FULL CIRCLE
Genesis 42:6-7a, 8-9a
"Now Joseph was governor over the land, and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth. Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted as a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them...So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them...."
The story has come full circle. The dream that Joseph had as a teenager of his brothers bowing before him has now come to pass. Joseph is probably at least 44 years old. (He was 30 when he interpreted Pharaoh's dream, and there have been 7 years of plenty, and 7 years of drought.) I imagine that when Joseph saw his brothers, a lot of emotions surfaced, and he remembered how they had despised him and treated him roughly as a teenager. Even though he chose to forget (Genesis 41:50), the memory still lingered below the surface. I don't know if his rough treatment of his brothers and the accusation of being spies was a part of the retribution for their actions 27 years before, or if it was just a charade to make his brothers feel uncomfortable. Either way, the brothers were paying a price for how they treated Joseph years earlier. The brothers' actions have also come full circle. There is no statute of limitations on the results of doing wrong. Even though I am forgiven in heaven, there may still be consequences in this life. Life does go full circle. The past does impact today. It may lay buried, but it will come to the surface at some point. "For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known" (Luke 12:2). That is why it is so vital to be careful how I live.
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Life goes full circle, and both good and bad actions will be revealed.
[end]
Have a full circle day. Love you.
Genesis 42:6-7a, 8-9a
"Now Joseph was governor over the land, and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth. Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted as a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them...So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them...."
The story has come full circle. The dream that Joseph had as a teenager of his brothers bowing before him has now come to pass. Joseph is probably at least 44 years old. (He was 30 when he interpreted Pharaoh's dream, and there have been 7 years of plenty, and 7 years of drought.) I imagine that when Joseph saw his brothers, a lot of emotions surfaced, and he remembered how they had despised him and treated him roughly as a teenager. Even though he chose to forget (Genesis 41:50), the memory still lingered below the surface. I don't know if his rough treatment of his brothers and the accusation of being spies was a part of the retribution for their actions 27 years before, or if it was just a charade to make his brothers feel uncomfortable. Either way, the brothers were paying a price for how they treated Joseph years earlier. The brothers' actions have also come full circle. There is no statute of limitations on the results of doing wrong. Even though I am forgiven in heaven, there may still be consequences in this life. Life does go full circle. The past does impact today. It may lay buried, but it will come to the surface at some point. "For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known" (Luke 12:2). That is why it is so vital to be careful how I live.
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Life goes full circle, and both good and bad actions will be revealed.
[end]
Have a full circle day. Love you.
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