THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS
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Struggling to make ends meet on a first-call salary, the pastor was livid when he confronted his wife with the receipt for a $250 dress she had bought. "How could you do this?!"
"I was outside the store looking at the dress in the window, and then I found myself trying it on," she explained. "It was like Satan was whispering in my ear, 'You look fabulous in that dress. Buy it!'"
"Well," the pastor replied, "You know how I deal with that kind of temptation. I say, 'Get behind me, Satan!'"
"I did," replied his wife, "but then he said, 'It looks fabulous from back here, too!'"
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Gen 42:1-9
1 Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?
2 And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.
3 And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.
4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.
5 And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6 And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.
7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.
8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
KJV
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Like the wife above, we are all tempted to do things we shouldn't. Do you suppose Joseph was tempted to "gloat" a little when he saw his brothers coming to buy food?
Jacob and his sons were sitting around, probably wringing their hands, trying to figure out what to do about the drought. It's been seven years now since Joseph was put in charge of Egypt's farming policy. Jacob sends ten sons, but keeps Benjamin at home. Do you know why? (Don't forget that Benjamin is the only remaining son of Rachel.)
Maybe Joseph didn't actually "gloat" about his brothers having to be "subject" to him. But it sure did give him the advantage didn't it? We all tend to "gloat" when we are put a little above our brethren. But keep in mind, that Joseph KNEW his brothers would be coming soon. How? Look at verse 9 -- the DREAMS! Joseph remembered the DREAMS!
He remembered those dreams he had which infuriated his brothers and eventually caused him to be sold into slavery. His dreams had been that he would be exalted before them, and they would bow down to him. That's what was happening now.
Also, Pharoah's dreams had made it more clear just HOW this would happen.
But Joseph had a PLAN! He is a just and righteous man, and wants to care for his family. But first, he must get them ALL into Egypt.
Now, my Christian friend, you have been given a place in God's eternal heaven by the shed blood of Jesus our Lord. Don't "gloat" because you KNOW that to be the case, and many others around you do not have the same assurance!
Instead, develop a PLAN! Develop a plan whereby you can get ALL your loved ones, neighbors, co-workers and friends into heaven!
Love ya,
Bruce