Please forgive this rough draft format, as these are my raw study notes on the book of Genesis. I felt a great sense of urgency to publish them rather than waiting until I had the time to pretty them up. Thank you and I pray that God blesses you through this material.
Stacey
Take a few minutes to savor Genesis Chapter 45. Then return here and ponder the thoughts, answer the questions, and be sure to leave comments about your own revelations…
45:1 – Joseph now calls them “his brothers”. Notice he previously called them “the men” in 44:1.
45:3 – “I am Joseph!” – one of my favorite moments in scripture! Did tears pour from his eyes? Did the brothers think this was another cruel deception? It did take them a few moments to embrace him.
“they were terrified” – bahal – used to denote terror due to God’s power or thoughts of God. (Keyword SB Lexical Aids) The brothers weren’t necessarily terrified of Joseph, but that God’s punishment for their sin against him was at hand! Did they perhaps mature enough to realize that their sin was not only against Joseph, but against God as well?
45:4 – Joseph acknowledges the wedge between the brothers, but doesn’t dwell on it. Stating that he was the one they sold into Egypt also confirmed his identity. In addition, it affirmed the necessity of appropriate apologies.
45:5 – “do not be distressed” – asab – “…denotes physical and mental discomfort…” This was a feeling of great anguish. The same word is used in Nehemiah 8:10-11 to describe how Israel felt hearing the Torah; Genesis 34:7 has it describing the outrage of Dinah’s brothers when they learned of her rape by Shechem; Genesis 6:6 uses it to show God’s sorrow toward mankind before the flood. (Keyword SB Lexical Aids)
45:6 – Joseph is 39 years old.
45:7-8 – How can you see God’s hand at work in some long-standing personal conflicts? (Explore the Bible, Adult Learner Guide, Spring 2008, Genesis 28-50)
45:7 – “save your lives by a great deliverance” – not only does this allude to Joseph’s position and Israel’s deliverance from the famine. It is also a foreshadowing of God’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage through Moses.
45:14 – Benjamin embraced him – Benjamin dearly missed Joseph during the time of their separation – growing up together, learning about his mother, having a brother and a friend to trust. He would have been about 11 when Joseph was proclaimed dead by the brothers – the very time he would have begun to treasure a brother he had followed and idolized for years.
45:24 – “don’t quarrel on the way” – curious. All had been forgiven. There was no need to dwell on the past.
What attributes of God have you observed in your study today? How will this change your relationship with Him?
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