Beautiful Reunions

Introduction

I have a number of guilty pleasures. One of them is something that Isaac and I share, particularly when we are on trips somewhere. Whenever we are in a hotel together, we watch the show Forensic Files. If you haven’t seen the show, it basically tells of a crime or a set of crimes, then how modern forensic science is used to solve the crime and catch the killer.

In fact, for me, it’s not just Forensic Files, but I like watching documentaries about how professional investigators solve crimes, particularly about murders and serial kills. It’s not because I’m a sicko, but because I love to see how the good guys catch the bad guys. Additionally, I’m fascinated about how, no matter how through a murderer might be, they always mess up somewhere along the line and open the door for the investigators to catch them.

As I was preparing this message, I thought about these kinds of shows. Specifically, how these poor families are often destroyed, or at least deeply heart-broken by the actions of these creeps. Not unlike how Jacob felt, believing that Joseph was dead for the past twenty-two years.

But then, seemingly out of the blue, his sons return to tell them that Joseph isn’t dead. That, in fact, he is now the second most powerful man in the world and wants Jacob to come to Egypt to be with him so they can not only be reunited, but so that Joseph could save them from the famine!

I thought about how one of those families that’s loved one was senselessly murdered might react if they’d received news like Jacob. I’m guessing, like Jacob they wouldn’t believe it at first. Then they’d allow nothing to hinder them from seeing their loved one. Embracing that person, weeping with them and celebrating something that seems impossible.

I titled this sermon, “Beautiful Reunions” because our focus this morning will be not only be one of the most beautiful reunions in Scripture, but the two reunions that this passage ought to remind believers about and give us our true hope.

Body: Genesis 46:5-30

Verses 5-7

A large caravan of more than seventy people travel from Hebron to Beersheba, then down to the area of Egypt known as Goshen in that day.

As we said last week, despite Pharaoh’s suggestion that they leave their stuff in Canaan, Jacob brings everybody and everything with him to Egypt. He likely didn’t want anyone to claim that he owed them for making him rich.

This is followed by a long section of genealogy, which I’m not going to read.

But, what stands out in the genealogy is that it’s broken down between the descendants of Jacob’s two wives (Leah and Rachel) and two concubines (Zilpah and Bilhah).

Verses 28-30

Verse 28 picks up where verse 7 left off. Judah, the new leader of the brothers, is sent ahead to warn Joseph of their coming.

Joseph, not wanting to wait, gears up and heads north to meet his father in Goshen.

This is actually a shrewd move on Joseph’s part, as Goshen wasn’t near the Egyptian city-centers. If a large group of more than seventy foreigners suddenly showed up near one of the Egyptian cities the people would like have been frightened and might have attacked Joseph’s family.

What a beautiful reunion! Son with father whom he’d been ripped away from twenty-two years earlier.

It’s possible Joseph thought he’d never see his father again before this. That surely his father would have died before this moment.

A father with son. The son he’d long-since believed was dead. The son’s who’s death brought about a depression on the man that has lasted this twenty-two years and cost him years of intimacy with God.

They weep, particularly Joseph and embrace one another for a long time.

It’s completely understandable that this moment, never really considered for the best part of twenty-two years, would bring so much emotion.

We don’t know what “a good while” means in reference to the amount of time, but I imagine neither man were concerned about time.

For Jacob, he believes that his life is now complete and he can die in peace because he is reunited with his beloved son.

This doesn’t mean that he is about to die, or necessarily wants to die. Just that he can now die in peace.

In fact, Jacob would live in Goshen for another seventeen years.

So What?

This beautiful reunion serves multiple purposes within the narrative of Genesis.

It tells of how God’s promises to Israel were fulfilled by bring his entire family together once again for the first time in twenty-two years.

It tells the people of Israel how the ended up in Egypt and how God hundreds of years before the Exodus experience.

It reminds them of God’s gracious provision to the people of His promises.

It’s this last point that I’d like to focus on right now. Just as the reunion of Jacob and Joseph reminded the people of Israel of God’s provision for His people, it ought to remind Christians today of His great provisions for us. Let’s consider two:

As believers, we celebrate the beautiful reunion with the Father , made possible through the sacrificial atonement of Christ Jesus.

Just as this reunion of Joseph and Jacob was made possible by the provision of God, so too, the Father has made a way for us to be reunited with Him.

Romans 5:6–11 ESV

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

This is what we celebrate when we come together as believers. We celebrate that despite the fact that we are guilty sinners, Christ died for us. And for all who believe, are reconciled to God. That’s what it means to glory in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We come together as the church, celebrating the fact that we’ve been saved from the wrath of God, by God, through the sacrificial atoning work of Jesus.

I’m not a big one for emotionalism. By that I mean, my faith isn’t typically driven by my emotions and I try not to use emotions as a tool in my messages or our worship.

That being said, like Joseph, our emotions should be moved by this reunion, the reunion to the Father by Christ Jesus, that we call reconciliation.

And I wonder if this is part of our problem. If the Gospel, or the ‘Good News’ somewhere along the line became just news. Or worse, we take it for granted, as if it was something we were owed.

Guess what: nothing in Jacob’s behavior earned him this grace he is experiencing. In fact, everything since Rachel’s death probably should have earned him God’s wrath, not grace.

And while it’s true that he experienced overwhelming pain in his life, he didn’t understand the love of the God of Abraham and Isaac. He didn’t understand that with every deep pain, God had greater grace to come.

It’s similar with us. When the Gospel is anything less than the greatest news in all of human history. News that should be celebrated daily, shared with others faithfully, and the true source of our hope in every circumstance.

As believers, we look forward to the beautiful reunion to come.

A week before this reunion, Jacob had no idea it was coming.

It’s different for us, however. We have this promise as believers: a reunion is coming. A celebration like no other.

And whether that reunion is inaugurated by our death or by glorious return of Christ, we are assured that the beautiful reunion is coming.

Is this where your greatest hope is found? It should be!

Look at what we find in Scripture:

John 14:1–3 ESV

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

1 Corinthians 15:51–58 ESV

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 ESV

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Revelation 21:4 ESV

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.”

Beloved, this is the beautiful reunion. Though we have no idea when this will happen, all of these passages assure us that it will.

A lot of people in America today are hoping their person wins the upcoming election for president, convinced that their favored politician is going to fix the problems with our country.

As believers, we ought to be engaged. We ought to vote. But, we ought not ever think this is where our hope comes from. If following politics through most of my adult life has taught me one thing it’s that only a fool puts their hope in a fallen human being.

Our hope comes from the beautiful reunion to the Father we have through the finished work of Christ Jesus and the beautiful reunion that is to come in the future.

That is true hope!