FAMILY REUNION

God's plan, God's promises, God's provision, And God's will

By Jerelyn Pearson

Family reunions come in many shapes and sizes. I’m sure most of us have attended a few. This lesson is built around the most elaborate family reunion ever.

We will see that God had a PLAN for Joseph and his family. God revealed his plan through PROMISES. When God makes a promise, He PROVIDES the means to fulfill it according to his WILL. We will be viewing Joseph’s Family Reunion through God’s Plan, his Promises, his Provision, and his his Will.

Joseph was a very colorful character in the Bible. He even had a coat to prove it. He was a direct descendent of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob whom God had chosen to be the leaders of his chosen people. Joseph was the favorite son of his father Jacob, because he was the first born son of Rachael, Jacob’s true love.

The story of Joseph is a familiar one, from the time he was sold into bondage by his brothers, until he became second in command to Pharaoh in Egypt.

GOD’S PLAN

God had big plans for Joseph which included many events. Here’s a quick recap.

He was the favorite son.
His father gave him a coat of many colors.
He had prophetic dreams.
His brothers plotted to kill him. He was sold into bondage.
He was imprisoned by Potifer because of false accusation
He interpreted dreams and eventually gained favor with Pharaoh.
He predicted a famine and provided a solution.
Because of the famine his brothers traveled to Egypt for food.
He reconciled with his family and especially his father who thought he had died.
He provided for his family to live in Egypt where the family grew and became the Hebrews who would eventually depart from Egypt to the Promised Land

God has Plans for us too. Each of us has traveled a path of events that lead us to where we are today. Looking back I see times when I meandered from God’s Plan. But he was faithful to rescue me and guide me back into his will. Perhaps you have strayed and been redirected also. Even in our daily lives we can’t stay within God’s Plan without seeking his will often. He reveals his plan step by step as we stay in communion with him. The best way to stay in the will of God is to prayerfully read his Word everyday.

GOD’S PROMISES

God reveals his Plan through his promises. Long before Joseph was born God promised to make the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob into a great nation, to give them the Promised land, and to bless the rest of the nations of the earth through them.

But to become that great nation they would be sent away from the land of promise, to Egypt. At first they were honored guests, but they eventually became slaves in that land, just as God had told Abraham in Genesis 15:13. This was generations earlier!

Genesis 15:13
And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

It is often in times of difficulty that God’s promises are fulfilled.

He has promised that we will one day be like him. We can receive promises today and look forward to many more in the future as we seek his will in our daily lives.

Romans 8:29
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law

These amazing transformations often take place in times of testing, difficulty, and darkness.

Romans 5:3-4
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

James 1:2-4
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

1 Peter 1:6-7
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Just as God worked in Israel to bring them to the Promised land, he is working in us to be the people he wants us to be. But how often do we miss seeing the big picture in our lives when we face hard times? We often tend to focus on our circumstances instead of God’s scriptures.

His Promises are often fulfilled in times of difficulty.

Romans 15:4
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

GOD’S PROVISION

When God makes promises, he provides direction. He doesn’t leave us to figure it out for ourselves.

When Joseph reconciled with his family he did more than give them grain to sustain them where they were. He brought them into his land where they could not only survive but also prosper. He didn’t just invite them to come. He delivered them by sending a lavish caravan containing all they would need.

Genesis 45:17-21
17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade 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 yours.
21 And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.

Genesis 45:25-28
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.
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:
28 And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.

Joseph’s attention to detail in rescuing his family gives us a glimpse of God’s eternal provision for his people. We can take great comfort knowing that We can trust God to care for us in ways far beyond which we could even think to ask for.

Romans 8:26-27
26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Jeremiah 32:27
Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

God has Plans for us, which he reveals through his Promises according to his Will.

GOD’S WILL

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I struggle to know what God‘s will is in a certain circumstance. In the Scriptures it seems so plain when the angel of the Lord comes and gives specific instructions. Often it just doesn’t seem so clear when I pray and ask for direction.

God does promise that if we ask him for wisdom, it will be given to us. However, there are those times that we diligently seek him through prayer, reading the Bible, and we still don’t receive specific direction. Sometimes it could be that he’s leaving the choice up to us. For example, when Adam and Eve were in the garden, they were allowed to eat the fruit of all the trees except one. They didn’t have to ask, “Should I eat a banana or an orange?” The choice was theirs. So if God has given you the choice, choose wisely remembering the law of love.

Matthew 7:12
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

James 2:8
If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

Even when we stray from the will of God, be assured that he is faithful.

Psalms 48:14
For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.

2 Thessalonians 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) -

Through this greatest family reunion of all time we can learn to:

Study God’s Plan
Receive His Promises
Accept His Provision
Do His Will

Presented 21 April 2024 in Pride, Louisiana