FAMILY FEUD

Greetings -

Scriptures are from the King James Bible.

Many are familiar with the story in the Holy Bible about Joseph and his family.  I call this piece, "A FAMILY FEUD WITH AN UNPRECEDENTED OUTCOME."

Seventeen year old Joseph was the favored one of his father, Israel.  Joseph's brothers knew it and they envied and hated him for being the "chosen" one.  Envy and hatred, we know, can be a lethal combination. 

Joseph had two dreams that he shared with his family.  The dreams revealed Joseph in an exalted position with his family members at "lower" levels.

Did Israel set the "wheels in motion" for his dysfunctional family arrangement?  He showed obvious preference for his son Joseph.
Hmmm...

What about Joseph?  He shared the dreams with brothers who already hated him.  They hated Joseph more after knowledge of his dreams.  We know that seventeen year olds don't make the wisest decisions.  Isn't that one reason that we consider them minors - not "legally" adults?  My belief is that an older more experienced person would have kept the dreams secret from his enemy siblings.  That, though, is no guarantee, because we know that older folks make unwise choices, as well, though not on the   frequency levels of the young and inexperienced.  Then again, I could be wrong.  Perhaps it wasn't an unwise decision that Joseph shared the dreams.  Whatever - it is all in the MASTER'S plan.

Ok, so Israel sent Joseph to see to the well being of his brothers.  His brothers saw him coming and hatched a conspiracy to slay him.

Brother Reuben intervened, thus, the murder plot was foiled.  While Reuben was absent, the other brothers sold Joseph!  We can only imagine the response from Joseph.  He was out minding his father's business to see to the welfare of his brothers and they sold him!  Talk about family dysfunction!  That is family feud on a high-ranked level.

Good GOD Almighty, of course, was in the equation.  The holy reality is that Joseph was minding his FATHER'S BUSINESS.  

I tend to believe that Joseph was pleased with his dreams.  It is unlikely that our Lord shared with Joseph the "road" to the fulfillment of his dreams.  A road paved with family estrangement, false accusation, and imprisonment.  No, I don't believe that our Lord gave Joseph advance in-depth knowledge about those situations.  I do believe that it is likely that Joseph got some advance "hints" from our Father.  

A pastor's wife once shared with me that GOD shares with us the beginning of our journeys and the end results but He withholds the middle - the part that breaks us to be built for the triumphant ends.  I can attest to the truth of that, as some readers here do, as well.

Jacob was deeply grieved at the "death" of his favored son, Joseph.

Our Lord could have certainly told Jacob that Joseph was alive.  Instead, for years, GOD hid the truth from his servant Jacob.  The plan was the MASTER'S.

We continue as Joseph experienced the lies of a scorned woman whose husband sends Joseph to prison.  But Hallelujah! The Bible says in Genesis 39: 21, "But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison." 

In process of time, GOD "springs" Joseph from the prison house and led him to the presence of king Pharaoh.  From the prison to the palace - is that a quantum leap or what?!  Joseph shared GOD's dream interpretation with Pharaoh and voila! Pharaoh appoints Joseph second in command in the king's kingdom.

The sequence of events brought a famine which sent Joseph's brothers to Egypt for help.

Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and says to them in Genesis 45:5, 7, 8, "Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

"And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

"So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt."

The spirit of Jacob their father revived - Genesis 45:27.

Joseph's family joined him in Egypt.

For many years, while He worked His MASTER plan, GOD separated Joseph from his family.  In process of time, they gained united ties.  They were no longer dysfunctional.  The hand of GOD worked inner healing and the family came together as one.

In Genesis 37:7 relative to one of Joseph's dreams, it says, "For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf."

In Genesis 50:18 that was fulfilled.  It states, "And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants."

Praise our Lord that He had worked a work within where Joseph responded with the love and humility that had been righteously placed in him by our awesome Father GOD.  Years of being purged and pruned by the MASTER PLANNER had readied Joseph and his family for their triumphant end of a family feud.

Joseph lived as a righteous man in a foreign land without his family.  He waited on the Lord and reaped bountiful favor and blessings.

Joseph said to his brothers in Genesis 50:19, 20, "...Fear not: for am I in the place of God?

"But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."

I end this piece, my fellow walkers with JESUS, with this scripture to encourage us all:

Galatians 6:9
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

The story of Joseph is found in Genesis chapters 37-50.

Love in His service,

Sandra

Written Wednesday February 2, 2011

Copyright 2011
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