Confessional Lutheran Ministerium

  Genesis 48:1-22 NKJV

48 Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told, “Indeed your father is sick”; and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. ² And Jacob was told, “Look, your son Joseph is coming to you”; and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed. ³ Then Jacob said to Joseph: “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, ⁴ and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’ ⁵ And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. ⁶ Your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. ⁷ But as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

⁸ Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”

⁹ Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place.”

And he said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.” ¹⁰ Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. ¹¹ And Israel said to Joseph, “I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!”

¹² So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth. ¹³ And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. ¹⁴ Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn. ¹⁵ And he blessed Joseph, and said:

“God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
The God who has fed me all my life long to this day,
¹⁶ The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil,
Bless the lads;
Let my name be named upon them,
And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

¹⁷ Now when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. ¹⁸ And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”

¹⁹ But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”

²⁰ So he blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!’ ” And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

²¹ Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. ²² Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”

Perhaps more often that we would admit, God works in ways contrary to common understanding. Toward the end of today’s reading Joseph brought his sons, Ephraim the younger and Manasseh the older, before his father Jacob to receive a blessing. Normally the older son would receive the better blessing, and the younger one the lesser. And Joseph tried to correct his father, thinking that perhaps because of Israel’s poor eyesight he got the boys mixed up. But Israel said, “I know, my son. He shall also become a people, and he also shall be great, but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations” (Gen. 48:19).

Of this, Luther writes, “You see what great and wonderful men the saintly patriarchs were and how surely and confidently they made pronouncements about the future blessing. For now, Jacob speaks like God, for he does all this in the Person of God. He confers on his sons the blessing and the possession of the Holy Land, which he does not yet possess except in faith. For this reason, I stated above that the things we have in the promise are so sure and safely based that neither the devil nor death nor hell can snatch them away. But no one can take away the things that are offered to us in the promises” (AE Vol 8).

God’s Words and promises are sure and certain, whether we understand them or think He has gotten things wrong. Recall that Abraham was told by God to sacrifice his son Isaac, but God also promised that the Savior would come through Isaac’s lineage. Doesn’t make sense, but Abraham acted in faith and let God worry about the outcome. And God made it work, for that was his plan all along.

Trust God’s Word even when you don’t understand it, for His promises are sure and certain for your ultimate and eternal good.

Let us pray: Lord God, heavenly Father, increase my faith that I may trust You always and not doubt; for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Genesis 47:18-31 NKJV

¹⁸ When that year had ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is gone; my lord also has our herds of livestock. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our lands. ¹⁹ Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants of Pharaoh; give us seed, that we may live and not die, that the land may not be desolate.”

²⁰ Then Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh’s. ²¹ And as for the people, he moved them into the cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other end. ²² Only the land of the priests he did not buy; for the priests had rations allotted to them by Pharaoh, and they ate their rations which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their lands.

²³ Then Joseph said to the people, “Indeed I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. ²⁴ And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh. Four-fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households and as food for your little ones.”

²⁵ So they said, “You have saved our lives; let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.” ²⁶ And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have one-fifth, except for the land of the priests only, which did not become Pharaoh’s.

²⁷ So Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions there and grew and multiplied exceedingly. ²⁸ And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the length of Jacob’s life was one hundred and forty-seven years. ²⁹ When the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “Now if I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt, ³⁰ but let me lie with my fathers; you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.”

And he said, “I will do as you have said.”

³¹ Then he said, “Swear to me.” And he swore to him. So Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed.

In today’s section of Genesis, we read of the result of the famine upon the Israelites who earlier were welcomed into Goshen by Pharoah’s favor. By now the Israelites’ money and livestock have been given to Pharoah for bread; all they have left to offer for food are their bodies and land. They plead with Pharoah and offer their own bodies as servants and laborers. Now they are enslaved, which sets up the opening chapters of Exodus for later consideration.

