Moral Courage, part 1

Me and my mom in 1982. Happy Mother's Day!

Moral Courage, part 1 

Genesis 42 

Joseph, lesson 21 

When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them, saying, ‘The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly with us and took us for spies of the country. Be we said to him, we are honest men, we are not spies. We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no longer alive, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Canaan. 

The man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I will know that you are honest men; leave one of your brothers with me and take grain for the famine of your households, and go. But bring your youngest brother to me that I may know that you are not spies, but honest men. I will give your brother to you, and you may trade in the land. 

But Jacob said, ‘My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should befall him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow. 42:29-38 Read more


I Fear God

This is my grandson Ryker on our recent trip to Maui.

I Fear God 

Genesis 42  

Joseph, lesson 20 

Now Joseph said to them on the third day, ‘Do this and live, for I fear God; if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in your prison; but as for the rest of you, go, carry grain for the famine of your households, and bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be verified, and you will not die.’ and they did so. 

Then they said to one another, ‘Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul, when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore, this distress has come upon us.” Reuben answered them, saying, ‘Did I not tell you, do not sin against the boy; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood. 

They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them. He turned away from them and wept. Genesis 42:18-24 Read more


Sowing and Reaping 

This pic is with our grandsons in Maui last week.

Folks, my schedule has been especially busy recently and is going to continue for a little while. The time it takes to write, edit and post 5 days a week has been a little challenging. I'm going to post Monday, Wednesday and Friday for awhile to catch my breathe. Thank you for reading and thanks to many for the kind and encouraging emails.

God bless, Larry

Sowing and Reaping 

Genesis 42 

Joseph, lesson 19 

The full effect of the famine has set in. Jacob has sent his sons to Egypt to purchase grain. They came before Joseph, who was the master over the distribution of the storehouse of grain. 

But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him. Joseph remembered the dreams which he had about them, and said to them, ‘You are spies; you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land.’ Then they said to him, ‘No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. We are all sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants are not spies.’ Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive.’ 

Joseph said to them...by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here! ...So he put them all together in prison for three days. 42:8-17. 

The day of reckoning is here. The sowing of wickedness will eventually reap the consequences of justice. The full circle of irony has arrived: Read more


Fancy Meeting You Here! 

Folks, my schedule has been especially busy recently and is going to continue for a little while. The time it takes to write, edit and post 5 days a week has been a little challenging. I'm going to post Monday, Wednesday and Friday for awhile to catch my breathe. Thank you for reading and thanks to many for the kind and encouraging emails. God bless, Larry

This is a scene from our walk on the beach in Maui.

Fancy Meeting You Here! 

Genesis 42 

Joseph, lesson 18 

After a break last week, we are back to the story of Joseph and the Covenant keeping providence of God in our lives. Joseph has interpreted the Pharoah’s dream and seven years of famine will be coming upon them after seven years of great abundance. Pharoah exalted Joseph to second in the kingdom, but Joseph didn’t just sit around and enjoy the luxuries of life in the palace. Pharoah assigned authority and responsibility to Joseph to prepare Egypt for the drought. Joseph went to work during the time of plenty and worked with the people to save and store food for the future. 

When seven years of plenty which had been in the land of Egypt came to an end, and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said, then there was famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread...The people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the earth. 41:53-57 Read more


The New

The New Covenant 

But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises...Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, when I will effect a New Covenant...I will put My laws into their minds and I will write them on their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be My people...For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more. Hebrews 8:8-12 

Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 12:20,21 

I ended last time with this statement,  Read more


Covenant Keeper

20 years ago, Leigh and I took our daughters to the Del Coronado in San Diego. Beri and her family were there last week.

Covenant Keeper 

Joseph, lesson 17 

The purpose of the story of Joseph goes back to God’s covenants with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To Jacob, (Joseph’s father), God said: 

‘You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.’ Thus, he called him Israel. God also said to him, ‘I am God almighty; Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come forth from you. The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, and I will give the land to your descendants after you.” Genesis 35:9-12. Read more


The Moral of the Story

Happy Anniversary to our dear friends, Kim and Martin Nealey.

The Moral of the Story 

Genesis 41 

Joseph, lesson 16 

Pharoah said to Joseph, ‘see, I have set you overall the land of Egypt.’ Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put the gold necklace around his neck. He had him ride in his second chariot; and they proclaimed before him, ‘bow the knee!’ And he set him over all the land of Egypt. Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘though I am Pharaoh, yet without your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.’ Then Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as his wife. And Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt. 

What a difference a day makes. One day Joseph is languishing in jail. The next day he is before the king. The next day after that, he rises to second in power in the most powerful nation in the world. He rides around in a royal chariot and the people bow before him. Why did God orchestrate these events? What did Joseph do to earn this? Read more


Good Times

Grandson's Ryker on the right, Nate in the middle and cousin Mason.

Good Times 

Genesis 41 

Joseph, lesson 15 

This is a long chapter, 57 verses, but a very interesting narrative. It tells a fascinating story but doesn’t provide any color commentary. In sports, a color analyst will give his thoughts on what might be going on in the heads of the players, what the coach is thinking about or speculating what might be driving a particular play or overall strategy. He will also say whether he agrees with the coaches/players decisions or not. We don’t have such commentary in this chapter from the author. He never says something like, “this pleases God’ or “their hearts are far from God,” or something similar. Read more


God the Communicator

God the Communicator 

Genesis 41 

Joseph, lesson 14 

Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changes his clothes, he came to Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it.’ Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, ‘It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.’ 41:14-1 

There were various ways that God communicated during the era of the Old Testament. God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son... Hebrews 1:1,2. In the case of Joseph, God made Himself known through dreams. This is similar to what He did through Daniel. Joseph was before the king of Egypt and Daniel the king of Babylon. In both cases, God used humble, men of God. I’ll come back to that thought... Read more