David Bahn – Reflections

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These devotions are part of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas.This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Genesis 50; Exodus 1; Psalm 43.

Genesis 50:15-21

When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” ¹⁶ So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: ¹⁷ ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. ¹⁸ His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” ¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? ²⁰ As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. ²¹ So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Exodus 1:8-14

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. ⁹ And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. ¹⁰ Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” ¹¹ Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. ¹² But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. ¹³ So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves ¹⁴ and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.

Fear gives way to relief when Joseph’s brothers hear his kind promise, “Do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Joseph’s kindness was prompted by a faith that could look beyond the terrible pain and trouble he had experienced. Joseph’s brothers had sold him into slavery, and deceived his father by telling him Joseph had been devoured by a wild animal. On top of that he had been imprisoned unjustly, forgotten by fellow prisoners he had helped along the way, and left to rot in an Egyptian jail.

Now he was in charge of all of Pharaoh’s and Egypt’s wealth and resources. His brothers were there entirely at his pleasure. What would he do to them now that their father had died?

Seeing the kindness of God, and his providential grace to “save many people alive,” Joseph chose not to be vindictive or unkind. All would be well with them.

That is until the reality behind the ominous words of Exodus 1:8 comes to pass: “Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.” Joseph was dead. The Israelite people had grown strong in this foreign land. The new Pharaoh would make their lives bitter with ever more ruthless requirements of their enslavement.

If ever there would be a time for them to speak the words of Psalm 43 (written hundreds of years later), it would be then.

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation and my God. – Psalm 43:5

Life for all of us can go from bad to worse, then to good and great, only to collapse again. This is what we see in these readings for today. We may see it up close and personal ourselves. The encouragement remains the same: Hope in God; for we will again praise him, he is our salvation and our God.