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kjv@Genesis:37 @ @ RandyP comments: The harder we work against something at times, the quicker it comes to be. Did anyone stop to think that the dreams Joseph was dreaming might be from God? Did Jacob? If anyone did, their judgment was clouded by the image that they had of their brother/son. It is one thing to dislike a sibling but, to dismiss that God could work through them is another. Some brothers became uncomfortable with outright murder; that would have been a good place for them to check their intents, but to substitute murder with slavery and forgery not much different.

kjv@Genesis:39 @ @ RandyP comments: The Lord's favor is always good even though it may not at present be observed as so. How other people react can cause the recipient trouble. Not only has his jealous brother sold him into slavery, his masters wife has sold him into prison. Joseph takes it all in stride believing in the Lord, thankful for the favor. Again he receives the Lord's favor in prison but, notice that the favor does not deliver him immediately from prison. Where His favor is leading us may be a lengthy process start to finish and involve tests of courage, obedience, and or patience. It is tremendous favor none the less.

kjv@Genesis:40 @ @ RandyP comments: How does one forget such a one as interpreted his troubling dream? How does one forget a solemn oath? Quite easily it appears. Notice that Joseph believes in his Lord and at the same time is pleading his way with others to be delivered. There may be times when the Lord works His favor through other people blessing ones initiative. This however seems to be a time when it was not yet time for the Lord to fully reveal His favor. In the long run Joseph's initiative sticks but, it should be known that it was not the cause.

kjv@Genesis:41:51-52 @ @ RandyP comments: Joseph possess two attitudes beneficial to his relationship with God from which he names his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. His first attitude is that He has made him to forget his toil and fathers house. It is not that he has forgotten it whole it is that it has a positive influence on him. Instead of blaming God or that he is entitled to this time, he praises God that all of these experiences have lead him to this moment; he would not be this had he not been through that. And surely the desire to be reunited with his kin (particularly Jacob and Benjamin) is still there but contained in the knowledge that it will be by God's hand in God's time. The second attitude is that God has made him fruitful in the land of his affliction. He is not sugar coating the fact that he has been afflicted, he is acknowledging that God has brought him through affliction into fruitfulness.

kjv@Genesis:42 @ @ RandyP comments: I have often puzzled over the allowance of Joseph to treat his brothers in this somewhat mean and deceitful manner. Jacob was a trickster in his day and now he is being tricked himself. Not to say that I would have reacted any better (probably worse) given the situation, but, wouldn't you like to hear him discuss his thought process now after the fact?

kjv@Genesis:43 @ @ RandyP comments: Others have suggested that Joseph is testing his brothers hearts to see where they stand. After all of these years would they still be of the heart that led to selling a brother into slavery and faking his death? Had they learned anything? Had they changed? We saw that there was remembrance of the event and suspicion that this current problem may be the pay back. We are seeing some effort today by them to do what is right even in the midsts of some oddities beyond their control.

kjv@Genesis:44:29 @ @ RandyP comments: This would be the first Joseph heard of how the brothers covered up his enslavement by faking his death. Surely a difficult moment for him here.

kjv@Genesis:44 @ @ RandyP comments: The truth is now pouring out from Judah's mouth. He is expressing concern for his dad, concern for his youngest brother, and a willingness to take the place of Benjamin for any wrong the brothers may have done. Nearly everything is here except an outright confession of the past treatment of Joseph.

kjv@Genesis:45 @ @ RandyP comments: The reaction of Pharaoh should be noted. We know from previous text that the Hebrews were not looked favorably on by the Egyptians during these days; they were not even to be eaten with. Here we see how differently Joseph was viewed, as a man in whom the spirit of God dwelt. That Joseph had been reunited with his Hebrew kin was a favorably endorsed event by Pharaoh.

kjv@Genesis:46:34 @ @ RandyP comments: Joseph is having them make a cultural shift here, because of the sentiments of Egyptians against shepherds they are to call themselves cattlemen. They most like had been both before this.

kjv@Genesis:47 @ @ RandyP comments: We should be mindful as to just how serious famines can be. Within the first year the people of Egypt had sold Joseph their cattle and by the second year had sold all but the priest' land. This is a sanitized way of saying that they were absolutely desperate. The dust bowels of Great Depression are the closest thing we Americans have seen to this, not nearly as devastating but requiring a buy back program from the government for many as well, some had to walk away from everything.

kjv@Genesis:49:22 @ @ RandyP comments: dict:all Joseph

kjv@Exodus:11 @ @ RandyP comments: Think about now how far we've come. From Moses being embarrassed and chided even amongst his own people, thinking that he had done the Lord wrong, to a spot where everyone but Pharaoh sees what is going on. Remember that Israel has done nothing of it's own. It is not by their good works nor even a pressing faith that this is done; they have not been called by a proven obedience. This has been done solely by God to fulfill a promise made to Jacob/Joseph centuries ago. Moses has played a role as has Aaron but not even they knew what to do or how much that it was going to take. Not one of these works could anyone have done themselves.