I AM JOSEPH!

 Genesis 45:3-5

Our text passage shows us God can repackage an individual and present that person to his world as a better and improved person.

That was the experience of Joseph in the land of Egypt.

God gave him a change of story for the better, he was granted a change of identity for good, and a positive change of social status.

Genesis 41:38-45

God granted him distinction, he was put on a pedestal others could not be put on in the whole of Egypt because God gave him the ability to solve a problem others could not solve.

About thirteen years had passed since the brothers of Joseph sold him into slavery, over the years Joseph had learnt and started speaking the Egyptian language, and through a series of God orchestrated processes he rose to a Pharaoh-like status in Egypt.

Unfortunately Joseph was from a family where there were issues just like many families have today.

Families are often not perfect.

He was from a family where his brothers had become his detractors, his critics, and enemies when he was by his father's side though he had his father's love and favor.

Genesis 37:4

The same brothers who sold Joseph into slavery didn't recognize him when they stood before him years later.

This was because God had used time in His orchestrated genius to repackage and reintroduce Joseph to his brothers.

For this reason his brothers couldn't recognize him.

They couldn't recognize him because the following changes had occurred in Joseph's life:

1) Joseph was speaking a different language (Egyptian) a language he couldn't speak when he was at home with them.

2) Joseph's brothers couldn't recognize him because his life had exceeded their projection.

Joseph's life had advanced beyond the expectation of his brothers.

3) Joseph's brothers couldn't recognize him because he was sold by his brothers to the Ishmaelites who lived in Midian, so they didn't expect he would end up in Egypt.

Genesis 37:28

Behind the scenes, God has orchestrated Joseph's life so that Joseph may fulfil his destiny in order to bring about God's purpose on the earth of preserving lives.

We have to learn to trust God's process.

Proverbs 3:5,6

God may allow a period of darkness in our lives for a reason, but we should trust Him to bring us to an expected end/future.

God was involved when Joseph ended up in prison, but God also took him to the palace in due time.

He went from prison to the palace, from being a prisoner to becoming a ruler, a ruler in Egypt.

Let's trust God's timing and not be deceived by sight.

Our sight and calendar years can be deceiving.

Joseph's brothers must have assumed he must have died in slavery.

At best, they must have thought Joseph was a slave somewhere, perhaps in Midian if he was alive.

It must have been shocking to Joseph's brothers, seeing a man who is the ruler of Egypt standing before them, speaking Egyptian, wearing Egyptian royal robes, with authority, power, the royal chariot, a man before whom the whole of Egypt bowed down when he rode by, introducing himself as Joseph their brother who they sold into slavery some thirteen years ago.

How could they connect the man standing before them to their young sibling they sold years ago, how could they link the transformation that had taken place in Joseph's life which was glaring before them to the same sibling they sold into slavery?

The words "I AM JOSEPH" was a re-introduction of a man who had been through God's process and like a Phoenix had risen out of the ashes of difficult situations into a new man with a new identity.

God makes all things new!

Olutosin Ogunkolade shares this teaching.