Greetings to you, dear readers of our column “Daily word for spiritual strength”! By the great mercy of the Lord we are given the opportunity to feed our hearts with the living word of God daily.Yesterday we began to look through the story of Joseph and his brothers. As we know, Joseph underwent serious trials and ordeals in his life. So God used the circumstances to change Joseph. Thus he became a different man who started to look at life the God´s way.Let´s turn again to the story of the family of Jacob, Joseph´s father. His sons were born from two different mothers. Joseph and the youngest son, Benjamin were children of Rachel, wife whom Jacob really loved. When Joseph had been sold to slavery by his brothers Benjamin became the favourite son to Jacob – a comforter of the days of his old. Jacob loved Benjamin more than his other sons, since the former was the last heir from Rachel. That´s exactly why Jacob denied Benjamin to join his brothers on their way to Egypt.
«But Jacob didn’t send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers; for he said, “Lest perhaps harm happen to him.”»(Genesis 42:4).
Benjamin was valuable to Jacob, because Rachel, Jacob´s wife died giving birth to him while Joseph was lost (for Jacob). Thus, Benjamin remained the only treasure, left over from Rachel. AS we know, when brothers came to Egypt to seek help there, Joseph arranged some trials for them. When Joseph noticed there was no Benjamin among them, he ordered his brothers to return to the house of their father, and bring Benjamin to Egypt. It was vitally important to Joseph to see how brothers treat somebody who is favourite in the eyes of their father, just as Joseph was. He needed to know whether his brothers are still full of envy, resentment, unforgiving and anger or they have changed.The news brothers brought to their father upon their return from Egypt made Jacob very sad. However, here we can notice changes happened in one of the sons, Reuben, who was ready to lose his two children for the sake of Benjamin´s life. It apparently was a fruit of repentance. «Jacob, their father, said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children! Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.” Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons, if I don’t bring him to you. Deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to you again.” He said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm happens to him by the way in which you go, then you will bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to Sheol.”» (Genesis 42:36-38).
Moreover, Reuben was ready to sacrifice his own life, just to make his father allow Benjamin to join them. This was a sign of a change happened to his person. A person with a character of Christ is ready to lay his life for the sake of his brother. «By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers». (1st John 3:16).
Joseph´s brothers passed their first exam, they got transformed and became different people. They repented the wrongdoing they did to their brother Joseph. After that, Jacobs sons were not envious nor felt any dislike toward Benjamin, his father´s favourite son.So, Jacob released Benjamin to join his brothers on the way to Egypt, but trials prepared by Joseph are not over yet. Only having passed all exams Joseph revealed his true possession to the brothers, but before it happened he wanted to know what their hearts were filled with. Do you remember that which enters into the mouth doesn’t defile the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man? Joseph had to verify the content of their hearts, so he put his brothers in different tests.Transformed people think and act God´s way. Transformed people treat others the way Jesus did. We all need transformation, therefore, God uses relationships and different trials to accomplish this task in each of us. See you tomorrow!God bless every one of you!Rufus Adjiboje, pastor
