Pandemic Preaching - Thanksgiving
“I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you. For the famine has covered the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God, who has made me a father to Pharaoh—lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt."
Genesis 45: 4-8, Jewish Scriptures
Looking at our time right now, still in a pandemic after two years, we can see from the excerpt above that the story of Joseph is something we can relate with.
The scene we read above is after Joseph revealed himself to his brothers who have talked with him several times but didn't recognize him.
If you are unfamiliar with his story, Joseph was a teenager when he was sold by his older brothers (siblings from the same father but different mothers).
Joseph's story is written in Genesis 37 - 50.
After he was sold, Joseph was brought to Egypt and resold as a slave. He made the most of his predicament. He became successful and was put in charge of his master's household. But just as things were turning around for him, he was accused of a crime that he didn't commit, and was imprisoned for it.
He spent time in prison, where he was able to help one of the pharaoh's staff who was in the jail with him.
In another unfortunate turn of events, that person forgot about Joseph when he was let out of prison. But after some time he did remember about him and this led Joseph into an opportunity to help the pharaoh himself. Finally everything is turned around for Joseph and Pharaoh appointed him to the next highest position in the land, as his second-in-command. Yes, no one saw that coming.
Times of Trouble
It is at this time that his brothers came over to buy food from him because their families were starving. This happened a few times, the famine, like the pandemic was taking a long time to come to an end.
And so we come to the story we read above, in the midst of the famine, his brothers came to him to buy food. At this point, Joseph can no longer bear not to reveal his identity to them.
The life of Joseph, starting at a young age of 17 was filled with troubles. Yet the Jewish bible didn't record him complaining and instead he led a life of thanksgiving, forgiving those who did him wrong and grateful even for the troubles he went through and eventually realizing that it all worked out for good.
The same should be our attitude as we are undergoing our own troubles during this pandemic season. And believe that everything will work out for good.
Happy Thanksgiving Week!
It is at this time that his brothers came over to buy food from him because their families were starving. This happened a few times, the famine, like the pandemic was taking a long time to come to an end.
And so we come to the story we read above, in the midst of the famine, his brothers came to him to buy food. At this point, Joseph can no longer bear not to reveal his identity to them.
The life of Joseph, starting at a young age of 17 was filled with troubles. Yet the Jewish bible didn't record him complaining and instead he led a life of thanksgiving, forgiving those who did him wrong and grateful even for the troubles he went through and eventually realizing that it all worked out for good.
The same should be our attitude as we are undergoing our own troubles during this pandemic season. And believe that everything will work out for good.
Happy Thanksgiving Week!
In everything gives thanks
"Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." Romans 8:26-28 The Message Paraphrase
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