“when we went back to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. and when our father said, ‘go again, buy us a little food,’ we said, ‘we cannot go down. if our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down. for we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ then your servant my father said to us, ‘you know that my wife bore me two sons. one left me, and i said, “surely he has been torn to pieces,” and i have never seen him since. if you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in evil to sheol.’ [genesis 44:18-29]
this is the first time that joseph is hearing what jacob had thought about him going missing. why he didn’t come looking for him or try to bring him home. we also hear longing in the statements. i have never seen him since. as if he had hoped he would return and surprise him someday. we see him clinging to benjamin somewhat from the sorrow of losing joseph.
any bitterness joseph had carried toward his father must have melted away in that moment, hearing of his father’s love.
what misconceptions do you carry toward your heavenly Father that need to be melted away by the truth of his deep, unending, and steadfast love? his perfect love! think about the trials he has brought or is currently bringing you through. do you question his love? do you say, if he loved me, how could this happen? if he loved me he would have rescued me? my prayers would have been answered by now? do you feel forgotten, overlooked, or uncared for? then take a look at the God of joseph in genesis, and behold the steadfast love of your covenant keeping God who will do everything it takes to bring about his good purposes for you to the praise of his glorious grace. look at what he has already done!
in your rebellion you ran from his presence. you served the prince of the power of the air. but in his love for you, he chose you and set you apart for the receiving of his covenant love. he called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light. he sent his beloved Son, Jesus, to pay for your rebellion and bring you into his family, adopted as a son or daughter, to receive the inheritance of his glorious presence for all eternity. no cost has been to great for him to reach down and call you his own. so behold his perfect love. trust it. it will bring you through each fiery trial and pull you out refined on the other side.
for the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. [isaiah 54:10]
~ arwen eastman