Grace Demands Surrender

Hey everyone good morning! I’m so glad you’re here. Whether you’re with us in the room, or online, thank you for joining us today. We’re really grateful you’ve found us, wether you are listen live or later you are truly part of our extended spiritual family.

Hey, if you’ve got kids with you this morning—now’s a great time for them to head to class. We’ve got an amazing team ready to welcome them and help them know Jesus in a way that makes sense to them

For the rest of us, grab your Bible, get comfortable, and open your heart. God has something for you today.

Now it’s been a couple of weeks since we’ve talked about Joseph, so I want to make sure everyone is still on the same page. Joseph has a pretty harrowing journey and has some hard conversations and a pretty messed up family situation. However, this is what Joseph says later on… "As for you, you meant to harm me, but God intended it for a good purpose." —Joseph . In other words. What man means for evil…God means for good!

I want to start off this morning by telling you a short story of something that happened to me. You see, when I was in junior high, I went whitewater rafting with some friends on a mission trip to a church in Ohio. We were having a blast…bouncing off rocks and over waves. Then something happened, our guide told us to hold on tight because around the corner was a class 5 rapid. We were all so excited because this was supposed to be an intense rapid…We were all excited—until I lost my grip and got thrown out of the raft. It all happened fast. One moment I was in control, and the next I was in the river, surrounded by rushing water.

In a panic, I grabbed hold of a rock near the top of the rapid and just clung to it with everything I had. I thought, “They’ll come back for me. Just hang on.” I could hear people yelling—my friends and our guide—they were all yelling, “let go, let go”—but I didn’t really listen. I was too focused on surviving. I held on tighter, it felt safer.

Eventually—maybe it was 30 seconds, maybe it felt like 30 hours—I finally realized something: the raft wasn’t coming back. If I wanted to be rescued, I had to let go and ride the rapids. I had a life vest. I wasn’t going to drown. But I knew I might get banged up a little along the way. Still, the only way forward—the only way to get back to safety—was to let go.

And here’s the truth: it wasn’t until I realized I wasn’t in control that I was finally able to get the help I desperately needed.

That’s exactly where we find Israel in Genesis 43. He’s clinging. He’s holding on to the last thing he thinks he can control—his son Benjamin. He’s heard the voices. He knows what must happen. But he’s still frozen, still waiting, still trying to hold on. And God, in His providence, is applying pressure—not to destroy Israel, but to shape him.

Today’s passage shows us this: sometimes grace only comes when we surrender.

Israel’s not so different from us, is he? We often think that if we can just hold out long enough, things will go back to normal, the famine will pass, and we won’t have to make that scary decision—to surrender. But God loves us too much to leave us in that illusion. And so in Genesis 43, God applies the pressure.

Open up your Bibles to Genesis 43 and let’s begin reading together

Genesis 43:1–7 ESV

Now the famine was severe in the land. 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.” But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 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.’ ” Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?” 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’?”

This is an incredible story this morning…Let’s start out be looking at how

Pressure Exposes Fear and Hesitation: (1-7)

Right off the bat this morning we see that the famine continues through the land. They are roughly two years into the famine now with another five years to go. Remember Joseph said this famine is going to last for seven years. However, this family doesn’t know how long this famine is going to last, they just know they don’t have any food now. What we see here is that, while the famine is real, but Israel is avoiding the problem. I think we can all be guilty of that from time to time, just like when I refused to let go of the rock.

The other thing that we see here though is that the pressure of the crisis exposes the fear of Israel. We saw how Israel was reluctant to go back and buy more food. I mean, he did tell the brothers to go get a little food…but he wasn’t too keen on sending Benjamin. Then in verse six we see Israel exclaim, “Why did you treat me so badly?”What we see is that Israel is panicking, not planning.

Let’s look at Judah briefly in this section too. We see real growth in Judah. Previously Judah led his brothers in selling Joseph. Then last time we were together we saw that Judah was willing to put his kids on the line, which seems humbling. Something has changed now though. You see, Judah is becoming a leader—not just a brother. We are beginning to see the foreshadowing of Christ coming from the line of Judah.

