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“I am Joseph!” Genesis 45

“Wilderness” The Life of Joseph

Sermon Series

Genesis 45

“I am Joseph!”

Introduction

Prayer

There is a Good Plan Before You (vv. 1-8)

Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. 4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors.[1] 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.”

“But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.” – This whole drama started with needing to go to Egypt to get food, for there was a famine – and they all sat around and looked at each other (in guilt). Then through a series of events they cried out, “In truth we are guilty” (Genesis 42:21). They have repented of their sin against Joseph “For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father” (Genesis 44:34). But now everything, all of it is brought to the surface, Joseph has all the power over them, and they are terrified.

This is the same realization of a person who has come to the true understanding that he has offended an all-powerful, holy God. They are without excuse, and completely without hope. All that anger of being sold into slavery, having lived in prison, mistreated and falsely accused, for over twenty years – now can, having absolute power to have his vengeance upon them – and they would deserve it, they “could not answer him, for they were dismayed.”

The great preacher of old, Jonathan Edwards once said, “Thus all you that never passed under a great change of heart, by the mighty power of the Spirit of God upon your souls; all you that were never born again, and made new creatures, and raised from being dead in sin, to a state of new, and before altogether unexperienced light and life, are in the hands of an angry God.”[2]

Does the hammer fall? Does Joseph have his revenge? No. Grace abounds. During the building of the Golden Gate Bridge over San Francisco Bay, construction fell badly behind schedule because several workers had accidentally fallen from the scaffolding to their deaths. Engineers and administrators could find no solution to the costly delays. Finally, someone suggested a gigantic net be hung under the bridge to catch any who fell. Finally in spite of the enormous cost, the engineers opted for the net. After it was installed, progress was hardly interrupted. A worker or two fell into the net but were saved. Ultimately, all the time lost to fear was regained by replacing fear with faith in the net.[3]

(v. 5) “for God sent me before you to preserve life” and (v. 7) “7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth” and (v. 8) “So it was not you who sent me here, but God.” “Joseph’s words pull back the narrative veil and allow the reader to see what has been going on behind the scenes. It was not the brothers who sent Joseph to Egypt, rather it was God. And God had a purpose for it all.”[4]

God took these men through a lengthy gut-wrenching journey so that they would repent of their sin and turn to God, and it is through these brothers (the sons of Israel) that the world would be turned upside down with the gospel. They would be redeemed, and so would the world. These lying, deceitful, hateful, wicked men would give their lives to God and through them millions would be saved.

(v. 5) “do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here” – Don’t focus on the past, or how you once were lost. Now is the time to focus on preserving other people’s life. They are the beginning of a long story of redemption. Moses is coming, and Joshua, and the tabernacle, and the ark of the covenant, Samuel, and King David, and Esther, and Ruth, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel – the story of redemption is coming.

And there will be a voice crying out in the wilderness, a man named John who will point us to Him, the promised one who will save the world from their sin by dying on a Roman cross – Jesus. The story of redemption is coming! Then the disciples and Paul, and the church spreads out. Today the story continues with you! And one day Jesus will come, with a shout, and we will meet him in the air. Eternity will begin and our redemption will be complete. Today, the story is not complete, there is one more who needs to hear your story of redemption and she needs to hear it from you. Have you ever asked, “why am I here?” There are two answers, 1) you need to hear the story or 2) you need to tell the story.

A Renewed Picture of a Promised Land (vv. 9-20)

9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. 10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.’ 12 And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13 You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” 14 Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him. 16 When the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, 18 and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.’ 19 And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Have no concern for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”

The book of Genesis begins with everything being good, 1:31 “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” And now (at the end of “the Beginnings”) everything is made right again, where there was destruction and famine, now God’s people would live in Goshen, a special place where they would be safe and be provided for. “The picture of Joseph is a picture of restoration – this was a restoration of the blessing that was promised through the offspring of Jacob.”[5]

After the fall of Adam and Eve we see a promise. Genesis 3:15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” There is a promise of one who will come to defeat sin and death and restore all things to the way God created them to be.

(v. 10) “You shall dwell in the land of Goshen” – This was a land set aside for Joseph’s family. Genesis 47:11 “Then Joseph settled 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 Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.”

