The Breaking In of Grace
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When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?”
And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.”
So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt.
But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers, for he feared that harm might happen to him.
Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground.
Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”
And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.
And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them. And he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”
They said to him, “No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food.
We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants have never been spies.”
He said to them, “No, it is the nakedness of the land that you have come to see.”
And they said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more.”
But Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you. You are spies.
By this you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here.
Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.”
And he put them all together in custody for three days.
On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God:
if you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined where you are in custody, and let the rest go and carry grain for the famine of your households,
and bring your youngest brother to me. So your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” And they did so.
Then they said to one another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”
And Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.”
They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them.
Then he turned away from them and wept. And he returned to them and spoke to them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.
And Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, and to replace every man’s money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. This was done for them.
Then they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed.
And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money in the mouth of his sack.
He said to his brothers, “My money has been put back; here it is in the mouth of my sack!” At this their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”
When they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them, saying,
“The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us and took us to be spies of the land.
But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we have never been spies.
We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.’
Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I shall know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your households, and go your way.
Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I shall know that you are not spies but honest men, and I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.’ ”
As they emptied their sacks, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack. And when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.
And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin. All this has come against me.”
Then Reuben said to his father, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.”
But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If harm should happen to him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.”
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’?”
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.”
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.
When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make ready, for the men are to dine with me at noon.”
The man did as Joseph told him and brought the men to Joseph’s house.
And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house, and they said, “It is because of the money, which was replaced in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may assault us and fall upon us to make us servants and seize our donkeys.”
So they went up to the steward of Joseph’s house and spoke with him at the door of the house,
and said, “Oh, my lord, we came down the first time to buy food.
And when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was each man’s money in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it again with us,
and we have brought other money down with us to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”
He replied, “Peace to you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.
And when the man had brought the men into Joseph’s house and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder,
they prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.
When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground.
And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”
They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves.
And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!”
Then Joseph hurried out, for his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there.
Then he washed his face and came out. And controlling himself he said, “Serve the food.”
They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.
And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement.
Portions were taken to them from Joseph’s table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him.
Then he commanded the steward of his house, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack,
and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph told him.
As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys.
They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?
Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this.’ ”
When he overtook them, he spoke to them these words.
They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!
Behold, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?
Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my lord’s servants.”
He said, “Let it be as you say: he who is found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent.”
Then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.
And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.
When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground.
Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?”
And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found.”
But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace to your father.”
Then Judah went up to him and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself.
My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’
And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’
Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’
We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’
Then you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.’
“When we went back to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
And when our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food,’
we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down. For we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’
Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.
One left me, and I said, “Surely he has been torn to pieces,” and I have never seen him since.
If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in evil to Sheol.’
“Now therefore, as soon as I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy’s life,
as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol.
For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.’
Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers.
For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father.”
Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it.
And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.
So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.
And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.
For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest.
And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors.
So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry.
You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have.
There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.’
And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you.
You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.”
Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.
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.’ ”
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 provision for his father on the journey.
Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.”
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.
And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
Good Morning, it so Good to have our missionaries Dan and Karen Carson visiting with us this morning. I encourage you to spend some time with them after the service.. It has been a few years since we have seen them…
Over the past several weeks we have been in this sermon series on the life of Joseph entitled, “Our Mess His Masterpiece” and we coming to the conclusion of this series.... We are going to be talking about the Breaking in of Grace…
Grace mean a special gift…or an Act of kindness… Grace can refer to the system of Grace where we get saved..Not through works through grace...
Grace can refer to the system of means of our Salvation.... Saving Grace... Grace where we get saved..Not through works through grace...
Growing up in Zimbabwe , my family would go to Durban in SA for our Vacations. We loved swimming in the Indian Ocean... we would wade out quite far to the breakers to body surf….There is nothing more rewarding than catching a wave and riding it back to the shore line..
J
But once and a while your timing would be off and you would quickly find yourself in trouble and at the mercy of the wave… After several spin cycles in the oceans you finally come to a stop… When we think of grace --- we sometime might view grace smooth and safe ride to the shore line....
The Hymn write wrote Marvelous grace.. Grace that will pardon and grace that is greater than all our sins…
The Hymn writer wrote
We talk about the gift of Grace… we speak of
Grace is one of those Greek words that has a wide range of meanings… it comes from the word Charis..and mean a special gift…
Common grace… which is the grace given to everyone on the planet… these are everyday blessings.
We speak of positional grace or STANDING in Grace - talking about where we are in relationship to God’s love…
There is Grace found in Salvation… we are justified by faith through grace...
Grace can refer to the system of receiving our Salvation.... we are not saved by works or by the law but we are saved by grace...Saving Grace…
But as we look at the conclusion of Joseph’s life we get another view of Grace… The Outworking of Grace…or the BREAKING IN OF GRACE… or the Power of Grace...
Grace be this system of grace --- where we are not saved by works or by the law but we are saved by grace through faith.....Saving Grace…
But some times Grace can break upon our lives with … power and force.
This where we find the Outworking of grace in His redemptive plan in history… This is the kind of Grace we see at work in the closing chapters of the life of Joseph....
of Grace are those these bigger waves of grace… that come with power and force.
What we learn from the life of Joseph is that Grace has the power to break into our lives…
but grace can also break into our lives with power....grace can bring with it weight and resistence...
We
Grace can confront us with some realities that we have been avoiding....And in this final section of the life of Joseph we are are going to this Wave of God’s grace breaking in upon the Jacob and his 12 sons.
We see the Outworking of grace of God through His redemptive plan and purposes… has this ultimate plan of the creation of a nation… and the coming of the Messiah...
What we learn from the life of Joseph is that Grace has the power to break into our lives…
The story of Joseph begins with these two amazing dreams — They are no ordinary dreams they are prophetic in nature…
The story of Joseph is one that should inspire hope in all of us… Because the life of Joseph is part of wisdom literature it teaches us how to handle unavoidable challenges of life. … Joseph teaches us that God’s providence can be found in all of life circumstances… Even through the most trying of times.