Here we see the plight of the Israelites and wonder why life had continued to be so hard for them. Luther writes that “it was because of God’s wrath and punishment for sins that God punished this people with famine and reduced them to the slavery they were compelled to bear on account of their sins. For if we sin, we should know that we must also bear the punishment. Now, therefore, they no longer have anything of their own, no money, no cattle, no fields, not even their own bodies. The king has taken possession of everything, not by seizure but by selling grain to his subjects” (AE Vol 8).

Luther’s analysis of the situation reminds us that we need always be aware of our own sinful nature, and that we deserve nothing but God’s wrath and displeasure because of our sins. So when God chastises us, we are to take it as His love and guidance, for as Hebrews 12:5-6 tell us, “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.”

Chastisement and correction from God are lovingly meant to teach, build up, and guide us to his path and ultimate glory. Even when life seems too heavy to bear, know that the Lord loves you and has demonstrated that love by giving up his Son, Jesus, in death to pay for all your sins.

Jesus received the punishment for all your sins in order that, through God-given faith and trust in Him, He receives you as His own child and will bring you to Himself on the Last Day.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your love and Your loving chastisement that I may grow in Your grace. Amen.

Genesis 47:1-17 NKJV

47 Then Joseph went and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers, their flocks and their herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan; and indeed they are in the land of Goshen.” ² And he took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. ³ Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?”

And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers.” ⁴ And they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to dwell in the land, because your servants have no pasture for their flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”

⁵ Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. ⁶ The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.”

⁷ Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. ⁸ Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?”

⁹ And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.” ¹⁰ So Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.

¹¹ And Joseph situated his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. ¹² Then Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with bread, according to the number in their families.

¹³ Now there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. ¹⁴ And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.

¹⁵ So when the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For the money has failed.”

¹⁶ Then Joseph said, “Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone.” ¹⁷ So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the cattle of the herds, and for the donkeys. Thus he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year

On behalf of his family, Joseph respectfully informed Pharoah of his brothers’ arrival at Egypt. The brothers then respectfully asked Pharoah for permission to dwell in the excellent and fertile land of Goshen, a request that Pharoah enthusiastically granted. Pharoah did so because earlier Joseph had correctly interpreted Pharoah’s dreams (Genesis 41) and, as a result, put in charge of the food storage arrangements that allowed Egypt to survive a dreadful time of famine.

Of this scene Luther writes, “Joseph is truly the image of an excellent ruler who ruled and did good on his own responsibility and through others by giving them an example. Consequently, the rest of the counselors or officials were aroused to show faithfulness and modesty in carrying out the duties connected with their calling. For after his father and brothers have arrived, he arranges everything in this way, lest they take possession of the land of Goshen without the consent of the king. Although he had decided by a special resolution to settle them there, he nevertheless does not want to occupy the land beforehand or to prejudice the king’s authority. But he orders them to tarry” (AE Vol 8).

Thus, by excellent example of respect and responsibility, Joseph not only kept Pharoah’s favor, but inspired many others to act similarly. Our Lord Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” And St. Paul teaches us by the Spirit in I Corinthians 10:31, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

As God’s people, led by His Spirit and redeemed by Christ’s all-atoning death for our sins, we serve God in thankfulness by serving our neighbor. God doesn’t need your good works, but your neighbor does. And God is glorified by them. And your neighbor is blessed.

Let us pray: Thank You, Lord Jesus, for giving me the opportunity to serve You through my neighbor. Amen.

Genesis 46:1-34 NKJV

46 So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. ² Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!”

And he said, “Here I am.”

³ So He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. ⁴ I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.”

⁵ Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives, in the carts which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. ⁶ So they took their livestock and their goods, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him. ⁷ His sons and his sons’ sons, his daughters and his sons’ daughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.

⁸ Now these were the names of the children of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn. ⁹ The sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. ¹⁰ The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. ¹¹ The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ¹² The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. ¹³ The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puvah, Job, and Shimron. ¹⁴ The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. ¹⁵ These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Padan Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the persons, his sons and his daughters, were thirty-three.

