The Providence of God in Reconciliation

Good morning, everyone! Whether you're here with us in the room or joining online—listening live or later—we’re truly glad you're here. You're part of our extended spiritual family, and we're thankful for you.

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 get ready for what God has for you today.

This morning we get to continue on with our Joseph series and see what happens after Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. Remember there has been all sorts of stuff going on. Remember Joseph was sold into slavery and left for dead, but God wasn’t finished with him. Then Joseph went through all sorts of stuff that was hard, including being jailed, but God wasn’t finished with him yet. Finally Joseph became the 2nd most important person in Egypt and his brothers had come to him to get food, but they didn’t recognize him. Well, last time we talked about Joseph, we saw that Joseph revealed himself to his brothers and they wept together as they hugged. Well, later, as Joseph continues to talk to his brothers, eventually he tells them…”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!

Now, the last time we talked we saw a beautiful picture of God’s grace and the way he is working through the hardships of our lives. We even talked about reconciliation and how God’s grace flows through reconciliation. Today we’re going to see how the rest of the family feels about all that.

But before we get to that, I want to ask you a question…

Have you ever tried to put together a 1,000-piece puzzle without the box top? Imagine staring at a mess of seemingly random pieces—some jagged, some colorful, others dark—and you have no idea what the final image is supposed to be. You might begin with the corners or sort by colors, but it just feels confusing and slow.

Now imagine someone walks in, shows you the cover of the box—and suddenly, everything changes. The chaos starts to make sense. You begin to see how each little piece fits into the grand picture.

Folks, our passage today is a ‘box top’ moment for Jacob and his sons. For years, they had lived with the jagged pieces of betrayal, famine, and sorrow. But in this passage, God begins to flip the puzzle pieces right-side up. What once looked like disaster is revealed to be God’s providence preparing the way for restoration, forgiveness, and salvation.

Today, we’re going to explore how this passage shows us that God never stops working—even when all we see are broken pieces…and sometimes that’s some of us see

Our text this morning is a moment when God flips the puzzle box right-side up. This is a turning point where the broken story of Joseph and his brothers begins to make sense—not just emotionally, but theologically. The God who rules history is not absent in suffering; He is actively writing a story of reconciliation.

Let’s read the passage and see what God has done in Joseph's life—and what that reveals about what He might be doing in ours.

Genesis 45:16–20 ESV

When the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, 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.’ 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. Have no concern for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”

Right away, we see that Pharaoh hears the news of Joseph’s family and responds with overwhelming kindness and generosity. But don’t miss this: Pharaoh isn’t part of the covenant family—he’s a pagan king. Yet he’s moved to bless Joseph and his family.

What would cause a foreign ruler to show such favor to the sons of Israel? Well, you see…God’s providence doesn’t stop at the church doors. His purposes influence kings and kingdoms to bring about His redemptive plan.

God’s Providence Extends to All (16–20)

Did you remember that Pharaohs house heard about Joseph and his brothers? In the passage we just read we see that there was a report that went to Pharaoh. Basically, here is what most likely happened. Remember that Joseph ordered out the servants and his interpreters, and everyone else before he revealed himself to his brothers. So, it would make sense that they kind of slowly walked out and maybe hung out around the door to see what was going on. I mean, their boss just told them to leave him in a room of the outsiders who he’s just accused of theft. So they likely hung out for a minute and heard what Joseph said to his brothers, and then took that message on to Pharaoh.

Pharaoh’s response was amazin…Pharaoh’s first response to Joseph’s family was one of immediate favor and incredible generosity. This is so cool because we can see here that God’s favor reaches beyond covenant boundaries. You see, Pharaoh wasn’t a believer in the God of Jacob was he. However, he enthusiastically welcomed Joseph’s family into the best of what Egypt has to offer. This is is proof that God moves the hearts of unbelievers to fulfill his purposes.

Here’s the deal…Pharaoh was impressed with Joseph’s wisdom, and responded with royal hospitality. What a perfect picture of how God’s providence impacts even rulers. I love how this provisionfrom Pharaoh sets the stage for Israel's survival during the famine. This shows how God’s providence in aligning national powers of that time to accomplish his covenant purposes for the people of Israel. In other words…Jacob’s family.

Pharaoh’s generosity sets the tone, but watch now how Joseph responds. He doesn’t just follow Pharaoh’s orders—he adds personal generosity, especially to Benjamin.

These next verses show us that Joseph doesn’t settle for justice. He goes further—he provides grace to those who wronged him.

Genesis 45:21–24 ESV

The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 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. 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 provisions for his father’s journey. Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.”

