Anita Mathias: Dreaming Beneath the Spires

Anita Mathias's Blog on Faith and Art

Divorce and little children. Matthew 19

By

The great Galilean ministry has now ended, and Jesus and his followers begin the momentous journey towards Jerusalem. 

Matthew 19

Divorce

 1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
His fame quickly spread because of his healing ministry in Galilee.

 3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him.
They attempted to get Jesus to incriminate himself through misinterpreting the law.
I am amazed he answered, but he did, and as in the Sermon on the Mount, his standards were more exacting than those of Moses

 They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

   4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’[a] 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’[b]? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
 7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”
 8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Marriage is a physical and emotional knitting, a knitting of spirits, not to casually unraveled.
People change, marriages change. Many marriages go through unhappy patches, but over time, hearts change, love grows, and one may land up not wanting to trade that once-annoying (perhaps still annoying!) spouse for the world.
Because of Christ’s release of the Holy Spirit, we need despair of no man or woman. And because divorce is generally a traumatic unravelling of what has been knit together, it should be a last resort. 
Scripture does provides grounds for divorce. Violence is mentioned in Malachi.”I hate divorce,” says the Lord, “and I hate a man covering his wife with violence.”

 10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”
Rather than have a life-long unhappy marriage. 

 11 Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. 
Those who have voluntarily accepted celibacy to give themselves more fully to God’s work. 

The one who can accept this should accept it.”
The Little Children and Jesus

 13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. 14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. 

My daughter Irene, aged 3. Notice a secret to Irene’s happiness in her fat paw: chocolate!

The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as 

these.

Instructions on becoming like little children.


Learn to let your face show what you really feel.
Do not contort it into a smile
When you see your enemy pass,
And inwardly you shrink.

Smile at those you like,
otherwise, nod.

Be honest. 
If you had a dreadful Christmas,
a dud holiday,
say so.

Be honest.
Say what you really think.

If you see injustice,
say “It is not fair.”
Do not let fear constrain you. 

Slow down.
See the full moon yellow in the sky,
the orange gerbera,
the variations of pebbles.

Whatever you do, 
do it with all your heart.

Never rush.
If adults say “Hurry up”
Say, “Wait.”

Delight again
in a bar of chocolate,
bubbles sparkling iridescent.

Grin when you are happy,
Cry when you are sad,
And forgive those who have made you sad. 

Keep short accounts.

Time is for having fun.

Enjoy motion,
Running, swimming, splashing.

Don’t worry too much about saving.
Your Daddy will give you more.

Remember to thank God who made everything,
and gave you, 
as much goodness
as your little hands 
can grasp.  

 

Divorce and little children. Matthew 19 Blog through the Bible Project

By

The great Galilean ministry has now ended, and Jesus and his followers begin the momentous journey towards Jerusalem.

Matthew 19

Divorce

1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
His fame quickly spread because of his healing ministry in Galilee.

 3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him.
They attempted to get Jesus to incriminate himself through misinterpreting the law.
I am amazed he answered, but he did, and as in the Sermon on the Mount, his standards were more exacting than those of Moses

They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

   4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’a]”>[a] 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’b]”>[b]? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
 7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”
 8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Marriage is a physical and emotional knitting, a knitting of spirits, not to casually unraveled.
People change, marriages change. Many marriages go through unhappy patches, but over time, hearts change, love grows, and one may land up not wanting to trade that once-annoying (perhaps still annoying!) spouse for the world.
Because of Christ’s release of the Holy Spirit, we need despair of no man or woman. And because divorce is generally a traumatic unravelling of what has been knit together, it should be a last resort. 
Scripture does provides grounds for divorce. Violence is mentioned in Malachi.”I hate divorce,” says the Lord, “and I hate a man covering his wife with violence.”

 10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”
Rather than have a life-long unhappy marriage. 

 11 Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.
Those who have voluntarily accepted celibacy to give themselves more fully to God’s work. 

The one who can accept this should accept it.”
The Little Children and Jesus

13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. 14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

My daughter Irene, aged 3. Notice a secret to Irene’s happiness in her fat paw: chocolate!

The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as 

these.

Instructions on becoming like little children.


Learn to let your face show what you really feel.
Do not contort it into a smile
When you see your enemy pass,
And inwardly you shrink.

Smile at those you like,
otherwise, nod.

Be honest. 
If you had a dreadful Christmas,
a dud holiday,
say so.

Be honest.
Say what you really think.

If you see injustice,
say “It is not fair.”
Do not let fear constrain you. 

Slow down.
See the full moon yellow in the sky,
the orange gerbera,
the variations of pebbles.

Whatever you do, 
do it with all your heart.

Never rush.
If adults say “Hurry up”
Say, “Wait.”

Delight again
in a bar of chocolate,
bubbles sparkling iridescent.

Grin when you are happy,
Cry when you are sad,
And forgive those who have made you sad. 

Keep short accounts.

Time is for having fun.

Enjoy motion,
Running, swimming, splashing.

Don’t worry too much about saving.
Your Daddy will give you more.

Remember to thank God who made everything,
and gave you, 
as much goodness
as your little hands 
can grasp.   

Share on multiple social sites … Wikio

Feel-good foods, a guest post by Roy Mathias

By

Guest post by Roy Mathias

Perhaps in Lent I should not be writing about the different ways food can make us feel good.  So let me start with

Fasting.   It can make you feel terrific after a couple of days, but I’m sure can have too much of good thing.  Fasting is also the body’s natural response to some illnesses.

Comfort food.    This is usually a childhood favourite, warm, hearty, rich, simple, and usually inexpensive;  spaghetti and meatballs, Irish stew, fish and chips, pizza (my favourite), chicken tikka masala, bangers and mash, or a full English breakfast, followed apple crumble topped with ice cream if more comfort is needed .

Organic food.  Of course, for most of human history,all food was of  necessity organic.   The industrial revolution brought chemical fertilisers and pesticides and greatly increased harvests.  Organic agriculture ha recently become fashionable, but Sir Albert Howard, writing in the 1940, based on experiments started in 1910 says

“This law is true for soil, plant, animal, and man: the health of these four is one connected chain.  Any weakness or defect in the health of any earlier link in the chain is carried on to the next and succeeding links, until it reaches the last, namely, man.  The widespread vegetable and animal pests and diseases, which are such a bane to modern agriculture, are evidence of a great failure of health in the second (plant) and third (animal) links of the chain.  The impaired health of human populations (the fourth link) in modern civilised countries is a consequence of this failure in the second and third links. This general failure in the last three links is to be attributed to failure in the first link, the soil: the undernourishment of the soil is at the root of all.”

In “Farming and Gardening for Health or Disease” he presents the remarkable example of his uninoculated oxen, fed  purely organic high quality feed  living on his organic farm in Pusa, Bihar (India), resisting resisting infection with foot-and-mouth disease from the cattle in neighbouring farms with which they mingled.

Surely eating organic makes us feel better?

Home grown.  Our first home grown tomato of the season is ceremonially quartered and shared by the family.  The taste is nothing special, but there’s pride and pleasure in the plucking.

Fair trade.  Buying and eating fair trade makes us feel good as the pounds we are spend are doing good to a few farmers and are not  encouraging ruthless bottom-line economics.  COOP,  established by the Rochdale Pioneers in 1844 (based on the Rochdale Principles that are used in different forms by co-operatives worldwide), is  well known for its ethical trading and leadership in fairtrade.  In a major initiative they supported over 10,000 smallholder tea farmers organise into co-operatives, and so get fair trade status and power to negotiate higher prices.  Here’s a picture of a Kenyan tea plantation where some of the COOP tea comes from. In fact, you can join the revolution that was started over 150 years ago, and help out your local area and further afield.

 

 

The Relentless Evolution of Language

By


British LibraryBritish Library

Nothing stays constant, not even words. Their means slips, slides, changes.


In church, children sing, “Our God is an awesome God.” Awesome now means an all-round cool guy, a marvellous person. It used to mean that which inspires awe and reverence.


Our semi-slang term “cool,”  a few decades old, borrows meaning from the French sang-froid,, literally cold-blood, or calm and  composure.


“Neat” no longer means tidy but cool.


