Joseph Stores Up and Reveals Himself to His Brothers

I missed my Bible study yesterday because I was at a field trip for the kids. We learned all about cheese making. We went to a Dairy/Cheese making farm. Oooh, it was so worth the 1 1/2 hour drive out there. The cheese was absolutely fantastic. The best I have ever tasted. So anyway, I am incorporating yesterday and today's reading into one study!

Joseph could probably not see the purpose God had in mind when He allowed all this misfortunes to take place in his life. But this story helps me to remember that our God sees the whole picture from beginning to the end. We have to trust God even when there is pain involved.

I see the games Joseph played with his brothers and I wonder why would a man of God play such games. I think if we look at his character overall I figure that this game he played with his brothers was not exactly a vindictive game but rather more of a game to have his brothers re-examine their hearts and to admit their sin against their brother. Maybe even to reveal the change in their own hearts not just to Joseph but to themselves. And with this reveal I think that if Joseph had any leftover hostility to his brothers it must have just melted away.

You see if we have to reconcile with another person not only we have to confess our misconduct to the person who was hurt, but the person hurt must be willing to Forgive! Without both, the reconciliation is only one-sided. Joseph and his brothers had a two sided reconciliation.

I often wonder, and maybe I missed it, but did Jacob/Israel ever find out what his sons did? Would he have been as forgiving as Joseph? I am glad that Joesph remained confident that God was at work in every experience in his life, even the painful ones.