Exodus 4:19  says, And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.  God told Moses to return to Egypt and that the men who sought to kill him were now dead.  God reassured Moses that he was not in as much danger as he thought he might be.   When God sends us somewhere, we can rest assured in His security.  God could have sent Moses at any time, but He chose to wait until the time was best for him to go.  Vere twenty states, And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.  Moses took his family and the rod of God and returned to Egypt.  He may have offered excuses why he wasn't the one to go, but he went.  Moses also took with him the rod that God had provided him with.  When we go to do something for God today, we go with God's provision of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.  Verse twenty-one says, And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.  God told Moses to go before Pharaoh and perform the  wonders that He had shown him.  Then, God said He would harden Pharaoh's heart so he would not let the people go.  I believe that this means that God knew that Pharaoh would harden his heart from his own will.  If God was indeed behind Pharaoh hardening his heart, then we cannot blame Pharaoh for his actions.  Verse twenty-two adds, And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:  Moses was to tell Pharaoh about the special relationship that He had with Israel.  As followers of Christ today, we have that same relationship with God.  Through faith in Christ, we are the children of God.  Verse twenty-three continues, And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.  God told Moses to tell Pharaoh what would happen if he did not let Israel go.  God said He would slay Pharaoh's first born.  We today, when sharing the gospel, can tell people of an even worse fate if they refuse to accept Christ, and that is everlasting separation from God.  Verse twenty-four says, And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.  This is a strange verse.  If Moses was on his way to do God's will, then why would God try to kill him?  Also, if God really wanted to kill Moses, then there would have been no trying, but Moses would have been dead.  Verse twenty-five declares, Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.  Zipporah circumcised their son.  She was not an Israelite, but she was taking action for her son to be in compliance with God's directive to His people.  I believe that Moses and his family had to be identified as a part of God's people.  We today must be identified with God's people.  Verse twenty-six states, So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.  It would seem that Zipporah was not happy with Moses, but she had done what she felt was necessary.  Even if we aren't happy about sacrifices that we may have to make to help others come to God, we still need to make them.  I believe that God was behind Zipporah's actions, just as He should be behind ours today if we are acting on His behalf.  Verse twenty-seven declares, And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him.  God sent Aaron to meet Moses in the wilderness.  We might say that when God calls us to Him that we meet Him in the wilderness of sin.  Verse twenty-eight states, And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him.  Moses shared with Aaron all that God had said and shown to him.  All we can do today when we meet others in the world is to tell and show them what God has done for us.  Verse twenty-nine says, And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:  The first thing Moses and Aaron did was gather the elders of Israel together.  What they were about to do would affect all the people of Israel, so they needed to know what Moses and Aaron were doing.  As followers of Christ, we need to realize that our actions are never done for our benefit alone.  We are all a part of God's family and should be aware that our actions for God are interrelated.  Verse thirty adds, And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.  Aaron told the people what God had said and showed them the signs that God had provided as proof that Moses and Aaron were acting by God's authority.  As followers of Christ, we today do not have a physical sign to prove that we are God's people, but we do have the Holy Spirit to guide us to the best way to reach others.  Verse thirty-one concludes, And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.  The first step in reaching the lost of the world is for God's people to truly believe in Him and to worship Him.

Exodus 4:10 says, And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.  Moses offered another excuse.  We too often want to offer excuses why we cannot do what God has called us to do, seeing our limitations instead of God's power.  Moses said that he was not eloquent and was slow of speech and tongue before God called him and was still that way.  Even if God does not change what we see as a disqualifying reason to not do what He has called us to do, He will still enable us to do it.  Verse eleven declares, And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?  God called Moses to make a decision about Who God really is.  God asked Moses Who had created the mouth and given people the ability to speak and even the ability to see.  I believe that once we acknowledge God as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, that we should have no reason to question Him when He calls us to do anything, no matter how impossible we may feel it to be.  Verse twelve adds, Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.  After reminding Moses that He was the Creator of all, God then told him to go and that He would be with his mouth and teach him what to say.  All Moses was required to do was to go in obedience.  All we are required to do today when God calls us to do something is to go in obedience.  God will empower us.  Verse thirteen says, And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.  Moses was still asking God to send someone else.  With God's assurance that He will be with us and empower us to do what He calls us to do, do we still ask Him to send someone else?  Verse fourteen declares, And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.  God became angry or upset at Moses' continued excuses and refusal.  I believe that we too can try the patience of God if we continue to offer excuses instead of obeying His call, especially if we are followers of Christ.  God offered Moses a way around his objections.  Aaron, Moses' brother was coming and he could speak well and would be glad to see Moses.  Though if Moses had had enough faith in God he could have done what God called him to do alone, God was willing to send Aaron with him to help.  If God calls us to do something, we should not need to have someone else with us before we do it.  Verse fifteen adds, And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.  God said He would give Moses the words to say and Moses could tell Aaron what God said and speak to the people.  Though this was an unnecessary step, God was willing to do it help Moses.  Verse sixteen adds, And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.  Basically, God said that Aaron would be the spokesman but hat Moses would receive the word from God.  We really should never need someone else to proclaim God's word for us.  Verse seventeen continues, And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.  God said that Moses would still be the one to perform the signs when they were needed.  God had not changed His call for Moses to be His spokesman, but had only accommodated his excuses.  If God calls a person for a purpose today, then that person is the best person to fulfill that calling.  Verse eighteen states, And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.  Moses went to his father-in-law, Jethro and asked his permission to leave.  This was a respectful thing to do, and Jethro told Moses to go in peace.  Even if Jethro had said no, Moses would still have had to go. It is always nice if we have our family's blessing when we go to follow God's calling, but even if we don't we must still do what God calls us to do.

Exodus 4:1 says, And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.  Moses began making excuses why he could't do what God called him to do.  If God calls us to do something, we do not need to look for excuses why we cannot do it.  Moses said that the people would not believe him when he told them that God had appeared to him.  Many people today will not believe us as followers of Christ when we tell them that God has appeared to us, but if we are His followers, God has to have appeared to us.  This may not have been a physical appearance, but we cannot follow Christ if we have not met Him in a personal encounter.  No one can really disprove this relationship.  Verse two states, And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. God asked Moses what he was holding and Moses said a rod.  This was nothing unusual.  God can and does work through everyday things and events to reveal Himself to people.  Verse three adds, And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.  When Moses did what God commanded and threw the rod on the ground, it became a serpent and Moses fled from it.  Though we do not have rod's that become serpents when we are witnessing to others, we have the power of the Holy Spirit with us, and that is even greater.  Verse four declares, And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:  God told Moses to take the serpent by the tail, and when he did, it became a rod again.  It took faith on Moses' part to do this, just as it will take faith on our part to do what God calls us to do today.  Verse five adds, That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.  God was about to provide Moses with another sign that He had sent Moses.  God also once again identified Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  He is the same God, the only God there is, that we worship today as followers of Christ.  We cannot claim that there may be other gods.  Verse six says, And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.  When Moses put his hand under his coat and pulled it out, it was as white as a leprous hand.  Again, this may not have been a sign that Moses was looking for, but it would get people's attention.  We must rely on God to get people's attention when we witness to them today.  Though God may not give us physical signs, He is still God and will give us the ability to witness effectively.  Verse seven adds, And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.  The sign was not just the hand becoming leprous, but the restoration of the hand to a healthy condition as well.  When God does give a sign, there can be no doubt that it is His work.  Verse eight states, And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.  God said if the people would not believe the first sign that that they would believe the voice of the second sign.  God was the Voice behind both signs.  Though we don't go with signs, if we are witnessing for God today, it is His voice that is behind our witness.  Verse nine concludes, And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.  God then offered a third sign for those who would not believe the first two.  God will always offer ample proof of His existence to those that we witness to.

