Day 21
Genesis 41:41-42:38
(41:41-57 | 42)
Pharaoh recognises that God is with Joseph, so he puts Joseph in charge of the whole of Egypt. Only the Pharaoh himself is higher than Joseph in Egypt. So Joseph goes about ensuring God's plan is put in to action throughout Egypt; in the seven years of abundance, he ensures that a fifth of the harvest is stored away in reserve for the seven years of famine. The land produces plentifully, so a lot of produce is stored away - so much so that Joseph gives up on trying to record how much has been stored. During this time, Pharaoh gives Joseph a wife, a woman named Asenath. They have two sons - Manasseh and Ephraim. The seven years of famine follow hot on the heals of the seven years of abundance. When the whole of Egypt begins to be effected by the famine, they turn to Pharaoh for help. He directs them to Joseph. Joseph opens up the stores, and starts selling the stored grain to the Egyptian people.
News that Egypt has grain reaches Jacob, so he sends ten of his sons to buy some. (He's already lost Jacob, he doesn't want to risk losing Benjamin, his remaining son from Rachel.) When his brothers turn up to buy food, Joseph recognises them instantly. They don't recognise him, so he decides to have a bit of fun with them. Speaking through an interpreter, he accuses them of being spies, making them reveal to him that Benjamin and Jacob are both alive and well. He tells them that the only way they can prove they aren't spies is by volunteering one of the party to go back on his own and bring Benjamin back. Joseph then puts them in prison for three days. On the third day, Joseph tells them that in order to prove they are trustworthy, nine of the ten must go back with grain for their household. One of the ten would remain, and only be released upon presentation of Benjamin. The ten brothers, unaware that Joseph can understand them, are distressed, and express the fear that this is happening to them because of the way they treated their younger brother thirteen years prior.
Joseph decides to keep Simeon behind and sends the other nine on their way with their grain. He secretly orders that their silver is placed back in their bags. When the brothers arrive home, they realise each of them has had their silver placed back in their bags. The combination of this and the news that Simeon had been taken is less than welcome news for Jacob. The fact that this Egyptian official, Joseph, had said that the brothers would be free to trade in Egypt meant nothing. He believed he'd lost Joseph, he considered Simeon lost, and he refused to consider the risk of losing Benjamin too.
Matthew 14:22-15:9
(14:22-36 | 15:1-9)
After Jesus feeds the five thousand, he sends the disciples out on the lake ahead of him. I'm assuming this is still the Sea of Galilee, but I could be wrong. Anyway, Jesus tells them to head to the other side, and says he'll dismiss the crowd. They do as he says, although I'm not quite sure how they think he'll catch up with them. Jesus dismisses the crowd, and heads up the mountainside to do what he set out to do originally - to pray by himself. By the time evening fell (which won't have been that long as yesterday's passage mentioned that it was nearly evening before they were feed), the disciples had already gone quite a way. Jesus decides to walk out on the lake, and catch up with them by foot. When the disciples see him approach, they're frightened, and think they're seeing a ghost. Jesus reassures them, and Peter tries to head out to meet Jesus. Peter begins walking on the water until the reality of the situation hits him - he's walking on water! - at that point, he starts sinking. Jesus rescues him, they both get in the boat, and the wind buffeting the boat calms down. The disciples worship him as the Son of God.
Some of the Pharisees are a bit upset because Jesus' disciples aren't following tradition and protocol as they aren't washing their hands before they eat. They question Jesus about this, who answers with his question: why do the Pharisees insist on breaking God's commands for the sake of tradition? He accuses them of hypocrisy and nullifying the word of God for the sake of their traditions. He tells them they're fulfilling a prophecy of Isaiah: "These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." Jesus is saying that the Pharisees are focussing solely on the law, and that they're following the law for the sake of the law, forgetting why the law is there. (The law is there to help people become and remain close to God, not to make people feel bad every time they do something wrong.)
Psalm 12:1-8
(12)
Here, David is lamenting the state of society, and the fact that it is full of wicked people. He quotes God, who says, "Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise ... I will protect them from those who malign them" (verse 5). David requests that God stays true to his word, and that he protects us from those who "malign [us]".
Today's psalm also contains a reminder that the psalms were originally set to music. It's easy to forget that sometimes as they can read like prayers.