“Nice” is probably the one word which has evolved the most.  It meant  “foolish, stupid, senseless,” in the late 13 century derived from the Latin nescius “ignorant,” from ne- “not” + stem of scire “to know.” The sense development has been extraordinary, even for an adjective moving from “timid” (pre-1300); to “fussy, fastidious” (late 14c.); to “dainty, delicate” (c.1400); to “precise, careful” (1500s, preserved in such terms as a nice distinction and nice and early) to “agreeable, delightful” (1769); to “kind, thoughtful” (1830). By 1926, it was pronounced by Fowler to be “too great a favourite with the ladies, who have charmed out of it all its individuality and converted it into a mere diffuser of vague and mild agreeableness.”
“I am sure,” cried Catherine, “I did not mean to say anything wrong; but it is a nice book, and why should I not call it so?” “Very true,” said Henry, “and this is a very nice day, and we are taking a very nice walk; and you are two very nice young ladies. Oh! It is a very nice word indeed! It does for everything.” [Jane Austen, “Northanger Abbey”]

Sometimes, the evolution of language makes it hard for us to read a piece as the author intended it. W.B. Yeats in his great poem “Lapis Lazuli” writes
All perform their tragic play,

There struts Hamlet, there is Lear,

That’s Ophelia, that Cordelia;

Yet they, should the last scene be there,

The great stage curtain about to drop,

If worthy their prominent part in the play,

Do not break up their lines to weep.

They know that Hamlet and Lear are gay;

Gaiety transfiguring all that dread.
Yeats meant gallantly and inexorably cheerful when he wrote “gay.” Today, the words would be read in a very different sense. 

Nowadays much of the evolution of English is in the direction of the watering down of language. People use the noun “epic” as an adjective–“an epic fail,” and words like immense or massive, when they mean “not too bad.” This is now even apparent in Britain where understatement has traditionally been the norm, and people describe their well-being by the phrase, “not too bad,” whether they have just won the lottery, or lost their wallet. 

The exhibition, Evolving English: One Language, Many Voices (www.bl.uk/evolvingenglish) is now on at the British Library but only until April 3, 2011. (Free)

Experience some of it without leaving your computer.  Try  the Quiz http://www.bl.uk/evolvingenglish/quiz.html,  (I got 6/6 on the medium level, and 5/6 on the egghead level.)
Record your voice to add to the collection of English being gathered from across the globe. (http://www.bl.uk/evolvingeenglish/maplisten.html).  
  Listen to English as it is spoken around the world.
Tweet your comments, or quiz results,  using #evolvingenglish (link the #tag to http://bit.ly/dmIoPm)
Enjoy!

Sponsored Post

Click button to share on Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Delicious, Reddit … Wikio

Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus

By

Christopher Marlowe

 

We saw the Creation Theatre’s production of Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus at Blackwell’s on Friday. Amazing to watch it surrounded by books in the Norrington Room.

I was amazed to realize how much of that sheer poetry I remembered from my undergraduate days–I have only seen Faust once since then.

 

Mephistopheles was a low-key demon who plaintively explains

Why this is hell, nor am I out of it.

Think’st thou that I who saw the face of God,

        75

And tasted the eternal joys of Heaven,

Am not tormented with ten thousand hells,

In being depriv’d of everlasting bliss?

 

As a century later Milton’s Satan would say, “Which way I fly is Hell; myself am Hell…” 

There was splendid poetry such as Faustus’s tribute to Helen of Troy

Was this the face that launch’d a thousand ships,
And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?
Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss.
Her lips suck forth my soul: see where it flies!
Come, Helen, come, give me my soul again.
Here will I dwell, for heaven is in these lips,
And all is dross that is not Helena.

 

And then his anguished cries as the midnight nears,

O I’ll leap up to my God! Who pulls me down?
See, see where Christ’s blood streams in the firmament!
One drop would save my soul, half a drop: ah my Christ—
Ah, rend not my heart for naming of my Christ;
And the horror of eternity strikes him
O, if  my soul must suffer for my sin,
Impose some end to my incessant pain;
Let Faustus live in hell a thousand years,
A hundred thousand, and at last be sav’d!

It was an amazing play, very dramatic, and played in an understated way.
On the face of it, Faustus made a sensible bargain. He did not believe in hell–or didn’t want to think of it–so for wealth, fame, success, sex, he bargains away his soul. Of course, as the hour of death neared, he had second thoughts….

Temptation was presented beautifully, with both the kindly and menacing angels speaking persuasively to Faustus’s shattered, tormented soul…
* * *

We had a fab and most stimulating weekend, though we were so shattered by Sunday that we did not go to church, which caused some guilt and sadness in me–not so much that I did not go to church, as because I did not take the girls, and that Roy would have profited, as would I.

