The Importance of the Family.

The Importance of the Family. Genesis 45:21-28.

After a long ordeal of having his brother’s turn on him, being sold as a slave, jailed on trumped up charges, and working his way to the top position in Egypt, Joseph was reunited with his family, forgiving them for what they did to him.

Joseph saw a bigger player throughout all these people he was involved with; it was God that allowed every situation and though sometimes they were bad situations, God was working for the good of Joseph and the families began by the sons of Israel.

Even the Pharaoh had invited all of their families with their herds to the safety of Egypt as there were to be five more years of famine.

Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them carts, according to the command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey. He gave to all of them, to each man, changes of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments. And he sent to his father these things: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for his father for the journey. So he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, “See that you do not become troubled along the way.” Genesis 45:21-24(NKJV).

The prompting of Joseph is a most interesting statement. “See that you do not become troubled along the way.” You see, the brothers had interesting ways of getting into trouble and Joseph wanted to remind them that they could still jeopardize their situation. Joseph knew that through they had salvation offered to them, they could still mess it up by sinning against their future.

Much like our situations we are saved by grace and not of ourselves, it is a gift of God. However, it we do sin we can confess our sin and be fully forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness. Yet, the Apostle Paul told us that he did not consider himself as already being safe, but that he was racing towards a finish line and after crossing over then he would have the prize; but the race is not over.

Many people like to pass off the mischief we can get into as being covered by the blood of Christ and that there is no worry. But the grasp of sin can once again take control of our life and pull us down to the pit. Continually we must consider ourselves dead to that old sinful life and resist the temptations of sin so that we may never fall short of the glory that awaits us.

This is what Joseph was telling his brothers; he wanted to see them back from their journey and safe where they could be a family again.

Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” And Jacob’s heart stood still, because he did not believe them. But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived. Then Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.” Genesis 25:1-28(NKJV).

There is no greater feeling than to be a father who is reunited with his family. In our generation, because of commerce and the ease of travel, families live apart from each other. Little is spoken about the psychological effects that has on them.

Recently a friend of mine showed me a photo he had found. In it were his grandfather, his great grandfather, and great great grandfather. In the days of old, a son would live not too far from his family and the influences of the elders played a significant role in shaping their lives.

Yet today many have traded that wisdom for acquired wisdom from the masses and children grow up without a valuable influence of knowing their grandparents and seeing how the family unit can help each other. This is one great reason why marriages have become so dispensable and other social harms occur from parted families also.

However, in our passage God felt it important to reunite this family. The family of Israel struggled and had their shortcomings, but God wanted to do a greater work in their life. He was building a nation of people and these were the birthing parents to that nation.

God went through much trouble to reassemble them and though it was in Egypt, what would come out of Egypt was going to be a great nation.

You can almost say that the same great struggle is happening today as God brings His people together in Church homes. We are brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus and we are gathering together to so that we can influence each other for good.

God is forming not just a nation, but a kingdom of people who are going to work together to eradicate sin so that we might be one with Him in Heaven. Therefore we must not allow ourselves to be pulled apart and work toward the unification of the church as one. We must make to our safe haven so that God may do his work of building a kingdom.