The reading from yesterday and today were both a blessing, but there was not much that stood-out in either to me so I am going to give the quick highlights that I underlined in my Bible.

Genesis 44 Joseph had to test his brothers to see if they truly had changed. Would they give-up Benjamin easily as they had given him up? We see the answer is no. They tore their garments when the cup was discovered in Benjamin’s bag. Also, Judah steps forward, Judah who is found in the genealogy of Jesus steps in and says, “I will take the punishment” our father can’t stand to lose another son from this mother. I hear echoes of our Savior in that moment, “I will take their place we can’t stand to lose our children.”

Genesis 45 I underlined verse 5:

“Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.”               -Gen. 45:5

Again I hear echoes of a type of Christ. Sin brought Joseph to Egypt to preserve life…He says God but it was God acting as result of sin. Sin brought Jesus to this world to preserve life…God again acting as a result of sin.

Genesis 45:22:

“To each of them he gave changes of garments, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments.” -Gen. 45:22

Is Joseph repeating the error of favoritism of his father or does he still not fully trust his brothers and so he is still testing them?

Genesis 47:24:

“At the harvest you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four-fifths shall be your own for seed of the field and for your food and for those of your households and as food for your little ones.”

Look at that Joseph set-up a tax system…a flat tax…Lol

Now in today’s reading of Samuel

In chapter 6 verses 9 & 10 the question I wrote down was. Did the pagan priests of the Philistines prophesy correctly or did God condescend and do as they said would happen in order to show them He was the true God and they had done wrong in taking the Ark of the Covenant?

Also,

“And it came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons judges over Israel. 2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in Beersheba. 3 His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice.” -1 Samuel 8:1-3

The reason this caught my attention is that there is no indication of Samuel being a bad Dad, yet his sons still went astray…was he a bad parent like the example he had in Eli or did his sons just do what many good parents kids do, get caught-up in the wickedness of the world?

8:7 is a great reminder for all Christian leaders–if we are doing right and the people still reject us, it is not about us…because really it is about what they are saying to God. We need to not get to defensive…it is not all about us!

8:10-22 are extremely sad verses and remind me of our current political climate. There are so many red flags to the decision that the people were making but they were convinced having an authoritarian figure over them would be a blessing and their adulation for such a decision blinded them to the harmful doors (8:12-18) having a king would open.

“The people refused to listen…our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles” (help us to win again).

How utterly sad!

The last verse in today’s reading that I underlined:

Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me in this way?” -1 Samuel 9:21

As God so often does He chooses those who may seem to have the least power and to be the least expected to represent Him! A reminder that God’s calling is what matters and nothing else!

Tomorrow’s Reading: Psalms 33-35