Exodus 3:11 says, And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?  Moses asked the question that we as followers of Christ ask too often when God calls us to do something big for Him.  That question is , "Who am I?"  Verse twelve declares, And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.  God assured Moses that He would be with them.  Then God said that He would offer a token as proof, but really that proof would not come until after Moses had done what God sent him to do.  Our ultimate proof that we have been delivered into everlasting life will never come in this world.  Verse thirteen states, And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?  Moses wanted to know what to tell the children of Israel when they asked him Who the God was that sent them.  We have no evidence of Moses ever being in a personal relationship with God before, so his question may have been as much for his benefit as far the children of Israel.  We can safely say that before we can do anything for God, we must first know Who He is.  Verse fourteen declares, And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.  God's answer to Moses was very clear.  God told Moses that he was to tell the children that He was I Am THAT I AM.  God offered no empirical proof, but only a declaration of the fact that He was God.  God said tell them that I AM sent them.  When we tell people about God today, we cannot prove His existence empirically, but can only present His word by faith that He is God.  Verse fifteen adds, And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.  God told Moses to tell the children of Israel that He was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  God has never changed in Who He is.  He has always and will always be God.  Verse sixteen continues, Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:  God told Moses to go to the elders of Israel and tell them what God had shown him.  The elders were the ones who should have known the most about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Verse seventeen still continues, And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.  Basically, God told Moses to tell the children of Israel the He was going to deliver them from oppression to a land flowing with milk and honey.  God delivers us form the oppression of sin when we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, and He will ultimately deliver us to our heavenly home.  Verse eighteen adds, And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.  Moses was to go with the elders of Israel to Pharaoh and ask that he allow them to go three days' journey to worship God.  Moses was not sent to Pharaoh alone, and we are not alone today when we worship and witness for God.  Verse nineteen says, And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.  God said He was sure that Moses and the elders would fail.  Even if we do fail when we witness to lost people in the world, we are still commissioned to go to them.  Verse twenty states, And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.  God said that He would smite Egypt for the kings refusal.  I personally don't believe that God caused the king to deny them, but that He knew the nature of the king.  Verse twenty-one adds, And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty:  God further promised the people of Israel that when they left Egypt that they would not go empty handed.  Verse twenty-two concludes, But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.  Though we as followers of Christ may not receive a lot materially in this world, we are going to a heavenly home that is full of riches beyond measure, though they really won't matter.  Being where God is will be our reward.

Exodus 3:1 says, Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.  Moses was still keeping his father-in-law's sheep.  He was safe and evidently content.  Sometimes, we may be safe and content in life, but we may also not be doing what God has called us to do.  Verse two declares  And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.  Angels of God have appeared to people in many different ways, sometimes as strangers walking along and sometimes in dreams.  With Moses, the angel appeared to him in the midst of a burning bush that was not being consumed.  Verse three states, And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.  This got Moses' attention.  When God speaks to us, whether through an angel or by the Holy Spirit, He must first get our attention.  We will never hear God if we are so consumed with the world that we are not willing to listen for His voice, until He comes in judgment.  Then, everyone will hear, but it will be too late.  Verse four declares, And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.  When God saw that Moses was paying attention, then He spoke to him.  Had Moses walked on by, he would have missed God's call to him.  If we ignore it when God calls to us, we will miss the blessings that He has in store for us.  This was a personal call to Moses, just as God calls each individual to a personal relationship with Him today.  Moses replied, "Here am I."  This can be our only response to God's call today if we are to accept salvation through faith in Christ.  Verse five declares,  And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.  God told Moses not to come closer and to remove his shoes because he was walking on holy ground.  This was the same ground that Moses had walked on before, but the difference was that Moses was now in the presence of God.  As followers of Christ, indwelled by the Holy Spirit, wherever we go we are in the presence of God and should act reverently toward God.  Verse six adds, Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.  When Moses realized that God was talking to him, he hid his face.  Fortunately, when we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we no longer have to fear God and attempt to hide our face from Him.  Of course, this would be impossible to do anyway.  Verse seven continues, And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; God told Moses why He was speaking to Him.  God was not here simply to establish a relationship with Moses, but because He had a purpose for Moses to fulfill.  Although salvation is for our restoration to God, it is not simply for our benefit, but comes with a call to help those around us in bondage to sin.  Verse eight goes on, And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.  God told Moses that He had heard the suffering of His people in Egypt and He was ready to deliver them to the promised land.  Moses may have been wondering what that had to do with him, just as we may sometimes wonder what delivering people to salvation today has to do with us.  Just as God was going to work through Moses then, He works through His people today.  Verse nine continues, Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Then verse ten concludes, Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. God told Moses why He had spoken to him, just as He will tell us His purpose when He speaks to us today.  Whether thrugh a burning bush or a still small voice, God will make His will for us known if we will only listen.  As followers of Christ, we can be certain that God has purpose for us.

