# 462 Let This Be Your Beginning Today

The Book of Genesis

Day 462

Ge 50:17 'Thus you shall say to Joseph: "I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you."' Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, "Behold, we are your servants." 19 Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. 21 "Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

There’s that phrase again! “Do not be afraid!” Just consider what has been taking place here. The brothers come before Joseph. (who is a type of Christ) that is, He is a foreshadow of what Jesus is like, and they confess their sin against him. Remember that when confessing your own sins, you have sinned against God! When David confessed his sin with Bathsheba, he didn’t say “I have sinned against her husband!” He said, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. (2 Sam 12:13)

Note too, on the heels of their confession, they bow before him and say, “behold we are your servants.” So, they have acknowledged him not only as the one who forgives, but also acknowledging him as their lord. This is what is meant by receiving Jesus as both Savior and Lord!

 When you arrive at this point in your personal life, when you are ready to acknowledge your sins, and humbly come before Jesus, asking for forgiveness and surrendering to Him as Lord, you too, will hear these comforting words, “Fear not.”  And as Joseph comforted them (and the word “comforted” here is related to sighing, or breathing strongly, and consoling) it is not too much of a stretch to see a foreshadowing of Jesus breathing on His disciples and saying, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost…..the Comforter, the One who consoles.

Further, the phrase “spoke kindly to them,” can be translated, “spoke to their hearts.” These are the same words uttered to your heart when fully surrendered to Christ. That same consolation and comfort enters your soul, and suddenly you have the “peace that passes all understanding,” and you realize you have nothing to fear!

Not only is your soul saved for eternity, but you have the Lord’s promise that He will provide for you and your family. How did Jesus put it? “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things, (the things needed) shall be added unto you.”

This is how the Book of Genesis, the Book of beginnings, ends. Let it be your new beginning today, as you bow before your Savior and Master, saying, “Behold I am your servant.”