“A Grand Reunion!” – FBC Morning Light (1/15/2024)

Well, a good Monday morning to you. Today we're reading in Genesis, chapters 45 -47, if you're following along in the Bible reading plan. It is finally in the story of Joseph that we come to the point where he has revealed himself to his brothers, and they go back home and they're going to get dad and bring dad down to Egypt for this reunion.

Joseph’s Reunion with His Brothers and the Move to Egypt

But before we talk about that, I want to just kind of step back and give us a perspective on the time frame that's gone on here in the story of Joseph. So Joseph was 17 years old when he was sold into slavery.

So prior to that, he'd had the dreams, his brothers hated him. He came to them when they were out tending the sheep. They saw him coming and they first thought about killing him, then decided to sell him into slavery.

So he's 17 years old when he was sold into slavery, and for the next 13 years of his life, he spent some of that time serving in Potiphar's house until he was wrongly accused of assault on Potiphar's wife, ends up in prison.

And while he's in prison, he meets these two servants of Pharaoh and interprets their dreams. The dreams come true. He's thinking that certainly they're going to help him get out of there. It doesn't happen.

Another two years go by. So it's 13 years from the time Joseph is sold into slavery before he is finally released from slavery. He's able to tell Potiphar his interpretation of his dream, and then he gets promoted.

Remember that the nature of that promotion is the dreams that Pharaoh saw, that there would be seven years of plenty, of abundance, and then it would be followed by seven years of famine. So the seven years of plenty have come and gone, so that now makes it 20 years, 20 years since Joseph was sold into slavery, 20 years since his father thinks that Joseph died.

So 20 years, Jacob has been living with the memory of Joseph's brief life and certain death. He's been away from Joseph longer than Joseph lived with him, than they've been together, 20 years. Then the famine hits, and it's two years into the famine before Joseph finally reveals himself to his brothers and invites them to go back home and bring Jacob down to Egypt so that he can take care of them for the duration of this famine.

So get the scene here. It's been 22 years since Joseph has seen his father, since Jacob has seen his son, whom he loved so deeply. Can you imagine the scene in Genesis 45, verses 25 and following, when the brothers come out of Egypt, verse 25 says, they come to the house of Canaan to Jacob their father, and they told him, saying, Joseph is still alive, and he is the governor over all the land of Egypt.

Can you imagine startled, stunned, unbelievable elation and maybe just unbelief? It says next that Jacob's heart stood still, for he could not believe them. Who can blame him? Who could blame him? He is absolutely convinced that 22 years earlier, Joseph was killed by some wild animal.

He had no clue whatsoever what his Joseph's brothers did to him, what these other sons of Jacob's did to Joseph, their brother. Well, here they are. The brothers are telling him, Joseph is still alive.

Finally, in verse 27, it says that when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw, Jacob saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived.

Then Israel, Jacob said, it is enough, my son is still alive, I will go and see him before I die. I read that like you're reading a story. Israel said, it's enough, Joseph my son is still alive, I will go and see him before I die.

There is absolutely no way that those words were spoken with that kind of emotional flatness. I can't begin to imagine the stunned elation when it finally dawned on Jacob that yes, indeed, his son was alive.

Not only was he alive, but he was of such a prominent position in the land of Egypt. Twenty-two years have gone by, and he gets this news. Well, you know, I don't know about you, but maybe some of you have children that have gone astray, been wayward, and you haven't seen them for a long time, and your heart has been heavy ever since that departure.

You've hoped and prayed and longed for a day of reconciliation, of restoration, and to this point it hasn't come. Let this account give you a measure of hope, and to continue to pray for a glad reunion.

I know Joseph didn't take off in some kind of rebellious streak and depart from the family and all the rest of that kind of thing, but he was separated, he was gone. And then there was this reunion 22 years later.

By God's grace, perhaps in your situation, if you know such a situation, then that will occur in your life as well. Imagine this depth of emotion in chapter 46 that is experienced by Jacob and Joseph at this glad reunion.

The Emotional Reunion of Jacob and Joseph

Chapter 46, verses 29 and 30, listen to what it says, Joseph made ready his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel, and he presented himself to him, and he fell on his neck, and he wept on his neck a good while.

A good while. How long do you think that while was? And Israel said to Joseph, now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive. Again, I can't imagine this emotion and the depth of this emotion, but I do believe it was incredibly intense.

So again, if you're experiencing some kind of heartache over a family situation that is estranged, I would encourage you to keep praying, keep praying, and asking God by his grace to bring such an experience to your own life and to your own heart.

May it come. So our Father and our God, we thank you for this beautiful restoration of a relationship in this story. It does give hope to many. I pray, Father, for any who are hurting over family estrangements today, that by your grace you would bring healing, you would bring restoration, and that each one in that family might know this joy that was experienced between Jacob and his son Joseph.

We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. All right, well listen, you have a good rest of your Monday, hope your week gets off to a great start. Good day.