Oh well, we had the plumber in during the morning for a leak, had a visitor whose visit spilled over the evening service, and felt so physically uncomfortable as I hadn’t exercised, that I chose the gym instead of church, and felt a whole lot better for it (probably).

When I am physically uncomfortable and haven’t exercised, I find it hard to pray. And a comfortable, well-exercised body does wonders for the soul.

And here are Zoe and Irene in the Norrington Room at Blackwells.  Each of them, true bookworms, grabbed a book in the interval. Note what they grabbed

 

Jacob is reunited with Joseph, Genesis 46

By

Genesis 46

Jacob Goes to Egypt

 1 So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

 2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”
   “Here I am,” he replied.
 3 “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.”
The Lord speaks to Jacob with his trademark greeting, “Do not be afraid.”
His ability to hear God’s voice–even in the middle of his own sin and scheming–was one of Jacob’s greatest gifts–and this he retains through life.
And God’s kindness to Jacob remains throughout his long life.  

At Beersheba, where Abraham and Isaac had also worshiped the Lord, the Lord reiterates his covenant promises.
God would be with Jacob when he went south to Egypt, as he was with him when he went north to Haran.

 5 Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel’s sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt, taking with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan. 7 Jacob brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring.
 8 These are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt:
   Reuben the firstborn of Jacob.
 9 The sons of Reuben:
   Hanok, Pallu, Hezron and Karmi.
 10 The sons of Simeon:
   Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.
 11 The sons of Levi:
   Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
 12 The sons of Judah:
   Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan).
   The sons of Perez:
   Hezron and Hamul.
 13 The sons of Issachar:
   Tola, Puah,[a] Jashub[b] and Shimron.
 14 The sons of Zebulun:
   Sered, Elon and Jahleel.
 15 These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram,[c] besides his daughter Dinah. These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all.
 16 The sons of Gad:
   Zephon,[d] Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.
 17 The sons of Asher:
   Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah.
   Their sister was Serah.
   The sons of Beriah:
   Heber and Malkiel.
 18 These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah—sixteen in all.
 19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel:
   Joseph and Benjamin. 20 In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.[e]
 21 The sons of Benjamin:
   Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.
 22 These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob—fourteen in all.
 23 The son of Dan:
   Hushim.
 24 The sons of Naphtali:
   Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem.
 25 These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel—seven in all.
 26 All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons’ wives—numbered sixty-six persons. 27 With the two sons[f] who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family, which went to Egypt, were seventy[g] in all.
 28 Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father[h] and wept for a long time.
Joseph, the great and soft of heart.
 30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”
 31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.’ 33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you should answer, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”
Joseph uses his God-given administrative skills to ensure that his family settles safely in Egypt. He decides that Goshen would be the best location for them (thus preventing them assimilating into Egyptian society) and through skilful preparation and diplomacy, he ensures that Pharaoh confirms this choice of territory.

Grace and Peace, Paul’s Letter to the Romans

By

Romans Word Cloud

  In most of the New Testament letters,  rather than the typical Greco-Roman greeting chaire,          literally joy, one finds the formula “grace and peace” (charis kai eirene).

The typical Jewish greeting is shalom, which the Greek Old Testament usually translates eirene. “For the Hebrews and the people of the New Testament peace was not so much the absence of war or strife as the presence of positive blessing” (Wright, 53). 

Thus Paul incorporates a variation of the usual Greek greeting and the usual Jewish greeting into the blessing that he offers these Roman Christians–Grace and Peace. 

Grace (charis) is central to the Book of Romans.   

Christ encompasses both worlds, the Greek and the Jews. He offers unmerited free grace, and peace for the soul.

Immense concepts worth lingering and praying over.

Paul wrote immensely long sentences. Some of his sentences are the longest in the entire Bible, particularly those in Ephesians. It sometimes helps one to grasp his thought better if we split them up, almost as if they were a poem.

And so–deep breath– I embark on the Book of Romans. 

