Important notice: Always check out what you hear and see for yourself, as it is up to you as a Christian to do your own studying. Never take anyone's word alone, including this website here, without first always checking it out for yourself. As 2 Timothy 2:15 says "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
Genesis 45
1 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.
And so it was, Joseph had every Egyptian leave the area as he revealed himself to his brothers.
2 And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.
3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.
You can only imagine the shock they were in.
4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
In other words, Joseph doesn't want his brothers to be too hard on themselves as he understands that GOD turned this whole situation around into a good thing. Though it was greatly wrong on his brother's part, GOD was able to turn this bad situation into something good, as HE indeed does sometimes in our lives today. Think of some bad situations you have probably been in before, and how GOD turned them for good and used them for your benefit. As we can see, this shows you what kind of person Joseph was and how mature he was, even after his brothers sold him into slavery and threatened to murder him; he could have really let his brothers have it hard, but he didn't.
6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing (= ploughing) nor harvest.
Two years have passed and there are still five more years of famine to come.
7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
Notice Joseph gives GOD all the credit as we should always do today, concerning the things we have and the things we have achieved; He could have easily let his ego get out of control and boast about his life and bring his brothers down but he didn't because he was humble and mature.
8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
And again, GOD is the one who turned this bad situation into good and used it for their benefit. Never underestimate what GOD can do for you in your life, no matter where you might be today. Note that this saying "a father to Pharaoh" is not a Hebrew saying but an Egyptian one, that means Joseph was the head officer of Pharaoh and in other words means "first minister of the Pharaoh's household".
9 Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not:
Joseph was excited and wanted his brothers to go bring their dad to him as fast as they could.
10 And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen (= drawing near), and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:
Note that Joseph is looking out for his family here as he is telling them to dwell in Goshen. Goshen by the way is in the lower part of Egypt where the shepherd kings lived, and was a safer place at the time for them.
11 And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.
12 And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.
In other words, Joseph is telling his brothers to tell their dad (Israel [Jacob]) that he is one of the highest rulers in Egypt and not to tell him based on what he (Joseph) said, but to tell him based on what they have seen with their own eyes.
13 And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.
14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
15 Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.
16 And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.
And so it was, even the Pharaoh and the other servants were amazed by everything that had happened concerning Joseph's life.
17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade (= load) your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;
18 And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.
19 Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.
20 Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is your's.
In other words, he's telling them to just forget about their materialistic items from the land of Canaan as they will not need them in Egypt, as they will have even better things awaiting for them.
21 And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision (= food) for the way.
22 To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment (= clothes).
And again, five represents the number of grace in Biblical numerics. Naturally since Benjamin was Joseph's full brother, perhaps there was a little favoritism there and possibly he's still trying to see whether or not they're still going to hold in jealousy.
23 And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden (= loaded) with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn (= grain) and bread and meat for his father by the way.
24 So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.
In other words, Joseph's telling them to keep good relations with each other and not to start any arguments or feuds with each other, regardless of what they have done in their past.
25 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father,
26 And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not.
It was just an unbelievable and shocking feeling for Israel (Jacob) to hear this news.
27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:
In other words, Israel's (Jacob's) life got better to know that his son was not dead.
28 And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.
And so it was, Joseph had every Egyptian leave the area as he revealed himself to his brothers.
2 And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.
3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.
You can only imagine the shock they were in.
4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
In other words, Joseph doesn't want his brothers to be too hard on themselves as he understands that GOD turned this whole situation around into a good thing. Though it was greatly wrong on his brother's part, GOD was able to turn this bad situation into something good, as HE indeed does sometimes in our lives today. Think of some bad situations you have probably been in before, and how GOD turned them for good and used them for your benefit. As we can see, this shows you what kind of person Joseph was and how mature he was, even after his brothers sold him into slavery and threatened to murder him; he could have really let his brothers have it hard, but he didn't.
6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing (= ploughing) nor harvest.
Two years have passed and there are still five more years of famine to come.
7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
Notice Joseph gives GOD all the credit as we should always do today, concerning the things we have and the things we have achieved; He could have easily let his ego get out of control and boast about his life and bring his brothers down but he didn't because he was humble and mature.
8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
And again, GOD is the one who turned this bad situation into good and used it for their benefit. Never underestimate what GOD can do for you in your life, no matter where you might be today. Note that this saying "a father to Pharaoh" is not a Hebrew saying but an Egyptian one, that means Joseph was the head officer of Pharaoh and in other words means "first minister of the Pharaoh's household".
9 Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not:
Joseph was excited and wanted his brothers to go bring their dad to him as fast as they could.
10 And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen (= drawing near), and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:
Note that Joseph is looking out for his family here as he is telling them to dwell in Goshen. Goshen by the way is in the lower part of Egypt where the shepherd kings lived, and was a safer place at the time for them.
11 And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.
12 And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.
In other words, Joseph is telling his brothers to tell their dad (Israel [Jacob]) that he is one of the highest rulers in Egypt and not to tell him based on what he (Joseph) said, but to tell him based on what they have seen with their own eyes.
13 And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.
14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
15 Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.
16 And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.
And so it was, even the Pharaoh and the other servants were amazed by everything that had happened concerning Joseph's life.
17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade (= load) your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;
18 And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.
19 Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.
20 Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is your's.
In other words, he's telling them to just forget about their materialistic items from the land of Canaan as they will not need them in Egypt, as they will have even better things awaiting for them.
21 And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision (= food) for the way.
22 To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment (= clothes).
And again, five represents the number of grace in Biblical numerics. Naturally since Benjamin was Joseph's full brother, perhaps there was a little favoritism there and possibly he's still trying to see whether or not they're still going to hold in jealousy.
23 And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden (= loaded) with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn (= grain) and bread and meat for his father by the way.
24 So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.
In other words, Joseph's telling them to keep good relations with each other and not to start any arguments or feuds with each other, regardless of what they have done in their past.
25 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father,
26 And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not.
It was just an unbelievable and shocking feeling for Israel (Jacob) to hear this news.
27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:
In other words, Israel's (Jacob's) life got better to know that his son was not dead.
28 And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.