Joseph's actions here reflect a heart that has been transformed by God. He doesn’t get even—he gets generous. That is a beautiful characteristic God’s providence, and we can see that this is not just global power…it’s tender care. It meets us where we are, and frequently flows through others in an unexpected kindness. Let’s talk about how

God’s Providence Provides Grace (21–24)

Watch how Joseph sends wagons, provisions, and garments—tangible grace to his family. Joseph is mirroring God’s own generosity here—giving lavish provision to his incredibly underserving brothers who sinned so heinously against him. You know, they don’t know it, but this is exactly the picture that Jesus is painting when he said

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”—Jesus (Matthew 5:44)

Pay attention to how Grace exceeds justice. You see, Joseph did not repay evil for evil, quite the opposite, he provides for his brothers who once betrayed him. Listen to this, the brothers had taken Joseph’s robe from him when they sold him to the merchants, but he gave each of them new clothes to wear. Frequently in Scripture, a change of clothes is the sign of a new beginning. We’ve seen that with Joseph’s frequent robes, we see that when Jacob removed false gods from his household back in Gen. 37, and we saw this when Adam and Eve were given new clothes after their choice to sin against God. Now, this was certainly a new beginning for Jacob’s eleven sons.

Do you know what else grace does? Grace restores fractured relationships. You see, Joseph sends extra garments to Benjamin and even provisions to his father, but he didn’t leave out the need of his other brothers. They all got more than they needed to come back with families. These gestures reflect Joseph’s commitment to reconciliation, not just survival. I’ve said before that Joseph is a picture of Christ who is still to come, well these actions of Joseph point to the reconciling work of Christ.

There’s one more thing that Joseph did here. As Joseph sent out his brothers with all of the supplies, he told them not to quarrel on the way…in other words, don’t argue while you’re heading back to get everyone. You may or may not remember, but during their first trip to Egypt they discussed the guilt they had over Joseph, and Rueben jumped in with, “Didn’t I tell you not to” Reuben had expressed the Hebrew equivalent of “I told you so”. Joseph doesn’t want that to happen again. The matter had been settled once and for all and there was no need to discuss it or to try to fix the blame or measure the guilt. That is what grace-filled forgiveness does, it removes all guilt.

Now the brothers are headed back home, and for the first time in years, they are bringing good news. But how will Jacob—old, brokenhearted Jacob—respond?

Let’s look at how the news of Joseph’s survival reaches a man whose hope has been buried for decades.

Genesis 45:25–27 ESV

So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 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. 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.

Jacob’s heart is stunned—literally, the text says he was ‘numb.’ He couldn’t believe it. But once he saw the wagons, the signs of grace, his spirit revived.

This is what God’s providence does: it breathes life into dead hope. When we can’t see the plan, God sends the ‘wagons’ of grace to remind us—He’s still there, and he’s still working. Let’s look at how…

God’s Providence Revives the Weary ( 25–27)

It is absolutely stunning to think about this news from Jacob’s perspective. His sons come in and tell their father that Joseph is in fact alive, and that he is in charge of all of Egypt. I mean, can you just take a moment to try and put yourself in his shoes? He has beleived his son was dead for over 20 years…torn to pieces by some animal out in the wilderness somewhere. Well, let me just tell you a bit of what Jacob is getting hit with at this moment. First, Jacob was excited to see his sons safely home again, especially Benjamin as Jacob was most worried about him. But Jacob wasn’t prepared for the incredible report that came next. Next, Joseph was alive; then, he was the second ruler of Egypt; then, he wanted the whole family to move to Egypt; and finally he would care for all of them. I mean…how much good news can an old man handle in one day?

Jacob experienced first hand how God breathes life into long-dead hopes. Jacob had no notion of ever seeing his son Joseph again. Like I said, he believes he has been killed by something away from home. Now, I would imagine that the brothers told their father the truth about what they had done to Joseph, and they would have certainly asked Jacob to forgive them for causing him twenty-two years of grief. It’s likely that the old man wasn’t too surprised at their confession, after all, he’d been suspicious all along that his sons had something to do with Joseph’s disappearance. However, none of that matters because now Joseph is alive. The news of Joseph revives his heart, reflecting how God can resurrect spiritual hope where there is no more hope!

That’s not all though, God’s grace is confirmed in tangible ways. Jacob’s hope was revived not when he heard the words—but when he saw the wagons! That physical evidence is what helped Jacob to believe this was all real. When these physical signs were realized, Jacob is overcome by the providence of God which revived his spirit.

