A Promise Kept

“But turning away from them, he wept.”

Genesis 42:24a

The story of Joseph is quite a moving one. Out of jealousy some of his brothers wanted to kill Joseph but they wound up selling him instead. Joseph ended up in Egypt and became second in command to the Pharaoh. Many years later when all the lands were plagued by famine, Egypt was the only place with grain and all the people came to Egypt to buy grain, including Joseph’s brothers. When they had gone to Egypt, Joseph recognized them but they did not recognize him. When Joseph asked about their family, they reported such and then Joseph gave them a hard time (NOT in a malicious and vengeful way) and asked them to go back and bring back their youngest brother (Benjamin). Joseph’s brothers probably had thought he had died years ago and so they thought to themselves that this trial and difficult time must be punishment for what they did to their brother (Joseph) years ago. At that, Joseph wept.

The man, their very own brother, whom they did away with became the very man that fed them and saved their lives. In some way, Joseph was sent away, sent ahead to save his family. God has promised Abraham that he would be a father of many nations, and He would not break His promise. He wouldn’t let his descendants starve and die off. God brings good out of every bad and seemingly lifeless and hopeless situation. Good will come out of our trials and difficulties — for ourselves and for others. We may not always know or understand why and how, but we can always be sure that it will be for good (if it comes from God).

Jesus kept this promise too when He told the Apostles to “go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.” Many years later, when God became man, He still remembered His promise and tries to bring His people back. And when Jesus was raised up high on the Cross, He drew all peoples to Himself.

Our God is a God who keeps His promises, and He promises to never leave us or abandon us. He did this by becoming one of us. And in order to bring us to the Father He allowed Himself to be humiliated, scourged, tortured, and ultimately died. But on the third day He rose from the dead. His Resurrection fulfills God’s promise, and He continues to fulfills it and keeps it today.