On his deathbed,
Israel said to Joseph,
“Behold, I am dying,
but God will be with you
and bring you back
to the land of your fathers
(to the land of Canaan).
Moreover I have given to you
one portion
above your brothers
which I took from the hand
of the Amorite
with my sword and my bow.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭48:21-22‬

Let’s break this down -
First, Levi did not get land.
Instead, Levi was allotted refuge
in the land of Canaan
that would be conquered
by Jacob’s sons.

Joseph also did not get land.
Instead, his portion was given
to his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

Joseph received a double portion,
one portion more than his brothers.

But, what did Jacob mean when he said,
“which I took from the hand of the Amorite?”

I can’t find anywhere in scripture
that references this.

I wonder what Amorite Jacob was referring to?
Was it a single man or an Amorite group?
Perhaps it was an Amorite king?

Is it possible that Jacob fought
against Amorite chiefs and their tribes
when he grew in the land of Canaan?

According to Genesis 10,
the Amorite kingdom came from
the fourth son of Canaan whose name was Emer.

Some information I found says
it’s hard to know the Amorite past
because they have
two different points of reference,
one from Mesopotamian literature
and one from biblical scripture.

What I did find interesting
is that Amorites were known as
“mysterious herders”
who became steeped in folklore.
The folklore says the
sons of Emer brought their flocks down
from the mountains of western Syria
into southern Mesopotamia.
They swept eastward, into the Levant,
and they transformed the social landscape
as they spread.

Apparently, the Amorites were fierce warriors
and often referred to as “horrible barbarians.”
I wonder if they came from Mount Hermon,
the land of the watchers?

In the Book of Deuteronomy,
Moses wrote that Og, the king of the Amorites,
was a very tall man whose bed was 13.5 feet long.
Deuteronomy 3:11

The Amorites were probably descendants
of the Giants, the Nephilim.
Who knows?

Later on, in the scripture,
we also learn that God destroyed them!
At least the ones that Joshua took on.
That was the day the sun stood still.

Joshua 10 references five Amorite kings -
the kings of Jerusalem,
Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon.
They all joined forces and moved their troops 
and took up positions against Gibeon.
The Gibeonites sent word to Joshua
in the camp at Gilgal:
“Come.  Do not abandon your servants.”

This is when the Lord
assured Joshua He was with him,
and Joshua commanded the sun to stand still.

In the book of Numbers, in Chapter 32,
Joshua was told by God
to give the Amorite territories to Manasseh,
the Joseph's first born son.

God has His timeline,
and we are His vessels.
“All things work together for good
to those who love God,
to those who are the called
according to His purpose.
For whom He foreknew,
He also predestined
to be conformed
to the image of His Son,
that He might be
the firstborn among many brethren.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:28-29‬

