Godliness Eclipses Self Part II
Gen 44:16 And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found. 17 And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father. 18 Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother? 20 And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him. 21 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him. 22 And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die. 23 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more. 24 And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25 And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food. 26 And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man’s face, except our youngest brother be with us. 27 And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons: 28 And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since: 29 And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. 30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life; 31 It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. :32 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father forever. 33 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren
Judah speaks of God. He has rediscovered God. He expresses the divine truth that this is the hand of God on them. If self is at the heart of all sin, then rediscovering and returning to God is at the heart of true repentance. The old Judah can kill to protect self … the new Judah, the second man, like the Lion of Judah, the King Christ offers His own life that his brother may be released. Judah no more thinks of himself as anything but a sacrifice that his father may not mourn the loss of Benjamin again.
Christ, the Lion of Judah came to establish the pattern of being the sacrifice for our sin. We are asked to be living sacrifices, crucified with Christ … our self, nailed to the cross. The Christian is a new person, the old has passed away. He has received the miracle of transformation, He is a changed man, bearing no resemblance to his old wild nature, having received grace, cleansing and the renewal of his mind to put God first, God always and God alone.
Have you received that salvation, that transformation. This is a supernatural change of character and not something that events can produce. The saints have been helped by God to be changed persons, having received a new heart and a renewed spirit. There are occasions when this new man will be tested and demonstrated to amazed angels watching to see that mankind has indeed received a transformation by the mercy and grace of God – to a restoration back to the image of God. Angels will be amazed at your transformation.
Song.
Thine forever! Thou our guide, All our wants by thee supplied,
All our sins by Thee forgiven, Lead us, lord, from earth to Heaven.
Prayer: Lord, You created me to be in your image. Lord, let your restoration be complete. Amen
The Songs of Joseph is an integration of encouragement scriptural devotions, prayers and a compendium of songs of mercy, salvation, new beginnings and victory. We can expect as we trust and obey that our end will indeed be ultimately glorious because God works His marvellous agenda. Be blessed as you read and sing along, daily. Edited by Bolade Apampa
