Can You See The Signs?

Joseph told each of his brothers where to sit, and to their amazement, he seated them according to age, from oldest to youngest. And Joseph filled their plates with food from his own table, giving Benjamin five times as much as he gave the others. So they feasted and drank freely with him. [Genesis 43.33-34]

There is nothing remarkable about this passage. Of course Joseph would know the birth order of his brothers. And, of course he would show favoritism for his full brother Benjamin.

So, while there is nothing remarkable about this passage, there IS something to be seen. Joseph was giving his brothers signs about who he was if only they could see it. But they did not.

Joseph's brothers were not expecting Joseph and so they were incoherent to the signs Joseph gave.

Do you see yet where this is going?

God has given His Church many signs. But has the Church recognized those signs? There were all the predictions and prophecies about Jesus and yet, few recognized Him.

The interesting thing about Joseph's story is that although his term in Egypt meant deliverance for his brothers, their moving to and staying in Egypt meant bondage for their descendants. It was not enough that Joseph had been a great leader in Egypt.

So many questions can be imagined from this story. So many "what-if's" could be posed. What if the brothers, instead of moving to Egypt, suggested instead they continue to commute to buy grain for the remaining famine period thus remaining in the land of Canaan - the Promised Land? Did emotions get the best of Joseph and his brothers and father?

And then we come back to prophecy: God told Abraham in Genesis 15 that his descendants would be in bondage for 400 years:

Then the LORD said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. [Genesis 15.13]

Here's the point I see: each of us needs to pay attention to what God has said. Each of us needs to remain constantly mindful of our circumstances. Each of us needs to be trained in awareness of "where we are" in relation to God's promises. The problem is never that God is not speaking. The problem is we are not listening.

The Genesis prophecy (15.13) could be tagged as "God's will" as part of His unquestionable Sovereignty, or it could also be reviewed in context! Let's back up and read this story starting in Genesis 15.7 for that context:

Then the LORD told him, “I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession.” But Abram replied, “O Sovereign LORD, how can I be sure that I will actually possess it?” The LORD told him, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” So Abram presented all these to him and killed them. Then he cut each animal down the middle and laid the halves side by side; he did not, however, cut the birds in half. Some vultures swooped down to eat the carcasses, but Abram chased them away. As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a terrifying darkness came down over him. Then the LORD said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. [Genesis 15.7-13]

I could argue here that Abraham's "but... how can I be sure...?" could have been the catalyst for the 400-year bondage! I mean, what if Abraham had simply said, "So be it!"? Abraham asked for a sign and he got it! Perhaps asking for a sign for what God has already promised might not be a good idea though...

Father, thank You for speaking to my heart as You did today from this passage of scripture. Help me to constantly be mindful of indicators You provide along the path of my life. Help me to rightly divide every indicator You provide so I might do right by my present circumstances, but also do right by those who follow me and are affected by my decisions.