Joseph Deals Kindly with His Brothers
1Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried, “Have everyone go out from me.” So there was no man with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it. 3Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.
4Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me.” And they came closer. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. 8Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. 10You shall live in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children and your flocks and your herds and all that you have. 11There I will also provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, and you and your household and all that you have would be impoverished.” ’ 12Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you. 13Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and bring my father down here.” 14Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15He kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.
16Now when the news was heard in Pharaoh’s house that Joseph’s brothers had come, it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go to the land of Canaan, 18and take your father and your households and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you will eat the fat of the land.’ 19Now you are ordered, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come. 20Do not concern yourselves with your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”
21Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them wagons according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22To each of them he gave changes of garments, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments. 23To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and sustenance for his father on the journey.
24So he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the journey.” 25Then they went up from Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26They told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” But he was stunned, for he did not believe them. 27When they told him all the words of Joseph that he had spoken to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28Then Israel said, “It is enough; my son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
PSALM 72
The Reign of the Righteous King.
A Psalm of Solomon.
1Give the king Your judgments, O God,
And Your righteousness to the king’s son.
2May he judge Your people with righteousness
And Your afflicted with justice.
3Let the mountains bring peace to the people,
And the hills, in righteousness.
4May he vindicate the afflicted of the people,
Save the children of the needy
And crush the oppressor.
5Let them fear You while the sun endures,
And as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
6May he come down like rain upon the mown grass,
Like showers that water the earth.
7In his days may the righteous flourish,
And abundance of peace till the moon is no more.
8May he also rule from sea to sea
And from the River to the ends of the earth.
9Let the nomads of the desert bow before him,
And his enemies lick the dust.
10Let the kings of Tarshish and of the islands bring presents;
The kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.
11And let all kings bow down before him,
All nations serve him.
12For he will deliver the needy when he cries for help,
The afflicted also, and him who has no helper.
13He will have compassion on the poor and needy,
And the lives of the needy he will save.
14He will rescue their life from oppression and violence,
And their blood will be precious in his sight;
15So may he live, and may the gold of Sheba be given to him;
And let them pray for him continually;
Let them bless him all day long.
16May there be abundance of grain in the earth on top of the mountains;
Its fruit will wave like the cedars of Lebanon;
And may those from the city flourish like vegetation of the earth.
17May his name endure forever;
May his name increase as long as the sun shines;
And let men bless themselves by him;
Let all nations call him blessed.
18Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who alone works wonders.
19And blessed be His glorious name forever;
And may the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen, and Amen.
The Goal of Life
1Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.
2Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; 3for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, 4although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: 5circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.
7But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; 16however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.
17Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. 18For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, 19whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. 20For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.
1) How does Psalm 72 envision the reign of the ideal king?
2) How does Paul describe pressing on toward Messiah’s kingdom?
3) How does Judah’s intercession anticipate Messiah’s perfect reign and goal?
Job: What Can I Say?
1Then the Lord said to Job,
2“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
Let him who reproves God answer it.”
3Then Job answered the Lord and said,
4“Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You?
I lay my hand on my mouth.
5Once I have spoken, and I will not answer;
Even twice, and I will add nothing more.”
God Questions Job
6Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm and said,
7“Now gird up your loins like a man;
I will ask you, and you instruct Me.
8Will you really annul My judgment?
Will you condemn Me that you may be justified?
9Or do you have an arm like God,
And can you thunder with a voice like His?
10“Adorn yourself with eminence and dignity,
And clothe yourself with honor and majesty.
11Pour out the overflowings of your anger,
And look on everyone who is proud, and make him low.
12Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him,
And tread down the wicked where they stand.
13Hide them in the dust together;
Bind them in the hidden place.
14Then I will also confess to you,
That your own right hand can save you.
God’s Power Shown in Creatures
15“Behold now, Behemoth, which I made as well as you;
He eats grass like an ox.
16Behold now, his strength in his loins
And his power in the muscles of his belly.
17He bends his tail like a cedar;
The sinews of his thighs are knit together.
18His bones are tubes of bronze;
His limbs are like bars of iron.
19“He is the first of the ways of God;
Let his maker bring near his sword.
20Surely the mountains bring him food,
And all the beasts of the field play there.
21Under the lotus plants he lies down,
In the covert of the reeds and the marsh.
22The lotus plants cover him with shade;
The willows of the brook surround him.
23If a river rages, he is not alarmed;
He is confident, though the Jordan rushes to his mouth.
24Can anyone capture him when he is on watch,
With barbs can anyone pierce his nose?
7“I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord:
He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
9You shall break them with a rod of iron,
You shall shatter them like earthenware.’ ”
Cities of Judah Warned
1In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the Lord, saying, 2“Thus says the Lord, ‘Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah who have come to worship in the Lord’s house all the words that I have commanded you to speak to them. Do not omit a word! 3Perhaps they will listen and everyone will turn from his evil way, that I may repent of the calamity which I am planning to do to them because of the evil of their deeds.’ 4And you will say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, “If you will not listen to Me, to walk in My law which I have set before you, 5to listen to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I have been sending to you again and again, but you have not listened; 6then I will make this house like Shiloh, and this city I will make a curse to all the nations of the earth.” ’ ”
A Plot to Murder Jeremiah
7The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. 8When Jeremiah finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You must die! 9Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord saying, ‘This house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.
10When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the Lord and sat in the entrance of the New Gate of the Lord’s house. 11Then the priests and the prophets spoke to the officials and to all the people, saying, “A death sentence for this man! For he has prophesied against this city as you have heard in your hearing.”
12Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and to all the people, saying, “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard. 13Now therefore amend your ways and your deeds and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will change His mind about the misfortune which He has pronounced against you. 14But as for me, behold, I am in your hands; do with me as is good and right in your sight. 15Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city and on its inhabitants; for truly the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.”
Jeremiah Is Spared
16Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets, “No death sentence for this man! For he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.” 17Then some of the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying, 18“Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘Thus the Lord of hosts has said,
“Zion will be plowed as a field,
And Jerusalem will become ruins,
And the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.” ’
19Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and entreat the favor of the Lord, and the Lord changed His mind about the misfortune which He had pronounced against them? But we are committing a great evil against ourselves.”
20Indeed, there was also a man who prophesied in the name of the Lord, Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim; and he prophesied against this city and against this land words similar to all those of Jeremiah. 21When King Jehoiakim and all his mighty men and all the officials heard his words, then the king sought to put him to death; but Uriah heard it, and he was afraid and fled and went to Egypt. 22Then King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt: Elnathan the son of Achbor and certain men with him went into Egypt. 23And they brought Uriah from Egypt and led him to King Jehoiakim, who slew him with a sword and cast his dead body into the burial place of the common people.
24But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that he was not given into the hands of the people to put him to death.