Genesis 45:1

Genesis 45:1 says, Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.  When Joseph could no longer stand to keep denying who he was, he sent everyone else out and so he could tell his brothers who he was.  Verse two says, And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.  Joseph cried so loudly that the Egyptians outside could hear him.  Since Joseph had sent them out, they must have really wondered what was wrong with him.  There is nothing wrong with getting emotional when something good happens in life, especially the coming of a brother or sister into the family of God, even if they are only spiritual brothers and sisters.  Verse three declares, And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.  Joseph told his brothers who he was, and asked if his father was still alive.  When Joseph told his brothers who he was, they were troubled in his presence, or afraid in other words.  Joseph had already accused them of being spies, and now they may have been afraid that he was going to punish them for what they had done to him.  If we have harmed others and they are then in a position of power over us, we may be afraid of them, but if they are Christians, we have no reason to be.  Since we are sinners, we may be afraid to come to God fearing that He is just waiting to punish us, but like Joseph with his brothers, He is simply waiting to forgive us and restore us to Him.  Verse four adds, And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.  Joseph told his brothers to come close, and reminded them of what they had done to him.  I believe that they would have really gotten nervous at that statement had he not continued.  Verse five states, Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.  Joseph told his brothers to not grieve, because God had been at work through the situation so that lives could be saved.  God is still at work through His people today in what may seem like a bad situation, so that people can be saved spiritually.  Verse six continues, For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.  The country was now two years into the famine, and there were still five years to go.  Joseph being restored to his brothers did not change the conditions in the world, just as someone being restored to God spiritually today does not change the physical or material facts of life.  Verse seven says, And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.  Joseph said that God sent him ahead to preserve the prosperity of life physically, just as Jesus has gone on ahead to preserve the life spiritually of all who accept His salvation by faith.  Material or physical hard times may last, just as they would in Joseph's day, but if we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, our spiritual hard times should be over.  Verse eight declares, So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.  Joseph basically told them not to worry about what they did to him, because God had worked through the situation to place Joseph in a position of power in Egypt.  I know that some people would say that God caused all this to happen, but I believe that God worked through the situation for the good of all those involved.  If God indeed caused everything to happen, then no one could be held accountable for their actions.  I don't believe that we can claim that God causes everything to happen, good or bad, and still be held accountable when we do something bad.  We have to have the free will to choose right or wrong.  Verse nine declares, Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not:  Joseph told his brothers to hurry to their father and tell them that he was alive and in power in Egypt.  We should likewise make haste to tell the people of the world that Jesus is alive and in power over spiritual life and death today.  Verse ten adds, And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:  Joseph told them to get their families and return to Egypt, where there was plenty of food.  God calls us today to come to Him and to share the good news of Christ with all the world, I believe by beginning with those who are closest to us.  Verse eleven says, And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.  Joseph said that his brothers and their families should come to Egypt so they would be nourished during the five years of famine.  When we come to God through Christ, He will nourish us through the years of spiritual famine in the world, no matter how long they last.  Verse twelve continues, And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.  Joseph said that his brothers had seen with their own eyes that he was the one who had spoken to them.  I believe that his brothers must have now recognized Joseph.  Before we can come to Christ for salvation, we must first recognize Who He is.  Verse thirteen concludes, And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.  Joseph told them to tell their father all that they had seen and to hurry back with him to Egypt.  We also need to tell people of the world today about the power of Christ to redeem them and invite them to come to Him with an urgency that they do so as quickly as possible.