Old Testament. Since Christ is both Divine and
Human, he is perfectly capable of resolving the differences between God and
Man; and he is accepted by both because he's one of their own.
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus" (1Tim 2:5)
†. Gen 47:7a . .Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and
presented him before Pharaoh.
Probably no other moment in Pharaoh's life would be more historic than this
one. Standing before him, as a feeble old common rancher, was one of the
most significant men who ever lived on this earth; but Pharaoh could have
never guessed it under the circumstances. How was Pharaoh to know that
this tired, broken down old man standing before him was to be the
progenitor of a monarch that would dominate not only the entire over-world;
but even the netherworld.
"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of
Adam, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days
and was escorted into His presence. He was given authority, glory and
sovereign power; that all peoples, nations and men of every language should
worship him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass
away, and his kingdom is the one that will never be destroyed." (Dan 7:13
14)
"God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above
every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven
and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus
Christ is supreme-- to the glory of God the Father." (Php 2:9-11)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=