Joseph experiences both the highs and lows… the twists an turns…that life can bring… but we see Joseph never giving up but always holding onto faith and believing… God is at work… Even when life may seem void and absent of hope…
t God is at work.... working all things together for good for those who love him…
Joseph dreams that he is in the harvest field with his brothers when all of sudden his stalk rises up above the rest the 10 stalks bow down before his stalk… He has second dream… which in ancient times meant confirmation of a divine dream.. This time Joseph dreams of these Celestial bodies the Stars with the Sun and the Moon bowing down before him…
… The dreams imply that in the future his family will at sometime in the future bow before him.
Even when we don’t understand… we can trust that God is at work.... working all things together for good for those who love him…
. but recognizes that God’s providence and hand can be found in all of life circumstances…Even when we don’t understand… we can trust that God is working all things together for good for those who love him…
Joseph found himself the victim of his brother jealousy… in the bottom of a pit and sold into Slavery, we saw him rise from Slave to the Overseer over the all the affairs of Potiphar and then come crashing down again because of the accusations of PW…then final reversal which is climax of the Story where Joseph rises rom the Prison to the Palace of Pharoah - Promoted to the place of Power and Prominence... Being on Second to Pharaoh in Egypt.
The dreams push the brothers over the edge… they already resented Joseph because of their father Jacobs obvious favoritism…
The story of Joseph tells us that God is masterfully weaving His redemption story through all of our frail human experiences..
. working all things together for good for those who love him…
There was already a growing resentment because of Jacobs obvious favoritism… and Josephs reputation of being a snitch and telling Jacob on his Brothers … had exceeded the passed the point of annoyance!… This dream of celestial bodies bowing down and paying homage to Joseph pushes the brothers over the edge.
Even though now in the present we don’t see perfectly but one day on the day… we will be able to look back and say that Go works all things together for good for those who love him…
… the brothers had already resented Joseph because of their father Jacobs obvious favoritism… and his dreams just add fuel to the fire... On day Jacob sends Joseph on a mission to check on his brothers and when
This Epic story begins with Joseph at 17 year of age a teenager having these two amazing dreams — They are no ordinary dreams they are prophetic in nature where some time in the future Joseph’s family represented by the Sun and the moon and the stars were one one day going to bow down before him… There was already this growing resentment because of Jacobs obvious favoritism… and Josephs reputation of being a snitch and telling Jacob everything that the brothers had done… This dream pushes the brothers over the ed
It is a heavenly dream where these celestial bodies the Stars of heaven and the Sun and the moon bow down before Joseph. This dream pushes the brothers over the edge
There was already this growing resentment because of Jacobs obvious favoritism… and Josephs reputation of being a snitch and telling Jacob everything that the brothers had done… …
One day Jacob sends Joseph on a mission to check on his brothers who were pasturing their Cattle in Dothan.… When Joseph arrives they see him from a distance and hatch this plan to get rid of him.. They attack him , with the intention to harm him… but as providence had it they ended up selling as slave to some traders heading for Egypt...
How audacious and presumptuous …What an ego …he must of had... but as we have seen this is no ordinary dream --- this is a God dream... a heavenly vision… with certain fulfilment…
of Joseph and his going to add to fuel to an already growing resentment of the brothers…
.. In fulfilment of the Abrahamic Covenant... that God was taking them into Egypt and it is here they are going to become this nation...
Things come to a head when Jacob sends Joseph to check on his brothers and his flocks…
ultimately the dream fuels their hatred for Joseph to the point that couldn’t even look at him.. Then one day Jacob sends Joseph to check on his brothers and his flocks…
When Joseph arrives they plan to get rid of him.. The attack him and sell him to some traders heading for Egypt...
and sell him to some traders heading for Egypt...
What follows are these series of Reversals…
the bottom of a pit and sold into Slavery, we saw him rise from Slave to the Overseer over the all the affairs of Potiphar and then come crashing down again because of the accusations of PW…then final reversal which is climax of the Story where Joseph rises rom the Prison to the Palace of Pharoah - Promoted to the place of Power and Prominence... Being on Second to Pharaoh in Egypt.
What follows in the life of Joseph are these series of Reversals of fortunes…
But when Joseph is in Egypt the hand of the Lord is upon him and his leadership gifts and abilities are recognized by Potiphar.
What follows in the life of Joseph are these series of Reversals of fortunes…
Joseph begins as a slave in Potiphars house but because God’s hand is upon him… and his excellent character… Potiphar makes him the Overseer over his entire household…
We have seen Joseph rise from Pit to then Penthouse of Potiphar and made Overseer over all the affairs of Potiphar.
where he is made Overseer over his entire household and fields.
Everything comes crashing down again when Joseph rejects PW advances and Jospeh ends up in the Prison house of Pharoah.
accused of making passes at PW and everything comes crashing down and he ends up in the Prison house of Pharoah.
Then there is one last and final reversal.
Joseph end up beningPromoted to the place of Power and Prominence... Being on Second to Pharaoh in Egypt.
is Promoted to the place of Power and Prominence... Being on Second to Pharaoh in Egypt.
=======
Pharoah has two disturbing dreams and needs someone to interpret the dreams.. The butler remembers Joseph and
The Story of Joseph is about God desiring to Bless his people... In fulfilment of the Abrahamic Covenant... that God was taking them into Egypt and it is here they are going to become this nation... God has chosen Joseph to be the man to be the front man... We have seen Joseph Grow into an amazing Spiritual leader... Who now has the duty of overseeing all of the needs of Egypt... nothing happened in Egypt without the approval of Joseph... during the years of famine Joseph stored so much grain that they actually lost count...
=l of God’s spirit, having Character, integretity and wisdom…
spirit of the Lord is so mighty upon Joseph --- that Pharoah
seven years of plentiful harvest followed by seven years of famine.. The spirit of the Lord is so mighty upon Joseph --- that Pharoah
We see The BREAKING IN OF GRACE… or the Power of Grace...
has this ultimate plan of the creation of a nation… and the coming of the Messiah...
and is Promoted to the place of Power and Prominence...
