What Did He Do?

But when they stopped for the night and one of them opened his sack to get grain for his donkey, he found his money in the top of his sack. “Look!” he exclaimed to his brothers. “My money has been returned; it’s here in my sack!” Then their hearts sank. Trembling, they said to each other, “What has God done to us?”
Genesis 42:27-28 NLT

You may know the story. Joseph's brothers betrayed him, sold him, and then told their father he was dead. In this part of the story, they have been forced to come to Egypt to buy grain because of the great famine. And guess who's the head honcho in charge of it all - yes, Joseph! Only they didn't recognize him. Joseph had been about 17 - a scared teenager - when they sold him into slavery. When the brothers came to buy grain, Joseph was almost 40... and he was large and in charge! A far cry from the anguished teenager pleading for his life to be spared.

It is a woeful tale to begin with. Pride, treachery, lies, despair, and guilt. Oh, the guilt!! More than two decades of guilt and living the lie. But what satan meant for bad in the jealous hearts of Joseph's brothers, God turned around - not just for Joseph's good, but for all of them. 

It is an incredible story of forgiveness and redemption! The only one better (in my opinion) is God's story of forgiveness and redemption - the life, death and resurrection of Jesus to forgive our sin. To redeem us from our guilt-stained lives. And like Joseph made provision for both of his family's journeys (Genesis 42:25, 45:21), God has made provision for us. Trembling, they said to each other, “What has God done to us?”  He has done what ONLY God can do! Propitiation for our sin and guilt - Provision for each day we draw breath. Grace and mercy and love manifested in ways far beyond our understanding!

Prayer:

I pray over those reading this tonight, what Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:18 according to the Message Bible - My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask Him to strengthen you by His Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite Him in. And I ask Him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen