Last night, I was not able to write my post due to a problem with Internet connectivity. We have two providers, PLDT and PT&T. The desktop is connected to PT&T and there was an Internet connection. Unfortunately, my files are on my laptop, and for some reason, I could not connect them to PLDT.
Anyhow, let me pick up the theme I covered in my last post about how to respond in times of economic crisis. As we explore Joseph's life, we find a real and concrete solution to an economic threat. God provided Joseph with the wisdom to prepare for an approaching famine. This act of God is necessary simply because, Israel, the chosen nation of God is carrying in its bosom the Seed of the woman, Christ, who will bring salvation into the world. To realize this, God must protect and provide for Israel for those seven years of severe famine.
As I've already shared, Jacob's children reported their journey to Egypt and that unusual encounter with a powerful Egyptian official, Joseph himself. Jacob, after hearing the story of his sons and the condition that the Egyptian ruler was asking, was determined not to send Benjamin down to Egypt. But such a firm decision had to change for the famine had just started, and it would stay for five years more. To survive this famine, Jacob had to change his mind and give in to the demands of that unknown Egyptian official who was his long-lost favorite son.
And so as we continue our study of Joseph's life, I just want to focus in this article on three additional themes.
First, we must accept the fact that fear is basic to human nature when facing an uncertain situation.
It is a fact of life that in facing an uncertain situation, fear is basic to being human. In our story, we can find that reality in at least two cases: Jacob's and his sons.
First, as a result of losing Joseph, Jacob would do his best not to lose the brother of his favorite son, Benjamin. This is because Benjamin reminded him of his treasured son. After seeing Joseph's robe filled with blood, he concluded that a ferocious animal devoured his beloved son. The death of his son brought so much pain into his heart. And that's why, with all his powers, he would not allow the same fate to happen to Benjamin. And so when he heard the report of his sons in their journey to Egypt particularly about the condition for them to freely trade, Jacob refused.
Another situation that we encounter fear in our story is the time that Jacob's children were taken into Joseph's house for a special dinner. We were told that Jacob's children were frightened. They were suspicious they would be seized and taken as slaves. They were facing an unknown situation. They were afraid that what they did to Joseph would also happen to them. Here we can see that they had been living with a guilty conscience for so long.
Second, we must also realize that in matters of survival, fear must be overcome.
I assumed that the grain bought by Jacob's children from Egypt only lasted for two years. The famine would last five more years. And so after the supply ran out, Jacob's family had to return to Egypt again to buy grain. However, there was one problem. Out of fear, Jacob didn't want his son Benjamin to go with his other sons to Egpyt. His sons in return also refused to go down to Egypt without Benjamin. They were also afraid of what Joseph might do to them going to Egypt without Benjamin.
And so Jacob changed his mind. Finally, in the face of the survival of his family, Jacob had to overcome his fear. And so he decided to send Benjamin with his brothers and said:\
As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved (43:14b).
These words are words that came out from a man who is now willing to take a risk.
Someone said that a man who is still comfortable with his present situation will never take a risk. I think this is true in the case of Jacob and his family. As long as there was that supply of grain bought from Egypt, nothing could change Jacob's mind. But when everything is consumed, and their lives are threatened by hunger, Jacob decides to come out of his comfort zone and take the risk.
I am thinking of the migration of refugees to Europe from the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. Again, if my memory serves me right, this unfortunate event started even earlier than 2015. These refugees would never migrate to the European Union if there was no threat in their homeland. For them, their exodus was a matter of survival. They were risking their lives for doing so. Not a few migrants died on their journey. But for them, this is far better than to remain in their own countries under the threat of violence and war.
Lastly, we must also be prepared to face the fact that life is full of surprises.
Life is not only surrounded by uncertainties; it is also full of surprises. There are turn of events in our lives that we never expect to happen. We did not prepare for them, but they happened anyway. No matter how cautious you are in planning your life, somehow along the way, there are unanticipated events that will take place. When that time comes, acceptance is the most important response you can do. However, if that surprise is something good, then that's a good occasion for celebration.
Remember that the world during the time of Jacob was starving. The famine had just started and five long years of famine were still waiting for them. However, with Joseph, his brothers had nothing to be worried about. God had sent Joseph to Egypt ahead of them to save lives.
And so Joseph commanded the steward of his house to prepare a dinner for his brothers. That was unexpected. Joseph's brothers were worried that they would be taken as slaves, but instead, they were treated as special guests. It was indeed a great privilege to dine with the man whom God prepared to provide a solution to an economic problem.
In our time, I believe that the Church has to play a significant role in explaining to the world why our situation is like this. Our generation has violated the laws of God. They replaced the laws of God with the laws of man. As a result, our generation could not find the way out of our present predicament. The solution can only be found if our generation will return to God.
Conclusion
From the experience of the economic difficulties of Jacob and his children, we learn three basic realities in life: that fear is normal, that fear must be overcome, and that fear might be replaced with surprise.
Man as a result of his departure from God is afraid of many things. The only way to overcome fear is to have faith in the God of both Jacob and Joseph who is far bigger and more powerful than any kind of fear.
John the Beloved apostle while exiled on the island of Patmos saw a vision of Jesus and was so afraid. Jesus told him:
Do not be afraid, I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades (Revelation 1:17).