Exodus 2:11 says, And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.  Though he grew up as the adopted son of the Pharaoh's daughter, Moses still considered the Hebrews to be his brethren, or kinfolk.  No matter where we grow up, if we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, then all believers are our brothers and sisters in faith.  We should always identify with them spiritually.  Verse twelve states, And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.  Though Moses may have felt justified in killing the Egyptian, he still knew that what he was doing was wrong.  That is why he looked all around to see if anyone would see him and why he hid the body.  When we know that we are doing wrong, even if we want to justify it, we usually look to see if anyone is watching us and hope to hide the evidence.  Still, even if no one else sees us, God does.  Verse thirteen declares, And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?  The next day Moses saw to Hebrew men fighting and he questioned why the one who was wrong was fighting with his brother.  Though we are not wrong to question other people who are doing wrong, we cannot attempt to hide or justify our own sins when we do.  Verse fourteen asks,  And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.  The man asked Moses who made him a judge and asked Moses if he intended to kill him as he had killed the Egyptian.  We are not called on to judge others but to reach out to them with the word of God.  Moses was afraid because his secret was not so secret.  Verse fifteen says, Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.  Pharaoh heard what had happened and sought to kill Moses, who fled the country.  Moses may have grown up in Pharaoh's house, but that didn't make him exempt from the consequences for his actions.  We may grow up in the best household in the world, but we are still responsible for our actions.  Of course, we cannot outrun God.  Verse sixteen proclaims, Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.  Then verse seventeen adds, And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.  The seven daughters of the priest of Midian came to water their flocks, were run off, and Moses came to their defense.  Moses was still standing up for the less able.  Verse eighteen states, And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?  When his daughters got home early, Reuel, their father the priest asked them why.  Verse nineteen says, And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.  They said an Egyptian had helped them water their flocks, not recognizing that Moses was a Hebrew.  We certainly can never recognize a Christian by their looks alone.  Verse twenty says, And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.  Their father admonished his daughters for not inviting Moses to eat and told them to go call him.  We need to always do what we can to help those who help us.  Verse twenty-one adds, And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.  Moses was content, because he had nowhere else to go.  He also gained a wife.  Verse twenty-two adds, And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.   Moses be had a son now to add to his family.  Things were going well for Moses, but not for his fellow Hebrews.  Life may be going well for us as followers of Christ, but we must not ignore our fellow believers who may be suffering.  Verse twenty-three declares And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.  Moses may not have been too aware of the suffering of his fellow Hebrews, but God was.  We can likewise be certain that God is always aware of our suffering.  Verse twenty-four declares, And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.  I don't believe that this means that God had forgotten His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob until this time, but instead that He was about to intervene to change their situation.  God never forgets His promise to us, though we may at times suffer in life.  Verse twenty-five concludes, And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.  God today looks on us as followers of Christ with respect, or favor, because of His promise to those who accept Christ as Savior and Lord.

Exodus 2:1 says, And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.  This would be a Hebrew couple who got married.  This was still during the time when Hebrew boys were being killed.  In the world today, it is more likely that the daughters would be in danger, since in many places people want to carry on the family name.  Verse two states, And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.  The woman conceived, had a son and saw that he was a good child, but she knew that Pharaoh had ordered his death.  She hid him for three months, but it would have been impossible to hide him forever.  Verse three proclaims, And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.  When his mother could no longer hide him at home, she built a small ark for him and put him in the flags, or reeds, by the rivers bank.  This was better than nothing, but it was not a permanent solution.  People today, both male and female, are born under sin's death sentence spiritually, and we may attempt to find a solution on our own, but it can never be anything but temporary.  Verse four adds, And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.  We are not told how long the woman had been married when the son was born, but she had an older daughter who was curious about what would happen to her brother.  I am sure that the curiosity was born of love and concern for her brother.  We should have that same love and concern for our fellow man today and attempt to see what is happening to them, especially spiritually.  Verse five declares, And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.  Pharaoh's daughter was walking by the flags, or reeds, when she saw the ark that the boy was in.  She had her maid fetch it.  Though Pharaoh's daughter did not actually rescue the boy from the water, she had him rescued.  Though we today cannot rescue anyone spiritually, we can point them to Christ who can.  Verse six adds, And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.  Pharaoh's daughter open the covers and saw that there was a Hebrew baby inside.  Since Pharaoh had ordered all the Hebrew boys be killed, Pharaoh's daughter was not an ideal candidate to rescue the boy, but she had compassion on him.  When we acknowledge that all babies, born or unborn, are human beings worthy of life instead of just some mass of cells as some would have us believe, then it is much more difficult to not have compassion on them.  Verse seven declares, Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?  His sister asked Pharaoh's daughter if she wanted her to get someone to take care of the boy.  This took a lot of courage on the part of  the sister, since she was speaking to someone who would have been considered much above her in social status.  We today must be willing to speak up with the message of salvation to all the people we meet, no matter their social status.  Verse eight states, And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother.  The girl's boldness paid off, and she went and got the child's mother to care for her.  This was the best possible outcome in the situation, and when we act boldly for Christ, we can expect the best outcome spiritually.  Even if the people that we witness to do not accept Christ as their Savior and Lord, we have fulfilled our responsibility to God and they have heard the gospel.  This is all we can ever do.  Verse nine adds, And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.  Not only was his mother going to get to care for her son, she was going to get paid to do so.  Now, she wouldn't have to worry about hiding her son, and since Pharaoh's daughter had basically adopted him, she didn't have to worry about anyone else harming him either.  God can and does accomplish His purpose even if He has to use the people of the world to do so.  What we need to acknowledge is that as long as we are doing what God calls us to do, we never have to be afraid that the world will overcome us.  Verse ten concludes, And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.  The child, whom the Pharaoh's daughter named Moses, grew up as the Pharaoh's son.  This was a much better outcome than his mother could have hoped for.  Not only was Moses' life spared, but he grew up in the household of the Pharaoh and she was able to care for him.  When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, the outcome when we put our trust in Him will always be much greater than we could hope for.  Instead of a death sentence due to sin, we are given everlasting life as a part of the family of God.

Exodus 1:13 says, And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:  The Egyptians became very harsh in their treatment of the Israelites.  We today in America have never experienced anything like this, but people in some parts of the world have.  Verse fourteen states, And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.  The Israelites were basically tasked with all the hard work.  Since the Egyptians feared the Israelites becoming too powerful, they thought they would work them down.  Verse fifteen declares, And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:  Then verse sixteen adds, And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.  The king devised another way to keep the Israelites, or Hebrews, from becoming too powerful.  He told the Hebrew midwives if the a Hebrew woman was having a son, they were to kill it, but if the child was a daughter, then they were to let her live.  We might ask how these midwives could be expected to do this to their own people, but the king had ordered them to do so.  Sometimes, we may have to choose between following the orders of the government and the orders of God.  Of course today, people kill the unborn child simply because we see that as our right and not for the fear of anything except inconvenience.  Verse seventeen says, But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.  When having to chose between obeying man or obeying God, the midwives chose to obey God.  I am sure they realized what this could cost them, but they stood for what was right with God.  Hopefully, if we have a choice today between doing what man commands and what God commands, we will chose to stand with God.  Verse eighteen declares, And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?  The midwives were called before the king and basically asked why they had disobeyed him.  Verse nineteen states, And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.  The midwives basically lied to Pharaoh and said the Hebrew women gave birth before they could get there.  Not to defend lying, but it may have been the only way for the midwives to stay alive.  Verse twenty declares, Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.   Since God dealt well with the midwives, we can assume that what they did was acceptable to God, and the nation of Israel flourished because of their actions.  I believe that when we stand with God we will flourish, spirituality if not materially.  Verse twenty-one continues, And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.  God blessed the midwives materially because they had been faithful spiritually.  Verse twenty-two declares,  And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.  Since the Pharaoh's first plan didn't work out, he ordered all the Hebrew sons to be drowned, but again he was sparing the daughters, though I don't believe it was because of compassion for them.  We should never be surprised by the inhumanity of some people to others.