Romans 1

 1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus,
called to be an apostle
and set apart for the gospel of God—
2 the gospel he promised beforehand
 through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures
3 regarding his Son,
 who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David,
4 and who through the Spirit of holiness
 was appointed the Son of God in power
 by his resurrection from the dead:
Jesus Christ our Lord.
5 Through him we received grace and apostleship
to call all the Gentiles to the obedience
 that comes from faith
 for his name’s sake.
 6 And you also are among those Gentiles
 who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
 7 To all in Rome
who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:
   Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Click button to share on Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Delicious, Reddit … Wikio

Joseph forgives. Reconciliation. Gen 45 and 46. Blog Through the Bible Project

By

Genesis 45

Joseph Makes Himself Known
 1 Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.
 3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.
Joseph is a wonderful person–affectionate, caring and loving. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and it is a warm, loving, heart.
 4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here,
Inexplicable kindness. God has changed his heart in his years of suffering, and his years of exaltation.
because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
Forgiveness is somewhat easier when you can see how God has worked out all things for good.

8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.
NIV notes–God had a purpose to work through the brother’s jealous and cruel act.
” He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. 9 Now hurry back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay. 10 You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. 11 I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’
 12 “You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. 13 Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.”
The love between father and son is mutual.
 14 Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.
In the previous chapter, the brothers have acknowledged their guilt regarding Joseph, and have expressed concern for their father and younger brother. This enables the reconciliation between them and Joseph.
Joseph’s forgiveness still has something of the miraculous about it–and was only possible because God had changed his heart.
 16 When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come, Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased. 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan, 18 and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land.’
 19 “You are also directed to tell them, ‘Do this: Take some carts from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. 20 Never mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours.’”
 21 So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts, as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey. 22 To each of them he gave new clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekelsb]”>[b] of silver and five sets of clothes. 
Joseph had been sold into slavery for twenty shekhels of silver.
23 And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey. 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, “Don’t quarrel on the way!”
How well he knew them! He wanted them to avoid mutual accusation and recrimination about the past.
 25 So they went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. 26 They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.” Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “I’m convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
Miracles do happen

Genesis 46

Jacob Goes to Egypt
 1 So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
 2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”
   “Here I am,” he replied.
 3 “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.”
The Lord speaks to Jacob with his trademark greeting, “Do not be afraid.”
His ability to hear God’s voice–even in the middle of his own sin and scheming–was one of Jacob’s greatest gifts–and this he retains through life.
And God’s kindness to Jacob remains throughout his long life.  
At Beersheba, where Abraham and Isaac had also worshiped the Lord, the Lord reiterates his covenant promises.
God would be with Jacob when he went south to Egypt, as he was with him when he went north to Haran.

 5 Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel’s sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt, taking with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan. 7 Jacob brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring.
 8 These are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt:
   Reuben the firstborn of Jacob.
 9 The sons of Reuben:
   Hanok, Pallu, Hezron and Karmi.
 10 The sons of Simeon:
   Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.
 11 The sons of Levi:
   Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
 12 The sons of Judah:
   Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan).
   The sons of Perez:
   Hezron and Hamul.
 13 The sons of Issachar:
   Tola, Puah,a]”>[a] Jashubb]”>[b] and Shimron.
 14 The sons of Zebulun:
   Sered, Elon and Jahleel.
 15 These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram,c]”>[c] besides his daughter Dinah. These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all.
 16 The sons of Gad:
   Zephon,d]”>[d] Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.
 17 The sons of Asher:
   Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah.
   Their sister was Serah.
   The sons of Beriah:
   Heber and Malkiel.
 18 These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah—sixteen in all.
 19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel:
   Joseph and Benjamin. 20 In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.e]”>[e]
 21 The sons of Benjamin:
   Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.
 22 These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob—fourteen in all.
 23 The son of Dan:
   Hushim.
 24 The sons of Naphtali:
   Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem.
 25 These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel—seven in all.
 26 All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons’ wives—numbered sixty-six persons. 27 With the two sonsf]”>[f] who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family, which went to Egypt, were seventyg]”>[g] in all.
 28 Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his fatherh]”>[h] and wept for a long time.
Joseph, the great and soft of heart.
 30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”
 31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.’ 33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you should answer, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”
Joseph uses his God-given administrative skills to ensure that his family settles safely in Egypt. He decides that Goshen would be the best location for them (thus preventing them assimilating into Egyptian society) and through skilful preparation and diplomacy, he ensures that Pharaoh confirms this choice of territory.

Click button to share on Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Delicious, Reddit … Wikio