¹⁶ The sons of Gad were Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. ¹⁷ The sons of Asher were Jimnah, Ishuah, Isui, Beriah, and Serah, their sister. And the sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel. ¹⁸ These were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob: sixteen persons.

¹⁹ The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife, were Joseph and Benjamin. ²⁰ And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. ²¹ The sons of Benjamin were Belah, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. ²² These were the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob: fourteen persons in all.

²³ The son of Dan was Hushim. ²⁴ The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. ²⁵ These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and she bore these to Jacob: seven persons in all.

²⁶ All the persons who went with Jacob to Egypt, who came from his body, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all. ²⁷ And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two persons. All the persons of the house of Jacob who went to Egypt were seventy.

²⁸ Then he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out before him the way to Goshen. And they came to the land of Goshen. ²⁹ So Joseph made ready his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; and he presented himself to him, and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while.

³⁰ And Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive.”

³¹ Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘My brothers and those of my father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. ³² And the men are shepherds, for their occupation has been to feed livestock; and they have brought their flocks, their herds, and all that they have.’ ³³ So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ ³⁴ that you shall say, ‘Your servants’ occupation has been with livestock from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers,’ that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

In the opening verses of today’s reading, God comforts and encourages Jacob with the exhortation not to fear going down into Egypt, for He will make of Jacob a great nation. God also promised to go there with him. Jacob did not yet know exactly how God would fulfill all that; all he had was God’s Word and promise. So, Jacob went with all that he had into Egypt based only on God’s Word.

Why did God comfort Jacob? Martin Luther says this: “[God’s promises] always and most certainly presuppose a trial for us. For God speaks about very important matters and is no idle talker who rashly proclaims anything at all; but when He speaks, He sets forth matters of the greatest importance. Accordingly, when He says to Jacob: ‘Do not be afraid when you are about to go down to Egypt,’ it necessarily follows that Jacob became horribly alarmed and afraid. Otherwise, there would have been no need of this consolation with which God orders him to be confident and checks his fear. There is no doubt that Jacob was afraid that he would lose the promise, which was based on the land of Canaan, the land he wanted to leave.

“From this one can conclude that although God does not deceive in His promises, He nevertheless reserves their execution for Himself and carries out His promises in such a way that everything seems contradictory and far different from the Word. Here, therefore, a wise heart is required – a heart that understands God’s meaning and counsel. For God keeps His promises and He can never be changed” (AE 8).

From this we are reminded that God knows ahead of time what awaits us. He bolstered Jacob for what he did not know lay ahead. God does the same for you. He always provides for His way ahead. Trust His leading; trust His Word which never fails.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, thank You for giving me Your true Word and promises. Help my unbelief and strengthen my faith through Your gifts of Word and Sacrament. Amen.

Psalm 50:16-23 NKJV

¹⁶ But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to declare My statutes,
Or take My covenant in your mouth,
¹⁷ Seeing you hate instruction
And cast My words behind you?
¹⁸ When you saw a thief, you consented with him,
And have been a partaker with adulterers.
¹⁹ You give your mouth to evil,
And your tongue frames deceit.
²⁰ You sit and speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother’s son.
²¹ These things you have done, and I kept silent;
You thought that I was altogether like you;
But I will rebuke you,
And set them in order before your eyes.

²² “Now consider this, you who forget God,
Lest I tear you in pieces,
And there be none to deliver:
²³ Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;
And to him who orders his conduct aright
I will show the salvation of God.”

Luther, in his summary of the Psalms, writes: “This Psalm teaches us, in the teeth of all hypocrites and all the worship of hypocrites, what is true worship, and which are acceptable sacrifices in the sight of God. For hypocrites consider their works, and merits, and sacrifices as of such high value, that they think God ought to acknowledge the benefit of their services; and they imagine that he has need of them.”

“Whereas, on the contrary, the Holy Spirit declares with a loud voice by the prophets, what the true worship of God is; namely, that of the First Commandment: which is, to worship God, and adore him; and to acknowledge that we receive all things from his hand, and that all glory is due to him!”