Exodus 1:1  says,  Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob.  We are once again giving a brief listing of Jacob's sons.  Verse two says, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,  Verse three adds, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,  Then verse four concludes, Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.  These were all the sons of Israel to come into Egypt at that time, because Joseph was already there.  Verse five declares, And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.  There were a total of seventy descendants of Israel at that time.  This was still not many to fulfill God's promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, since it was a continuing promise that did not stop with Abraham.  Salvation through Christ is also a continuing promise that did not stop just with those who physically walked and talked with Christ.  Verse six states, And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.  Joseph and all of his generation died while they were still in Egypt.  Joseph lived most of his life as a slave in a strange land, since Egypt was certainly not the Promised Land.  No matter where we live today, we are strangers in a strange land until Christ returns again, and unless we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are slave to sin.  If we are in a better country than most, it is not because we deserve it more, but because God has blessed us more and I believe expects us to use what He has blessed us with for His glory and the advancement of His kingdom.  Verse seven adds, And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.  God's promise was finally coming to pass.  The number of the Israelites increased abundantly and the land was filled with them.  Still, they were foreigners in the eyes of the Egyptians, just as we as followers of Christ will always be foreigners in this world.  Verse eight declares, Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.  Eventually, there arose a king who did not know, or remember, Joseph.  We today need to pray that there never arises a generation of rulers who do not remember God, but even if there does, we are still to continue to attempt to advance His kingdom by sharing the gospel.  Verse nine adds, And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we.  This king decided that the children of Israel outnumbered and were more powerful than the people of Egypt.  The children of Israel were still immigrants in Egypt, and the Egyptians were becoming afraid of them.  We are never told that the Israelites did anything to provoke this fear, but the Egyptians feared them because they were different.  Though as followers of Christ we should never do anything to provoke fear in others, they should realize that we are different than them and because of that they may fear, or hate, us.  Verse ten states, Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.  This king said that the Egyptians needed to deal wisely with the Israelites to prevent them from fighting against them if a war ever occurred.  The king feared that the Israelites might do so to gain their freedom, not realizing that it wasn't the Israelites but their God that he needed to fear.  The world today may fear or despise Christians, but  it is our God that they need to fear.  Verse eleven adds, Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.  The king, or pharaoh, felt that the Egyptians would be acting wisely to set taskmasters over the people if Israel and force them to work to enrich Pharaoh.  We might wonder why God didn't step in immediately to help the Israelites, but we need to once again acknowledge that God's time is not our time.  Verse twelve adds, But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.  The more that the Egyptians afflicted the Israelites, the more they grew.  The question for us then is if the world afflicts us as followers of Christ, do we continue to grow.  Sometimes, we seem to feel that material wealth and power are an indicator of God's blessings, but in actuality, our relationship with Christ is our real blessing.  The Israelites were not a threat to Egypt because of who they were, but because of Who their God was.  He is still the same God today.

Finally, in the book of Genesis, we see that God provides for His people, even when they may not deserve it.  Joseph's brothers had treated him with nothing but hatred years before, and now they needed his help simply to survive.  All people, at some point in their life, treated God wrong, whether with actual hatred or just by denying Him or ignoring His law, and will need His help to find real life.  We are all sinners, either in need of salvation or having already accepted the salvation of Christ.  These are the only two choices.  Joseph's brothers did not recognize him when they first went to him, because they thought he was either dead or was no longer anywhere that they would ever see him again.  They certainly never expected Joseph to be in a position of authority.  When we are lost sinners, we may never expect to encounter God, because He is either dead to us or we do not acknowledge His authority in life.  Joseph required his brothers to do certain things to prove that their nature had changed, and they were reluctant to do what he required.  God expects two things of us when we come to Him, and that is that we confess our sins and accept Christ as our Savior and Lord.  When Joseph's brothers finally did what he required, they were restored to a loving relationship with him.  They still waited until all other hope of having their needs met were exhausted before they did what he required.  God waits for us to come to Him through faith in Christ to restore a loving relationship with Him, and yet people too often refuse to come to Him, or wait until there is no other hope.  Once his brothers returned to Joseph on his terms, there was a great family reunion.  When we come to God on His terms, we are a part of His family forever, so in effect there is a great spiritual family reunion.  Though I have been alternating between the Old and New Testament, since there are more books in the Old, we will next go to the book of Exodus.

Continuing to look at lessons learned from Genesis, next we see that there is no room for jealousy in God's kingdom.  Because of their jealousy, Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery.  As followers of Christ, we can never allow jealousy of others to lead us to sell, or lead, them into the slavery of sin.   Jealousy, which can lead to hatred, should never be a guiding force in our lives.  We are to reach out to the world with God's love, no matter how we may personally feel about a person or even group of people.  We also need to realize that basing choices on what looks most tempting from a worldly view can lead to trouble, just as it did for Lot.  He chose the place that looked the best, even though he was only there because Abram brought him with him.  Sometimes, what looks the best can lead us away from God and destroy our spiritual witness.  As Lot found out, some places are so evil that we can only be saved by removing ourselves from them.  Of course, we may be sent by God into what we feel is an evil place, but we should never just go there because of our own desires.  God had to at that time physically drag Lot out of Sodom, since Lot would not heed God's warning of the coming destruction.  God will not physically drag us away from sin, but He has already given us the warning of the coming destruction and provided a way of escape spiritually, and that is through our faith in Christ.  I also believe that when something is God's judgment that there will be no doubt about it.  God's destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah could not be viewed as anything else, and occurred exactly where God had said it would.  God even agreed not to destroy the cities if ten righteous men could be found.  I believe that as long as people continue to be reached with the gospel that God will be patient with the coming judgment.

The next thing that Genesis teaches us is that people think that they can become like God.  The people decided that they would build a tower to reach God so that they could be like God.  There are stull many people today who deny the existence of God because they believe that they are too smart to believe in His existence.  Some people do not really want to become like God, but they feel that they are even greater than God.  As we see in Genesis, this is nothing new.  God proved them wrong then, and He will prove them wrong now.  Of course, there is little danger in the people of the world being united in one purpose today.  Then, when the world became too evil, God destroyed nearly all of mankind, except for Noah and his family.  We may live in an evil world, but it isn't the first time the world has been evil.  Of course, the next time God destroys the world it will be time for His everlasting judgement.  As followers of Christ, we have a command to reach the lost with God's message of salvation, and we may be the only ones standing between mankind and God's judgment.  If the time comes when no one responds to God's gift of salvation, then there will be no reason to delay the coming judgment.  I believe that instead of looking for the signs of the coming judgment, we need to be reaching out to the lost world.  There is never a time that we as followers of Christ should ever live simply waiting for Christ's return so that the evil people of the world will get what they deserve, because without forgiveness through our faith in Christ we deserve the same punishment that any lost sinner deserves..  Our commission is to reach them with God's love and message of salvation.