It is in this area that the tribe of Israel will grow into a nation of people. Later, it was there that God showed grace to His people once again, “Only in the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, was there no hail” (Exodus 8:22, 9:26). This is a picture of the Garden of Eden, Adam having to leave because of sin, now there is restoration and at the end of “the beginnings,” now a return back to a land of safety and provision.

The Numb Heart and the Revived Heart (vv. 21-28)

21 The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22 To each and all of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five changes of clothes. 23 To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.” 25 So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26 And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

(v. 25) we see again, “So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob.” Jacob means “deceiver, trickster” but Israel was his covenant name, the name God gave him when they wrestled in the wilderness. Whenever we see Jacob turning back to a lack of faith, a numb heart, back his old ways he is called Jacob. Look at the transition, “the spirit of their father Jacob 28 And Israel said, . . .” By Genesis chapter 47, Jacob is 137 years old. Jacob had spent his entire adult life (since wrestling with God) being a man of faith, and then a man of doubt – up and down, back and forth.

You may say, “yeah but Jacob had a hard life.” His father favored his brother Esau over him. His uncle Laban treated him harshly, Genesis 31:40 “by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. 41 These twenty years I have been in your house.” He had a dislocated hip. His beloved wife died giving birth to Benjamin, and his son Joseph was killed by wild animals (or so he was told). But look if we were compare Jacob with his son Joseph – Joseph was mistreated and hated by his brothers, sold as a slave, lied about so that he ended up in prison, forgotten. But through all that Joseph endured – he never waivered in his faith.

Throughout the first five books of the Bible (the Pentateuch) at key sections, at major mile markers, in the story of God’s people there is an emphasis on whether they respond in faith, or a lack of faith. Where there is a lack of faith, there is a numb heart. Where there is faith shown, there is a revived heart.

Jacob, his entire life has wanted the blessing of God. As his brother was being born, he grabbed his heal as if to pull him back in to the womb so he would get the blessing. Then He tricked his father to falsely get him to give him the blessing. Then in the wilderness he wrestles with God and demands him for a blessing – His entire life Jacob has perused the blessing of God.

Let’s go back to Genesis 32:32 this is where Jacob wrestles with God. They have wrestled through the night, The man “Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel,6 for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

The man Jacob is wrestling with says, “what is your name?” Jacob has to say his name which means deceiver, trickster “grabber of the heal.” God is saying “You have tried to receive God’s blessing your entire life – your way.” You have tried to steal it, to trick people for it, to wrestle it away.” But God changes his name to Israel which means “God fights.” After a long night of wrestling with God, “And there he blessed him.” Once Jacob quit fighting, trying to do it his way – God fought for Him, and he was finally blessed.

Stop fighting God, and let Him fight for you!

God will let us know His will, we will know Him personally, and our sin will be remembered no more. When you stop fighting God, and let Him fight for you, look what happens: Jeremiah 31:33-34 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel (those following after Israel who put their faith in God) after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
Our stone, Numb, hard heart is changed.

Ezekiel 36:26 “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Psalm 51: “Create in me a pure heart, o God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”

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[1] Ad astra per aspera “through hardships to the stars.”

[2] To read the entire sermon, https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/edwards_jonathan/Sermons/Sinners.cfm

[3] https://bible.org/illustration/net

[4] John H. Sailhamer, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 2 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1990) 256.

[5] Sailhamer, 257.

Genesis 43:26-34-44:1-34 “The Big Turn; The Brother’s Second Journey to Egypt” (Con’t)

Drew Boswell Ministries

Genesis 43:26-34-44:1-34 “The Big Turn; The Brother’s Second Journey to Egypt” (Con’t)

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“Wilderness” The Life of Joseph Sermon Series Genesis 43:26-34-44:1-34 “The Big Turn; The Brother’s Second Journey to Egypt” (Con’t)

“Wilderness” The Life of Joseph Sermon Series

Genesis 43:26-34-44:1-34

“The Big Turn;

The Brother’s Second Journey to Egypt” (Con’t)

Introduction

In The Last Crusade, Indiana Jones must pass three tests to reach the Holy Grail (with the stakes raised as his father, played by Sean Connery dying from a bullet wound and in need of the healing waters from the grail to survive).

