Title

The Forethought of Joseph

Scripture
And he (Joseph) took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh.
(Genesis 5:2)
Devotional
Why didn't Joseph take all his brothers; why only five? If it is important enough for the Bible to mention, it is important enough to ask why. All we can do is ponder and speculate. In our speculation we have to lean toward the side of wisdom for Joseph's sake. May I be bold and surmise that he took with him the maturest and the most gracious. Furthermore and possibly, he did not want to overwhelm Pharaoh with the numbers his family brought to Egypt. The fact is that Joseph thought out the matter and acted as wisely as he could. He did not allow the emotion of the hour to take precedence over sound judgment. Joseph came prepared and he came with the best presentation he could make. This is what made him great in the land of Egypt and this is what has made him great throughout history.