The next thing that we will look at in Genesis is God's promise to Abraham, because this promise applies to all of us. God was to make a great nation of Abraham's descendants, and though physically this applied to  the nation of Israel, spiritually it applies to everyone who follows Christ, Who was the descendant of Abraham through Whom the promise was ultimately fulfilled.  We do not have to be concerned with who our biological family is to be a aprt of God's kingdom.  We simply have to accept Christ as our Savior and Lord.  We also learned that God may call us away from our home in order to follow His purpose, just as Abram, later called Abraham, was called away from his home.  I believe that we should also realize that we should not attempt to change what God calls us to do.  I believe in Abram's case, lot should have been left behind, and because he wasn't, he caused Abram a lot of problems.  We cannot partially do God's will and hope for success.  We also learned that we must wait on God's promise.  Abram and Sarai first doubted God's promise and then attempted to force it to come to pass by their own plans.  we today must simply rely on God's promises.  We cannot cause them to come to pass by our own plans.  For example, we know that Christ will one day return to earth, but it will happen when God says the time is right, and we can never change the time that it will occur.  We, like Paul, should simply remain faithful to God, whether we live or die.  For those who are followers of Christ, the second coming of Christ will be a day of victory, but for all others it will be a day of everlasting defeat, and if we are a follower of Christ, we should never be in a hurry for this to happen.  Sometimes we seem to have the attitude that we look forward to that day because sinners will get what they deserve, forgetting that we are all sinners simply saved by the grace of God.

We will now review some of the lessons from Genesis.  Since Genesis means beginnings, the first thing that we realize is that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  Creation is not some giant cosmic accident.  I really cannot understand how we can look at the order of the universe and believe that all the order came out of anything other than an intelligent design, brought about by Someone with enough power to carry out that design.  As Genesis tells us, this is God, then it is up to us whether we believe Him or not.  Next, after the universe, God created life on earth, after giving it iits form.  The pinnacle of creation was man and woman.  We did not evolve to the top, but we were created at the top of all life on earth.  God created a man and a woman to complete one another, and that completeness cannot be found in any other pairing of people.  God then placed the man and woman in a perfect environment, and yet they were not satisfied.  So, if we come down to the question of nature versus nurture, though nature may be worse for some than others, sin is a result of our nature, since sin is rebellion against God's will.  Adam and Eve really had only one command to follow, and they chose not to.  Sin prevented Adam and Eve from walking freely and daily with God, and sin will still do the same thing for us today.  Adam and Eve attempted to blame their sins on the each other and even on God, but they were each responsible for their own sin, just as we are today.  They fell into sin because they were beguiled by the serpent, or Satan, and we fall into sin because we are beguiled by Satan and the things of this world.  They ceased to put God first, and so do we when we sin.  Once sin entered the world, things only got worse.  The environment was no longer perfect, and mankind had to labor for a living.  Then, too soon the first murder occurred because of the jealousy of one brother about another.  Sin will never lead us to become better people.

Genesis 50:14 says, And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.  Joseph and all those who went with him returned to Egypt after they had buried his father.  He was true to his word to Pharaoh.  As followers of Christ today, when we give someone our word then we need to be true to that word.  Verse fifteen states, And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.  Joseph's brothers were worried that since their father was dead that he would treat them as badly as they had treated him.  If we live by the rules of the world, then when someone treats us badly, we are told that we should get even or maybe even do worse to them than they did to us.  If we are following God, then we are told to love those who treat us badly.  Verse sixteen declares, And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,  Then verse seventeen adds, 'So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.  His brothers told Joseph that before he died, their father had told them to tell Joseph to forgive them.  We do not have a record of this, and I believe that they were saying this so Joseph could not do anything bad to them without disobeying his father.  We need to be careful that we do not attempt to likewise claim that our heavenly Father has said something that He has not said just because it would benefit us.  Then we are told that Joseph wept, I believe more from the fact that his brothers believed that he would harm them.  What we need to realize is that God is never out to harm us.  We can come to God truthfully, with all our sins, confess to Him, and He will forgive us.  What we cannot afford to do is attempt to deceive God.  When we do, I believe that God is heartbroken over our attempt to deceive Him.  Vesre eighteen states, And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.  His brothers went to Joseph, fell down before him, and pronounced themselves to be his servants.  This was another time when Joseph's dream, which was a revelation from God, all those years before was fulfilled.  God's word is always true.  Verse nineteen declares, And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?  Joseph told them to not be afraid, and asked if he was in the place of God.  We today should not attempt to assume God's role in punishing sinners.  Instead, we are to reach out to them with God's love.  Punishment for sin will always be God's right.  Verse twenty adds, But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.  Joseph told his brothers that what they did for evil God used for good.  Joseph saw God at work in the situation, so there was no reason for him to be angry.  We should also look for God's will in every situation that we find ourselves in.  Verse twenty-one continues, Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.  Joseph told his brothers not to fear him and that he would nourish them and their families.  Even when we come to God as sinners by faith in Christ, we have no reason to be afraid of God.  God will always want what is best for us and will nourish us spiritually.  Verse twenty-two states, And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father’s house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years.  Joseph lived the rest of his life in Egypt with his extended family.  When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are not immediately transported to heaven, our promised land, but must remain in this word until we die or Christ returns.  Verse twenty-three adds, And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph’s knees.  Joseph lived to see his grandchildren born and growing up.  Verse twenty-four declares, And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.  When he was close to death, Joseph told his brothers that God would one day bring them out of Egypt and back to the Promised Land.  We have that same assurance from God today.  God will bring us out of this sinful world and into heaven, our promised land.  Verse twenty-five declares, And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.  Joseph had his brothers swear that when God delivered them from Egypt that they would carry his bones with them.  Fortunately, we do not have to worry about where our bones will be when Christ returns.  Verse twenty-six concludes, So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. Joseph lived one hundred and ten years, most of it as a slave in Egypt.  When he died, his body was embalmed and he was buried in Egypt, but Joseph himself was home with God.