The first test, called “the Breath of God” is the one worthy of our focus today. Indiana hasn’t figured out the puzzle, but as he approaches with what could be his last steps, he whispers over and over again the one clue: “Only the Penitent Man Shall Pass.” As the wind (breath) begins to blow through the chamber, Indy has only a few moments to pass the test. At the very moment he needs to figure it out (cue high drama) he gets it. Here’s the actual words from the film:

The penitent man is humble before God. The penitent man… The penitent man is humble. Penitent man is humble… [kneels before God] KNEEL!!

The second he kneels, two massive circular saws emerge from the wall, just missing Indy’s head and his famous fedora. As I said earlier, the theology would not pass muster in any seminary, but it does get one thing right: the journey of faith, even for the hero, begins with repentance.[1]

Prayer

Being Loved and Known (Genesis 43:26-34)

26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground. 27 And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28 They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves. 29 And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!” 30 Then Joseph hurried out, for his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out. And controlling himself he said, “Serve the food.” 32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. 33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement. 34 Portions were taken to them from Joseph’s table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him.

What does God do to draw the heart of men to Himself? For the brothers, “he had used a pinch of material want, the pain of harsh treatment, the press of an enforced solitude, the proof of his presence in small things, and last of all, the pattern of an ordained necessity.”[2] At these things, the brothers admitted their sin, at least to one another. In this passage, we see that God adds another step, genuine affection.

Then he invites them to Joseph’s house for a special meal (prepared in the middle of the day). Then they are “given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder.” They are invited into the home of the most important man in all of Egypt, for a specially prepared meal. They are shown kindness.

(v. 33) “And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement.” – The (Egyptian) man had the brothers seated by their birth order (oldest to youngest). But how did they know? “There are no less than 39,917,000 different orders in which eleven individuals could have been seated.”[3] The odds are 40 million to one that the stewards would place the brothers in this orde They don’t know how, but they are known. God knows everything about us, sometimes He reveals that knowledge as a way to draw someone to Him.

Being known by God. Luke 12:6 says “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” God knows all about you; He knows your thoughts, your concerns, your desires, your temptations, your physical ability, everything – but in spite of our sinful and depraved hearts he wants a relationship with us. The story of Joseph and his brothers is a picture of restoration. It is a picture of men who are far from God being drawn to the Lord.

What God wants is a relationship with you – which involves our relating to Him in obedience. God as Creator determines the terms of the relationship. Matthew 7: 23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Then there was another test, “Portions were taken to them from Joseph’s table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him.” Joseph sends portions from his table to the brothers, but Benjamin receives five times more than the rest of the brothers. He had the seat of honor at the table, and he received much more than the others. Joseph is trying to figure out if this special treatment would manifest resentment toward Benjamin. They hated Joseph because of his father’s favoritism and giving him the coat of many colors. It doesn’t seem to bother them, “And they drank and were merry with him.”

Genesis chapters 42 and 43 gives us an example of where God sets things into motion actions that draws the brothers toward him and shows us the love He has for His creation. Romans 5:6-8 “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God again and again shows us, displays to us the love He has for us. These signs of grace should draw us to Him.

Repentance is Required (Genesis 44:1-34)

The Trap is Set (vv. 1-12)

Then he commanded the steward of his house, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack, 2 and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph told him. 3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys. 4 They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? 5 Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this.’” 6 When he overtook them, he spoke to them these words. 7 They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! 8 Behold, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? 9 Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my lord’s servants.” 10 He said, “Let it be as you say: he who is found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent.” 11 Then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. 12 And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.”

Sorrow Over Guilt (vv. 13-17)

13 Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city. 14 When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground. 15 Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?” 16 And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found.” 17 But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

The brothers did not steal the cup, Joseph had put it there in Benjamin’s sack, but they still say, “God has found out the guilt of your servants.” Why would the brothers confess guilt to something they knew they did not do. They had a guilty conscience.

We see here with the brothers, men who were full of hatred, violence, and deception are capable of repentance. No one is too far gone, no one has done any actions for which God is not ready to forgive him, “and cleanse him from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)” But he has to repent of his sin.

Repentance is defined as, to be filled with remorse, as it leads to a change of mind, specifically dealing with sin.[4] Joseph knows the brothers have sorrow over how they treated him, but is it a godly sorrow or a worldly sorrow. Let’s look at the difference.

