Genesis 45:1-15
Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.”
So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.
4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.”
And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.
6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. 10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.’
12 And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13 You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.”
14 Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.
Joseph and Jacob profoundly believed in God's Promises. They looked to see Heaven on earth in God's Good Will. And provide us with struggles in life and suffering. Overcoming harsh circumstance.
Joseph was placed over the largest wealth in the world, houses of grain, during a worldwide famine. His brothers wept with grief and relief. Hope for the end of hunger. To live, instead of being executed.
Jacob fought for years in twists and curves of strange life, to provide for his huge family. War and deceit from the family, with problems. Provision in the face of severe poverty and, later, in death hold famine. These were the family who lied to him, arranged the kidnap of his son, and later took one of his concubine wives. Jacob is the one who believed the Promises of God should not be kept to one person. And Jacob gave sincere love as he blessed his sons.
Luke 18:1
And he told them a parable to the effect
that they ought always to pray and not lose heart
Romans 5:5
Hope does not put us to shame,
because God's love has been poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Amenhopt III has a mortuary palace in Kom el Hetan where it was only discovered in 2009. The papyrus at the bases of the statues have provided interesting clues to Joseph. It was the next generation of Pharaoh's to become determined to have Egypt only worship One God. The site is on going and currently not open to the public.
The papyrus mentioning Joseph at the base of the Pharaoh statue is dates the Exodus about 1447-1446 B.C. which also connects when the words Joseph, Israel, Goshen, Yahweh appear in tax records and official Egyptian documents, census and tax records.
Romans 8:28
All things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called
according to His purpose.
Proverbs 16:9
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
Romans 11:34-36
“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be glory forever.
Amen.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
The end of the matter; all has been heard.
Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
For God will
bring every deed into judgment,
with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make straight your paths.
Ecclesiastes 1:9
9 What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
Ipuwer Papyrus ~ An Egyptian Eyewitness to the Exodus ~ Just as the date of the Exodus is debated for centuries, the Ipuwer Papyrus is placed from 1900 B.C. to 1200 B.C. A man named Anastasi discovered the Papyrus in the area of Memphis, near the pyramids of Saqqara in Egypt. Resides now in a museum of Leiden in the Netherlands. Both the Exodus and Thera interpretations assume that the poem records a historical event, which is disputed by many in Egyptology. The papyrus is written on both sides. The face (recto) and the back (verso) are differentiated by the direction of the fiber tissues; the story of Ipuwer is written on the face, on the back is a hymn to a deity.
In 1909 the text, translated, was published by Alan H. Gardiner under the title, "The Admonitions of an Egyptian Sage from a Hieratic Papyrus in Leiden". It is published today and is a 17 page book. Because the introductory passages of the papyrus is missing the king or pharoah is unnamed. The Papyrus Ipuwer (7:1-2) records only that the pharaoh was lost under unusual circumstances "that have never happened before".
PAPYRUS 2:5-6 Plague is throughout the land. Blood is everywhere.
EXODUS 7:21 ... there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.
This was the first plague.
PAPYRUS 2:10 The river is blood.
EXODUS 7:20 ... all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.
This water was loathsome, and the people could not drink it.
PAPYRUS 2:10 Men shrink from tasting -- human beings, and thirst after water.
EXODUS 7:24 And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.
The fish in the lakes and the river died, and worms, insects, and reptiles bred prolifically.
EXODUS 7:21 ... and the river stank.
PAPYRUS 3:10-13 That is our water! That is our happiness! What shall we do in respect thereof? All is ruin!
The destruction in the fields is related in these words:
EXODUS 9:25 ... and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.
PAPYRUS 4:14 Trees are destroyed.
6:1 No fruit nor herbs are found..
This portent was accompanied by consuming fire. Fire spread all over the land.
EXODUS 9:23-24 ... the fire ran along the ground.... there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous.
PAPYRUS 2:10 Forsooth, gates, columns and walls are consumed by fire.
The fire which consumed the land was not spread by human hand but fell from the skies.
By this torrent of destruction, according to Exodus,
EXODUS 9:31-32 ... the flax and the barley was smitten; for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was boiled. But the wheat and the rye were not smitten: for they were not grown up.
It was after the next plague that the fields became utterly barren. Like the Book of Exodus (9:31-32 and 10:15), the papyrus relates that no duty could be rendered to the crown for wheat and barley; and as in Exodus 7:21 ("And the fish that was in the river died"), there was no fish for the royal storehouse.
PAPYRUS 10:3-6 Lower Egypt weeps... The entire palace is without its revenues. To it belong (by right) wheat and barley, geese and fish.
The fields were entirely devastated.
EXODUS 10:15 ... there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the fields, through all the land of Egypt.
PAPYRUS 6:3 Forsooth, grain has perished on every side.
