In a world in which the traditional family is an endangered species, It's encouraging to see in the story of Joseph's family God's special love and plan for the family unit. Today, on Turning Point, Dr. David Jeremiah shares three ways God showed favor to Joseph's family. and continues to bless families even in our culture. Here's David to introduce the conclusion of his message.
Joseph's family reunion. And thank you so much for joining us today for the Friday edition of Turning Point. We are studying the life of Joseph, and we're down toward the very end. We just have a couple of more programs after today. But today, this is part two of Joseph's Family Reunion, the story of Joseph and his extended family, including his father, getting together for the first time in many, many years.
It's a tear-jerking time in Joseph's life, and I remember even preaching it. I had a hard time keeping my composure because it is an emotional moment in the life of this man. Filled with incredible information and insight for all of us. As you heard at the beginning, this is a reminder of God's love for the family, and He makes sure these stories are here for us so that we can benefit from them. We'll get to it in just a moment, but first, let me remind you again that during the month of September, we have been making available to you, as we do every year, our annual calendar.
This project that we do in September is done in September and made available in September so that you'll be sure and have it to begin using it in November. Because it's a 14-month calendar beginning November 1st. It goes all the way through December of 2026, and there's a place for every day. Comments, every day's appointments. The Bible reading schedule is built into the calendar, many special events, and beautiful photography.
This is something you will be proud to have hanging on the wall of any room in your home or in your office, and I'm sure you will love to have it. This is one of the most popular resources we make available all year. And we are very happy to do that.
So, hey, we just have a couple of days left for you to do it.
So, be sure and ask for your copy of this year's calendar when you send your gift to Turning Point today. We thank you so much for your investment in Turning Point. Here's part two of Joseph's Family Reunion.
So Joseph's transformation From pampered youth to family provider. Is a tremendous story. You talk about. going from ashes to glory. Joseph is the story of all of that.
This shift in roles from being the cared-for child to caregiver. Is something that many people are experiencing, some of you are experiencing right now. Irma Baumbeck used to tell the story of driving her car with her aged mother by her side, and she said as they were driving down the highway, someone pulled out in front of them, and her first reaction was to reach her hand out to keep her mother from hitting the dashboard. As soon as she did, her mind went back to all the times her mother had done that to her as a little girl. And she realized that whatever everyone says is true.
As you get older, you reverse roles with your parents. Irma was now the mother. Her mom was the little girl, and Irma was watching out for her. That's similar to the Joseph in this story. Joseph now is determined to take care of his father's needs.
So he's loving his father and he's caring for his father. Listen to this one. He's proud of his father. One of the best lessons in this chapter concerns Joseph's pride for his father. In the land where shepherds were despised, Joseph brings his father Jacob, the shepherd, into a face-to-face meeting with the king of Egypt Pharaoh.
Took a lot of courage to do that. We read about it in verse 7. Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
Now there's no shame at all in Joseph. He doesn't hide his father out of embarrassment. or try to deny their connection. He doesn't say, I can't let Pharaoh see my father. I would be so embarrassed if he saw my father.
Instead, Joseph proudly brings his father into Pharaoh's court to meet the king. Joseph is by now a cultured Egyptian. And Jacob is a peasant shepherd. Joseph introduces him to the most powerful man in the world, with great pride. I've written down the description as it might have taken place.
That was written by a commentator whose works I appreciate, and he describes it like this. We can imagine the weathered, gnarled shepherd, his hard life in the hills leaving its marks on his face. picture him dressed in the finest clothes Joseph could find, worn with a humble grace that only he could manage. As the sophisticated courtiers of Pharaoh pass by in their refined attire, We see the contrast. the imperial guards in their splendid robes, Joseph standing before Pharaoh, regal in his court attire, looking every bit the noble.
And then there's old Jacob. seemingly out of place. amidst the grandeur of the royal court. We watch him slowly making his way down the long row of guards and officials, his gait marked by a limp, from that life-changing encounter that he had with God. Leaning on his cane, he approaches Pharaoh's throne.
The entire court watches in astonishment, as instead of bowing to Pharaoh, an Egyptian custom would demand, this old shepherd stands tall, raising himself to his full height, and with sunburned hands stretched out, He Blesses Pharaoh. and the room falls silent. intently listening as Jacob speaks the benediction. Hebrews 7, 7. tells us that the less is blessed by the better.