It’s been quite some time
since I’ve slept through the night.
I’d say it’s been about a month.
The first week I kept having bad dreams
about a crocodile coming out of the water
to come after me.
The crocodile was big and grayish green
and had ferocious teeth and had
sharp stubby knobs all over its back -
much like osteoderms.
I can’t remember much more than that,
but I immediately knew
I was under a spiritual attack.
Then, about a week into November
the Lord gave me a word and a vision
that totally lines up with Hebrews 12 -
my life verse.
I was sitting on my couch,
minding my own business,
when the Lord said,
“Look directly at Me.”
He said, “Do not turn you head
to the right or the left, not one bit,
because when you do
you lose the Light
that can only be found in Me.”
I heard,
“Keep your eyes focused on Me
so that you can be a TRUE reflection.”
Then He showed me.
In an instant, I began to see
the evil impact
of what we call DISTRACTION.
As my spiritual eyes began to shift,
looking just a degree
to the right or the left,
I became like the woman
with the crooked back.
I became dark and deformed.
My image blurred
and I began to look different from Him.
My image started to retract and bend,
and all I wanted was to readjust
and focus my eyes back on Christ
so that I could be
made clear and straightened.
When my eyes were fixed on Jesus,
I way okay.
When my eyes shifted away,
I was in decay.
Thank You Yahweh
for giving me words, visions and dreams.
Solomon wrote
“Where there is no vision,
the people perish:
but he that keepeth the law,
happy is he.”
Proverbs 29:18
Many people believe this to mean
that “vision” is a secular thing.
But that is not what God has showed me.
In my spiritual immaturity,
I used to believe that “the vision”
was all about me,
and being able to claim
the blessing that God had for me.
But they were not right, and neither was I.
When we take a part of God’s Word
and turn it upside down,
and twist it around
we are no different than Satan.
We see this time and time again.
For instance, many Christians will say,
“All things work together for MY good”
But the verse really says,
“All things will work together for good
to them that love God,
to them who are the called
according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28
Many people take the verse,
“write the vision down”
and make it about them.
They believe if you have vision
to accomplish your dreams
then you will be blessed,
and they will all come true.
I once thought this -
so I totally understand!
But now I know the God honest truth.
I used to get to work
and create vision boards -
full of my own desires
and self-centered goals.
Now the vision board itself is not bad.
In fact, I still use them to help me focus in on the things that line with God’s Word.
But we need to understand
that when we take our eyes off of Jesus, we become less like him
and more like us,
following the desires of our own heart.
And that my friend is not good.
In fact, it is very dangerous.
Proverbs 29:18 has a context.
“Where there is no vision,
the people perish:
BUT he that keepeth the law,
happy is he.”
Now what do you think that means?
“He that keepeth the law, happy is he.”
Well, once again,
the Word of God defines it.
Jesus said,
“Do not think that I have come
to abolish the Law or the Prophets;
I have not come to abolish them
but to fulfill them.”
Matthew 5:17
You see -
murder begins in the human heart.
This is how Satan deceives us.
The prophet Jeremiah said,
“The heart is deceitful
above all things and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?”
Jeremiah 17:9
On our own accord,
without the Word of God,
we are without light.
We are void.
But when we fix our eyes on Jesus,
the champion who initiates
and perfects our faith, joy awaits us.
Because Jesus endured the cross,
and disregarded its shame,
He alone is seated
in the place of honor
beside God’s throne.”
Hebrews 12:2
Jesus is the Light of this world,
and it’s only His light
that gives light to men.
“In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through Him,
and without Him nothing was made
that was made.
In Him was life,
and the life was the light of men.
And the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness
did not comprehend it.”
‭‭John‬ ‭1:1-5‬
I have become humbled,
in my spirit and through the truth.
For some reason
the Lord has chosen me -
a wretched woman to be His child.
I don’t understand it!
It’s the very best present -
because only God is good.
I am not.
The Lord has given me
spiritual eyes to see.
And it’s only because of Him
that I am able to have discernment.
I am not perfect.
In fact, I am far from it!
I am made perfect only in Christ.
And this is how He did it…
At the appointed time,
in the fall of 2016,
I was pulled from the pit of hell
by the hand of Jesus.
I was depressed, and anxious.
I saw no way out.
I was suicidal.
I hated myself.
But Jesus came,
and I was lifted from the swamp,
Onto a boardwalk,
by the right hand of God.
Jesus held me up.
He supported me, but kept me walking.
With each step, I gained strength,
until we came to the door of a tent.
We stopped, just for a moment.
and then Jesus opened the door
and I floated in - I could not prevent it.
Oh, the Light.
The light was magnificent.
It was so bright!
And I became a part of it.
It’s so hard to explain it.
Then suddenly, without warning,
I was back on the boardwalk,
dressed as a warrior -
standing ready to defend
the honor of God, with sword in hand.
I know it sounds weird.
If it didn’t happen to me,
I don’t think I would believe it.
It was that day dream I had
back in the fall of 2016
that made my life totally change.
The vision became plain -
Christ is the fulfillment of God’s law,
and happy is he that lives it.
You see,
the enemy wants to distract me.
His goal is to do anything
that can shake me,
so that I take my eyes off of Christ.
But I will continue to resist,
by keeping my eyes focused on Jesus,
the author of my faith.
Jesus said,
“The thief comes only to steal
and kill and destroy.
I came that they may have life
and have it abundantly.”
John 10:10
The crocodile dream -
it’s not a nightmare like I once thought.
No, it’s not!
It’s a warning, from God
that I am under spiritual attack.
And because God is good,
I can trust that He covers me.
Within one week
from having the crocodile dreams,
God gave me another daydream.
That is one of the ways
that He works in my life.
He gives me visions and dreams.
He showed me His glorious light,
and showed me what happens
when I take my eyes off of Him,
even for a second.
I become deformed and perverted,
blurred and mutated,
darkened and damned -
with no clear distinction
or joy in my heart.
The vision was enough to remind me
of the reason why I have fear of the Lord
and accountability.
It’s all for my own good.
Gods the father is a good, good dad!
My name is Cherie,
I am Daughter of the Most High King!
I bear witness to the Light of Jesus.
Jesus is the true Light
which gives light to every person
coming into the world.
Jesus was in the world,
and the world was made through Him,
and the world did not know Him.
He came to His own
(the children of Abraham,
Isaac and Israel)
and His own did not receive Him.
But as many as received Him,
to them He gave the right
to become children of God,
to those who believe in His name:
who were born, not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God.”
‭‭John‬ ‭1:6-13‬