5:12 Forsooth, that has perished which yesterday was seen. The land is left over to its weariness like the cutting of flax.
The statement that the crops of the fields were destroyed in a single day ("which yesterday was seen") excludes drought, the usual cause of a bad harvest; only hail, fire, or locusts could have left the fields as though after "the cutting of flax". The plague is described in Psalms 105:34-35 in these words: "... the locusts came, and caterpillars, and that without number. And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground."
PAPYRUS 6:1 No fruit nor herbs are found... hunger.
The cattle were in a pitiful condition.
EXODUS 9:3 ... the hand of the Lord is upon the cattle which is in the field... there shall be a very grievous murrain.
PAPYRUS 5:5 All animals, their hearts weep. Cattle moan....
Hail and fire made the frightened cattle flee.
EXODUS 9:19 .. gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field...
21 And he that regarded not the word of the Lord left his servants and his cattle in the field.
PAPYRUS 9:2-3 Behold, cattle are left to stray, and there is none to gather them together. Each man fetches for himself those that are branded with his name.
The ninth plague, according to the Book of Exodus, covered Egypt with profound darkness.
EXODUS 10:22 ... and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt.
PAPYRUS 9:11 The land is not light....
"Not light" is in Egyptian equivalent to "without light" or "dark". But there is some question as to whether the two sentences are entirely parallel. The years of wandering in the desert are described as spent in gloom under a cover of thick clouds....
The Last Night before the Exodus
According to the Book of Exodus, the last night the Israelites were in Egypt was a night in which death struck instantly and took victims from every Egyptian home. The death of so many in a single night, even at the same hour of midnight, cannot be explained by a pestilence, which would last more than a single hour. The story of the last plague does seem like a myth; it is a stranger in the sequence of the other plagues, which can be explained...
...Apparently we have before us the testimony of an Egyptian witness of the plagues.
On careful reading of the papyrus, it appeared that the slaves were still in Egypt when at least one great shock occurred, ruining houses and destroying life and fortune. It precipitated a general flight of the population from the cities, while the other plagues probably drove them from the country into the cities.
The biblical testimony was reread. It became evident that it had not neglected this most conspicuous event: it was the tenth plague.
In the papyrus it is said: "The residence is overturned in a minute." On a previous page it was stressed that only an earthquake could have overturned and ruined the royal residence in a minute. Sudden and simultaneous death could be inflicted on many....
A great part of the people lost their lives in one violent shock. Houses were struck a furious blow.
EXODUS 12:27 [The Angel of the Lord] passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses.
The word nogaf for "smote" is used for a violent blow, e.g. for thrusting with his horns by an ox.
The residence of the king and the palaces of the rich were tossed to the ground, and with them the houses of the common people and the dungeons of captives.
EXODUS 12:29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon.
PAPYRUS 4:3, and 5:6 Forsooth, the children of princes are dashed against the walls.
6:12 Forsooth, the children of princes are cast out in the streets.
PAPYRUS 6:3 The prison is ruined.
2:13 He who places his brother in the ground is everywhere.
To it correspond Exodus 12:30:
... there was not a house where there was not one dead.
In Exodus 12:30 it is written:
... there was a great cry in Egypt.
To it corresponds the papyrus 3:14:
It is groaning that is throughout the land, mingled with lamentations.
The statues of the gods fell and broke in pieces: "this night... against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment" (Exodus 12:12).
A book by Artapanus, no longer extant, which quoted some unknown ancient source and which in its turn was quoted by Eusebius, tells of "hail and earthquake by night [of the last plague], so that those who fled from the earthquake were killed by the hail, and those who sought shelter from the hail were destroyed by the earthquake. And at that time all the houses fell in, and most of the temples."
The earth was equally pitiless towards the dead in their graves: the sepulchers opened, and the buried were disentombed.
PAPYRUS 4:4, also 6:14 Forsooth, those who were in the place of embalmment are laid on the high ground.
Revolt and Flight
The description of distrubances in the Papyrus Ipurew, when compared with the scriptural narrative, gives a strong impression that both sources relate the very same events. It is therefore only natural to look for mention of revolt among the population, of a flight of wretched slaves from this country visited by disaster, and of a cataclysm in which the
pharaoh perished.
Although in the mutilated papyrus there is no explicit reference to the Israelites or their leaders, three facts are clearly described as consequences of the upheaval: the population revolted; the wretched or the poor men fled; the king perished under unusual circumstances...
.
PAPYRUS 4:2 Forsooth, great and small say: I wish I might die.
5:14f. Would that there might be an end of men, no conception, no birth! Oh, that the earth would cease from noise, and tumult be no more!
The escaped slaves hurried across the border of the country. By day a column of smoke went before them in the sky; by night it was a pillar of fire.