Genesis 50:1 says, And Joseph fell upon his father’s face, and wept upon him, and kissed him.  Joseph was heartbroken when his father died.  They had been deprived of many years together and hadn't had too many after being reunited,  When a family member dies, we may be heartbroken, but if they are a Christian and we are also, then we know that we will see them again.  Verse two states, And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel.  Joseph had his father Israel embalmed.  The Egyptians were very good at preserving bodies, but then and now only God can preserve a soul.  Though his body may have been preserved to return to the burial place of his ancestors, his soul had already gone to be with God forever.  Verse three adds, And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days.  Quite a long time passed with the embalming and the mourning.  We are told that the Egyptians mourned for Israel, I believe because of their respect for or fear of Joseph.  Verse four declares, And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,  The time of mourning passed, as it always must.  Joseph then went to talk to Pharaoh.  He begin by saying that if he had found grace in the eyes of Pharaoh.  Joseph had been doing great things for Pharaoh, but Pharaoh was still in charge and Joseph needed his permission to act.  We may be doing great things for God today as followers of Christ, but we still need to acknowledge that He is in charge and we should go to Him with all our plans to make sure that they are in accordance with His will.  Verse five adds, My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again.  Joseph told Pharaoh that he had sworn to his father that he would bury him in Canaan, and asked Pharaoh for permission to return there to bury him, with a promise that he would return again.  Joseph had been brought to Egypt as a slave, and still was one as far as we know.  Pharaoh could have seen this as an attempt by Joseph to escape.  Though we have great freedom with God through our faith in Christ, we must always remember that He is in charge and we must always return to Him if we are to be successful in life.  Verse six declares, And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear.  Pharaoh told Joseph to go and do what he swore to Israel that he would do.  Pharaoh had to have faith that Joseph would return as he said he would.  God should have the same faith in us today that we will fulfill our promises to Him.  Verse seven says, And Joseph went up to bury his father: and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,  Then verse eight adds, And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father’s house: only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen.  Many of the Egyptians went with Joseph, as well as Joseph's family.  Israel had come to Egypt in fear, but when he was returned to Canaan, his body was accompanied by many that he had feared.  Even if we come to God out of fear, if we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord then we will depart this life victorious.  Verse nine states, And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company.  This simply tells us of more who accompanied Joseph.  Verse ten declares  And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.  When they got to their destination, they mourned for another week.  Verse eleven adds, And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called Abelmizraim, which is beyond Jordan.  The people of Canaan saw the Egyptians mourning, so they named the place Abelmizram.  Naming a place to commemorate an event was not that unusual in that day.  Verse twelve states, And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them:  Then verse thirteen adds, For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.  Israel's sons carried out his instructions for his burial.  Just as Israel's sons carried out their promise to him, we should even more so carry out our promises to God.

Genesis 49:22 says, Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:  Jacob now begins to share his understanding of God's plan for Joseph.  If we are to look to the future of God's plans for anyone, we need to make sure that they are God's plans and not ours.  Though Jacob had treated Joseph as special, he could not ensure Joseph's future, but could only share God's plans for him.  Likewise, we cannot determine that God will endorse our plans for our children.  We can only lead them to a knowledge of Christ.  Verse twenty-three states, The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:  I am not sure when Joseph had literally been attacked by archers, but I do know that his life was threatened on more than one occasion, first by his own brothers.  Verse twenty-four adds, But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)  Jacob said Joseph was protected by Jacob's mighty God.  Through all Joseph's physical struggles, he was able to become a physical shepherd of Israel, saving them from destruction.  Just as Joseph was the physical shepherd of Israel, so is Christ the spiritual shepherd of all who put their faith in Him.  Christ saves us from spiritual destruction, though we may not be spared physical suffering and destruction.  Verse twenty-five continues, Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:  Jacob basically said that God would bless Joseph in all ways, not because of who Joseph was, but because of Who God was and always will be.  We cannot expect God to bless us simply because of who we are.  Verse twenty-six concludes, The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.  Matthew Henry states that this referred to Isaac having but on blessing to bestow, but Jacob had a blessing for all his children.  God's promise to make a great nation of the descendants of Abraham, though slow in being fulfilled by our concept of time, was now about to really begin to flourish.  Even if we think God's promises are slow to be fulfilled, we can be certain that they will be in His time.  Verse twenty-seven says, Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.  Matthew Henry points out that since Benjamin became Jacob's favorite after he thought that Joseph was dead, if these were just Jacob's hopes fot his children that Benjamin's blessing would have been more positive.  These blessings for his children were what God lead Jacob to bestow on them.  All we can do for our children is lead them to Christ, and then He was bestow His blessings on them.  Verse twenty-eight declares, All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.  These twelve would become the twelve tribes of Israel, through whom God would work to bring people to a knowledge of Him.  Today, God works through those who are followers of Christ, those who are born again into His family.  Verse twenty-nine adds, And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,  Jacob had his children vow that they would not bury him in Egypt, but would return his remains to be buried with his ancestors.  As Christians, it really doesn't matter where we are buried or not buried from a spiritual perspective, because God will keep us in His hands.  Verse thirty adds, In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace.  Jacob specifies exactly where he is to be buried.  Verse thirty-one adds, There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.  Jacob said this was where Abraham and Rebekah were buried, as well as Leah.  Leah was Jacob's first wife, and he was to be buried with her.  Again, from a spiritual perspective it does not matter where we are buried or whom we are buried with.  It really doesn't even matter if we are buried.  Verse thirty-two continues, The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth.  Then verse thirty-three concludes, And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.  Jacob had given his sons their blessings and had given them his instructions for his burial.  He did not live to see all this happen.  We may not live to see all of God's promises fulfilled, but we can put our faith in the fact that they will be.

Genesis 49:13 says, Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.  Jacob continues to speak of the future of his sons and the groups they will become.  Zebulun and his family would live at the haven of the sea and become a safe port for ships.  As followers of Christ, we all have different purposes in life, but we all have a purpose in life.  Verse fourteen states, Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:  Then verse fifteen continues, And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.  Issachar and his descendants were to be strong, industrious and patient people.  We might not think this to be something to be desired, especially in today's world, but we could certainly us more people like this today.  Too often, if we are strong, we think that gives us the right to impose our will on others instead of helping them to bear their burdens.  Verse sixteen says, Dan shall judge his people,  As one of the tribes of Israel. Dan's descendants would be judges over the people of Israel.  Dan was the son of one of the handmaidens, but his descendants would judge all Israelites.  Matthew Henry points out that this shows that God makes no distinction between bond and free in earthly terms.  It does not matter how we are born in this world, but how we relate to God through our relationship with Christ.  Verse seventeen continues,Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.  Dan's descendants would judge with the subtilty of a serpent, which Matthew Henry said could refer to Samson's fooling the Philistines.  Verse eighteen concludes, I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.  However good the descendants of Dan might be as judges, the still could not bring salvation to the people of Israel, nor can we today bring salvation to the world.  We must wait for the salvation of Christ and can  only point people to that salvation.  Salvation can only come from God.  Verse nineteen says, Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.  Gad and his descendants would be temporarily defeated, but would ultimately overcome their enemies.  We, as followers of Christ, may be temporarily overcome by the world, but through Christ the victory is ultimately ours.  Verse twenty states, Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.  Asher's descendants would be a tribe rich in the things of the world, but that is not necessarily what we should be looking for.  This does not say that they would not follow God, but often those who are rich in the things of this world do not follow God's teachings.  Verse twenty-one says, Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.  The descendants of Nephtali were to be well spoken people, though Matthew Henry states that we really don't have many examples of how this came to pass in the Bible.  Sometimes, we can see where God's prophesies, and these really were God's prophesies for His people, come to pass more easily than with others, but we simply need to realize that theywill all come to pass.