Be careful of distractions.
Make a clear vision
by keeping your eyes focused on Jesus.

What is your occupation?

I’ve been a school counselor most of my life -
helping students of all ages
try to understand themselves
and put a plan in place
to have good mental health.
And I’ve also taken a ton of courses
to help people consider 
their occupational selves.

Our identity often becomes intricately related
to what we love to do,
how we spend our time
and what is important to us.
Basically, our occupation serves a purpose -
It is tied to our output 
and it often reflects our productiveness
and predicts our financial health.

Think about it.

When you meet a person for the first time,
what is one of the first questions
that you usually ask them?

In my experience, it happens within seconds.
The person says “What is your name
and what do you do?”

So it did not surprise me, not one bit,
that Pharaoh asks,
“What is your occupation?”
when he first met
the brothers of Joseph, the sons of Jacob.

He did not say,
“Hello, how are you?
How was your trip?”
Instead he said,
“What is your occupation?”
(so I can know worth)

It also does not surprise me
that the noun "occupation"
comes from the verb "to occupy" 
which means to dwell or abide.

I mean, our occupation
is where we spend most of our time.

Remember -
God worked six days, and only rested one.
A lot of of time was spent
creating that which He loved.

God’s work reflected his thoughts
which reflected His heart -
and everything He made was judged as good.

We, on the hand, are human,
and the scripture says the human heart
is the most deceitful of all.
The output of us often leads to our fall.

We have to be careful
when we become really good
at what we do,
because it’s easy to become
an idol of YOU. 

It does not matter
if we are a skilled craftsman,
a chief magician or a master shepherd ;
a chief baker, chief butler
or a wonderful mom -
our identity can not become
wrapped up in anything but God.

Which is why Jesus said,
“it is easier for a camel
to pass through the eye of a needle
than for a rich man
to enter the kingdom of God.”
Matthew 19:24

It is true.
The rich man could be all about money,
but it can also reflect that which we love.

At any moment,
we could be put to the test
and all that we have could be taken from us -
just like what happened to Job.

And all of it happens
under the sovereignty of God!

We have to be careful
about what God has entrusted to us.
We must consider the questions
Do we possess it?
Does it possess us?

Now the opposite of possession,
and possessiveness -
is to steward what we have 
for the sake of God.

If we change our mindset,
and stop hoarding “what is ours”
then we are much more likely
to water Kingdom fields
of the Most High God.

Jacob’s sons said to Pharaoh,
“Your servants are shepherds,
both we and also our fathers.
We have come to dwell in the land,
because your servants
have no pasture for their flocks,
for the famine is severe
in the land of Canaan.
Now therefore,
please let your servants dwell
in the land of Goshen.”

Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph,
“The land of Egypt is before you.
Have your father and brothers
dwell in the best of the land;
let them dwell in the land of Goshen.
And if you know
any competent men among them,
then make them chief herdsmen
over my livestock.”
Genesis 47:3-7

Pharaoh took the opportunity
to have master shepherds
oversee his herds,
he gave them the best of his fields.

The scripture says,
“Joseph brought in his father Jacob
and set him before Pharaoh;
and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
And Joseph situated his father
and his brothers,
and gave them a possession
in the land of Egypt,
in the best of the land,
in the land of Rameses,
as Pharaoh had commanded.
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭47:11

Jacob blessed Pharaoh
by using His skills
to care for his own flock,
and the flock of Egypt.

I believe this is what God
calls us each to do -
to use our occupation
to serve His Kingdom
on earth as it is Heaven.

Until the age to come,
when God creates the New Jerusalem,
the fields are full of both wheat and tares -
It's not our job to separate them.