Joseph has come to understand that God doesn’t deliver us from every circumstance but rather God uses our predicaments as platforms to perform to display his Grace…
Joseph declares to Pharaoh that God was sending a famine… there would be seven years plenty followed by seven years of famine.. He advises Pharoah to make provisions during the years of plenty to prepare for Famine… God’s had is mighty upon Joseph and his promoted a place of Power and Prominence...
We have seen Joseph spiritual formation… from a teen into this amazing Spiritual leader… Who is characterized as being full of God’s spirit, having Character, integretity and wisdom…
Joseph became Pharaoh’s right hand man and acted with the full authority of Pharaoh leads Egypt through time of 7 years of abundance of land....
leads Egypt through time of 7 years of abundance of land....
followed by the 7 years of famine… Joseph is second to Pharoah. nothing happened in Egypt without the approval of Joseph…
t... nothing happened in Egypt without the approval of Joseph... during the years of famine Joseph stored so much grain that they actually lost count...
And during the years of famine Joseph stored so much grain that they actually lost count..
The story of Joseph is coming to a conclusion
Everything is coming to a Resolution… The big Picture is that Jacob (Israel) sons are going to settle in the land and become the nation of Israel…But there is one last unresolved issue that has to happen before this takes place… This is the Restoration of this family that has been torn apart by a secret that has been hidden for two decades.. We are going to see this morning this Wave of Grace break upon this Jacob and his Sons.
There is the big plan that God has for the Nation of Israel... In fulfilment of the Abrahamic Covenant... that God was taking them into Egypt and it is here they are going to become this nation..
There is another unresolved tension that Moses the author of Genesis gives to the Reconciliation of the relationship of Joseph and his brothers…More details and effort is given to telling this Family Story… It tells us…That God is interested in the Human story as well as the big Story of Israel becoming a nation..
What is going to Break in this Family is this Wave of Grace.
Joseph has held onto the dreams that he was given by God for 23 years ...and this whole time… God’s hand has been with him leading and guiding him through some rough times..
God is bring Jacob and his sons into Egypt for the purpose of establishing the Nation of Israel…
God has reversed the fortunes of Joseph… taken him from the pit to the Palace.. and
We have seen several reversals of fortunes in the life of Joseph…From the pit to the Penthouse, from the Penthouse to the Prison house… then lastly from the Prison house to Pharaoh’s palace..
Joseph has been delivered from a life of slavery and promoted Second in charge in Egypt..
When God gave Joseph the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams....of 7 years of plenty followed by 7 years of famine..
Pharaoh knew immediately that God had given Joseph the interpretation…
The result of God’s blessing is Favor...
Pharoah and his Advises saw that the Spirit of God was upon Joseph and there was no one else better for the job… So,Joseph was put in charge over the whole project of stock piling food for the famine…
Joseph has been in charge over the whole project of feeding Egypt and saving them from seven years of famine…
Joseph has been in charge over the whole project of feeding Egypt and saving them from seven years of famine…
We are going to see this morning this Wave of Grace break upon this Jacob and his Sons.
At the Macro level the big story of Joseph is about God using Joseph to bring Jacob--- (Israel) into the land of Egypt where over the period of 400 years they would become a nation… that through Israel would come Jesus the Messiah who would ultimately bring salvation tot he world…
bring Jacob--- (Israel) into the land of Egypt where over the period of 400 years they would become a nation… that through Israel would come Jesus the Messiah who would ultimately bring salvation tot he world…
But At the Micro level this is a Story about God bring healing to Jacob and his sons…who for two decades have been avoiding some deep hurts...
Family had some dysfunctions… and for two decades this family has been ripped apart by what happened to Joseph.... and there is this unresolved conflict…that happened when the brothers sold him into slavery....
..For two decades this family has been ripped apart by what happened to Joseph.... and there is this unresolved conflict…that happened when the brothers sold him into slavery....
It’s a story of this wave of Grace
T/S God Grace is a Powerful force....
If your timing was just right and you catch the wave and it bring your .. It's here where you discover the real power of the Ocean... you are no longer in control at this point... you have to go with what comes next... which is normally what feels like you just step into the spin cycle of your washer... At this point seconds feel like minutes... you wondering if you ever going to see day light again...after several summer salt... and trunk full of beach sand you come to a stop.. We some view Grace like this perfect wave that has gently brought us safely to the shore line...
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Grace is a weighty word and when it presses down upon us it brings about change... Grace is the Crucible that molds and melts and forms us....
1. Grace brings us face to face with our Deepest Hurts.
1. Grace brings us face to face with our Deepest Hurts.
T/S We going to Learn from the story of Joseph that Grace confronts us and our deepest needs…
1. Grace brings us face to face with our Deepest Hurts.
1. Grace brings us face to face with our Deepest Hurts.
A man went to see his doctor in an acute state of anxiety. "Doctor," he said, "you have to help me. I'm dying.
Everywhere I touch it hurts. I touch my head and it hurts. I touch my leg and it hurts. I touch my stomach and it hurts. I touch my chest and it hurts. You have to help me, Doc, everything hurts."
A man went to see his doctor in an acute state of anxiety. "Doctor," he said, "you have to help me. I'm dying. Everywhere I touch it hurts. I touch my head and it hurts. I touch my leg and it hurts. I touch my stomach and it hurts. I touch my chest and it hurts. You have to help me, Doc, everything hurts."
The doctor gave him a complete examination. "Mr. Smith," he said, "I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is you are not dying. The bad news is you have a broken finger."
Emotional hurts are those thing deep with in us… things that we keep hidden… Emotional hurts can make us hurt all over… Each of us has to deal with deep hurt - Emotional hurts…
things that we keep hidden… Emotional hurts can make us hurt all over… Each of us has to deal with deep hurt - Emotional hurts…
all of us at some level have these kinds of hurts that we might either deel upon or ignore
Emotional hurt makes us hurt all over… all of us at some level have these kinds of hurts that we might either deell upon or ignore.