Genesis 41:41-42:38
(41:41-57 | 42)
Pharaoh recognises that God is with Joseph, so he puts Joseph in charge of the whole of Egypt. Only the Pharaoh himself is higher than Joseph in Egypt. So Joseph goes about ensuring God's plan is put in to action throughout Egypt; in the seven years of abundance, he ensures that a fifth of the harvest is stored away in reserve for the seven years of famine. The land produces plentifully, so a lot of produce is stored away - so much so that Joseph gives up on trying to record how much has been stored. During this time, Pharaoh gives Joseph a wife, a woman named Asenath. They have two sons - Manasseh and Ephraim. The seven years of famine follow hot on the heals of the seven years of abundance. When the whole of Egypt begins to be effected by the famine, they turn to Pharaoh for help. He directs them to Joseph. Joseph opens up the stores, and starts selling the stored grain to the Egyptian people.
News that Egypt has grain reaches Jacob, so he sends ten of his sons to buy some. (He's already lost Jacob, he doesn't want to risk losing Benjamin, his remaining son from Rachel.) When his brothers turn up to buy food, Joseph recognises them instantly. They don't recognise him, so he decides to have a bit of fun with them. Speaking through an interpreter, he accuses them of being spies, making them reveal to him that Benjamin and Jacob are both alive and well. He tells them that the only way they can prove they aren't spies is by volunteering one of the party to go back on his own and bring Benjamin back. Joseph then puts them in prison for three days. On the third day, Joseph tells them that in order to prove they are trustworthy, nine of the ten must go back with grain for their household. One of the ten would remain, and only be released upon presentation of Benjamin. The ten brothers, unaware that Joseph can understand them, are distressed, and express the fear that this is happening to them because of the way they treated their younger brother thirteen years prior.
Joseph decides to keep Simeon behind and sends the other nine on their way with their grain. He secretly orders that their silver is placed back in their bags. When the brothers arrive home, they realise each of them has had their silver placed back in their bags. The combination of this and the news that Simeon had been taken is less than welcome news for Jacob. The fact that this Egyptian official, Joseph, had said that the brothers would be free to trade in Egypt meant nothing. He believed he'd lost Joseph, he considered Simeon lost, and he refused to consider the risk of losing Benjamin too.
Matthew 14:22-15:9
(14:22-36 | 15:1-9)
After Jesus feeds the five thousand, he sends the disciples out on the lake ahead of him. I'm assuming this is still the Sea of Galilee, but I could be wrong. Anyway, Jesus tells them to head to the other side, and says he'll dismiss the crowd. They do as he says, although I'm not quite sure how they think he'll catch up with them. Jesus dismisses the crowd, and heads up the mountainside to do what he set out to do originally - to pray by himself. By the time evening fell (which won't have been that long as yesterday's passage mentioned that it was nearly evening before they were feed), the disciples had already gone quite a way. Jesus decides to walk out on the lake, and catch up with them by foot. When the disciples see him approach, they're frightened, and think they're seeing a ghost. Jesus reassures them, and Peter tries to head out to meet Jesus. Peter begins walking on the water until the reality of the situation hits him - he's walking on water! - at that point, he starts sinking. Jesus rescues him, they both get in the boat, and the wind buffeting the boat calms down. The disciples worship him as the Son of God.
Some of the Pharisees are a bit upset because Jesus' disciples aren't following tradition and protocol as they aren't washing their hands before they eat. They question Jesus about this, who answers with his question: why do the Pharisees insist on breaking God's commands for the sake of tradition? He accuses them of hypocrisy and nullifying the word of God for the sake of their traditions. He tells them they're fulfilling a prophecy of Isaiah: "These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." Jesus is saying that the Pharisees are focussing solely on the law, and that they're following the law for the sake of the law, forgetting why the law is there. (The law is there to help people become and remain close to God, not to make people feel bad every time they do something wrong.)
Psalm 12:1-8
(12)
Here, David is lamenting the state of society, and the fact that it is full of wicked people. He quotes God, who says, "Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise ... I will protect them from those who malign them" (verse 5). David requests that God stays true to his word, and that he protects us from those who "malign [us]".
Today's psalm also contains a reminder that the psalms were originally set to music. It's easy to forget that sometimes as they can read like prayers.
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