In fact, we have been warned by Jesus himself.

“Later, the wheat grew,
and heads of grain grew on the plants.
But at the same time
the weeds also grew.
Then the man’s servants
came to him and said,
‘You planted good seed in your field.
Where did the weeds come from?’
The man answered,
‘An enemy planted weeds.’
The servants asked,
‘Do you want us to go
and pull up the weeds?’
He answered, ‘No,
because when you pull up the weeds,
you might also pull up the wheat.
Let the weeds and the wheat
grow together until the harvest time.”
Matthew 19:26-30

What is your occupation?

Perhaps it should be stewarding
what God gave to us,
and watering everything that grows
in the Kingdom fields of God.

Your worth is not in your occupation.
Your worth is in your WHO you work for.

Judah went first.

Jacob sent Judah
before him to Joseph,
to point out the way to Goshen.

God sent His Son
to bring forth the way.

Yahweh,
He who makes that which has been made,
sent Jesus into the world to be His first fruit.

And they came to the land of Goshen.

Goshen is considered
a place of comfort and plenty;
it was situated on the Nile, northeast of Egypt.

When Judah and Jacob arrived in Goshen,
Joseph went up to meet with his father.

Joseph presented himself before his Lord.
He fell on his neck and wept a good while.

Israel said to Joseph,
“Now let me die,
since I have seen your face,
because you are still alive.”

Then Joseph said to his brothers
and to his father’s household,
“I will go up and tell Pharaoh
that you have arrived.”

“I will tell him you are shepherds,
for your occupation has been
to feed livestock;
and they have brought their flocks,
their herds, and all that they have.”

Joseph warned them that pharaoh would ask,
‘What is your occupation?’

And he urged them to say
that they were shepherds
from youth until now.
This would enable them to live
in the fertile ground of Goshen,
“for every shepherd
is an abomination to the Egyptians.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭46:28-34

Why would shepherds
be an abomination to Egyptians?

Why would Egyptians
want to be separated from them?

Perhaps it’s because Egypt bowed down
to livestock they believed
were made in the image of the gods?

Perhaps it’s because Egypt had ultimate power
and every other nation was subservient to them?

Perhaps the pastors of the Canaanite fields
were viewed as poor wanderers
who had no real home?

I really do not know.

But I do know this -
Yahweh chose Jacob for a specific reason,
perhaps it’s because of the faith of Abraham?

For some reason all other nations
had been given to the gods,
and God chose Israel to be his own
as described in Deuteronomy 32.

“When the Most High
divided their inheritance to the nations;
When He separated the sons of Adam,
He set the boundaries of the peoples
According to the number
of the children of Israel.
For the Lord’s portion is His people;
Jacob is the place of His inheritance.”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭32:8-9‬

For more information on the
“Sons of God," look up Michael S. Heiser,
a biblical languages scholar.

If one were to read 1 Enoch 6 and 8
(which was included in the Septuagint)
one gets a detailed description
of the sin of the watchers,
nephilim referred to in Gen. 6,
and the judgement of the 200 Watchers,
and 70 Sons of God.
Far from being poly or henotheistic,
these 70 would be
considered angelic in nature.
They are created
and share in certain governing duties
on a divine council.
They were NOT to be worshipped ever.
They are not children or offspring.
They govern humans
not create humans to serve the gods
as in other polytheistic religions.
If we are going to get at the context
we are going to need to understand
how people 2000 years ago
thought about Enoch's account.”

This passage above came from
a Biblical Hermeneutics website.

The 12 tribes of Israel
would be fertile ground
(much like Goshen)
for God our Father to bring forth His seed.

“And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3:15‬

Yesterday we saw what happened
when Jacob learned that Joseph was alive.
His heart literally stopped, then revived.
His spirit came alive.

Joseph’s death was completely erased
when Jacob learned that his son had risen!
Jacob was given new motivation.

When he heard that his beloved was alive,
he said, “I will go and see him before I die.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭45:28‬

This story reminds me of Simeon
in Luke 2:25-35.

“So Israel took his journey
with all that he had,
and came to Beersheba,
and offered sacrifices
to the God of his father Isaac.”

Beersheba was the location
where Jacob’s father built an altar to God,
after leaving the well at Rehoboth.

