On the Way to the Palace 12 -Availabilty

 “And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem .And Israel said unto Joseph, Are not thy brethren feeding the flock in Shechem? Come , and I will send thee unto them, And he said to him,here I am”- Genesis 37: 12-13 -King James Version (KJV)

 In a well-furnished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets—some containers used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage. Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing-2 Timothy 2:21-26 The Message (MSG)

Although Joseph is the favourite son of Jacob, Jacob’s care for his other children is evident in the above conversation between him and Joseph. Some commentators have said that Jacob was a  shrewd businessman and as such, he wanted to know what was going on with his sons and his investments.While  we may not be able to judge Jacob’s motives for sending Joseph it is commendable that  he cared about the state of his children and his flocks. He did not leave it to chance. It is necessary for the man on the way to the Palace to emulate this and be  one who knows the state of his flock.

 It is also of note here that the writer of Genesis decides to use the name Israel here instead of Jacob. Throughout the book of Genesis, we see an interchange between the names of Jacob and Israel and it appears that Jacob is used usually  when the flesh is having the upper hand while Israel  is used when the spirit is more in control.

Since Israel is used in this case, I will like to infer that this errand was a divine one and the sensitivity of the man on the way to the Palace is seen again.Joseph responded appropriately.

This conversation between Joseph and his father reveals yet another virtue we must emulate if we will eventually get to the Palace like Joseph.

When  Israel (Jacob) called Joseph, he gave a brief recount of where his others sons were , expressed his concern for their safety  and asked Joseph to go and search for them.

Shechem was not anything less than 50 miles from where the family originally lodged  in Hebron and would require at some  days journey, not without inconvenience .However when Joseph was called to undertake this task, his reply is noteworthy –"Here I am ".These three words denote  Availability ,another characteristic of the man on the Way to the Palace.

The man on the way to the Palace is available, there is a readiness on his part to be sent, a willingness to be used .It does not matter to the man on the way to the Palace the task at hand rather it is the drive to please his master that is overwhelming.

Joseph said “Here I am” to his father’s request and did not end there but backed up his words by actually going to look for his brothers in Shechem. This is in contrast to the call of Moses whose encounter with God  essentially could be summarized as ”Here I am but send Aaron”  at the burning bush(Genesis 3).

The availability of the man on the way to the Palace is one that is not selective,when Paul was addressing Timothy , he said to him to become the kind of vessel God can use to do any and every kind of work (2 Timothy 2:20-21 The Message).

On the way to the Palace, there is no work too little or too big for the man, rather it is the desire to please his master that is the overriding factor.It does not matter whether the errand is to be done in secret or in the open . Whether it receives the applaud of men or not, the man on the way to the Palace is one that readily follows the beckoning of his master.No wonder Paul said that we make it our aim to please him( 2 Corinthians 5:9).

The availability of the man on the way to the Palace is backed by his actions. He is a doer ( James 1:22) Joseph did not only say” here I am” but he followed it up by going to look for his brothers.

Sometimes our words of commitments are not backed up by actions and this is not a new problem. Jesus illustrated this when he gave a parable to illustrate which son was eventually obedient in the parable of the two sons who were sent. One said I will go but didn’t but the other said I will not go initially but he eventually did( Matthew 21:28-32 ).

Availability is a mark of the man who will eventually get to the palace. He may not have all the qualifications but his readiness to be used will attract the grace in his life needed to carry out whatever task that is required(Paul the least qualified-1 Corinthians 15:9-10;Ephesians 3:8).

Grace Tom-Lawyer,

Yours in His Service.

“On the Way to the Palace” is the ongoing series of “Feasting at the Table” &this  continues on  Peace &Joy Radio every Saturday 11am GMT.