“So they went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.” Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them.“– Genesis 45:25-26
I’ve sometimes wondered what it would be like to win the lottery.
Now I’m not saying I worship money or that money is something that consumes my thoughts all of the time but I ain’t gonna lie.
I’ve sometimes fantasized about what it would be like to suddenly come in possession of millions of dollars.
I would instantly quit my day job, pay off all my student loans, buy mansions in Tokyo, San Francisco, New York, and Israel, make plans to provide my parents the very, very best in elderly care, and hmmm maybe go to one of the best Biblical Studies seminaries in the world and get my Phd.
Fantasies aside, upon being informed I was holding the winning lottery ticket, I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t register at first.
I simply wouldn’t know how to process the information, so far removed from my daily reality such news would be.
Now think about Jacob when he was given the news that his most beloved son Joseph was living in Egypt.
Not only was he told that Joseph was alive but that “he was now ruler over all of Egypt”?
We’re not given much detail about how Jacob responded.
I imagine he laughed and said, “Come again boys?“
“I told you boys to buy food, not purchase Egyptian hashish as well.”
I would have loved to have been a fly on one of those camels just to see the expression on Jacob’s face the moment he received the news.
Make no mistake about it, Jacob’s life is about to change irrevocably forever.
When your son becomes ruler of one of the most powerful and wealthiest nations in the world, it’s a thousand times better than any mere lottery ticket.
I don’t think Jacob’s disbelief was swayed until he saw the wagons overloaded with choice items from the land that was soon to be his new home.
These would have been oxen-driven vehicles of a distinctive Egyptian design that would never be seen in Canaan and also of such high quality that a normal Canaanite buyer of grain would never be able to afford them.
Boy, when God blesses, He bless BIG!
So at the close of this chapter, we are fast approaching the end of the era of the Patriarchs.
Abraham and Isaac have passed away and Jacob is now at the age when he will soon go to be with his God.
He is now just a shadow of the powerful man who had made his way across the Jordan to Mesopotamia with only his walking staff and who wrestled with both divine beings and men.
By the way, in case you were wondering.
I don’t purchase lottery tickets and don’t recommend you do either.
Our faith in HASHEM is the only sure-fire lottery ticket we will ever need.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
But as the Tanach says,
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard
and no one’s heart has imagined
all the things that God has prepared
for those who love him.”
-1 Corinthians 2:9
NEXT TIME WE BEGIN GENESIS CHAPTER 46
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