At Beersheba the Lord appeared to Isaac
the same night and said,
“I am the God of your father Abraham;
do not fear, for I am with you.
I will bless you and multiply your descendants
for My servant Abraham’s sake.”
So he built an altar there
and called on the name of the Lord,
and he pitched his tent there;
and there Isaac’s servants dug a well.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭26:24-25‬

In Beersheba, God spoke to Israel
in the visions of the night,
and said, “Jacob, Jacob!”
Genesis 46:1-2

This is interesting.

The Lord gave Jacob
the new name of Israel,
but here in Beersheba He called him Jacob.

Jacob responded just like his forefathers
and said, “Here I am.”

Then God announced himself
and said, “I am God, the God of your father;
do not fear to go down to Egypt,
for I will make of you a great nation there.
I will go down with you to Egypt,
and I will also surely bring you up again;
and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.”

What did He mean by
“Joseph will put his hand on your eyes?”

Most of the commentaries that I read
about the meaning of Joseph
putting his hand on Jacob’s eyes
had to do with cultural significance.
They say that it is a reference to death;
since it was the custom to close
a deceased person's eye when they died.

And while this is true,
and is probably the meaning behind it -
the Holy Spirit is leading me 
to think it is about Jesus.

In particular, the passage that comes to mind
is Jesus using mud give sight to the blind
found in John 9.

And His disciples asked Him,
“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,
that he was born blind?”

Jesus answered,
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,
but that the works of God
should be revealed in him.
I must work the works
of Him who sent Me while it is day;
the night is coming when no one can work.
As long as I am in the world,
I am the light of the world.”

When He had said these things,
He spat on the ground
and made clay with the saliva;
and He anointed the eyes
of the blind man with the clay.
And He said to him,
“Go, wash in the pool of Siloam”
(which is translated, Sent).
So he went and washed,
and came back seeing.”
‭‭John‬ ‭9:2-7‬

You SEE, I am a prophet
of the New Testament.
I will no longer hide
to make people feel good.

God himself has opened my eyes,
and everything I SEE is about Jesus Alive.

Where the world sees death,
I see new life.
Where the world sees pride,
I see humility.
Where the world sees rebellion,
I see submission.
Where the world sees religion,
I see intimacy.

On THIS ROCK,
I have my foundation.
Nothing can shake me,
not even the winds
that hurl in every direction.

I once was dead in my spirit,
just like Jacob;
and just like Jacob,
I wrestled with God
and God himself gave me a new name.

My name is DAUGHTER of the Living King;
and everything I SEE is about Jesus Alive;
and with His love and His strong foundation
no man can stop me from speaking about Him.

This is the gift that I have been given.

Everyone receives what God gives to them,
but all children of God  carry out His mission.

Some help the homeless,
some single women,
some feed the orphans,
some take in foster care children,
some go into hospitals,
some care for the sick,
some give hope to the hopeless
by coming beside them in their brokenness.

All children of God are fully equipped
to be New Testament prophets
and point people to Jesus.

Every verse we read
comes from the legal document
that is signed and delivered,
by God himself.

The Bible speaks to God’s ownership
and his sovereignty of his legal property rights.

A Good Deed only comes from God,
and those who are called
according to His purpose.

“Then Jacob arose from Beersheba;
and the sons of Israel
carried their father Jacob,
their little ones, and their wives,
in the carts which Pharaoh
had sent to carry him.
The persons of the house of Jacob
who went to Egypt were 70 in all.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭46

The Most Holy God is Yahweh.
He is the creator
and ruler of the whole universe.
The heavens and the earth are fully His.

Thus says the LORD:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.”
Isaiah 66:1

When He is ready
the heavens and the earth will disappear,
and all that will remain
is what remains in Him.

“Remain in Me,
and I will remain in you.
Just as no branch can bear fruit
by itself unless it remains in the vine,
neither can you bear fruit
unless you remain in Me.”
John 15:4

These words that I write
are faithful and true.
Look at the scripture
and you will see them too.

“Now I saw a new heaven
and a new earth,
for the first heaven
and the first earth had passed away.
Also there was no more sea.
Then He who sat on the throne said,
“Behold, I make all things new.”
And He said to me,
“Write, for these words
are faithful and true”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21:1, 5

 hate to say it, but so far in the scripture,
Judah had shown himself not as a lion,
but as a weasel.

In Genesis 43, however,
Judah steps up to the plate
and shows what he can do.

