The Plot Thickeneth...

Gen 47:
So, the family is gathering and the usual lessons are continuing. On the minor lessons though, things continue to get more interesting... albeit unexpectedly.
Gen 46 ends with, "for every shepherd is loathsome to the Egyptians." Why did the Lord include this? His sovereign hand using every situation and even every wrinkle of every situation continues to provide marvel and amazement. Here's the slave turned jailbird turned sovereign (not in the capital sense), Joseph, who is entrusted with caring for no minor affair - the country. His family shows up (the major lesson of God's sovereign care) and now we are introduced to one of the lessons for Pharaoh and his nation. This man who has been put in charge not only has the amazing background we all know, but comes from a family of shepherds. The Egyptians now know that they are reporting to one who is not only not one of them, not only a former slave and so much more, but he is from a family of the worst type - shepherds. Now the excellence of the hand of the Lord on this young man Joseph becomes even more apparent. It didn't even seem to matter that the fam was from this most loathsome of occupations. Oh the lessons... I must mention just a bit - obviously the background doesn't matter, but the work of God does. We don't have to be able to name drop, or come from certain stock. We have to serve the Lord, follow Him fully, rest in His sovereignty and allow Him to make of us what He will. I have much more, but it's probably best for us to ponder the principles...