01-108 The End of the Beginning
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Genesis 50:15-26
Genesis 50:15-26
This is our final study in Genesis— “the book of beginnings”. This is how the very 1st verse starts “In the beginning…” That is the introduction to the book which includes the beginning of virtually everything the Bible addresses:
In this book we find the origin of: Universe, Order & Complexity, Solar System, Atmosphere & Hydrosphere, Reproductive process, Man, Marriage, Evil (all forms (natural, moral, supernatural)—immorality, murder, rape, injustice…), Judgment upon evil, Salvation by Grace, Languages, Government, Nations, Religion (true & false), Israel (Chosen); God’s promise(s).
Today we come to the end of the beginning (title). I want to jump right in so we have time to gather at the table of the Lord for communion. I have an outline for you—3 simple divisions:
1) Fearing the Worst
1) Fearing the Worst
15-18
For some reason our minds like to jump ahead to the worst case scenario. And we’re really good at this. Like the city boy who was driving on a dark, lonely country road during a rainstorm and had a flat tire. He opened the trunk—no lug wrench. He saw a light from a distant farm house up the road so he started walking toward it in the driving rain. He thought that surely the farmer would have a lug wrench he could borrow. But it was late at night and the farmer would be sleeping in his warm, dry bed. The boy thought that maybe he wouldn’t answer the door and even if he did, he would be angry at being wakened in the middle of the night.
The city boy continued on, stumbling a bit and by now his shoes and clothes were soaked. But even if the farmer answered, he would probably say something like “What’s the big idea waking me up at this hour?” The thought of the farmer’s response made the city boy angry. He asked himself, what right did that farmer have to refuse to loan him a lug wrench. He was stranded in the middle of nowhere, soaked from the rain—no, the farmer was being selfish.
The boy finally reached the house and started banging loudly on the door. A light came on inside and a window opened from above. The voice of the farmer cried out “Who is it?” The boy’s face was red with anger and he called out “you know who it is. It’s me! And you can keep your lug wrench. I wouldn’t borrow it now if your’s was the last one on earth.
Worst case scenario. This is exactly like what is happening in the minds of Joseph’s brothers now that their father had died—vs 15. “what if…” Those are words where our minds go to the worst case. And I get it…Joseph is the 2nd most powerful man in Egypt (possibly even on earth). They were afraid. But their fear was not rational. They didn’t believe their brother. Joseph forgave them, he kissed them, wept on them, gave every indication that he loved them and held no grudge (he gave them all the provisions they needed, and even took care of them after they moved to Egypt). For 17 years, there was never a hint of taking vengeance in Joseph’s heart. No, Joseph was not going to pay back in full—all the sins they had committed against him in their youth.
Now, they sent a message to Joseph (rather than going to him directly)—vs 16-17. We have no record if Jacob spoke these words to his sons. Their fear may have led to fabricating this lie to get Joseph to respond favorably. They were in such desperate need of a sign of forgiveness and a guarantee that Joseph wouldn’t come after them that they concocted this instruction from Jacob. Not a good moment from the brothers.
Then, in what appears to be a moment of flattery, they fall down before him and said “we are your servants.” Yet another fulfillment of the dream Joseph had a young child.
I come back to how Joseph has treated them over the last nearly 2 decades. His forgiveness was full, without strings attached to it. He loved his brothers and even better, had a rich understanding of God’s purpose and direction of the circumstances in his life that he could hold no ill will toward his brothers.
I think of many believers today, who have also encountered a rich, full and free forgiveness but still worry about God’s judgment and if He has truly forgiven them and made them to be His children. The feelings that Xns often have that produce fear and worry and not bound to the truth. If you’ve been tempted to doubt God’s forgiveness—hear the Word of the Lord:
1 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered!
5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.
The New Covenant:
34 “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
43 “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake.
If you believe in LJC and God does not forgive your sin, then He is a liar—but He cannot tell a lie, His Word is truth and trustworthy—stop worrying about whether God has forgiven you and believe Him that he has. Take comfort from Isaiah:
2 “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the Lord God is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.”
Joseph’s brothers needed to believe him, we need to believe LJC.
2) Facing Evil With Hope
2) Facing Evil With Hope
19-21
Joseph’s response is both assuring and comforting to his brothers. “Do not be afraid” These are words that God had spoken to Abraham, Hagar, Isaac and Jacob. Joseph didn’t need to speak about forgiveness b/c he had already forgiven them, he had already released them from their obligation, guilt and punishment. That’s what forgiveness means. The OT word is lit “to take away, to carry, to bear away, to lift up—to complete remove the burden of guilt. Joseph instructs his brothers to be without fear. He wanted to show them why he harbors no ill will toward them and why he would not take vengeance on them:
Joseph Is Not God
Joseph Is Not God
Seeking personal vengeance against someone puts you in the place of God. The Egyptians believed their leaders were gods (esp Pharaoh) and Joseph could have asserted his power and authority over them. In fact, the Egyptians hailed him as their savior. But He understood that he was not God and could not play God over his brothers. He could not resort to retaliation b/c that belongs to God. This is a timeless instruction:
18 ‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.
35 ‘Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, In due time their foot will slip; For the day of their calamity is near, And the impending things are hastening upon them.’