Prior to Genesis 43,
Judah was envious of Joseph
and plotted his demise
by selling Joseph
into the hands of the Ishmaelites.

Judah had three sons.
The scripture says that two of them
were so wicked in the eyes of the Lord
that they ended up dead.

Judah told lies.

After his oldest sons’ died,
Judah told Tamar, his daughter-in-law,
to “remain a widow in his house
till his youngest son Shelah was grown.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭38:11‬

But when Tamar saw that Judah lied,
and had no intention to make her Shelah’s wife,
she tricked Judah into sleeping with her
so that she could have children
from Israel’s family line.

“And it came to pass, after about 3 months,
that Judah was told,
Tamar was with child by harlotry.”
Judah said,
“Bring her out and let her be burned!”
Every time I hear his response,
I burn and think
“What a double-standard bastard!”
When Tamar was brought out she said,
“By the man to whom these belong,
I am with child.” And she said,
“Please determine whose these are -
the signet and cord, and staff.”
Judah saw that they were his and said,
“She has been more righteous than I,
because I did not give her to Shelah,
my son.” And he never knew her again.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭38:24-26‬

Come On -
you have to admit -
Judah behaved more like a weasel than a lion!

It’s hard to believe that from this man,
the Lion of Judah roars!

But here, in Genesis 43,
Judah finally steps up
and becomes a man of God.

Judah gets tired of Israel
making excuses and dragging his feet.
Judah stood face to face
with Israel and said,
“The man (Joseph) solemnly warned us.
He said, “You shall not see my face
unless your brother is with you.’
“If you send our brother (Benjamin)
with us, we will go down
and buy you food.
But if you will not send him,
we will not go; for the man said to us,
“You shall not see my face
unless your brother is with you.’ ”

Judah was done!
He gave his dad an ultimatum.
He said, “give us Benjamin or we will not go.”
Israel got angry and asked all his sons,
“Why did you deal so wrongfully with me
as to tell the man whether you had still
another brother?”

Then all of the brothers chirped in and said,
“The man (Joseph) asked us pointedly about ourselves
and our family, saying,
“Is your father still alive?
Have you another brother?’
And we told him according to these words.
Could we possibly have known
that he would say,
‘Bring your brother down’?”
Then Judah said to his father,
“Send the lad (Benjamin) with me,
and we will arise and go,
that we may live and not die,
both we and you, and also our little ones.
I myself will be surety for him;
from my hand you shall require him.
If I do not bring him back to you
and set him before you,
then let me bear the blame forever.
For if we had not lingered,
surely by now
we would have returned this second time.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭43:8-10
‬
Judah was ready to get the job done,
but his father, Israel,
had been restraining his sons.

Judah was willing to step in
and carry the weight of the full burden -
forevermore!

Israel finally said,
“If it must be so, then go”
But take some
of the best fruits of the land
in your vessels
and carry down a present for the man
(who we all know to be Joseph)
Take double money in your hand,
and return the money that was
in the mouth of your sacks;
perhaps it was an oversight.
Take your brother (Benjamin)
also, and arise, go back to the man
(Joseph who was second in command
of all of Egypt).”
And then Israel adds,
“And may God Almighty
give you mercy
before the man (Joseph)
that he may release
your other brother (Simeon)
and Benjamin.
If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!”

Israel was willing to endure the sorrow,
as long as Judah was able to roar!

The scripture tells us
the sons of Israel went down to Egypt,
with Benjamin, presents and double money in hand -
and they stood before Joseph.

When Joseph saw them
he told them to go into his home
and make themselves ready
to dine with him at noon.

The story goes on, but for now
I just want to acknowledge Judah,
and his transformation to a Lion of God.

Judah learned that time was being wasted -
“For if we had not lingered,
surely by now
we would have returned this second time.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭43:10‬

I can only imagine
that the Lion of Judah
is chomping at the bit,
eagerly waiting
for our Father to release Him.

“He who now restrains will do so
until He is taken out of the way.”
‭‭II Thessalonians‬ ‭2:7‬

Jesus said,
“I came to send fire on the earth,
and how I wish it were already kindled!
But I have a baptism to be baptized with,
and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭12:49-50‬

The Lion of Judah is coming soon,
and when He comes
He will he bringing 
​the sons of God with Him.