Genesis 49:1 says, And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.  Jacob called his sons together to tell them what was going to happen to them in the last days, or future.  This was not based on what Jacob thought, but on what God had revealed to him.  The last days did not mean the end of the world, but the days to come, which at some point would be their last days,  We know what the Bible tells us will happen in the last days, before Christ returns, but everyday becomes the time of the last days for the life of many people,  Verse two  states, Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. The sons are called on to gather together and Jacob refers to them as the sons of Jacob with Israel being their father.  This was the same person.  We are called on to gather together as followers of Christ, the children of God.  This is not two Gods, but One.  Verse three says, Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:  Jacob first speaks to Reuben, his first born.  What Jacob says about Reuben at first seems pretty good.  Then verse four adds, Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.  Reuben was called unstable as water and had forfeited his birthright because of his sin with Jacob's wife.  Matthew Henry says Reuben had been forgiven, but his sin still bore consequences in this world.  Though our sins are forgiven when we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we may still have to face the consequences of them in this life.   Verse five says, Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.  Jacob didn't have much good to say about Simeon and Levi, but they were still a part of God's plan  to make a great nation of the descendants of Abraham.  Verse six adds, O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.  Jacob was referring to their killing Shechem and the Shechmites in an act of revenge and hatred.  Some might say that they were justified in their actions, but God never expects His people to act out of anger and revenge.  Verse seven continues, Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.  Jacob said they would be divided, or separated from one another, and then scattered in Israel.  The Levites were scattered among the other tribes and the Simeonites were forced to disperse to find enough substance to stay alive.  Still, they were also a part of God's chosen people.  Fortunately, we do not have to be perfect to be a part of God's family, nor to remain a part of it once we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse eight declares, Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee.  Judah was praised by his father as being the one who would be above all his brothers.  Matthew Henry says that Judah's name signified praise, and that God was praised for him, by him and in him, just as God should be praised in our lives.  Verse nine adds, Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?  Jacob said that Judah was like a powerful lion.  Verse ten continues, The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Then verse eleven states, Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:  Then verse twelve concludes, His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.  Though the  scepter would not  depart from the tribe of Judah, the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ, would come from the tribe.  Jesus would bring peace between people and God, and some day all knees will bow to him, fulfilling the prophesy that Jacob gave to Judah.

Genesis 48;10 says, Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.  Israel's eyes were getting dim, much like Isaac's were when he blessed Israel, or Jacob as he was known then  Verse eleven states,  And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.  Israel told Joseph that he had not thought that he would ever see him again, but now he was seeing not only Joseph but Joseph's children as well.  Sometimes, things that seem impossible with the world are very possible with God.  Verse twelve says, And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.  I guess that the boys were clinging to Joseph, but he brought them out to present to Israel.  When it comes to meeting Christ, we cannot hide behind our parents or anyone else.  We must come before Him face to face,  Verse thirteen says, And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him.  Ephraim was on Israel's left hand side and Manasseh was on his right.  Verse fourteen declares, And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.  This would not have been the natural way for Israel to reach out to them, but he willingly chose the manner in which he would bless them.  Again, we may not make much out of blessings and birth order, but some cultures do.  Fortunately for us, God doesn't.  All are blessed equally.  Verse fifteen adds, And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,  Israel then asked God to bless Joseph.  He identified God as the God of Abraham and Isaac Who had blessed him all his life.  As followers of Christ, we need to let others know that the God that we follow is the One God of all time.  Verse sixteen says, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.  Israel asked that God continue to fulfill His promise through Ephraim and Manasseh.  We can be certain that God will continue to work through our children if they accept the blessing of salvation through Christ.  Verse seventeen declares,  And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.  Joseph attempted to change Israel's hand from Ephraim to Manasseh's head.  He was displeased with the order in which Israel we blessing them, since the birth order was wrong.  We cannot demand that God bless our children in a particular order.  Verse eighteen states, And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. Verse nineteen adds, And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.  Israel refused to change the order, because he said that the younger would become greater thane the older, much like with Esau and himself.  We cannot demand that God works in a particular order in the lives of our children.  Verse twenty states, And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.  Israel asked God to bless them both.  All we can ever do is to ask God's blessing on our children and that they come to Christ for salvation.  Verse twenty-one continues, And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.  Israel told Joseph that he would die, but that God would be with Joseph and bring him again to the land of his fathers.  Even if we die, God will bring us safely to our heavenly home.  Verse twenty-two concludes, Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.  Israel was still showing favoritism to Joseph.  We really should never do that with our children.

Genesis 48:1 says, And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.  Joseph received word that his father was sick, so he took his sons to Jacob.  He may have just wanted his son's and himself to be able to say good-bye.  Still, I believe that God had more in mind, as He often does when we do certain things today.  Verse two states, And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. Someone also told Judah, or Israel, that Joseph was coming, and his strength was revived.  This is not unheard of today, where someone who is old and ill will revive when family comes around.  Verse three adds, And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,  We could say that Jacob was now sharing his personal testimony with Joseph.  Had Joseph not been sold into slavery, maybe Jacob would have done so before, but I have to wonder why Jacob had not done so before that.  As followers of Christ, we should tell our children about our coming to faith in Christ as soon as they are able to understand what it means and not wait until we are on our death bed.  Verse four continues, And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.  Jacob, or Israel, continued to tell Joseph about God's promises.  God would make a great nation of Israel's descendants and it was an everlasting promise.  As followers of Christ, God makes us a part of His great nation and it is an everlasting promise.  Verse five states, And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.  Jacob basically said that Joseph's two sons would be considered just as much a part of God's promise as his own sons, even though they were born in Egypt.  As followers of Christ, we are all equal heirs with each other, no matter where we were born or who our parents are.  Verse six declares, And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.  Jacob was just once again stating that Joseph's sons would be a part of God's promise.  Of course, we cannot make our children a part of God's family.  We can only point them to Christ.  Verse seven adds, And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem.  Israel told Joseph about the death of his mother.  Verse eight states, And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, Who are these?  I believe that we would have to assume that Israel was having memory problems at this time, since he had just declared Joseph's sons to be a part of God's promise to him.  Verse nine concludes, And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.  Israel told Jacob to bring his sons to him and he would bless them.  We can only bring our children to Christ, and if they accept Him as their Savior and Lord, then God will bless them.

