Participants: Kelly Mowrer
Series Code: HWAL
Program Code: HWAL000453
00:17 Hi, and welcome back to His Words are Life.
00:19 I'm Kelly Mowrer, and thank you for joining with me today 00:23 to read the word of God. Before we read, let's pray together. 00:26 Dear Jesus, thank you so much for the story of Joseph. 00:31 And please be with us now. Give us your guidance, 00:36 your Holy Spirit and may these words bear fruit in our lives 00:40 dear Lord. We love you. Amen. 00:42 We are in the middle of the story of the famine 00:47 in the land of Egypt. When we were last together we read about 00:51 Pharaoh's dreams and how he called Joseph from prison 00:56 at the recommendation of his butler, and asked Joseph if he 01:00 would interpret the dreams for him. And Joseph gave the glory 01:03 to God. He said that I can't do it but God will. 01:06 And he advised Pharaoh that there was a famine coming 01:09 and to find a wise man to put over all the land of Egypt. 01:14 And Pharaoh said, Is there anyone wiser. God is with you. 01:17 And he took Joseph and made Joseph second only to himself 01:21 in ruling Egypt, and I thought about that as I was reading. 01:24 Overnight Joseph went from being a prisoner to being ruler 01:29 of Egypt. And that's a lesson for each of us who are facing 01:32 dark times right now, in many ways and many times, God 01:37 changes things overnight. Stay strong and stay hanging on to 01:41 Him. And now Joseph is the ruler over Egypt and they are in 01:44 the years of famine. And countries round about 01:47 come to Egypt for food, and Jacob sends his 10 sons 01:51 down to Egypt to buy food. Joseph recognizes his brothers 01:56 even though they don't know him. And he tests them. He says to 01:59 them, Bring me your younger brother. He keeps Simeon back 02:02 in Egypt, in prison. He sends the 9 back to get Benjamin 02:06 and bring him. Otherwise he is going to put them to death as 02:09 spies. But Jacob is not willing to let Benjamin go. He says, 02:13 I've lost Joseph. I've lost Simeon and I'm, going to lose 02:15 Benjamin as well. Reuben says, Give him into my keeping. 02:19 You can kill my two sons if I don't bring him back safely. 02:22 Jacob says, No, because if he doesn't return, I will go to 02:25 my grave mourning him. So this is where we pick up the story 02:28 in Genesis, chapter 43, verse 1, the King James Version. 02:33 And the famine was sore in the land. And it came to pass, 02:37 when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of 02:39 Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little 02:42 food. And Judah spake unto him, saying, This man did solemnly 02:47 protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except 02:50 your brother be with your. If thou wilt send our brother 02:54 with us, we will go down and buy thee food: but if thou wilt not 02:57 send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, 02:59 Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. 03:02 And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell 03:07 the man whether ye had yet a brother? And they said, 03:10 The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, 03:13 saying Is you father yet alive? have ye another brother? 03:16 and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we 03:22 certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down? 03:24 And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, 03:28 and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, 03:31 both we, and thou, and also our little ones. I will be surety 03:35 for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not 03:39 unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame 03:43 for ever: for except we had lingered, surely now we had 03:47 returned this second time. And their father Israel said unto 03:51 them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits 03:56 in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present 03:58 a Little balm and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, 04:02 and almonds: and take double money in your hand; and the 04:06 money that was brought again in the mouth of you sacks, carry it 04:08 again in your hand; peradventure it was an 04:11 oversight: Take also your brother, and arise, go again 04:14 unto the man: And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, 04:18 that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. 04:21 If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved. And the men 04:26 took that present, and they took double money in their hand, 04:29 and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood 04:33 before Joseph. And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said 04:37 to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and 04:42 make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon. 04:45 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into 04:49 Joseph's house. And the men were afraid, because they were 04:52 brought into Joseph's house; and they said, Because of the money 04:55 that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought 04:57 in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, 05:01 and take us for bondmen, and our asses. And they came near to the 05:05 steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him 05:08 at the door of the house, and said, O sir, we came indeed down 05:12 at the first time to buy food: And it came to pass, when we 05:16 came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, 05:19 every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money 05:22 in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand. 05:25 And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: 05:28 we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks. And he said, 05:33 Peace be to you, fear not, your God, and the God of your father 05:37 has given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. 05:41 And he brought Simeon out unto them. And the man brought 05:45 the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed 05:48 their feet; and he gave their asses provender. And they made 05:52 ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard 05:56 that they should eat bread there and when Joseph came home, 05:59 they brought him the present which was in their hand 06:01 into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth. 06:04 And he asked them of their welfare, and said, 06:08 Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? 06:11 Is he yet alive? And they answered, Thy servant our father 06:17 is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down 06:20 their heads and made obeisance. And he lifted up his eyes, 06:24 and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, 06:28 Is this your younger brother of whom ye spake unto me? 06:31 And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son. 06:35 And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his 06:40 brother: and he sought where to weep: and he entered into 06:43 his chamber, and wept there. And he washed his face, and 06:47 went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread. 06:51 And they set on for him by himself, and for them 06:54 by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with 06:57 him by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread 07:00 with the Hebrews; for that is and abomination into the 07:03 Egyptians. And they sat before him, the firstborn according to 07:08 his birthright and the youngest according to his youth: 07:11 and the men marveled one at another. And he took and sent 07:16 messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was 07:20 five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, 07:24 and were merry with him. Continuing now in chapter 44 07:29 of Genesis. And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, 07:34 Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, 07:37 and put every man's money in his sack's mouth. And put my cup, 07:41 the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, 07:44 and his corn money. And he did according to the word that 07:48 Joseph had spoken. As soon as the morning was light, the men 07:52 were sent away, they and their asses. And when they were gone 07:55 out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his 07:59 steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost 08:02 overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded 08:05 evil for good? Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, 08:09 and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing. 08:12 And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words 08:17 And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord 08:21 these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according 08:25 to this thing: Behold, the money, which we found in our 08:28 sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land 08:30 of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house 08:33 silver or gold? With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, 08:38 both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen. 08:41 And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: 08:46 He with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be 08:50 blameless. Then they speedily took down every man his sack 08:54 to the ground, and opened every man his sack. And he searched, 08:58 and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: 09:02 and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. 09:05 Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, 09:09 and returned to the city. And Judah and his brethren came 09:13 to Joseph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell before 09:16 him on the ground. And Joseph said unto them, What deed 09:20 is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I 09:24 can certainly divine? And Judah said, What shall we say unto 09:30 my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? 09:34 God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are 09:38 my lord's servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup 09:42 is found. And he said, God forbid that I should do so: 09:47 but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my 09:50 servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father. 09:55 Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, 10:00 let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, 10:04 and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou 10:07 art even as Pharaoh. My lord asked his servants, saying, 10:12 Have ye a father, or a brother? And we said unto my lord, 10:15 We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, 10:18 a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left 10:22 of his mother, and his father loveth him. And thou saidst 10:26 unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set 10:28 mine eyes upon him. And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot 10:33 leave his father, for if he should leave his father, 10:35 his father would die. And thou saidst unto thy servants, 10:39 Except your youngest brother come down with you, 10:41 ye shall see my face no more. And it came to pass when we 10:45 came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words 10:48 of my lord. And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little 10:51 food. And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother 10:54 be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the 10:58 man's face, except our youngest brother be with us. 11:00 And thy servant my father said, unto us, ye know that wife bare 11:04 me two sons: And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely 11:08 he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since: And if ye take 11:11 this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down 11:15 my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. Now therefore when 11:20 I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; 11:24 seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life; It shall come 11:28 to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will 11:31 die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs 11:34 of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. 11:37 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, 11:41 saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the 11:44 blame to my father forever. Now therefore, I pray thee, 11:48 let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord: 11:53 and let the lad go up with his brethren. For how shall I go 11:58 up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure 12:02 I see the evil that shall come on my father. 12:05 Continuing with chapter 45. This is the King James Version. 12:09 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them 12:14 that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out 12:19 from me. And there stood no man with him while Joseph made 12:23 himself known unto his brethren, And he wept aloud: 12:27 And the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. 12:30 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; 12:34 doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer 12:39 him for they were troubled at his presence. And Joseph said 12:43 unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came 12:46 near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold 12:49 into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with 12:53 yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me 12:57 before you to preserve life. For these two years hath the famine 13:01 been in the land: any yet there are five years, 13:03 in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. 13:06 And God sent me before you you to preserve you a posterity 13:11 in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 13:14 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath 13:19 made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a 13:21 ruler throughout all the land of Egypt: Haste ye, and go up 13:25 to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, 13:29 God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me 13:33 tarry not: And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, 13:36 and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy 13:40 children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, 13:42 and all that thou hast: And there will I nourish thee; 13:45 for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy 13:50 household and all that thou hast come to poverty. And, behold, 13:55 your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is 13:58 my mouth that speaketh unto you. And ye shall tell my father of 14:02 all my glory in Egypt, and of all ye have seen; and ye shall 14:06 haste and bring down my father hither. And he fell upon his 14:10 brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon 14:14 his neck. Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them 14:18 and after that his brethren talked with him. 14:22 We'll pick up the story of Joseph and his brothers, 14:25 and his father the next time we're together. 14:27 Thanks for being with me. Until we're together again, 14:30 may God bless you and keep you in His care. Goodbye. |
Revised 2014-12-17