Godly Sorrow v. Worldly Sorrow

On the night before the Cross, one of Jesus’ disciples betrayed Him, and one denied Him. All sins are acts of selfishness and are grievous offenses to a holy God. Both of these sins were against the person of Jesus Himself. The Bible records how Judas and Peter responded later. Judas “repented himself” (Matthew 27:3), and the very word that Matthew used (metamelomai) to describe Judas indicates that his regret and remorse were completely self-centered. He was sorrowful, but not even for the plight of Jesus.

He was only sorry for himself. Matthew did not choose the more common word for repentance (metanoeo) used throughout the New Testament that means to change one’s mind and behavior for the better because of hatred for one’s sins.

The Gospels tell us that Peter went out and wept bitterly. The word means to wail in great agony and grief. Was his sorrow godly or worldly? We can only tell from the results. Judas immediately went out and hanged himself (Matthew 27:5). When next we see Peter, he has returned to his brothers. When he heard word of the Resurrection, he ran in search of the Lord against whom he had sinned. Later that same day, Peter was completely restored.

One man’s sorrow led to death. The other’s led to salvation and life. That is the difference between worldly and godly sorrow.[5] 2 Corinthians 7:10 “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”

Repentance is not just a feeling guilty for bad behavior – It involves three things:

Intellect – “Repentance is that change of a sinner’s mind that leads him or her to turn from evil ways and live. Intellectually, human beings must apprehend sin as utterably heinous, the divine law as perfect and binding, and themselves as falling short of the requirements of a holy God.”[6] If you are genuinely repentant of a sin, they cannot be emotionally indifferent to sin.
Emotions – “It is possible to have a knowledge of sin without abhorring it as something that dishonors God and ruins humanity: the change of view may lead only to a dread of punishment and not to the hatred and abandonment of sin.”[7] True repentance involves not only a conviction of personal sinfulness but an earnest appeal to God to forgive according to His mercy. (Ps. 51:1ff, 10-14).
Will – The original language words for repentance “emphasize the will, the change of mind. Several places in Scripture shows that putting on sackcloth, putting ashes on your body – outward actions to show repentance do you no good if your heart, your will is not changed.

Matthew 5:3-6 helps us to see the process a person goes through from being lost to being saved. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 1) There is consciousness of spiritual poverty dethroning pride, 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 2) A sense of personal unworthiness producing grief, 3) 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 4) A willingness to surrender to God in genuine humility, 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 5) A strong desire developing into spiritual hunger and thirst, are all part of the experience of one who abandons sin and fully turns to God who then gives eternal life.

Throughout this study of Joseph’s brothers we are asking, are they any different than when they sold him into slavery and hated him twenty years before? So yes they have changed, they are genuinely bothered by their sin, and they understand that they are dealing with God as a consequence of that sin – but is the sorrow they are expressing a worldly sorrow or a godly sorry?

In vv. 18-29 Judah gives an overview of everything for “the (Egyptian) man.”

Taking Steps To Stop the Pain (vv. 30-34)

30 “Now therefore, as soon as I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy’s life, 31 as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. 32 For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.’ 33 Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers. 34 For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father.”

Judah said to the (Egyptian) man, “I told my father “‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.’ 33 Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers.

Judah is appealing to “the (Egyptian) man” by stating how a father loves his son, and to be separated from his son would cause so much anguish and sorrow that it would crush him. Judah takes actions pleading to take the place of his brother, so that his father would not die. The same father who doesn’t love him, like he loves Benjamin – he’s ok with that, he doesn’t want to hurt his father any further. He is convicted of his sin.

Judah has seen what his previous sin had caused to his father, he will do anything to not cause that pain again – that is a godly sorrow, he has repented of his sin, his mind is changed, he does not want to do that again. “This is the point in the story at which the brothers are actually born again. Before, this they were unregenerate. From this point on they are transformed individuals.”[8]

Joseph put the cup in Benjamin’s sack to see where the blame would fall. Would the brothers try to save their own worthless skins, or would they stand there and watch Benjamin go off into slavery? Would they tell dad that wild animals had devoured him too? There was not one of them that didn’t wish the cup was in their bag instead of Benjamin’s. They all returned to Egypt. Judah says, “I fear to see the evil that would find my father.” – He intellectually, emotionally, and in his will – doesn’t want to see any harm come to his youngest brother, or his father. This is a powerful change in his heart.