Its interesting that you break an arm or leg you put a cast on and several weeks later the arm is healed… After you arm is healed you move on and you function like you did before… It is not the same with Emotional pain… Emotional pain takes much longer to heal… Someone could have said hurtful words to decades ago and we still holding on the emotional pain… We can still carry the burden… …
It is not the same with Emotional pain… It seems to takes much longer to heal from emotional pain… We can be told something as children and carry that memory for decades...
… we feel like we hurt all over…
It seems to take much longer to deal with emotional pain… because we can go years and decades without dealing with things… One of the problems with Emotional pain… is that it can feel like we hurt all over…
Seems that it not quite that simple… often its hard to put your finger on what is really causing our hurt… sometimes like that man… we feel like we hurt all over…
I was reading an article from Psychology today that said emotional pain is actually worse than physical pain because it can be triggered by memories, it’s hard to distract ourselves from it, it echoes through our lives...
because we can go years and decades without dealing with things… One of the problems with Emotional pain… is that it can feel like we hurt all over…
Psychology Today says emotional pain is actually worse than physical pain because it can be triggered by memories, it’s hard to distract ourselves from it, it echoes through our lives, people aren’t as empathetic, and it can be devastating to our self-esteem and long-term emotional health
We can relive the emotional pain over and over again…
What do we do with our hurts? To be honest often we just hold onto our hurts...
The doctor gave him a complete examination. "Mr. Smith," he said, "I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is you are not dying. The bad news is you have a broken finger."
devastating to our self-esteem and long-term emotional health
Emotional Pain is a big problem in our world… and we try and find all kinds of ways to deal with emotional pain..
One in every ten Americans over age twelve is addicted to illicit drugs and/or alcohol. Another one in ten misuses prescription drugs.
One in every ten Americans over age twelve is addicted to illicit drugs and/or alcohol. Another one in ten misuses prescription drugs.
The Secret Battle of Ideas about God: Overcoming the Outbreak of Five Fatal Worldviews How Idea Viruses Fail Us in Our Suffering
One in every ten Americans over age twelve is addicted to illicit drugs and/or alcohol. Another one in ten misuses prescription drugs. 23 Others overeat or look at pornography or devote too much time to technology and entertainment as a way of numbing their pain
Others overeat or devote too much time to technology and entertainment as a way of numbing their pain
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Julia H. Johnston got it right when she wrote the the chorus for the Hymn “Marvelous grace”
Julia H. Johnston got it right when she wrote the the chorus for the Hymn “Marvelous grace”
Grace, grace, God's grace,
grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
grace, grace, God's grace,
grace that is greater than all our sin.
God’s wave of Grace brings us Face to face with our deepest hurts....
In the Story of Joseph God is going to use the famine as an instrument to mend the deep Emotional hurts In Jacobs Family.
After Joseph is promoted by Pharoah to second in command… Joseph immediately gets to work, he travels through all the cities and towns of Egypt making sure that they were stock piling food for the famine… The program was so successful that they stopped counting all the food being stored.
Joseph immediately gets to work and travel through all the cities and towns of Egypt making sure that they were stock piling food for the famine… The program was so successful the could keep up with the amount of food that was being saved and they stopped counting everything...
Joseph travelled to the cities and towns of Egypt making sure that they were stock piling food for the famine..
After the seven years of plenty the famine hit hard and all the surrounding nations travelled to Egypt to get food.. The famine is going to force Jacob and his sons to seek assistance and help from Egypt… There is something about our human nature that we desire to be self sufficient.... We don’t like to depend on others… Without Egypt.... without others Jacob and his sons would never survive the famine.
The program was so successful that stopped keeping records of how much food came in…Joseph had seen first hand God’s favor and blessing… He had great appreciation for Grace… Jospeh understood That grace was not so much the absence of struggles, but grace is present in our struggles...
Joseph had named his two Children Manasseh and Ephram… that continually reminded him --- God made him forget.... God made him fruitful in the land of his affliction.... It didn’t take long for the good times to come to an end and the seven years of famine to come.... When the famine arrived it hit hard… All the nations surrounding cried out and looked to Egypt for Help.. Joseph opened up the storehouses… we told that the not just the Egyptians but all the earth came to Egypt..
fruitful in the land of affliction.... It didn’t take long for the good times to come to an end and the seven years to come.... When it came it hit hard… All the nations surrounding Egypt began to feel the affect of the famine....
When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.”
T/S God is not only working in the whole earth But God is going to Use the famine to move Jacob (Israel) and His family into Egypt… Famine is going to force this family into dealing with family secret that they buried for two decades..
In the meantime … Jacob and his sons are in Canaan and when the Famine hits the are totally unprepared.
ingreressio
… There is something about our human nature that we desire to be self sufficient.... We don’t like to depend on others… Without Egypt.... without others Jacob and his sons would never survive the famine.
lets read our text...
T/S
Jacob and his sons are are unprepared for the famine and struggling without food… but there learn that there is food in Egypt… lets read our text...
i in traveling to Egypt… and they have a good reason...
this decision to go to Egypt… Eventually Jacob tells his sons that they no longer have a choice… its out of their hands...
ff
1 When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2 And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers, for he feared that harm might happen to him. 5 Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
Gen 42
When the famine hits Canaan the — word spreads that there is food available in Egypt…
The text imply that the brothers knew about the availability of food in Egypt but were dragging their feet ....
When Jacob learns about the food… he wonders why his sons… looking at each other…and doing nothing…
What Jacob doesn’t realize that there is more to whats going on here than meets the eye.... there is an internal wrestling going on inside of his sons… They are being confronted by the past..
There are several traps... Brothers are trapped in their guilt of Joseph and the secret they have kept for two decades.. Jacob has been trapped for 20 years fearing what might happen to JOSEPH.