The same thing happened for us didn’t it? I mean you and i were offered forgivness of our sins and salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross…then three days later, his tomb was empty confirming his grace. The physical display of his providential power. Remember this was talked about for a long time before it happened. Jesus had been preaching about his coming sacrifice for three years…then the tomb was empty and everyone around was faced with making a decision. Just like Jacob has a decision to make now.

So, with Jacob’s spirit revived, he now must choose: will he stay in the land of sorrow, or will he follow the providential path God has opened?

Verse 28 shows us Jacob’s response—simple, powerful, and faith-filled.

Genesis 45:28 ESV

And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

Jacob says, ‘It is enough.’ That’s the language of trust. God has done more than he imagined, and that’s all he needs. No more proof, no more bargaining—just obedience.

When we see God’s providence at work—even faintly—it calls us not just to feel comforted but to move forward in faith. You see…

God’s Providence Leads to Obedient Trust (28)

The proper response to God’s providence is trust and action, not passivity…that’s what we just saw Jacob respond with…trust and action. Jacob is moving, not sitting down and waiting to see if something else happens. He responds by saying he will get up and go. I will go see Joseph. Jacob had faith in God and when he saw those wagons, he knew it was God who was providing.

God’s revelation is enough for faith. No more details…it’s time to move. Let’s pack up the wagons and hit the trails boys. This activity only happens when someone is committed to their faith in God—when they know that God will, and really already has provided what is needed. Jacob is show us all what it looks like when your faith rests in God’s providence…not your own understanding. In other words, you trust in Gods care and concern for you—not just what you see in front of you.

Do you know what happens when your faith has been revived like Jacob’s had been? Obedience follows revived faith. Jacob’s faith is revived and he springs to action. He doesn’t just feel better…he acts. He prepares to go to Egypt. Revival always calls for a response—a move of obedience to move into the next step of God’s plan.

However, sometimes we don’t really want to follow God’s plan like that do we? After all, it’s to uncomfortable and it’s to shaky, at least we feel like it is—so we pretend that God hasn’t just proven himself for the 1000th time. We push back against the idea of our faith being revived…even many sitting here today would say that they are following Jesus, but with your actions you deny him regularly. What is it that you need to step up into action? What is it that you need to allow your spirit to be revived with the Lord.

Listen, this is important—God orchestrates all events—even the sinful events—in order to reveal his redemptive grace. What is it that God is calling you to this morning?

From Pharaoh’s palace to Jacob’s home, every piece in this story reveals the same truth: God’s providence turns brokenness into blessing. Maybe you’re looking at a pile of chaotic pieces right now—but folks, the hand of God is steady. He’s building something far more beautiful than we can yet see.”

Today in just a few minutes we are about to go to communion and we have our commitment cards there on your chair. However, before we move on to that, I want you to answer one of the following questions this morning.

Commitment Card prompts:

Where do you need to trust God's providence in a painful or uncertain area of your life right now?

Who is God calling you to forgive or reconcile with as a reflection of His grace toward you?

Is it time that I trust God and move towards the greater act of obedience and give my life to him this morning.

Now, as you consider your response, let me tell you about what we have seen so far.

Throughout Joseph’s life we have seen that God’s providence isn’t random—it’s redemptive. He used betrayal, famine, and even the sins of men to bring about reconciliation and salvation.

But all of that was a shadow of a greater reconciliation. Joseph was sold into slavery—but Jesus was crucified for sinners. Joseph forgave his brothers—but Jesus, hanging on the cross, said, ‘Father, forgive them.’ Joseph provided food in a famine—but Jesus offers His body and blood to nourish our souls for eternity.

And just as Jacob saw the wagons and said, ‘It is enough,’ we come to this table and say of Christ—‘He is enough.’ His sacrifice is sufficient. His grace is abundant. And His providence has brought us to this table today—not by accident, but by divine mercy.

So as we come to the Lord’s Table, we come in faith—believing that God is still working, still forgiving, still reviving weary hearts.

In just a moment I am going to pray and after that some music will play as each of us stands and moves to receive communion from the Lord. You will come up and place your card in the basket and then you will take your elements and you will take those back to your chair. Then, after a brief or long moment of prayer, you will receive these elements remembering the one who laid down his life for you. Then you will make that commitment to the Lord. I will be up here along with other Elders if you would like to come and have someone pray with you this morning. We would be honored to do that with you.

Now, let me pray and lead us into communion this morning.

Pray: pray for all to hear from God this morning and that God would impress on our hearts how we should respond and be revived.

Matthew 26:26–28 ESV

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Come as you are ready…