The call to repentance is not a call to just feel the remorse of your sins.

It’s a call to turn around so that God can do something about them. It is an action.

If you are trying to run from God and have pushed away his gracious intervention in your life, you need to know two things:

God will always uncover your iniquity. Usually, he discloses iniquity in this life. But even if He does not do so here, he will certainly do it in the life to come. The Bible says, “Your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). All things hidden will be brought into the light from darkness. There is no way for you to escape except in the scared arms of Jesus.

It is not what you achieve in this life that matters, but what God in righteousness chooses to do through you. Does God have your heart? Repent this morning from your sin, and give Him your life.

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[1] https://thepastorsworkshop.com/sermon-illustrations-2/sermon-illustrations-repentance/

[2] Boice, 150.

[3] Henry M. Morris, The Genesis Record, A Scientific and Devotional Commentary on the Book of Beginnings (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Baker Book House, 1977) 610.

[4] It is an onomatopoetic term that implies difficulty in breathing, hence “pant,” “sigh,” “groan.” Naturally it came to signify “lament” or grieve;” when the emotion was produced by the desire of good for others it merged into compassion and sympathy, and when incited by a consideration of one’s own character and deeds it came to mean “rue,” “repent.”

[5] https://www.purelifeministries.org/blog/recognizing-godly-sorrow-vs-worldly-sorrow#:~:text=He%20writes%3A%20%E2%80%9CGodly%20sorrow%20brings,it%20will%20lead%20to%20real

[6] Geoffrey W. Bromiley, General Editor, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Volume Four, Q-Z (Grand Rapids, Michigan; W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988) 136.

[7] Bromiley, 136.

[8] James Montgomery Boice, Genesis, An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing; 1987) 159.

“God’s Tactics to Draw Men to Himself; The Brother’s Second Journey to Egypt” Genesis 43

“Wilderness” The Life of Joseph

Sermon Series

Genesis 43

“God’s Tactics to Draw Men to Himself;

The Brother’s Second Journey to Egypt”

Introduction

This morning we will be looking at tactics that God uses to draw us closer to Him. One of those tactics is to place in situations where we have to turn our lives over to Him, to give him control.

Prayer

Three Things You Cannot Control (vv. 1-7)

Now the famine was severe in the land. 2 And when they had eaten the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little food.” 3 But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’” 6 Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?” 7 They replied, “The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ What we told him was in answer to these questions. Could we in any way know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”

There are some situations in life that no matter how hard you fight, no matter how much you want something to change, no matter what you do – there is no changing it. For Joseph’s family they are facing three things that they cannot change.

The Power of Nature, “Now the famine was severe in the land” – Jacob and brothers had no control over the fact that a famine was upon them. They could sit around and pretend it wasn’t there and they would starve; or they could recognize the dire situation, take appropriate steps and live.

In 2010 a flood struck Bellevue and many people lost their homes, precious material possessions, and some even their lives. Who could stop the flood? Who because they wanted the water to stop rising could cause it to stop? Only one man can stop the storm, and calm the sea (Jesus). The rest of us can only react to the darkening clouds on the horizon and react to it.

Every year there are natural disasters where local emergency services and municipalities will tell people they have to evacuate – but there are always people who says, “I’m just going to ride out the storm.” Sometimes they live, but often times they are killed in the disaster because they wouldn’t give up control.

The Will of Man, “The man solemnly warned us” – In the brother’s mind, “the (Egyptian) man” was not going to change his mind, or his instructions no matter how much Jacob wanted him to. The brothers told him again, and again, “Benjamin has to go with us when we return to Egypt.” You cannot change someone else’s mind, their opinions, their beliefs – you can try to persuade them, but when it’s said and done, you cannot change another person. Women marry men, and there are things about them they don’t like, so then they spend years trying to change them into another person.

The Circumstances of Life, “Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?” The brother’s told “the (Egyptian) man” that they had a father and a younger brother. They had no way of knowing what would happen next’ Judah even says, “Could we in any way know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?” There are circumstances and situations that you find yourself in to where it does you no good, to go back and rehash and dissect past events – your life situation is what it is, and dwelling on the past, and past decisions does you no good – it won’t help solve the problem you are in now. You say, “if only I had said this, or done that, then things would be different now.” But when you finish saying those things, your life is still in the situation.