The brothers find themselves in quite the predicament.... .. When they sold Joseph into slavery to the Amalakites heading for Egypt… The brothers thought that the Joseph problem was taken care of forever.... Egypt the last place in the world that they would ever have to travel too..…
a. Here we find the brothers doing everything they can to avoid going to Egypt...
a. Here we find the brothers doing everything they can to avoid going to Egypt...
the chances of seeing Joseph again were slim to nothing.…
In normal circumstances it wouldn’t be an issue… but that was before the famine… now the Brothers find themselves in a predicament....there arms are Forced.. they don’t really have a choice.... Either they stay in Canaan and die… or they travel to Egypt and get food.
There are several traps... Brothers are trapped in their guilt of Joseph and the secret they have kept for two decades.. Jacob has been trapped for 20 years fearing what might happen to JOSEPH.
Now in normal circumstances this would be true… but that was before the famine… now the Brothers find themselves in a predicament....there arms are tried. they don’t really have a choice....
The brothers find themselves in a predicament.... they don’t want to go to Egypt by they have no choice.. When they sold Joseph into slavery they Caravan of Ismaelites were heading for Egypt… The brothers thought that was it… the last place in the world that they would have to go do is Egypt..… the chances of seeing Joseph again were slim to nothing.…
Maybe they had thought they would never have to go there for anything…
Grace has away of confronting our deepest hurts..
Either they stay in Canaan and die… or they travel to Egypt and get food.
The brothers find themselves in a predicament....they don’t have a choice.
God has a way using material lack and need to do something that they would normally do and that is go down to Egypt...
…they never thought they would ever need to travel to Egypt for anything… the chances of seeing Joseph again were slim.… Here we see the Grace of God moving and directing… they have the choice stay in Canaan and die.... or go to Egypt and live.. Avoidance is a very human response… we often avoid people and places that cause us hurt… We will often do everything in our power to cirucumvent painful situation…
Here we see the Breaking in of the Grace of God on these brothers..
Avoiding Pain is a very human response…We have all done things to avoid awkward situations… we will avoid people and places that have caused us hurt…
moving and directing… they have the choice stay in Canaan and die.... or go to Egypt and live.. Avoidance is a very human response… we often avoid people and places that cause us hurt… We will often do everything in our power to cirucumvent painful situation…
When ...Jacob learns about grain for sale and he said to his sons "Why do you look at each other?" --- Joseph says stop looking at each other… Go to Egypt..
a. Avoiding the Issue - Going to Egypt...
a. Avoiding the Issue - Going to Egypt...
Jacob learns about grain for sale and he said to his sons "Why do you look at each other?" ---the answer is right in front of you… stop procrastenating and go to Egypt..
Here we see the Breaking in of the Grace of God… Grace is this powerful force that is going to move them in the right direction.
Here we see the Breaking in of the Grace of God… Grace is this powerful force that is going to move them in the right direction.
b. Ignoring the Issue.. Doing nothing
b. Ignoring the Issue.. Doing nothing
c. God uses the Famine a an instrument of Grace..
c. God uses the Famine a an instrument of Grace..
The brothers had lived for 23 years with the secret that they had sold Joseph into slavery… they never talked about it....
Even when they saw there father Jacob mourning Joseph… they held tightly to the secret… Maybe even started to believe the lie themselves that believed that Joseph was dead…his could be have survived slavery…
maybe even started to believe the lie themselves that believed that Joseph was dead…his could be have survived slavery…
d. The brothers didn’t know it but Grace is leading them to Egypt…
d. The brothers didn’t know it but Grace is leading them to Egypt…
--- Grace is the instrument used to deal with hurt…
Preaching the Word: Galatians—Gospel-Rooted Living Developing Our Ability to See Grace
Grace is everywhere, as much in the difficulties and struggles of our lives as in the good times and the victories
Grace is leading them to Egypt…
Grace is everywhere, as much in the difficulties and struggles of our lives as in the good times and the victories.... God Grace will lead us toward our hurts…
Paul Trip says..
Grace will tell you the worst news you could ever hear while it blesses you with the most wonderful hope you could ever have. – Paul David Tripp
T/S When the wave of God's Grace Breaks it always Confronts us.
T/S We going to Learn from the story of Joseph that Grace confronts us and our deepest needs…
1. Grace brings us face to face with our Deepest Hurts.
2. Grace brings us Face to face with Our Guilt.
2. Grace brings us Face to face with Our Guilt.
There is the story of a shoplifter who wrote to a department store, saying, “I’ve just become a Christian, and I can’t sleep at night because I feel guilty. So here’s $100 that I owe you.”
A shoplifter wrote to a department store, saying, “I’ve just become a Christian, and I can’t sleep at night because I feel guilty. So here’s $100 that I owe you.”
He signed his name then added a little PS: “If I still can’t sleep, I’ll send you the rest.”
He signed his name then added a little
PS: “If I still can’t sleep, I’ll send you the rest.”
When we talk about guilt today— it often seen as a negative thing.. we want to reduce the feeling of guilt…
but there is also positive Guilt…
When we talk about guilt today— it often seen as a negative thing.. we want to reduce the feeling of guilt…
In the modern world --- Guilt is seen as something should be avoided..
Sigmund Freud believed that the primary sources of guilt were fear of authority and fear of loss of parental love, which eventually become one's conscience....
we have been heavily influence by Sigmund Freud believed that the primary sources of guilt were fear of authority and fear of loss of parental love, which eventually become one's conscience.1
Guilt is very poss
In other words guilt is something we have made up… so the goal is that we should try and free the conscious of all feelings of guilt…
Now there is excessive guilt… which we can bring on ourselves… But what we find in the Bible is Positive Guilt...
Biblical Guilt is sense of moral absolutes--- that truth isn’t relative but that there are ultimate standards on right and wrong…
Biblical Guilt is sense of moral absolutes--- that truth isn’t relative but that there are ultimate standards on right and wrong…
Where Guilt is this emotional warning that alerts us when something is wrong...
and like emotional pain.. guilt
It has been two decades since Joseph had the dream of the brothers coming to bow down before for him.
Grace actually Awakens this sense of Guilt....
When Jacob sends his 10 sons on the mission to Egypt to get food in Egypt… This going to be their first encounter with Joseph in 23 years.... and they are not going to recognize Joseph....
read our text.