1 O Lord, God of vengeance, God of vengeance, shine forth!
19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
Every believer needs to understand this…to seek revenge puts us in God’s place and in doing so—you make yourself equal with God. This is very serious. A great deal of the trouble in our relationships comes when we attempt to be God in the lives of other people. Another reason he had no ill will toward his brothers:
Joseph Knew God’s Providence
Joseph Knew God’s Providence
20
This is such an important verse and instructs us about God’s good providence in the lives of His creatures. Let me break down the verse for you…
“as for you…evil” Joseph was on the receiving end of what we can only characterize as vile wickedness. His brothers acknowledged their “transgression” against him and Joseph confirms that it was evil—that was their intention (“meant” speakings of planning, devising). That wasn’t the only evil that Joseph encountered but b/c his brothers sold him as a slave he also faced the injustice and evil temptation of a wicked woman. After he was put in jail, he was also forgotten by someone who benefited from Joseph’s wisdom. Joseph encountered evil in various ways. This is what we all face, living in a fallen world that is dominated by evil. There are natural evils (hurricanes, volcanos, floods, deadly viruses/bacteria). Because of the fall, all creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth until now (Rom 8:22). There is imminent danger to each one of us for living in a fallen world. Added to this is the personal, spiritual, moral evil representing fallen man, living in a fallen world—all sinners colliding with each other as we’re trying to survive and there is great evil (sin, wickedness, transgressions that dominate humanity). Added to these is the evil promoted by Satan and his force of demonic beings. As Joseph encountered, we too find that evil is present, pervasive, dominating, powerful, inside us, outside us and around us…it is everywhere.
The intentions of Joseph’s brothers were evil and their actions confirmed this reality.
“but God” if we could only take time to discover all the Scriptures that have this phrase—all that God does in order to bring His purposes to pass:
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,
28 “And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. 29 “When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. 30 “But God raised Him from the dead;
2 “I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
“But God meant it for good…” What did Joseph mean by that?
Though the sins of wicked men are evil, God works thru them to bring about good…the highest good, the greatest good. Earlier, when he revealed himself to his brothers he said:
5 “Now do not be grieved 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 still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. 8 “Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
The brothers committed evil and for it they were responsible/accountable (to God and to Joseph). But God meant (same term—planned) for good…in order to bring (purpose) “this present result” (that you have indeed been spared, survived, thrived, blessed) God has preserved you b/c He sent me to Egypt.
Paul would build on this verse:
28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
The Certainty “we know” not—we feel…but know—this is a conviction, a certainty (that sin is evil and there is beauty and goodness in holiness)
The Extent “all things…” not all things work themselves out, but God causes all things to work out for good. That is comprehensive (good and bad). Suffering and affliction that we encounter while living in a world dominated by evil—God causes all things to work together for good. He does this b/c He is all loving, all wise, all knowing, all powerful—sovereign over all things.
What is the meaning of good? Does God work these things for our good or for His? Whatever is God’s good…it is your good also. And the greatest good, the highest good that God has planned for you is to conform you into the image of JC (vs 29). This helps us to understand why God permits evil, suffering and affliction among His creation, why He permits His people to encounter it. Maybe you can think of it along this line: “What is most effective in conforming you to the image of Christ—prosperity or adversity?”
The evil of affliction—God works it together for good. God does not do evil but He overrules it and works it for our good. The account of Job confirms the Lord’s activity. And what God can accomplish in your affliction is: to make your heart upright, conform you to Christ, to destroy sin in your life, to loosen your heart from the things of this world, to make way for our comfort, to silence the wicked, prepare us for glory. Martin Luther said many of the psalms he never understood until he was in affliction.
Even the evil of temptation—while God does not tempt anyone and cannot be tempted by evil (James 1:13)—the tempter (Mt 4:3; 1 Thes 3:5) puts temptation before us and in God’s rich love and mercy He provides the way of escape—overruling them (1 Cor 10:13). This drives us to prayer, to fight, to humility, to comfort others, to long for heaven, to find strength in Christ.
Facing evil with hope—Joseph’s response is the believer’s response: God is in charge and we can trust Him with every ounce of our beings—
19 The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.
3) Faithing Until the End
3) Faithing Until the End
22-26
Joseph lives out his days in Egypt and dies at the age of 110. He was blessed to see his great-grandchildren (born on his knees). On his deathbed, he continued to trust God (vs 24). That’s what the righteous do
4 “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.
Hebrews confirms this virtue:
22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.
vs 25—He made his brothers and children swear to bring his bones up out of Egypt (fulfilled and finally laid to rest—)
19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you.”
32 Now they buried the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt, at Shechem, in the piece of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of money; and they became the inheritance of Joseph’s sons.
vs 26—the same embalming process for Joseph as with Jacob. The coffin would have been a sarcophagus (as that was used in Egypt for burial of high ranking individuals). IT would have served as a shrine of sorts for the Egyptians (who would eventually forget about Joseph) but for Israel it was a reminder of God’s promise to bring them out of Egypt in the Exodus. This is how Gen ends, with Joseph lying in a coffin and God’s chosen people waiting in expectation for deliverance.
We live in a similar way—Messiah having come, by grace He led His people in a greater Exodus from bondage to sin and delivered from death thru His own sacrifice. It is appropriate as we end our study of the beginning, that we spend time together at the table of the Lord—in remembrance of His sacrifice for us and rejoicing in God’s promises to us.