For you see, what Jacob understood was. He wasn't the less. He was the greater. He knew that he was a child of God. And as such, his possessions were far greater than anything Pharaoh could ever have.
So he blesses Pharaoh. Pharaoh might be Lord and Prince here on the earth, but Jacob was a prince of God in heaven. And I'm sure the fact that Jacob wasn't struck down on the spot is a testimony to Pharaoh's respect for Joseph. Anybody else doing that? would have been killed immediately.
Pharaoh then asks a rather odd question of Jacob. And I don't like this question, and I wish this wasn't in the Bible because it makes it legitimate. Here's the question. 478. How old are you?
I don't like that question. I'm tempted to say it's none of your business, but I don't say that. I remember a woman who was asked that question and she said she was 39 and holding. And her granddaughter said, Grandma, how old would you be if you let go?
Well, that's kind of the way it is, isn't it? It's a strange question for Pharaoh to ask. But here's the reason he asked that question. In Egypt, people didn't live to be old. They died much younger.
And here's a Hebrew. Who's very old. And to understand this, you have to realize this was a strange sight for Pharaoh. to see someone that aged in his court. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen anybody quite like that.
Now watch Jacob's answer to the question. He said, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life. and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers. In the days of their pilgrimage.
So Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from before Pharaoh.
So remember this number. How old was Jacob when he went to Egypt? He was a hundred and how old? 30 years old. I don't think Pharaoh had ever seen anybody 130.
That would be like us seeing somebody 130 years old. We'd be kind of shocked as well. But What a sad reply he gave. In essence, Jacob tells the king of Egypt, that his life has been short and sorry. He had lived a hard life.
had a lot of sorrow. Partly from spending 20 years separated from his beloved son, but Jacob had created a lot of stress for himself. Jacob had cheated some, he'd been cheated by others. He'd watched his boys go astray. from what he knew was right.
Jacob had a tough life. but he could look back and see God's miracle-working power. on his behalf.
So we see Joseph loving his father, caring for his father, proud of his father.
Now we see him protective of his father. Joseph did at least three things to keep his father safe and secure. First he located him in Goshen. An area east of the Nano River that was fairly isolated. It was Out of communication with the rest of Egypt because Egyptians hated shepherds and thought they were.
Not worthy of anything. And so he protected his family by separating them in this special little place called Goshen.
sort of on the edge of the country. And it was also nearest to Canaan, so it would make an easy exodus. 400 years later. when the Egyptians lost their power over the Israelites. The second thing Joseph did was give him possessions.
Look at verse 11. Joseph situated his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Ramses, as Pharaoh had commanded. Jacob's family now had possession of the perfect piece of property. on which to shepherd. And then Joseph, we are told, gave him provisions.
Joseph provided his father, verse 12. His brothers and all his father's household with bread according to the number of their families. He took care of everyone's needs. acting almost as a father would to a son. Joseph arranged for a place near to himself He met every need.
He gave his father all the provisions he would need in the five years that still left in the famine. And as the famine deepened, Joseph continued his role as protector and provider. He traded food for money, livestock, and eventually land, making all of Egypt's land Pharaoh's property. The Egyptians, desperate for survival, offered themselves as servants. All of that was going on, but none of it overwhelmed the relationship between Joseph and Jacob.
Joseph loved his father and he protected him and he set him up to have a good life. And that brings us to the final chapter in our story. And that is Joseph's farewell. Jacob is now really old. He came into the country of Egypt at the age of 130.
And he's been there now for 17 years. In chapter 47 and verse 27, we read about the closing days of Jacob's life.
So Jacob dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen, and they had possessions there, and grew and multiplied exceedingly. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years.
So the length of Jacob's life was 147 years. When the time drew near that Jacob must die, He called his son Joseph and said to him, Now if I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh. and deal kindly and truly with me Please do not bury me in Egypt. But let me lie with my fathers. You shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in the burial place.
And Joseph said, I will do as you have said. Then he said, Swear to me, And he swore to him.
So Jacob bowed himself. on the head of the bed. Interestingly enough, Jacob's last request before he died. was that he not be buried in Egypt. He even had Joseph swear to it using an old custom where you put your hand under the thigh.
that really solidified any kind of an oath that you would make for somebody. In Genesis 49, 29, We read that Jacob wanted to be buried with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite. Here is a beat-up old shepherd who's been living in Egypt for 17 years. and he's not to be buried in Egypt. Genesis 50.
describes Joseph's last moments with his father. Then Joseph fell on his father's face and wept over him and kissed him. And Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians to embalm his father.
