Reconciled

Introduction

Recap Series

tell the story of Joseph to this point

do not take the entire time

Today - Reconciled

16 When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” Pharaoh and his servants were pleased. 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and go on back to the land of Canaan. 18 Get your father and your families, and come back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you can eat from the richness of the land.’ 19 You are also commanded to tell them, ‘Do this: Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your dependents and your wives and bring your father here. 20 Do not be concerned about your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ” 21 The sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had commanded, and he gave them provisions for the journey. 22 He gave each of the brothers changes of clothes, but he gave Benjamin three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothes. 23 He sent his father the following: ten donkeys carrying the best products of Egypt and ten female donkeys carrying grain, food, and provisions for his father on the journey. 24 So Joseph sent his brothers on their way, and as they were leaving, he said to them, “Don’t argue on the way.” 25 So they went up from Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. 26 They said, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned, for he did not believe them. 27 But when they told Jacob all that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 Then Israel said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go to see him before I die.”

16 When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” Pharaoh and his servants were pleased. 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and go on back to the land of Canaan. 18 Get your father and your families, and come back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you can eat from the richness of the land.’ 19 You are also commanded to tell them, ‘Do this: Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your dependents and your wives and bring your father here. 20 Do not be concerned about your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”

21 The sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had commanded, and he gave them provisions for the journey. 22 He gave each of the brothers changes of clothes, but he gave Benjamin three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothes. 23 He sent his father the following: ten donkeys carrying the best products of Egypt and ten female donkeys carrying grain, food, and provisions for his father on the journey. 24 So Joseph sent his brothers on their way, and as they were leaving, he said to them, “Don’t argue on the way.” 25 So they went up from Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. 26 They said, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned, for he did not believe them. 27 But when they told Jacob all that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 Then Israel said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go to see him before I die.”

I love the honesty of the Bible… “Do not argue on the way.”

25 So they went up from Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. 26 They said, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned, for he did not believe them. 27 But when they told Jacob all that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 Then Israel said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go to see him before I die.”

what would the brothers have to argue about…

Joseph was alive… who was the most to blame from the start

Joseph was alive… who was going to tell Dad…

what were they going to tell Dad…

28 Then Israel said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go to see him before I die.”

remind them of how Jacob came to believe Joseph was dead

We have been through most of this story of Joseph…

at times we have put ourselves in the shoes of Joesph...

we have been betrayed, forgotten, wrongfully accused

but as we have gone through this we realize, that we are not him

look at the grace that he has shown, the forgiveness that he has offered

he looks more like Jesus than we do

So then we begin to look at ourselves as the brothers…

we can be selfish, we lie cheat and steal to get ahead

we can be jealous of others based on what we perceive is justice

There is a line from an old TV show, a young lady was screaming at somebody…

“I tried so hard not to become my mother, I became my father!”

When we look back at this story, we realize we are Jacob

we are in the background… just waiting to die

feeling like there is noting that God can do with or for us

that the dream that had been passed from his grandfather, Abraham, through Isaac to Jacob is dead and gone because of the death of his son

and we look at the entire world and wonder… “where did God go?”

because we do not see him working in our life, there is not great revival here… God must not be doing that anymore

His Son was Dead

He had no problem believing that his son was dead

How the brothers told Jacob that Joseph was dead...

they never told him that he was dead

is this your sons coat… he jumped to the conclusion of being eaten by an animal

even though he sent him to brothers that hated him

in a dangerous place the that brothers had killed before

live like he was dead

Benjamin can go with you because he is now the favorite

we see him depressed throughout the story, why do all the bad things keep happening to me…

Their father Jacob said to them, “It’s me that you make childless. Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything happens to me!”

36 Their father Jacob said to them, “It’s me that you make childless. Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything happens to me!”

May God Almighty cause the man to be merciful to you so that he will release your other brother and Benjamin to you. As for me, if I am deprived of my sons, then I am deprived.”

May God Almighty cause the man to be merciful to you so that he will release your other brother and Benjamin to you. As for me, if I am deprived of my sons, then I am deprived.”

This is the cry of a man that does not believe that God is for him…

and if we are honest… that is where a lot of live

Far too many of us live our lives happy that Jesus died on the cross for our sins… that we are forgiven, but that He is still in the grave...

We have no problem believing in death… we are used to it

and we just are waiting to die so that we can be with him

We celebrate that, as we should

not realizing that Jesus is alive right now!

Jesus took the full wrath of God upon himself, because of your sin and mine

Jacob never sent out a search party…

His disciples had no problem believing that he died

he did not send servants out to find the body, to see if he was hurt somewhere…

they saw him arrested… beaten…

nothing, he is dead and now I wait for death!

But… one of my favorite words in all of scripture

But things change, when the guy you thought was dead is alive.

His Son was Alive

The brothers come back and do not even talk about how…

Joseph is alive!

when you want to change the subject, or make sure that the subject is not even talked about, just overwhelm them with good news…

Joseph was stunned…

KJV His heart fainted…

actual word is numb inside

he was in such shock, that he did not know what to believe

Why? Because things change when the guy you thought was dead is alive!

I can only imagine that that is what the disciples were like when Christ was alive after they had seen all that he went through

numb…

they walked out on him… or better yet ran away from him

the one who made such a big fuss about never leaving him, denies him three times

now he’s alive?

Thomas could not believe it…

But Thomas (called “Twin”), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were telling him, “We’ve seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “If I don’t see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 26 A week later his disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.” 28 Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

24 But Thomas (called “Twin”), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were telling him, “We’ve seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “If I don’t see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

Jacob saw and he believed…

But when they told Jacob all that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 Then Israel said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go to see him before I die.”

26 A week later his disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

27 But when they told Jacob all that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.

When Jacob realized that everything the boys were telling him just might be true…

28 Then Israel said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go to see him before I die.”

when he heard the good news and saw the evidence with them, he believed!

a man that was just waiting to die is suddenly revived and ready to move…

Blessed are you when you believe… Yes Jesus died on the cross for your sins,

27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.”

the full wrath of God poured out on him so that you could be reconciled to him

28 Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God!”

but that is not the end of the story… Yes he died but he rose from the grave

29 Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Not believe that he died… but that he is alive!

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 2

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!