I can’t even Imagine
the amount of guilt that Reuben,
the oldest of Jacob,
must have carried and felt.

It was his idea
to throw Joseph into the pit,
even though the act
was meant to save Joseph from murder.

The scripture says,
“But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him
out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.”
And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood,
but cast him into this pit
which is in the wilderness,
and do not lay a hand on him” -
that he might deliver him
out of their hands,
and bring him back to his father.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭37:21-22‬

Reuben left Joseph alone
with nine of his older brothers -
nine brothers
who were supposed to love him,

Instead, they hated him.

Reuben must have thought
Joseph was safe from being murdered,
because the scripture says,
“Then Reuben returned to the pit,
and indeed Joseph was not in the pit;
and he tore his clothes.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭37:29‬

You see, it was Judah, not Reuben
who said to his brothers,
“What profit is there if we kill our brother
and conceal his blood?
Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites,
and let not our hand be upon him,
for he is our brother and our flesh.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭37:26-27‬ l

Reuben was Jacob’s oldest son,
and Judah was Jacob's fourth.

When Reuben found out
what had been done,
he tore his clothes in deep sorrow,
then he said to his brothers
“The lad so not more, as for me,
where shall I go?”
Genesis 37:30

I am the oldest,
and I can identify with Reuben's words. 
There is great responsibility
that comes with being born first.

How could he ever hide
from his father's disappointed eyes?

How could he ever escape
the sin that’s been done,
the wrong that’s been caused,
even if he did not directly cause it?

Reuben knew that Jacob loved Joseph,
more than anyone else;
Reuben knew his father
would never get over the loss.

And then...
Reuben went along with the lie
that was told.
He must have lived with guilt
every time Jacob mentioned Joseph
and the “fake” animal attack.

The scripture says,
“So they took Joseph’s tunic,
killed a kid of the goats,
and dipped the tunic in the blood”
and took coat to Jacob.
“And he recognized it and said,
“It is my son’s tunic.
A wild beast has devoured him.
Without doubt
Joseph is torn to pieces.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭37:31, 33‬

I can only imagine
that this secret caused Reuben
a ton of guilt.
The weight of it
must have ate him up
from the inside out.

So in Genesis 42,
it doesn’t surprise me one bit,
that Reuben is the one
whom Joseph overheard
“Did I not speak to you, saying,
“Do not sin against the boy’;
and you would not listen?
Therefore behold,
his blood is now required of us.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭42:22‬

When Joseph heard this,
the scripture says,
“he turned himself away
from them and wept.
Then he returned to them again,
and talked with them.
And he took Simeon from them
and bound him before their eyes.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭42:24‬

I believe that Joseph knew
the heart of Reuben
when he heard his repent,
and because of this he could trust Reuben
to bring Benjamin back.

When Reuben returned to Israel
in the land of Canaan
he spoke to his father, and said,
“Kill my two sons
if I do not bring him back to you;
put him in my hands,
and I will bring him back to you.”
Genesis 42:37

Reuben was willing
to take responsibility for Benjamin,
so much so,
that he was willing to sacrifice his two sons.

I don’t think Reuben could handle
another death or disappointment -
at the cause of his responsible hands.

He had to take Benjamin back to save Simeon.

But Jacob said,
“My son (Benjamin) shall not go down with you,
for his brother (Joseph) is dead,
and he is left alone.”

"If any calamity should befall him along the way
in which you go,
then you would bring down
my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭42:38‬

I can only imagine those words
must have pierced Reuben's sorrowful heart.
Those words must have heaped on more guilt.

I wonder how Reuben lived with his sin.

He did not know about Jesus
and the words that He said.
He had never heard Jesus say, like we do,
“Take my yoke upon you and rest in me.”
Matthew 28:11

He had not heard the Psalm of David,
“For as the heavens
are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy
toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed
our transgressions from us.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103:11-12‬

Poor Reuben
must have been
overwhelmed by guilt.

I wonder if God heard his repentant heart.
I wonder if the blood of Jesus
covers the sins of the past,
and all the repentant hearts who adored God?

I wonder if Reuben is saved -
has Reuben been delivered from eternal death?
‭‭
I Corinthians‬ ‭15:20-24‬ says,
“But now Christ is risen from the dead,
and has become the first fruits
of those who have fallen asleep.
For since by man came death,
by Man also came
the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ
all shall be made alive.
But each one in his own order:
Christ the firstfruits,
afterward those who are Christ’s
at His coming.
Then comes the end,
when He delivers the kingdom
to God the Father,
when He puts an end
to all rule and all authority and power.”