Genesis 47:21 says, And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.  Joseph moved the people to the cities.  If the land was unproductive, there was no sense in having to go all over the country to feed them.  As followers of Christ, we need not remain in a place where we are spiritually desolate, but need to come to where God can offer us spiritual nourishment.  Verse twenty-two declares, Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands.  The land of the priests was not bought, and Pharaoh gave them their portion of food.  There should always be a difference between what is dedicated to God's use and what is not, and we as Christians should always support those who are set apart doing God's work, such as preachers and missionaries.  The land of the priests was not productive, but God through Pharaoh provided for their needs.  Verse twenty-three declares, Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.  Joseph told the people that he had bought them and their land, but he was going to give them seed to sow.  This would be for when the draught was over.  He then told them that a fifth of what they harvested would belong to Pharaoh.  When we become a follower of Christ, I believe that God will bless us with enough to meet our needs, but everything we have really belongs to Him.  I believe that we should also set aside a portion of what God blesses us with to support those who are doing His work, again preachers, missionaries, and such.  Verse twenty-five states, And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.  The people told Joseph that he had saved their lives and that if they could find mercy in his sight that they would be Pharaoh's servants.  We, as followers of Christ, have found mercy with God and He has saved our lives spiritually, so we should likewise be willing to serve Him.  Verse twenty-six says, And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh’s.  Joseph made it a law that a fifth of everything the people produced would go to Pharaoh, except for what the priests produced.  God has asked of His people a tenth of what they produce to be set aside for His work, and the reward is much greater.  Verse twenty-seven declares,  And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.  Israel and his family lived in the land of Goshen and grew and multiplied exceedingly.  This was what God had promised Abraham all those years ago.  God's promises will always come true, even if it is years after they are made.  Verse twenty-eight adds, And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.  Jacob lived long enough to see God's promise being fulfilled, but not long enough to return to the Promised Land.  We may not live long enough to see God's promises fulfilled in this lifetime, but we can rest assured that His promises will be fulfilled.  Verse twenty-nine adds, And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt:  Before Jacob died, he had Joseph promise to not bury him in Egypt.  Verse thirty continues, But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he said, I will do as thou hast said.  Jacob wanted to be buried with his fathers, or ancestors.  Though I don't believe that it matters much where our final resting place is in this world, I believe that as followers of Christ we will ultimately be called out of this world to live with our brothers and sisters in Christ in His Promised Land.  Verse thirty-one states, And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed’s head.  Jacob wanted to be certain that Joseph would carry out his promise.  Though Joseph had the ability to fail to keep his promise, God never will fail to keep His.

Genesis 47:11 says, And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, 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.  Joseph gave his family land in Egypt.  Not only did Joseph give them land, but he gave them some of the best of the land as Pharaoh had instructed him to.  When we become followers of Christ, God gives us the best home, one that is everlasting, though it may be many years before we get there.  We can also be certain that what God gives us no one has the authority or power to take away.  Verse twelve states, And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father’s household, with bread, according to their families.  Joseph provided bread for his family, according to their needs.  We are not told that he gave fine delicacies, but bread.  We are promised that God will give us our daily bread, but too often we think we need steak.  Verse thirteen proclaims, And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.  The famine was in its second year when Joseph's family arrived, and it continued to get worse.  Verse fourteen states, And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.  Joseph gathered all the money in the land and brought it to Pharaoh's house.  Money was of little value or use to the people when they were starving.  Without Christ as their Savior and Lord, people are spiritually starving today, but often they would rather continue to starve spiritually than to surrender everything to God.  We cannot allow the things of this world to become more important than our relationship with God.  Verse fifteen adds, And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.  When the people ran out of money, they came to Joseph and asked why they should just starve because they had no more money.  Verse sixteen states,  And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.  Joseph told the people if they ran out of money, then they could trade their cattle for the bread.  We are fortunate that we don't have to bargain with God for salvation, but like the people with Joseph then, we must not attempt to hang on to the things of this world feeling that they are more important than our relationship with God.  Verse seventeen says, And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.  Joseph provided for the people and their animals for a year.  Verse eighteen adds, When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:  The people came to Joseph the next year and said that all they had left was their land and themselves.  Eventually, if we are to become followers of Christ, we must acknowledge that all we can offer God of value is our self.  Verse nineteen continues, Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.  The people said they would give their land and themselves to Pharauh for bread.  I guess some would say that Joseph was being somewhat mercenary in his actions, but he was offering the people life instead of death.  There are people today who say that God demands too much when He wants them to give up everything and serve Him, but He offers them the only way to everlasting life.  Then, when a person accepts Christ as Savior and Lord, He promises to meet that person's needs forever.  Verse twenty declares, And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh’s.  Pharaoh and not Joseph, eventually owned all the land.  Like Joseph with Pharaoh, we are simply representatives of God if we are followers of Christ and should never attempt to enrich ourselves because of our relationship with Him.

Genesis 47:1 says, Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.  Though Joseph had invited his family to come to the safety of Egypt, Pharaoh was still in charge and Joseph needed Pharaoh's agreement, or blessing, for them to stay.  We can bring people to the safety of salvation, but God is still the Only One Who can grant them salvation.  Fortunately, God stands ready to forgive everyone who comes to Him by faith and grant them an everlasting home in heaven.  Verse two says, And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.  Joseph took five of his brothers with him to meet Pharaoh.  To continue the analogy with God, we must all come before Him for salvation and not just a part of our family.  Verse three declares, And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.  Pharaoh asked the brothers what their occupation was, and they said that they and their father were shepherds.  This was a lowly occupation to Pharaoh.  When we come to Christ, we can only come as lowly, unworthy sinners.  Verse four says, They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.  The brothers told Pharaoh why they had come.  There was a famine in Canaan, and then flocks would starve if they stayed there.  When someone comes to Christ, that person may be rich in the eyes of the world, but they are still in a spiritual famine and will die without hope without accepting Him as Savior and Lord.  Verse five declares,  And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:  Pharaoh asked Joseph if his father and brother had come to Joseph for help.  Then verse six adds, The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.  Pharaoh told Joseph that his brothers could live in the land of Goshen, and if he felt that any of them were qualified to put them in charge of his cattle as well.  I believe that this was so much more than what the brothers hoped for and deserved, and when we come to Christ, He gives us so much more than we deserve or could even hope for.  Just as with Joseph's brothers, God will also give us a purpose in his kingdom other than just sitting back and enjoying our salvation while awaiting Christ's return.  Verse seven states, And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.  Joseph brought his father before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed pharaoh, or more accurately asked God's blessing on Pharaoh.  Though Jacob stood before Pharaoh, who had all the earthly power, Jacob was God's representative in the world.  No matter how powerful a person may be in the world today, if we stand before them as followers of Christ, we need to ask God's blessing on them.  Verse eight asks, And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?  Jacob evidently appeared to be very old, so this would have been a common question.  Verse nine declares, Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.  Jacob referred to his life as a pilgrimage, and said that he had not been on his pilgrimage as long as his fathers, or ancestors, had lived on their pilgrimage.  We, as followers of Christ, are on a pilgrimage in this life, as is anyone else who is a follower of Christ.  Jacob said his pilgrimage had been full of evil days.  We may look at the world today as a place filled with evil, but we must continue on our pilgrimage with Christ.  Verse ten adds, And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.  Once again, Jacob blessed Pharaoh, then he left Pharaoh's presence.  Since this blessing would really be from God, it was up to Pharaoh what he would do with the blessing.  Likewise, we can bring people to the blessing of God's salvation, but it is up to them what they will do with it.