The Lord's Intent Genesis 50:15-26

A construction crew was building a new road through a rural area, knocking down trees as it progressed. A superintendent noticed that one tree had a nest of birds who couldn't yet fly and he marked the tree so that it would not be cut down. Several weeks later the superintendent came back to the tree. He got into a bucket truck and was lifted up so that he could peer into the nest. The fledglings were gone. They had obviously learned to fly. The superintendent ordered the tree cut down. As the tree crashed to the ground, the nest fell clear and some of the material that the birds had gathered to make the nest was scattered about. Part of it was a scrap torn from a Sunday school pamphlet. On the scrap of paper were these words: He careth for you.

-God works through every circumstance to unite His people in His presence

I. Unbelief Will Make You a Slave vv. 15-18

When we come to the last chapter of Joseph’s life, we see that his brothers are continuing in unbelief; a lot has happened, but their attitude towards Joseph and their faith in the Lord remains the same. v. 15

They don’t trust Joseph’s word. They can’t believe that he has really forgiven them

They don’t trust the Lord to really care for them

After all they have seen, their fundamental attitude is unchanged; they understand justice, not grace

Unbelief causes them to attempt to manipulate circumstances vv. 16-17

Because they do not believe that Joseph would ever really forgive them, they lie.

They make up a story about their father, claiming that he instructed Joseph to forgive them before his death

This unbelief causes Joseph to weep over his brothers: They do not understand him or the Lord’s work at all

Unbelief causes them to present themselves before Joseph as slaves v. 18

They are prepared to be slaves to Joseph, so long as he does not kill them

There is a profound disconnect here: The Lord has been working through Joseph to give them life and hope and they are satisfied with slavery!

They prefer slavery in their own strength than the freedom that they could find through faith!

​When Super Bowl LV kicked off between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs, Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida looked full with the help of some fake fans.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the NFL had approximately 25,000 in the stadium for the 55th Super Bowl, far fewer than the 70,000 fans that attended the big game the last time it was held in Tampa.

To make up the difference, the NFL produced 30,000 cardboard cutouts of fans to fill most of the remaining seats.

Unlike other sporting events where the cardboard cutouts are all bunch together in some areas of the stadium, the fake Super Bowl fans were spread out to keep the real fans socially distant.

The NFL charged each fan $100 to have their face placed on one of the cardboard cutouts. That's a cool $3 million in revenue to make up for some of the lost ticket and concession sales.

II. Faith Will Make You a Brother vv. 19-21

Joseph has had quite an experience: he has seen the fulfilment of his dream, his brothers bowing before him.

However, he wants brothers, not slaves

The heart of Joseph gives us a picture of God’s heart towards us; Christ wants us as brothers rather than slaves. God wants us as children, not servants!

How can Joseph have this heart? He believes in:

The authority of God’s judgment v. 19

He recognizes that judgment belongs to the Lord and trusts Him for it

It’s amazing what happens when you let God be God and you leave justice in His hands!

The intention of God to bless and unite them v. 20

Joseph does not deny the evil intent of his brothers; they clearly intended him harm

However, this intent is overwhelmed by God’s intent to do them good and to use even their worst actions bring deliverance and hope

We never see this more clearly than on the cross of Jesus; He was betrayed and killed, yet His death brings life to the very ones responsible for it

Obedience to God’s intent v. 21

God was working to provide safety and security to the family of Jacob

Joseph is committed to that mission and he will have brothers, not slaves; this is the incredible opportunity that is before us, to become a part of the Lord’s family

John 20:17

[17] Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (ESV)

Romans 8:28–29

[28] And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. [29] For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (ESV)

Hebrews 2:10–11

[10] For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. [11] For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, (ESV)

Back in 1918, a boy named Howard Loomis was abandoned by his mother at Father Flanagan’s Home for Boys, which had opened just a year earlier. Howard had polio and wore heavy leg braces. Walking was difficult for him, especially when he had to go up or down steps.

Soon, several of the Home’s older boys were carrying Howard up and down the stairs.

One day, Father Flanagan asked Reuben Granger, one of those older boys, if carrying Howard was hard.

Reuben replied, “He ain’t heavy, Father… he’s m’ brother.”

III. Hope Will Bring You Home vv. 22-26

The story closes with an overview of Joseph’s life, 110 years

Joseph finishes his life enjoying its blessings, moving forward from the griefs of his past and enjoying the blessings of family

Joseph proclaims a future deliverance that will overwhelm their present circumstance v. 24

Life in Egypt, even though it is presently good will never be the Lord’s final word for HIs people

In Exodus, the people of Israel will experience suffering and even slavery to the Egyptians, but God has a greater hope coming

Joseph finishes his life waiting for a future hope vv. 25-26

When he dies, Joseph makes his family promise to bring his bones to the land promised by God

Egypt has been the place that Joseph lived, but hope looked forward to a future home

Genesis begins with the promise of life, a garden where God’s people are united in His presence

Genesis ends with a grave, where all of the promise of the garden seems undone

However, Joseph goes to that grave looking forward with a hope that God will keep His promise

We find the promise of God fulfilled when we look to Jesus!

“Gandalf! I thought you were dead! But then I thought I was dead! Is everything sad going to come untrue?” J.R.R. Tolkien, Samwise Gamgee waking to find his friends all around him in The Lord of the Rings

Revelation 21:3–5

[3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. [4] He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

[5] And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (ESV)