Genesis, 45
4. And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I [am] Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
4. And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I [am] Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
Genesis 45 tells the story of Joseph, who finally reveals his true identity to his brothers who sold him as a slave many years earlier. He forgives them and invites them all his family to live with him in Egypt during the hunger that plagued the region. The five verses below were selected for their relevance with the topics covered in this chapter.
Genesis 41:52: "To the second he called Ephraim, because he said, God made me fruity in the land of my affliction." Joseph names his youngest son, Efraim, as a memory of God's blessing even in the midst of his distress in Egypt.
Exodus 1:7: "And the children of Israel fruited, and increased a lot, and multiplied, and were strengthened greatly; so that the earth filled with them." God's promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that his descent would be numerous begins to fulfill himself while Joseph's family is established in Egypt.
Leviticus 19:18: "Thou shalt not take revenge, nor keep it will be against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. I am the Lord." Joseph's attitude of forgiveness of his brothers is a living example of the commandment of love his neighbor and not seeking revenge.
Deuteronomy 30:3: "Then the Lord your God will make you return from your captivity, and shake yourself from you, and will gather again among all the nations among which the Lord your God spread to you." The story of Joseph and his family gathered in Egypt is an example of God's faithfulness to fulfill his promises and gather his people back to his land.
Joshua 24:15: "But if it seems evil to you to your eyes to serve the Lord, I chose today to those who serve; if to the gods whom they served your parents, who were in the river, or to the gods of the Amorites, in whose dwelling land But I and I will serve the Lord. " Joseph's decision to serve God and act with love and forgiveness instead of revenge is an example for us how we should live our lives and treat others.
“Temos muita facilidade para pedir, mas não para agradecer”. São Padre Pio de Pietrelcina
