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Finding More than Food in Egypt
Scripture Reading — Genesis 42:1-17
“I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us. . . .”
— Genesis 42:2
Like many others during the seven years of famine, Jacob’s family and flocks were running out of food. So Jacob sent his sons to go and buy food in Egypt, where they had heard there was plenty.
All of the brothers except Benjamin, the youngest, went on this journey of desperation. They must have wondered, “Will there be food for all of us coming from another country? And what will happen to our family while we are away?”
Joseph came face-to-face with the brothers who had hated him enough to sell him into slavery. What emotions filled his heart when he saw them again? Was he tempted to get revenge and harm them?
Now wiser, Joseph came up with a way to test his brothers, to see if they had changed in the many years since they had gotten rid of him. Joseph’s life had seen alarming twists and turns, and a similar journey now began for his brothers. Through a series of tests and questioning, Joseph learned that his father was still alive and that his brothers were sorry for the wrong they had done (Genesis 42-44). And the Lord worked through all of this to bring about reconciliation and forgiveness, drawing this family back together again.
In what ways have you seen God working at reconciliation in your life or in the lives of people around you?
Dear God, you know we need more than food. We need restored relationships with you and with one another. Thank you for shaping our stories in the way of forgiveness and reconciliation. In Jesus, Amen.
About the author — Jul Medenblik
Rev. Jul Medenblik is a former attorney who was called to pastoral ministry and became the church-planting pastor of a congregation in New Lenox, Illinois. Since 2011 he has served as the seventh president of Calvin Theological Seminary, which, together with Calvin University, is celebrating 150 years of God’s faithfulness in their history as the educational institutions of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (see calvinseminary.edu/150th). Jul and his wife, Jackie, have been married for over 40 years and are blessed with two adult children and a son-in-law.
Scripture Reading — Genesis 42:1-17
“I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us. . . .”
— Genesis 42:2
Like many others during the seven years of famine, Jacob’s family and flocks were running out of food. So Jacob sent his sons to go and buy food in Egypt, where they had heard there was plenty.
All of the brothers except Benjamin, the youngest, went on this journey of desperation. They must have wondered, “Will there be food for all of us coming from another country? And what will happen to our family while we are away?”
Joseph came face-to-face with the brothers who had hated him enough to sell him into slavery. What emotions filled his heart when he saw them again? Was he tempted to get revenge and harm them?
Now wiser, Joseph came up with a way to test his brothers, to see if they had changed in the many years since they had gotten rid of him. Joseph’s life had seen alarming twists and turns, and a similar journey now began for his brothers. Through a series of tests and questioning, Joseph learned that his father was still alive and that his brothers were sorry for the wrong they had done (Genesis 42-44). And the Lord worked through all of this to bring about reconciliation and forgiveness, drawing this family back together again.
In what ways have you seen God working at reconciliation in your life or in the lives of people around you?
Dear God, you know we need more than food. We need restored relationships with you and with one another. Thank you for shaping our stories in the way of forgiveness and reconciliation. In Jesus, Amen.
About the author — Jul Medenblik
Rev. Jul Medenblik is a former attorney who was called to pastoral ministry and became the church-planting pastor of a congregation in New Lenox, Illinois. Since 2011 he has served as the seventh president of Calvin Theological Seminary, which, together with Calvin University, is celebrating 150 years of God’s faithfulness in their history as the educational institutions of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (see calvinseminary.edu/150th). Jul and his wife, Jackie, have been married for over 40 years and are blessed with two adult children and a son-in-law.