5 Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6 Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. 7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” 8 And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them. And he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.” 10 They said to him, “No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants have never been spies.”
Gen 42:5-
When Joseph’s brothers plotted murder against him and sold him into slavery they did it with the specific intention to defeat his dreams (). Instead, by sending Joseph to Egypt, they provided the way the dreams would be fulfilled
When you think of the 10 000’s of people coming down to Egypt to find food.. All the nations gathering in one place.. And out of the whole multitude of people.... Joseph eye catches his brothers … it must have been a surreal moment when Prophetic word…that he held onto for two years was now materializing before his eyes.
We see the Outworking of God’s grace throughout this narrative.. Out of all the 10 000’s of people that were going to Egypt --- The brothers find themselves bowing before Joseph...
Imagine you are born into a family where you are your father’s favorite among 12 children. You enjoy a place of prominence, and you know a rich inheritance awaits you. But your position is not without its downfalls, and when your siblings become overwrought by jealousy, they sell you into slavery and fake your death, telling your father you were brutally killed. Twenty years later, if you were given the perfect opportunity to exact revenge, would you?
It has been two decades since Joseph had the dream of the brothers coming to bow down before for him…
It must have been an emotional moment when he saw his brothers come before him...
This must have been an emotional moment when he saw his brothers come before him.
When someone violates our sense of justice, it is natural to be tempted to seek payback... But this is not what see in Joseph.. instead Josephs mind goes back to the Dream......vrs 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them.
This must have been an emotional moment when he saw his brothers come before him.
It must have been an emotional moment when he saw his brothers come before him....But retibution is not what comes to his mind but rather the Dream.... 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them.
But retibution is not what comes to his mind but rather the Dream.... 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them.
When Joseph sees the brothers bowing down before Him and His mind going to the dream.
I wonder how many times Joseph had rehearsed that dream in his mind… He must have wondered how this dream would be fulfilled.... He must have remembered every detail… Joseph knew that the dream that God had given included…his father Jacob and his brother Benjamin… So, Joseph knows that he needs to get the brothers to bring his Father and Benjamin to Egypt..
the exact fulfilment of the Dream.. there are only the 10 brothers and His father Jacob and Benjamin are missing...
Joseph knows that in order for that to happen it’s going to take tough love… When he speaks to them he speaks harshly… He then accuses them of being spies...
God is going to use Joseph as an instrument of grace … Joseph is going to use his power to test the brothers to see whether or not the brothers have changed…
Joseph does this through a series of tests that are going reveal whether or not the brothers have changed…Joseph speaks harshly to them as strangers and he accuses them of bing spies..
Joseph speaks harshly to them as strangers and he accuses them of bing spies..
Joseph starts speaking harshly to them as strangers and the first test is that he accuses them of being spies..-- It was not uncommon for foreign nations to send spies into the land… Joesph throws them into this tension of having to prove their innocence.
But this fulfillment does not exactly match the original dream, which included his father (sun) and mother (moon) and eleven brothers (stars) coming and bowing down to the ground before him (37:10). Here there are only ten brothers and no parents… Joseph know that this was not quite the moment of the fulfilment of the dream.
-- It was not uncommon for foreign nations to send spies into the land…
and Joseph realizes that even though they bow down before him --- It is still not exact fulfilment of the Dream.. Because the Sun and Moon are missing....His Father Jacob and Benjamin the youngest ---Joseph’s full brother.. born to Jacobs beloved wife Racheal… Joseph know that this was not quite the moment of the fulfilment of the dream.
Where was his full brother, Benjamin, let alone his father and his wives? Those he most wanted to see were absent
Joseph know that this was not quite the moment of the fulfilment of the dream still coming…
Joseph is going to be used as an instrument of Grace in the lives of the Brothers…
First of all the brothers don’t recognize Joseph what they see is the representative of Pharoah.. The man who Pharoah this Godlike figure had invested all the power of Egypt… To say the least these brothers are intimidated…
a. Joseph Tests His brothers Character -
to see whether there has been any transformation in their lives for two decades… Are they same lying scoundrels that through him into the pit… or have they changed.... Joseph as the instrument of Grace...
Joseph treats them harshly as Strangers
Joseph is going to use his office… to Test His brothers....to see whether there has been any transformation in their lives for two decades… Are they same lying scoundrels that through him into the pit… or have they changed.... Joseph as the instrument of Grace...
Puts pressure on them...
Joseph spoke through an interpreter (he did not yet want to reveal that he speaks Hebrew) and did not reveal his identity to his brothers, but treated them roughly instead.
spoke through an interpreter (he did not yet want to reveal that he speaks Hebrew) and did not reveal his identity to his brothers, but treated them roughly instead.
Why? Because they have been avoiding the secret they have held onto for 20 years
God is going to use Joseph--- to push back.. as an instrument of Grace… Joseph going to test his brothers…through a series of challenges… The first is the accusation of being spies..
a. Joseph Tests His brothers Character - Have they changed
The first test is that he accuses them of being spies..--
It was not uncommon for foreign nations to send spies into the land… Joseph knew that if he accused them it would force them to prove their innocence by returning to Canaan and fetch his family...
When Joseph tests His brothers.. We see the Outworking of God’s grace..
immediately they defend themselves..
When Joseph accuses them of being spies they are quick to defend themselves.. the tell Joseph that they are all brothers ... they come from one father Jacob.... they are honest men!!
b. Ignore the issue Brothers have hidden Secret for 20 years..
The logic that they are giving is that spies would come from one family… because they would ll
Joseph grew up with these brothers… remember he got in trouble with the brothers because he told Jacob everything these brothers were doing...
They defend themselves by saying that they are honest men! They are from one family they are brothers.... they come from one father Jacob.... and they would never do anything to put their family at risk…
but the brothers deny it --- There reason is that they are brothers --- they share one father Jacob…They would never risk there whole families future by sending brothers.... but here is the Catch they say they they are “Honest men.” That must have caught Joseph’s attention… Joseph presses again you are most certainly spies…
The brothers tell Joseph that they are brothers ... they come from one father Jacob.... they are honest men!!