There is a quote by writer and philosopher George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” So, yes in the future, you may can make decisions differently, but now (in the present), in your current situation – you can change it; you can only react to it.

“Miss Havisham is a character in the Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations (1861). She is a wealthy spinster, once jilted at the altar, who insists on wearing her wedding dress for the rest of her life. She lives in a ruined mansion with her adopted daughter, Estella. Dickens describes her as looking like “the witch of the place”. . . “Humiliated and heartbroken, Miss Havisham suffered a mental breakdown and remained alone in her decaying mansion Satis House – never removing her wedding dress, wearing only one shoe, leaving the wedding breakfast and cake uneaten on the table, and allowing only a few people to see her. She also had the clocks in her mansion stopped at twenty minutes to nine: the exact time when she had received Compeyson’s letter.”[2] You cannot control the circumstances you find yourself in – but you can take steps to deal with the situation.

Salvation Requires a Heart Change (vv. 8-13)

8 And Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9 I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10 If we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice.” 11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry a present down to the man, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. 12 Take double the money with you. Carry back with you the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man. 14 May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”

Throughout the story of Joseph encountering his brothers, we are asking the question, “Are the brothers the same as when they hated Joseph, threw him in the pit, and sold him as a slave, or has their heart changed?” In chapter 42 we saw that God has orchestrated a famine, which drove them to Egypt, they have been treated roughly, thrown into prison, seen their brother bound and thrown into prison.

All of this was designed to force them to face the sin they had committed. Joseph saw that it was working, they said, Genesis 42:21 “Then they said to one another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”

We do see a change, (In chapter 43) first in Judah (one of Joseph’s brothers), and then in Jacob (his father).[3] We have seen a similar change in Reuben already in chapter 42. Rueben had pledged his own sons as security for Benjamin, Genesis 42:37 “Then Reuben said to his father, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.” Now Judah, says, “If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.” Judah is putting others needs and welfare above his own.

Remember, Judah was one of the brothers that hated Joseph, mistreated him, threw him in a pit, and sold him as a slave. In between that event and today’s passage, Judah’s daughter-in-law had been accused of getting pregnant outside of marriage, so Judah orders for her to be burned to death, Genesis 38:25 (Judah and Tamar) “As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.” 26 Then Judah identified them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” Judah will go on to become a great tribe as a part of the nation of Israel, but he has to have a heart change first.

Then there is Jacob, the dad. He has been called Jacob throughout the story, but now suddenly, he is called Israel. This was his new or covenant name, and it linked to his using the phrase, “God Almighty.” Genesis 32:27-28 “And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel,6 for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

When Abraham’ s name was changed from Abram to Abraham, his old name was not used again, because in that moment there was a significant character change. “The new name represented a profound and permanent growth in his character.”[4] This is not true for Jacob; he had wrestled with God (was given a new name Israel), but as time went on Jacob went back to being the same trickster and deceiver he had always been. Now, there seems to be a heart change, where he says, “And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”

“Jacob is now in extreme old age, and he is about to be left alone so far as the companionship of his sons is concerned.” All of his sons are away. Up to this point at least one of his children had been by his side, but now, he is all alone. He has trusted God before, now he has to trust God again, so he calls upon “God Almighty.” Jacob has returned to being a man of faith, so he is called Israel once again. But that drawing back to God for Jacob meant solitude, loneliness, and a being separated from loved ones.

This is a similar test that Abraham faced, when God told him, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” Both of these men would lose the child they deeply loved, leaving them only with their relationship with God.

God’s Tactics to Draw Men to Himself (vv. 15-34)

15 So the men took this present, and they took double the money with them, and Benjamin. They arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make ready, for the men are to dine with me at noon.” 17 The man did as Joseph told him and brought the men to Joseph’s house. 18 And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house, and they said, “It is because of the money, which was replaced in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may assault us and fall upon us to make us servants and seize our donkeys.” 19 So they went up to the steward of Joseph’s house and spoke with him at the door of the house, 20 and said, “Oh, my lord, we came down the first time to buy food. 21 And when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was each man’s money in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it again with us, 22 and we have brought other money down with us to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.” 23 He replied, “Peace to you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. 24 And when the man had brought the men into Joseph’s house and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder, 25 they prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.