EXODUS 13:21 ... by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night.
PAPYRUS 7:1 Behold, the fire has mounted up on high. Its burning goes forth against the enemies of the land.
PAPYRUS 4:2 Forsooth, great and small say: I wish I might die.
5:14f. Would that there might be an end of men, no conception, no birth! Oh, that the earth would cease from noise, and tumult be no more!
The escaped slaves hurried across the border of the country. By day a column of smoke went before them in the sky; by night it was a pillar of fire.
EXODUS 13:21 ... by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night.
PAPYRUS 7:1 Behold, the fire has mounted up on high. Its burning goes forth against the enemies of the land.
The translator added this remark: "Here the 'fire' is regarded as something disastrous."
After the first manifestations of the protracted cataclysm the Egyptians tried to bring order into the land. They traced the route of the escaped slaves. The wanderers became "entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in" (Exodus 14:3). They turned to the sea, they stood at Pi-ha-Khiroth. "The Egyptians pursued after them. The Egyptians marched after them." A hurricane blew all the night and the sea fled.
In a great avalanche of water "the sea returned to his strength", and "the Egyptians fled against it". The sea engulfed the chariots and the horsemen, the pharaoh and all his host.
Romans 12:12
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
But You, Adonai,
are a merciful, compassionate God,
slow to anger and rich in grace and truth.
Abba, Father God,
Our Abba, as we open our hands to You in Prayer.
We consider by grace we have been saved through faith.
And this is not our own doing; it is the gift of God.
Help us always to seek You First, Jesus Christ.
In this comfort and Love, help us be able to know
You will love and dwell with those we Love.
Having gifts, let us use them: in proportion to our faith.
Even the Disciples had fear.
Please pray for peace in families
Please pray for peace during this time.
The statistics say 1 in 4 don't speak as parents and children.
Father God. Peace within the family.
Dwell in us, Father,
Help us to seek You first,
We will finish well in Jesus Christ.
We thank You for hearing our Prayers, Abba.
We will ask for each day, each opportunity, each decision, every day - Father God who gives generously to all without reproach, we will ask for Wisdom and to see Your Willingness
and it will be given to Your Beloved.
We pray this for our concerns, our lives, our hopes. We pray this over the people we love. The People You have given us. Healing, life, hearing, eyes, provision, opportunities. Hope, Joy, Love. Protection. And for this Nation to love You more.
And for the Beloved of God - everywhere to have this of You, their Father.
Always, we want to Listen to Jesus.
Healing, balm, refresh, alleviate, remedy, cure,
Establish,
rebuild, reconcile, regenerate,
Rejuvenate, conciliate,
mend, minister, recondition,
Joy and Peace with Love
Bless this Nation with mercy and tolerance, remembering the historic anger and ill-logic
following Pandemics. The sweep of History shows Pandemics have recovery.
In Jesus Christ, let us put real hope in the revealing of His purpose for us.
Rejoicing in all life is given through Jesus Christ. Trusting again.
Lenten opportunity to give:
We pray for relief to help and reach Syria
and Turkey. 6.4 and 4.9 earthquakes this week.
We pray this will cease. Lord, Your mercy upon this land and
Your people.
We pray Amazon puts back Amazon Smile,
philanthropy is needed today and this program
was wonderful. Many will feel the clip if Amazon Smile doesn't
continue. Please Lord.
We are Blessed to seek You First.
Blessed to be finding the High Way of Your Heaven today.
Blessed to ask to see more Heaven upon earth.
Blessed to have You as our Daily Bread.
Blessed to ask to Live Love, Joy and Peace.
Blessed to pray in expectation of Your Love and Willingness.
Blessed to pray in expectation of Your Love and Willingness.
Blessed to say Thank You that during Holy Week,
we have seen the Glimpse of Your Glory
working to heal the fullness of the earth, Yours.
We have had problems in our neighborhood,
We have had problems in our neighborhood,
theft of a mower, acts of violence.
Pray for peace, please.
My mother's roof is in sudden need of
repairs and we want to find the best solutions for her house.
During the rainy season.
For Edward and me,
we have not felt well and
this is an important prayer in pollen. Several
small complaints and one with purpose.
Thank You, Lord, we feel better and with the important
prayer as well.
Thanks to the Lord
Edward, in his 6th Decade of life
has placed 2nd in Disc Golf
Texas State Champion for Doubles
playing against all age groups.
Wow!
In Jesus, we Live and ask this for those we Love.
We pray for our own strength,
Love and ask Jesus to cover this Nation, those who lead this Nation
and all other nations in this good fight.
Thanks for Facebook and the Asbury Revival 2023
The Voice of Revival. Fabulous photos of today.
Jesus is the Lord, Amen.