Genesis 45

Bible Passage: Genesis 45

Reading Genesis is like watching a Korean drama serial. Each chapter gets more and more exciting! Ready the tissues! Gen 45 will make you cry…

…then it makes you smile. Family reunions are always sweet.

 Some thoughts from today’s reading…

Bigger Picture

In the overall view of God’s salvation plan, the story of Joseph and his brothers form but one portion of the story. In Stephen’s final sermon, he made mention of the history of his own forefathers (Acts 7:9-15). It took up 7 verses.

Nevertheless, it was important because it was an essential part of history, leading on to salvation’s story.

In Gen 45, a number of key events were turning points in this salvation plan. We could place them as such:

In the overall plan of God, there was a need for the prophecy made to Abraham to be fulfilled (Gen 15:14-16). The chosen man of God would father a nation, Israel, and that nation will be afflicted in Egypt till the 4th generation.

We might have questions about why should Israel even be uprooted from Canaan to move to Egypt.

Wasn’t Canaan the Promised Land? It was.

Weren’t they already in Canaan? They were.

But here, we see that God’s greater wisdom surpasses the understanding of mankind.

The invitation of Joseph and official summons Pharaoh, combined together, was to get Jacob (Israel) to dwell within Egypt.

This was the beginning of a new lifestyle, determined by a new environment.

Who was to have known what was to transpire for the future generations of the patriarchs? No one would have guessed.

Nevertheless, Israel’s emigration was a means by which God’s overall plan was to be fulfilled.

Thus, the chapters from Gen 37 up till Gen 45 for today, are in fact a means of God’s preparations for His chosen people and nation. This can be seen in 2 ways:

Beginning of a new environment

1. While God allowed the Canaanites to decay in their own sins (Gen 15:16), He took Israel away from that sinful land to establish them temporarily in a better country.

This was to set them apart from sin and to keep them alive and secured by Him.

Fulfilment of God’s prophecy

2. In the same way, God allowed the wicked acts of Joseph’s brothers to happen, while still working His will to prepare Joseph as Egypt’s Governor.

This was purposed by God so that Joseph could eventually welcome his family in a joyful reunion that would signal the start of the fulfilment of the prophecy to Abraham.

The smaller details

This prophecy’s fulfilment began with Israel’s migration. Despite the later events that would trouble Israel for 400 years, this beginning of a new environment in Egypt allowed for God’s guiding hand to be never too far from His beloved people.

Reading our own lives into Gen 45, we can see how God speaks to us regardless of which stage of life we are at.

For the elderly, Jacob’s life’s last portion leaves us with the understanding that God will never cast us away.

While life may throw us a bunch of unhappy events and people-to-people misunderstandings, eventually, God makes all things known, God makes all things well.

It’s a case of “All’s Well that Ends Well”. The only requirement is for us to remain godly and faithful to the end.

For the adults, the life of Joseph gives us the obvious teachings.

From an unforeseen betrayal by his family, to an unwanted imprisonment; from the unpredicted promotion to Governor, to an unexpected reunion with his family, life indeed can be a bumpy ride.

Are we ready for it?

Let’s be like Joseph, the man who never faltered though he was faulted.

For the young, Benjamin’s involvement shows that childhood can give us plenty of experiences and life lessons. It’s most likely that Jacob would have taught Ben Ben these lessons and allowed him to grow up sensible.

All in all, Gen 45 is a really happy read.

Notwithstanding the emotional pauses that might bring a tear or two to us, we will be in good stead to know that God cares for us in the small details of life, and sees us through the bigger picture of eternal life.

As the ultimate overseer of our lives, He is the keeper of our souls, preserving His chosen people for a better inheritance in the heavenly kingdom (cf. Psalm 121:5-8).

Hold on for it’s gonna be a bumpy ride!