"Reconnected"

"Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham." (Psalms 105:23)
Of all the stories in the Old Testament, this one is one of my favorite. It was my favorite one to teach the kids in Sunday School; using the felt figures and showing how Joseph hid himself from his brothers, taking them to the edge, and then revealing himself with love and affection. I think the only story that I loved to teach with such passion, was the story and Naaman and his leprosy. I just liked the way it demonstrates the simplicity of the Gospel: just do what God says, and don't try to put too much into it! This story is very similar in nature, because it is like it was meant to be that way all along, based upon the dreams Joseph had growing up with his family. Our loving Father is a God that loves to see families reunited; He loves to see marriages reconciled, especially those who are made up of His children. If there is one thing that God hates, it is divorce; divorce is right up there with those that cause division in the church; and if that divorce involves a Christian couple, then both of the things that He hates usually happen, divorce and division. You know how I said that the things God causes to happen in an instant are things that God works though many generations? Well, here we have a really good example of what that represents. There are so many different examples here, I really don't know where to start; how about Noah? Yes, Noah and his cursed son Ham; the son that revealed his father's nakedness. I will let you dwell on the association with that and division, as we think about why Ham is relevant to Jacob. In the case of the name "Israel," used in the context of what has been said and what is about to be said, "God prevails," is the word associated with this statement. No matter what or where, if God is leading, you will come through it "Governed by God." It is a lot like when Jesus told His disciples, "Let's go to the other side," before they headed across to the other side of the lake. No matter what the circumstances were, they were going to go to the other side. That is why God hates divorce, because divorce is giving up on what God has joined together; and what God has joined to together, no one should tear it apart! The children of Israel were in for a pretty hard ride; but not matter what, God will do what He had shown Abraham He would do. This is recorded in Genesis 15:13-14; and I believe that God gave Abraham this information so that his heart would break for the offspring he had not yet had. It was God's way of getting Abraham to believe His promise and to fall in love with the children he did not yet have...
"And the descendants of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan." (Genesis 10:6) NLT