Joseph continues to test the brothers to bring about the truth..
Joseph has good reason not to believe that they are as family orientated as the are claiming...
c. Series of tests -
Joseph presses a second time that he was convinced that they were spies... most certainly spies…and this time the brothers answer a little differently...
Joseph wants to mine out the truth… and he repeats that they are spies three times in our text.. The constant repetition of the accusation is meant to unnerve the accused and break down their resistance” --- the same technique used in Technique used in interrogation
i. Accused of being spies --- It was not uncommon for foreign nations to send spies into the land… but the brothers deny it --- There reason is that they are brothers --- they share one father Jacob…They would never risk there whole families future by sending brothers.... but here is the Catch they say they they are “Honest men.” That must have caught Joseph’s attention… Joseph presses again you are most certainly spies…
The constant repetition of the accusation is meant to unnerve the accused and break down his resistance” (Westermann, 3:108). Such interrogation techniques are still, of course, used today. Eventually someone is going to misspeak… and the techneque doesn’t disappoint…
Eventually someone is going to misspeak… and it doesn’t disappoint…
Joseph is employing a technique used by interigators --- keep on asking the same question --
Eventually someone is going to misspeak… and it doesn’t disappoint…
And they said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more.”
Here is that secret they have held onto for two decades...
His questions exposes well guarded Hidden family Secret…
He exposes well guarded Hidden family Secret… that at least 9 of the brothers have been holding onto for 2 Decades… just to think the extent of this lie… For twenty years, Jacob, with eleven of his sons, has lived in Canaan mourning the loss of his favorite, Joseph… they did not give up on the lie… At this point truth is blurred… when the brothers answer Joseph… the same lie they had been pepetuating just rolled off their tongues.Benjamin is with our father and our other “brother is no more…”
The brothers have been holding onto for 2 Decades…that Joseph had died..
For twenty years, Jacob, with eleven of his sons, has lived in Canaan mourning the loss of his favorite, Joseph
They were not about to reveal their secret..
For 20 years they had witness Jacob mourning the loss of his favorite, Joseph… they did not give up on the lie…
For 20 years they had witness Jacob mourning the loss of his favorite, Joseph… they did not give up on the lie…
Think of the extent they had to go to… to perpetuate this lie?? For 20 years they had witness Jacob mourning the loss of his favorite, Joseph… they did not give up on the lie…
It is possible that at this point the truth is blurred…
They had every reason to believe Joseph was not dead, but living a horrible life of slavery. Perhaps they had repeated the lie to themselves so often they came to believe it.
This was a lie and the brothers knew it. They had every reason to believe Joseph was not dead, but living a horrible life of slavery. Perhaps they had repeated the lie to themselves so often they came to believe it.
At this point the lie just roles of their tongues…Benjamin is with our father and our other brother is no more… This was a lie and the brothers knew it. They had every reason to believe Joseph was not dead, but living a horrible life of slavery. Perhaps they had repeated the lie to themselves so often they came to believe it.
This time they mention Benjamin and the fact that there other brother (Joseph) is no more… Joseph recognizes that his brothers haven’t changed… The brothers are showing no remorse or any signs of guilt…they are still ignoring the fact that they sold Joseph into Slavery....
J
To give all ten of them a small taste of what they had made him experience, Joseph had them imprisoned for three days. After their initial “shock probation” Joseph softened his initial conditions, requiring that only one of them be confined to the guardhouse while the rest returned to Jacob
Joseph sends another test their way… This story reminds us how seared the conscious mind can be… We can justify our guilt… It sometimes takes allot to admit that we are wrong....
After three days in an Egyptian prison,
Joseph sends them to prison for three days… Then he gives them another chance to prove their story… … He tells them to go back to Canaan with provisions for their family… while Simeon would be detained in Egypt..……
comes up with another idea they are going to detain Simeon and send the the rest of the brothers back to Canaan… The Brothers need to bring Benjamin back to Egypt to prove that they are not spies…
In order to prove their innocence theyThe Brothers need to bring Benjamin back to Egypt to prove that they are not spies…
This detention of Simeon serves two purposes. First, he acts as a hostage encouraging the other brothers to produce Benjamin. Second, his detention replicates in some ways Joseph’s detention in Egypt. It poses his brothers with a similar temptation. Will they abandon him as they abandoned Joseph?
Now there are several things going on here… because the brother no how difficult its going to be to convince Jacob to release Benjamin… after what happened to Joseph --- there was a slim chance.. The brothers were feeling that they were being trapped…
This detention of Simeon serves two purposes. First, he acts as a hostage encouraging the other brothers to produce Benjamin. Second, his detention replicates in some ways Joseph’s detention in Egypt. It poses his brothers with a similar temptation. Will they abandon him as they abandoned Joseph?
The Brothers need to bring Benjamin back to Egypt to prove that they are not spies…
The full weight of grace falls when they seeing seeing Simeon being bound and carried to prison..… That they were coming face to face with their Past.... What comes to mind is what happened to Jospeh… 20 years before… they remembered how Jospeh had begged them to stop…
This point seeing Simeon being bound that the realized that they were facing something much larger… That they were coming face to face with the Grace of God...
21 Then they said to one another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” 22 And Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.” 23 They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them.
but when they had eaten them no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke.
I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good.
Seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them,
Gen 42:21
Grace is as work beginning to work on their conscience minds … …they begin to connect the dots.. the brothers say to each other in TRUTH WE ARE GUILTY...
Gen 41:21-
They realized that this complicated mess was before them because of the way they treated Joseph before, and their conscience was pricked.
The brothers cannot escape the power of their past guilt by being honest now either to Joseph or to their father.
The conscience has been described as the sundial of the soul. It tells time well enough when there is light, but in darkness it is of no use.
The knew this complicated mess was before them because of the way they treated Joseph before, and their conscience was pricked. This was a good sign. The quickness with which they associated these events with their sin against Joseph probably meant they often remembered that sin.