In order to have that true worship, of which Luther speaks, namely, that of the First Commandment — having nothing take the place of God and acting in faith toward Him and love toward our neighbor — there must be a mortifying of the old Adam toward itself. Christians are to be like-minded with one another because the doctrines of men divides hearts, but the Word of God unites them, even though the works are of many kinds.

The glorification and worship of God is to take place in one spirit. In fact, we can do nothing more fitting for God than to glorify and worship Him and thank Him for His goodness and benefits, which is also the true and only worship of God. As God says in Psalm 50 today: “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.”

St. Paul’s inspired words to the Church in Rome come to mind: “Now may the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded with one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mouth and one mind glorify the God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 15:5-6)

Let us pray: O Lord, by Your beloved Word continue to renew our minds to rightly glorify and worship You. Amen

Genesis 45:1-28 NKJV

45 Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. ² And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it.

³ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph; does my father still live?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. ⁴ And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. ⁵ But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. ⁶ For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. ⁷ And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. ⁸ So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout 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 to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. ¹¹ There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.” ’

¹² “And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you. ¹³ So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here.”

¹⁴ Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. ¹⁵ Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.

¹⁶ Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. ¹⁷ And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan. ¹⁸ Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land. ¹⁹ Now you are commanded—do this: Take carts out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives; bring your father and come. ²⁰ Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”

²¹ Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them carts, according to the command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey. ²² He gave to all of them, to each man, changes of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments. ²³ And he sent to his father these things: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for his father for the journey. ²⁴ So he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, “See that you do not become troubled along the way.”

²⁵ Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. ²⁶ And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” And Jacob’s heart stood still, because he did not believe them. ²⁷ But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived. ²⁸ Then Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

What a conclusion to the week — Joseph’s revealing to his brothers of who he is (which left them speechless), and eventually that same revealing to his father, Jacob, who thought of him as being dead for a long time. Hear now, from the words of Valerius Herberger, how he so insightfully draws correlations between this event and Christ, our Lord:

“Dear Lord, Jesus, how beautifully You are portrayed for me here! Joseph said, “Come down to me; do not tarry,” (v2) “You shall be near me,” (v3) “There will I make provision for you,” Oh Lord Jesus… Joseph’s words remind me of Your sweet words. You also said, “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden; I will refresh you” (Matt. 11:28). Him who comes to You will not cast out (John 6:37). Oh, help me willingly to come to You and to bring a repentant heart so that I may be pleasing to You. Oh, help me not to tarry, not to delay or postpone my repentance, but to turn on haste from sin, to follow You with a bold faith, and to embark upon a Christian life, that I may be blessed, that is, that I may be with You.”

“Joseph kissed all his brothers and so demonstrated his love. Joseph’s heart, speech, and actions were all in agreement, for there was no treachery in him. O Lord Jesus, there is nothing false in You either. Your kind heart, Your comforting words, and Your gracious actions all agree perfectly. You kissed us with the kiss of love in our Baptism. You offer me the kiss of Your love in every evangelical sermon. You kiss me with grace in the confessional and the most worthy supper. Oh, help me sincerely to rejoice in this love in life and death.” (The Great Works of God, translation Matthew Carver, 435-39, CPH) Let us pray: Gracious Lord, help us always to keep our heavenly chariot ready. True repentance and conversion to You is the best heavenly chariot, and it has three chief parts, just as a chariot does: first and in front, remorse; in the middle, faith; and lastly, newobedience. Help us to sit in constant readiness, and when the last chariot of our dying hour comes, to climb aboard with Simeon to depart in peace and joy. Amen.

Genesis 44:18-34 NKJV

¹⁸ Then Judah came near to him and said: “O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s hearing, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even like Pharaoh. ¹⁹ My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ ²⁰ And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, who is young; his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’ ²¹ Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ ²² And we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ ²³ But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’

²⁴ “So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord. ²⁵ And our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’ ²⁶ But we said, ‘We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ ²⁷ Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons; ²⁸ and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn to pieces”; and I have not seen him since. ²⁹ But if you take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.’