So the physicians embalmed Israel. Forty days were required for him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed. and the Egyptians mourned for him. for 70 days. After the embalming of Jacob was complete, Joseph told Pharaoh of his father's wishes.
And Pharaoh gave Joseph permission. to take Jacob's body. Back to Canaan and bury him. And as a matter of fact, he not only gave him permission. The king gave Jacob a royal funeral.
Complete with dignitaries and all the important people in Egypt. If we'd been living in Canaan at that time, We would have been shocked to see this long funeral procession coming over the hills from Egypt into Canaan to bury. Jacob. For Pharaoh was honoring Jacob because of his son Joseph. The king loved and respected Joseph so much that he was willing to grant a royal funeral.
to Joseph's father. What a wonderful picture of respect and dignity. Joseph would one day ask for the same thing. to be buried in Canaan. You remember that?
He didn't want his bones in Egypt either. And this is a great testimony of faith. As a matter of fact, I found this to be quite interesting. When the writer to the Hebrews crafted the hall of fame that's filled with all the heroes of the Old Testament, In chapter 11, the notation that he makes about Joseph It's not about how strong he was in overcoming temptation, how he lived with all those bad things happening to him, how he finally becomes the vice president of Egypt. But listen to the verse about Joseph.
Hebrews 11, 22, by faith Joseph When he was dying, he made mention of the departure of the children of Israel and gave instruction concerning his bones. I thought that was really cool. The most important thing about Joseph was he wanted to be identified with the people of God, not with the people of Egypt. He knew that God had promised one day He would bring the people out and restore the nation. And so Joseph asked not to be left in Egypt.
He wanted to be a part of that too.
So take my bones back to Canaan. and let me be a part of God's fulfilled promise.
Now that's a wonderful story, and it's a tender story. And I would imagine that some of you here today have parents who are in the twilight of their life. And you're dealing with all kinds of issues. There's a period of time in life where you're still dealing with children and grandchildren. and you're dealing with parents.
and grandparents. And if you're in the middle of that, We need to pray for you. It's a hard place to be. But there's three things that I want you to take home with you today. When we tell these stories, these long stories, there's always two or three lessons that we want to make sure we get.
And here they are. Here's the first one. First lesson is the power of one. The power of one. Through the faithfulness of just one family member, God provided for a whole family.
He gave them good land, met their every need, reunited a broken and dysfunctional family, and none of this could have happened. without Joseph. Look at this family's track record. Jacob was a deceiver who manipulated his way through life. Reuben was unstable.
Simeon and Levi solved their problems with violence. Judah chose the path of adultery. Not exactly a model family, and this was one dysfunctional family. But Joseph was different. Joseph stayed faithful.
Not perfectly. But there's no evil report about Joseph in the Bible. Even as a slave, even in prison, he kept following God. And here's what happened. God used that faithfulness to save not just Egypt.
but the very brothers who had betrayed him Here's what this means for us today. Maybe you're the only one in your family who follows God. We have a lot of people that come to our church who are in that category. Maybe you're tired of being the religious one who gets Eyes rolled because you're the one that sticks out. But I want you to look at Joseph's life.
For years there was no evidence. that his faithfulness mattered. But God was still working behind the scenes. His consistent faith. steady choices, determined walk with God, even when it was hard.
was exactly what God used to transform his family. You may not be more than one, but you're one. And one is powerful if God is your partner. This isn't about being perfect, it's about being faithful. Joseph wasn't scoring spiritual points.
He wasn't trying to be holier than everyone else. He was just living out his faith day by day, decision by decision. And God used it. Your family's story isn't over yet, my friend. Just like Joseph, you never know how God might use your faithfulness.
to impact generations to come. The power of one. Oh, how powerful one person can be. with God. Secondly, The provision for parents.
A second lesson we learned from this story shows us how to provide for our aging parents. Joseph gives us a great example. Think about what he did. He gave his father Jacob the finest land. He made regular visits to see him.
He brought his children to spend time with their grandfather. During the harsh years of famine, he made sure that his Family always had enough to eat. This wasn't just duty. It was deep respect and gratitude for the father who had raised him. Even as Egypt's second in command, with all his royal responsibilities, Joseph never forgot about his aging father.