Provision, Reuniting, and Fellowship (vv. 15-25) (v. 18) “And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house,” – This is the second time that we see the brother’s afraid. Before, when they discovered that their money had been returned to them after they had left to go back home on their first journey to Egypt. Joseph’s only intention was good, but here they are afraid, “he may assault us and fall upon us to make us servants and seize our donkeys.” They knew what they would do if they had the power, so they assumed others would act as they would.

The servant of Joseph does a series of things that puts the brother’s minds at ease. He tells them not to worry about the money, (v. 23) “Peace to you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.” Then they release Simeon from prison and brings him to the other brothers. Which would have shown them that “the (Egyptian) man” was a person of his word.

Then he invites them to Joseph’s house for a special meal (prepared in the middle of the day). Then they are “given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder.” All these blessings, upon hospitality, upon provision – never knowing that it was Joseph all the time. God is using these things to draw the brothers closer to Him.

There is a theological term called “common grace” – “When we walk down the street and see houses and gardens and families dwelling in security, or when we do business in the marketplace and see the abundant results of technological progress, or when we walk through the woods and see the beauty of nature, or when we are protected by government, or when we are educated from the vast storehouse of human knowledge, we should realize not only that God in his sovereignty is ultimately responsible for all of these blessings, but also that God has granted them to all sinners who are totally undeserving of any of them! These blessings in the world are not only evidence of God’s power and wisdom, they are also continually a manifestation of his abundant grace.”[5] Matthew 5:45 “For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Romans 2:4 “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” points us to ask the question, “Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance, and patience (God’s common grace)?” Yes, you do, we all do.

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Another Test – Portions given to Benjamin (vv. 26-34)

26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground. 27 And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28 They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves. 29 And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!” 30 Then Joseph hurried out, for his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out. And controlling himself he said, “Serve the food.” 32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. 33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement. 34 Portions were taken to them from Joseph’s table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him.

What does God do to draw the heart of men to Himself? For the brothers, “he had used a pinch of material want, the pain of harsh treatment, the press of an enforced solitude, the proof of his presence in small things, and last of all, the pattern of an ordained necessity.”[6] At these things, the brothers admitted their sin, at least to one another. In this passage, we see that God adds another step, genuine affection.

(v. 33) “And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement.” – The (Egyptian) man had the brothers seated by their birth order (oldest to youngest). But how did they know? “There are no less than 39,917,000 different orders in which eleven individuals could have been seated.”[7] The odds are 40 million to one that the stewards would place the brothers in this orde They don’t know how, but they are known. God knows everything about us, sometimes He reveals that knowledge as a way to draw someone to Him.

Then there was one final test, “Portions were taken to them from Joseph’s table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him.” Joseph sends portions form his table to the brothers, but Benjamin receives five times as much as the rest of the brothers. He had the seat of honor at the table, and he received much more than the others. Joseph is trying to figure out it this special treatment would manifest resentment toward Benjamin. It doesn’t seem to bother them, “And they drank and were merry with him.”

Genesis chapters 42 and 43 gives us an example of where God sets things into motion actions that draws the brother toward him and shows us the love He has for His creation. Romans 5:6-8 “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God again and again shows us, displays to us the love He has for us. These signs of grace should draw us to Him. Do you know Him today? Have you given your life to the merciful and gracious God?

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[1] https://thepastorsworkshop.com/sermon-illustrations-2/sermon-illustrations-control-2/

[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Havisham#:~:text=Miss%20Havisham%20is%20a%20character,the%20rest%20of%20her%20life.

[3] James Montgomery Boice, Genesis, An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1987) 146.

[4] Boice, 147.

[5] Wayne Grudem, Bible Doctrine, Essential Teachings of the Christian Faith (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1999) 279.

[6] Boice, 150.

[7] Henry M. Morris, The Genesis Record, A Scientific and Devotional Commentary on the Book of Beginnings (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Baker Book House, 1977) 610.

Genesis 42 “There Comes a Reckoning; The Brothers First Journey to Egypt”

Drew Boswell Ministries

Genesis 42 “There Comes a Reckoning; The Brothers First Journey to Egypt”

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