Judah is ready to sacrifice himself, not just his children, if anything should happen. Judah stands up and tells Jacob that they cannot go back the way they did last time. This time they have to bring Benjamin, or they will receive nothing. We see the pressure building on Israel, and even though he really wants to hang on to that rock…he will soon realize that he has to let go to truly be rescued.

We see a resistance from Israel as the time goes on. His sons have already told him that they need to bring Benjamin back with them…but Israel is just kept delaying what had to be done. he’s is holding on to the rock, knowing that there is only one way to experience salvation. God is providing the pressure that he needs to bring him to the end of himself…much like many of us here this morning.

This morning, where are you trying to hold on to control, like Jacob? What is your ‘Benjamin’? What’s your rock? Listen carefully church..God is not trying to break you to hurt you, but to build your trust.

Romans 8:28 tells us that God is weaving all things together—even fear, famine, even failure to bring about his glory.

Jacob’s fear was real. He had already lost one son and couldn’t bear the thought of losing another. But while Jacob clings to his own hope, someone else begins to step forward—someone who’s been silent until now.

Judah—the same Judah who once led his brothers in betrayal—is about to speak again. But this time, it’s not from pride… it’s from sacrifice. God is at work, not just applying pressure to Israel, but producing transformation in Judah.

Let’s look now at verses 8 to 10, and see how redemptive leadership begins to emerge in the covenant family.

Genesis 43:8–10 ESV

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. 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. If we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice.”

Wow…I said Judah was turning into a leader. Let’s focus in on how

Redemptive Leadership Requires Sacrifice (vv. 8–10)

Judah has already offered up his own children, we saw that a few weeks ago. Something different is happening within Judah though. Remember I said that Judah was beginning to foreshadow Christ. Look at how Judah offers himself to atone for the loss of Benjamin. Jacob is putting a personal guarantee .

Now I want to point something out here. You see Judah says, “I will guarantee myself…” This word guarantee means to become personally liable. Do you see how Judah is pointing us towards Christ in this story this morning. Christ has made himself personally liable to each and every person here this morning.

Let’s keep our eye on Judah for a minute. Remember Judah was callous towards Joseph before. He’s the one that came up the idea of at least getting themselves paid. He didn’t care about killing Joseph, only enriching himself….Now, Judah is willing to stand in the place of his brother. You can see how God is shaping and sanctifying Judah’s heart. This is partially due to his relationship with Tamar back in chapter 38 and how God has revealed his own sin. Judah is acting as a substitute…just like Christ.

Heb. 7:22 says, “Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.”

Judah taking a redemptive role as a leader. True leadership doesn’t dominate others, but sacrifices for others.

Judah has stepped up. The voice that once spoke from a heart of jealousy now speaks from a heart shaped by responsibility. His pledge is more than a plan—it’s a turning point for himself.

But now we need to look back at Israel again. What’s he going to do? He’s been reluctant, even paralyzed by fear. Yet here, in the face of Judah’s leadership and God’s providential pressure, Israel begins to loosen his grip. He doesn’t see the grace waiting in Egypt yet. He doesn’t know the whole story yet. But he takes a step of faith—a costly, trembling, but necessary step. Let’s read verses 11 through 15.

Genesis 43:11–15 ESV

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. 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. Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man. 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.” 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.

We see…

Trust in the Sovereign Mercy of God (vv. 11–15)

Isreal finally realizes that if he wants to be rescued…he needs to let go of the rock he’s clinging to. What we see here is that he not only gives in to Egypt…but more importantly he gives in to El Shaddai. El Shaddai is God Almighty. This is the name of God that was given to Abraham when he was 99 years old and told to walk with God. El Shaddai emphasizes divine sufficiency in desperate moments. This shows God’s sufficiency when human strength runs out.

Israel saying, “May God Almighty grant you mercy…” shows us the moment of surrender to God. Israel is letting go of his self sufficiency and entrusting Benjamin and the rest of his family to God. Now, while Israel is surrendering, he doesn’t know what the outcome of this decision will be. This is how we can see Israel trusting the Lord. There is a tension here when Israel says, “If I am bereaved, I am bereaved.” This is not a show of fatalism, or hopelessness, but a show of faith. Israel is finally acknowledging that God is in charge.