And you know that teaches us a lot. No matter how important We should always care for our parents in their latter years. Joseph teaches us something else too. Caring for elderly isn't just about providing food and shelter. It's about protecting their dignity.
and keeping them part of family life. Joseph sought his father's blessing. He valued his father's wisdom. He made sure his father's final wishes were honored after death. Today When so many elderly people feel isolated or separated in facilities, Joseph's example challenges us.
He shows us how to keep our parents connected to family life. how to seek their wisdom. how to help them stay close. to their grandchildren. And finally, the priority of family.
Through all the betrayals and the heartache, God brought Joseph and his family back together. In that reunion, we see the heartbeat of God Himself. the priority of family Family matters to God, and Joseph's story is a powerful testament to truth. There are only three institutions that God ordained. Do you know what they are?
First of all, the government and then the church. but long before either of them is the family. God set family as the foundation. But listen to me: the family is the target of the devil. He knows if he can tear the family apart, he's torn the institutions apart.
We still have to make our families a priority. Make sure we do the best we can to build strong families that will endure beyond us. And God didn't just bring Joseph's family together. for practical survival. He did it to show us that family is sacred.
And Joseph understood that. And as you know, Four hundred years later, Several hundred thousand Jewish people exited. Egypt. Families all. That's what happens when families become strong.
In the late 1960s, John Wooden. Gave us a great illustration of commitment to family. You know, John Wooden was the coach of UCLA, the most famous basketball coach in college history. Coach One was a great man. Not just a great basketball coach, but a great man, a wonderful Christian, if you know the truth.
But he had a great commitment to his family. I didn't know about this until I read his book. Learned about it. At one time in the 1960s, Lakers' owner, Jack Kent Cook, offered him the head coaching job of the Los Angeles Lakers for a lot of money. but wouldn't turn it down.
And when they ask him why, He didn't talk about the money. He said, I don't want to spend more time on the road away from my wife and children. Later, Wooden reflected on his priorities, saying, Faith Family and friends. Then he added with a smile, Sometimes I put family first. But I think the Lord understands.
In a world where families are often neglected, torn apart. Joseph's reunion reminds us to cherish those we love. We don't have forever with them, folks. I promise you, it goes by like that. You look up one day, And they're having their own children, and pretty soon, if you're not careful, they have grandchildren too.
Great-grandchildren. We don't have forever with them and the time we do have is precious.
So let's make the most of it because Joseph. when he made family a priority, also made God a priority. When you put God's priority on your list of priorities, You get closer to God and God gets closer to you. Amen. You know, I love the family, and I'm so grateful to God for my family.
Children, grandchildren, and now this year, for the first time ever, a great-grandchild. There's nothing like the family, and the Bible supports that. And this story of Joseph's family is filled with intrigue for all of us. Who have families and are involved in the family life? God loves the family.
You know, socialism tears the family apart, but God brings the family together. And the Bible is filled with that truth. Hey, it's Friday, and I want to remind you that it's important for you to get to church. I read this week a little comment that I'd like to pass on to you. When you miss church, You miss church.
In other words, when you miss church, if you're a Christian, you will miss it in your heart.
So don't miss it.
So that you won't miss it. I mean, church ought to be something you look forward to. It's exciting, it's a place to go. You meet friends, you get encouraged, you get challenged, you get built up in your faith.
So, if you miss church, you're going to miss it. And don't do that. Make sure you're there this weekend.
So, go to church. Today's message originated from Shadow Mountain Community Church and Dr. David Jeremiah, the senior pastor. Turnpoint is also on radio and TV this weekend. To learn where to find it, visit our website davidjeremiah.org slash radio.
That's davidjeremiah.org slash radio or call 800-947-1993. Ask for your copy of our new 14-month calendar, following in his footsteps, and deepen your faith daily in 2026. It's yours for a gift of any amount. You can also purchase the Jeremiah Study Bible in the English Standard, New International and New King James Versions, available in your choice of durable and attractive cover options. If you're being encouraged by this ministry, let us know at Turning Point PO Box 3838, San Diego, California, 92163.
This is David Michael Jeremiah. Join us Monday as we continue the series, God Meant for Good: The Story of Joseph on Turning Point.
