Genesis 45:13-18 "And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither. And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him. And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land."
We can certainly identify with Joseph’s desire for his father to know that he was doing well. This might stem from wanting them to know that we paid attention to the lessons of life they taught us. It might also stem from a desire that they should not be worried about us. As our parents grow older, we can also identify with Joseph’s desire to have them close by us.
While this desire might not come as a surprise, Joseph’s reaction to his brothers certainly did. Even though Benjamin did not have a hand in conspiring against Joseph, he was very young when Joseph was sold into slavery. Yet, Joseph and Benjamin embraced each other and wept. Still, this was not nearly as surprising as Joseph’s reaction to his other brothers.
These men had conspired against Joseph to kill him. He had been robbed of the life he knew and the family he loved for many years. Yet, he came to these men (his brothers and kissed them as well. He embraced them and wept with them, even though they had treated him unfairly. After this emotional reunion, they were able to talk about the things that had transpired between them and the future that lay before them.
The news spread to Pharaoh’s house that Joseph’s brothers had come to Egypt. Joseph was so loved by Pharaoh that he showed favor to Joseph’s family. Pharaoh instructed that they be given provisions for their journey home and enough to sustain them and their families. They were to hurry back to the land of Canaan but not tarry there.
Pharaoh’s instruction was for them to gather up their father, their families, and their belongings and return to Egypt as quickly as possible. They were promised the good of the land because of Joseph. Their needs would be met. They would have a place of safety to dwell in.
Jesus is loving and faithful to forgive our sins to the point that we are made to weep with amazement. We are able to talk with Him in prayer and express our love for Him in worship. He causes us to have a place where we can eat the good of the land even though we are pilgrims and strangers in this land. Jesus is able to cause us to find favor, and we should look to Him and give Him the glory!