Scripture Daily

Context No. 3812 of 4322 · Genesis

Context · Reflection

Genesis 47:1-6: in context

1Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks, their herds, and all that they own, have come out of the land of Canaan; and behold, they are in the land of Goshen.” 2From among his brothers he took five men, and presented them to Pharaoh. 3Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” They said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.” 4They also said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live as foreigners in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks. For the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.” 5Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6The land of Egypt is before you. Make your father and your brothers dwell in the best of the land. Let them dwell in the land of Goshen. If you know any able men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.”

Joseph brings his father and brothers before Pharaoh and settles them in Egypt during the famine. And Pharaoh, out of regard for Joseph, welcomes them warmly, telling Joseph to settle his family in the good land of Goshen, the choice pasture of Egypt, and even to put able men among them in charge of his own livestock.

What stands out is how God's earlier providence now bears fruit for the whole family. Years before, Joseph had been sold into Egypt by his brothers, and through great suffering had risen to a position of trust. Now that very position becomes the shelter for the family that had wronged him; because Joseph was where God had placed him, his people find refuge and provision in a time of famine. God had been weaving the whole long, painful story toward this rescue. The suffering Joseph endured was not wasted; God used it to preserve many lives, including the family that had betrayed him.

Can I trust that God may be weaving even my hardships and painful detours toward a good purpose, as he used Joseph's suffering to become the shelter for many, in his own time?

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