³⁰ “Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad’s life, ³¹ it will happen, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave. ³² For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.’ ³³ Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. ³⁴ For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father?”

In this passage an example of very earnest prayer is described in the case of Judah — who, along with continually acknowledging the majesty and power of Joseph throughout his plea, he presses forth under the impulse of need and steps up and prays from the heart. He does not make it without many tears and sobs. Judah is overcome by such grief and sorrow that that there is nothing but wretchedness and despair in his heart.

Luther writes on this section: “Thus when fortune smiles we think of the majesty and glory of God, upon whom we are calling, and of our own unworthiness; and we fear His power. Then, therefore, our prayer is not strong and ardent. But when we are involved in danger and trial, then no heed is paid to the sublimity of God. We say” “Lord God, help me! Help, dear God! Now may God help! Have mercy in heaven!” SO extreme necessity makes men bold and confident; they break through and conquer. But the Word must be the foundation of prayer on which faith relies. Faith believes in God and approaches Him with confidence in the Mediator, Jesus Christ.” (LW AE 7, 37, CPH)

Judah prayed sincerely and devoutly; his thoughts, words, and actions all agreed with one another, and it brings Joseph’s heart to be opened. The Lord obviously desires that our prayers be fervent and devout, not cold and lukewarm. As His Word proclaims: “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him earnest.” (Psalm 145:18) Along with: “The prayer of a righteous man avails much when it is in earnest.” (James 5:16) And we Christians are only righteous as we are accounted such through faith alone in Christ’s fully atoning merits alone!

Let us pray: O Lord, keep Your household, the Church, in continual godliness that through Your protection she may be free from all adversities and devoutly given to serve You in good works; though Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Genesis 44:1-17 NKJV

44 And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack. ² Also put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money.” So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. ³ As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. ⁴ When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? ⁵ Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing.’ ”

⁶ So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words. ⁷ And they said to him, “Why does my lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing. ⁸ Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? ⁹ With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”

¹⁰ And he said, “Now also let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.” ¹¹ Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack. ¹² So he searched. He began with the oldest and left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. ¹³ Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

¹⁴ So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there; and they fell before him on the ground. ¹⁵ And Joseph said to them, “What deed is this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?”

¹⁶ Then Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord’s slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.”

¹⁷ But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

What is displayed within this section of Genesis and the events that took place with Joseph and his brothers can appear to be improper or not pleasing to God (as some disputes try to bring such accusations). Many invent their own works (usually man-made superstitions) believing that they will impress God.

But the following words from our beloved Rev. Dr. Martin Luther truly shed some honest light on Joseph’s actions.  He writes: “There is nothing more insufferable and poisonous on earth than a barefoot monk. For they take delight in their own ways and want to be honored in them. Nor can they endure any reproof. But we see that the patriarchs were exercised in faith, hope, and patience according to the Word and will of God, and that they endured prosperity and adversity in an equal degree in the fear of God.”

“Consider, therefore, that this game which Joseph played with his brothers was a very pleasing spectacle to God, just as Joseph took great delight in the patience and vexation of his brothers, although they themselves did not understand. Below it will become evident how acceptable all this was to God. In the same manner you will also determine that your life is a game played by God, that all you do and suffer is pleasing to Him, provided that it is done in faith, and that finally death itself is precious in the sight of the Lord (Ps. 116:15).” (LW AE 7, 357, CPH)

Now, dear reader, you may well find such words of Luther to be a hard pill of theological truth to swallow, but the only thing that truly makes it hard is that it goes against our sinful flesh, which is only self-absorbed in thinking that it deserves to have life be as easy as possible. Only God can bring about a steadfast faith that kills our flesh (with the truth of His Law) and brings us to walk in newness of life by the New Man (though the Gospel of His Son, our Lord, Christ Jesus)!

Let us pray: O Lord, as You set our course in life, be it without or with troubles, bring us to a steadfast walk of faith and life because of Your beloved Law and Gospel. Amen.