Personally, I believe that the blood of Christ
covers all the Children of God -
those present, future and past.

I’m excited to see what happens next.

“And we know
that all things work together
for good to those who love God,
to those who are the called
according to His purpose.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:28‬

Joseph was definitely God’s vessel.

God knew all along
that Joseph would be sold into slavery
by his brothers,
and He knew that Joseph would be
bought by Potiphar,
the Egyptian Captain of Pharaoh’s Guard.

God knew
that Joseph would be wrongfully accused
by Potiphar’s wife,
and God knew
that Joseph would be thrown into prison.

God knew
that Joseph would be
able to interpret the butler’s dream,
and God knew
the butler would forget to mention Joseph
until exactly the right time.

God knew
the Pharaoh would have bad dreams
and that none of his magicians
would be able to understand what they mean.

God knew
the Pharaoh would see 
Joseph as a wise and discerning man
who could rule over his kingdom
and make sense of his dreams.

God knew
Joseph would marry
the daughter of a pagan priest -
the Priest of On.

Oh, as an aside...
On was a place
where creation was believed to take place,
by the Egyptians; 
the place where they believed that life began.

On was the home of Atum,
the first and the mightiest Egyptian god.
Atum was believed to have risen
from the Benben stone 
in the great temple of On -
to bring light into a dark world.

God knows all!

God is sovereign.

Everything that happens
falls under his mighty realm -
even the angels
whom he also created.

God is good.

He continues to extend his grace
as he waits for His appointed time,
the Day of the Lord.

At the appointed time,
Jesus will tear the seals on the scroll
that release God’s judgments onto the earth.

Until that day, God is patient -
waiting for those he loves to come home.

“Joseph’s advice was good 
in the eyes of Pharaoh
and in the eyes of all his servants.
And Pharaoh said to his servants,
“Can we find such a one as this,
a man in whom is the Spirit of God?”
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph,
“Inasmuch as God has shown you all this,
there is no one as discerning and wise as you.
You shall be over my house,
and all my people
shall be ruled according to your word;
only in regard to the throne
will I be greater than you.”

And Pharaoh said to Joseph,
“See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”
Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand
and put it on Joseph’s hand;
and he clothed him in garments of fine linen
and put a gold chain around his neck.
And he had him ride 
in the second chariot which he had;
and they cried out before him,
“Bow the knee!”
So he set him over all the land of Egypt.
Pharaoh also said to Joseph,
“I am Pharaoh, and without your consent
no man may lift his hand or foot
in all the land of Egypt.”
And Pharaoh called
Joseph’s name Zaphnath-Paaneah.
And he gave him as a wife Asenath,
the daughter of Poti-Pherah, priest of On.

So Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
Joseph was thirty years old
when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt.
And Joseph went out
from the presence of Pharaoh,
and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
Now in the seven plentiful years
the ground brought forth abundantly.
So he gathered up all the food of the seven years
which were in the land of Egypt,
and laid up the food in the cities;
he laid up in every city the food of the fields
which surrounded them.
Joseph gathered very much grain,
as the sand of the sea,
until he stopped counting, 
for it was immeasurable.
And to Joseph were born two sons
before the years of famine came,
whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah
priest of On, bore to him.
Joseph called the name
of the firstborn Manasseh:
“For God has made me forget
all my toil and all my father’s house.”
And the name of the second
he called Ephraim:
“For God has caused me to be fruitful
in the land of my affliction.”
Then the seven years of plenty
which were in the land of Egypt
ended, and the seven years of famine
began to come, as Joseph had said.
The famine was in all lands,
but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
So when all the land of Egypt was famished,
the people cried to Pharaoh for bread.
Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians,
“Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do.”
The famine was over all the face of the earth,
and Joseph opened all the storehouses
and sold to the Egyptians.
And the famine became severe
in the land of Egypt.
So all countries came to Joseph
in Egypt to buy grain,
because the famine was severe in all lands.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭41:37-57‬

​We can read all that we want,
and we still don’t know an inch of God
until He decides to show himself.

We are all vessels of God -
some are righteous and some are not.

Either way, we all will bow down
​to the Creator of the Universe.