Here’s what is pretty cool…You see, Israels surrender sets up the grace that we will get to see next week. That’s becuase trust is always the beginning of a deeper revelation of God’s mercy. In other words, Our obedience to God, allows us to see God’s mercy.

So church…are you willing to risk obedience? I ask that because some of you are seeking out the answers to the problems your facing, but you’re still holding on to that rock hoping God will come and get you. All the while God is telling you to simply let go of the rock and trust in his promises that he’s already given to you.

Let me prove it to you.

2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

The grace you are seeking…the strength you are seeking…the help you are seeking…It’s not gonna show up while you are holding on to that rock thinking that you are in control. God is allowing pressure to build so that you will realize that it is when you are weak, that his power is revealed. It is when you are weak…this isn’t talking about being physically weak. this is talking about you coming to the end of yourself and realizing that you are not strong enough or capable enough to manage things on your own. Your weakness is your humility realizing that you must rely on the one who can lift you up. Your weakness is your willingness to humble yourself before your God.

God has called you to surrender to him if you want to experience salvation. God is calling you to surrender to him if you want to experience freedom. God is calling you to surrender to him because you cannot live this life on your own. Trusting in the sovereign mercy of El Shaddai is a turning point in your spiritual maturity. That is something you should be renewing every single day.

Listen…this is important, God is not trying to ruin Israel, just like he is not trying to ruin you—God is preparing Israel to receive his grace. First the famine, then the fear, then the surrender…

Jacob has surrendered. Judah has stepped up. The brothers now return to Egypt—but they don’t yet know the kindness that is waiting for them. Next week, we’ll see how divine grace sometimes disguises itself in strange and unexpected ways… maybe at a table set by the very one they once betrayed.

This week I want us to pay attention to what God is doing here.

You see, in this chapter God applies pressure—not to destroy, but to deliver. God brings famine—not to curse, but to confront the places in your hearts where you still believe you’re in control. And He raises up a leader—not just any leader, but Judah, the very one who once sold his brother for silver.

Now, this same man offers himself as a guarantee for his brother’s life.

That’s what grace does—it transforms rebels into redeemers. Judah steps into the role of intercessor, bearing responsibility he doesn’t have to carry. And in that moment, we get a shadow, a glimpse, of Someone greater.

Because there is a greater Judah—One who didn’t just offer to stand in your place, but actually did.

Jesus Christ stood before the Father and said, “I myself will be a guarantee for them.” Jesus paid the price for you and I as a guarantee

Romans 5:8 says that, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

You see, like Judah, Jesus didn’t speak up for the innocent. He stood in for the guilty.

So the call this morning is clear:

If you're clinging to control like Israel—repent. God is calling you to surrender.

If you’ve been reluctant to step into sacrificial obedience—repent. God is calling you to lead.

If you’re weighed down by fear, or trying to manage your way out of famine—repent. God is calling you to trust.

God is not asking you to let go into chaos. He is calling you to let go into His providence… where Christ has already gone before you, stood in your place, and secured your rescue.

Let’s pray:

Dear Lord,

You are the God who reigns in famine and in fullness, in pressure and in peace. And today, we see how You love us too much to leave us clinging to control what we can’t manage.

Lord, like Jacob, we confess: we are afraid. We have things we don’t want to lose. We have places where we have resisted Your call to surrender. Forgive us.

Like Judah, would You make us into intercessors—people who take spiritual responsibility for others? Form in us the heart of Christ, who stepped in not only as a pledge, but as a Substitute, bearing our sin and shame.

Father, help us to trust You—El Shaddai, God Almighty—even when we cannot see the outcome. Teach us to release what we cannot keep…into Your hands of mercy.

Thank You for Jesus, the greater Judah, who didn’t just offer His life—He gave it. And now, we rest in Him, our Surety, our Savior, our Redeemer, and our King.

Lead us now to walk in faith, not fear. In surrender, not self-preservation. In trust, not control.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.