At night, you can shine a flashlight on a sundial and make it read any time you want it to.
When the sunlight of God’s word shines on our conscience, it is reliable and trustworthy; apart from that, it isn’t always reliable.
True guilt is a grace because it brings the guilty to seek forgiveness and to repent.
Genesis 5. The Guilty Conscience of Joseph’s Brothers at Work (21–24)
In these words we hear the conscience of the brothers at work. Some describe the conscience as the sundial of the soul. It tells time well enough when there is light, but in darkness it is of no use. At night, you can shine a flashlight on a sundial and make it read any time you want it to. When the sunlight of God’s word shines on our conscience, it is reliable and trustworthy; apart from that, it isn’t always reliable.
The message of grace is a message of repentance..
Preaching the Word: Genesis—Beginning and Blessing Awakening Guilt (vv. 6–25)
True guilt is a grace because it brings the guilty to seek forgiveness and to repent. It is especially a grace in a day when Freudian analysis has dismissed conscience and guilt as mere safety devices, collectively created to protect civilized order—an illusion of narrow minds.
The message of grace is a message of repentance..
The message of grace is a message of repentance.. but it has to come with godly sorrow....
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
It is at this point that...
Now they sense Guilt.. realize there sins have caught up to them. They remembered how Joseph had begged them to no sell him into slavery... now it was reversed.. Joseph heard this and He Wept.. he had to turn away from them...
Joseph is there witnessing the whole think seeing the light bulb go on… They realized their Guilt… Guilt is the alarm system that lets us know that something is wrong… guilt is the same as godly grief....
vrs 21 Now they sense Guilt.. realize there sins have caught up to them. They remembered how Joseph had begged them to no sell him into slavery... now it was reversed.. Joseph heard this and He Wept.. he had to turn away from them...
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
Life Application New Testament Commentary Paul’s Joy at the Church’s Repentance / 7:2–16
Many people are sorry only for the effects of their sins or for being caught. In the original Greek, sorrow without repentance literally means “the sorrow of the world.” When people do not channel their grief over their behavior into life-changing actions, it is unproductive grief. It leads to self-pity. But godly sorrow is practical and action-oriented. When a person realizes what he or she has done wrong, that person should not only regret the error but also turn back to God. Only God can empower people to change their ways. Only God can save people from the way sin imprisons them and paralyzes them
Worldly sorrow doesn’t change much… often speaks of being sorrowful after being caught… that’s the “the sorrow of the world.”
often speaks of being sorrowful after being caught… that’s the “the sorrow of the world.”
Worldly sorrow often speaks of being
But godly sorrow is when a person realizes what he or she has done wrong, that person should not only regret the error but also turn back to God. Only God can empower people to change their ways. Only God can save people from the way sin imprisons them and paralyzes them
“the sorrow of the world.” When people do not channel their grief over their behavior into life-changing actions, it is unproductive grief. It leads to self-pity. But godly sorrow is practical and action-oriented. When a person realizes what he or she has done wrong, that person should not only regret the error but also turn back to God. Only God can empower people to change their ways. Only God can save people from the way sin imprisons them and paralyzes them
Joseph turned himself away from his brothers and wept: Joseph is overcome with emotions as he saw and understood this work of God in the conscience of his brothers.
To add to the tension Joseph instructs his Steward to secretly return their money to their saddles…
Joseph realizes that guilt is the first step towards repentance...
He turned himself away from them and wept: Joseph was overcome with emotion as he saw and understood this work of God in the conscience of his brothers. God had to do a deep work in the hearts of these brothers for the relationship to be reconciled
Joseph ratchets up the tension... after they paid for the grain -- Joseph had his servants secretly put all the money back in their sacks... On the way home they discover that all the money has been put back...
2. leave Simeon behind (bound)
Joseph ratchets up the tension... after they paid for the grain -- Joseph had his servants secretly put all the money back in their sacks... On the way home they discover that all the money has been put back...
Joseph then sends the brother on their way… but he also adds another test.. he put puts money they had brought to pay for the grain back in their saddles… and half way home the brothers discover that not only have they lost Simeon… but it looks like they have stollen food from Egypt.... It’s a a tangled mess..
Joseph’s act of kindness was probably also meant to test the brothers’ character; if they were honest, they would return the money.
3. Money in bags...
When they discover they have a huge problem… They have stollen goods in their luggage… they have left Simeon in prison in Egypt and they have promised to return back to Egypt with Benjamin....
It was going to be impossible to prove their innocence… Their hearts fail them.. they were visibly shaken when they arrive back in Canaan…
From human perspective it looks like a huge mess.. but God was working in powerful way to bring these brothers to the place of repentance...
4. They are given an impossible task to prove that they are innocent.
There hearts fail them.. they are physically trembling
The message of grace is a message of repentance..
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
d. Joseph is the instrument of Grace
notice that the question is what has God done to us?
T/S When the wave of God's Grace Breaks it always Confronts us.
Accuses them of Spies - Men of Honor.
Jacob most of what happened in Egypt, though they do leave out some of the more alarming incidents. But Jacob is hardly reassured. To him it all seems like a rerun of the loss of Joseph: “It’s me that you have bereave
1. Grace brings us face to face with our Deepest Hurts.
2. Grace brings us Face to face with Our Guilt.
T/S When the wave of God's Grace Breaks it always Confronts us. Grace...
3. Grace brings us Face to Face with our Fears.
3. Grace brings us Face to Face with our Fears.
Studies show that avoiding our fears only causes them to escalate. Experts in the field of fear management agree that the power of fear begins to diminish when a person takes the time to understand its origins, expose its lies, and face it head-on.
Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul Chapter Six: From Anxious to Peaceful
Studies show that avoiding our fears only causes them to escalate. Experts in the field of fear management agree that the power of fear begins to diminish when a person takes the time to understand its origins, expose its lies, and face it head-on
Winston Churchill, the prime minister who defeated Hitler and led Great Britain to victory in World War II.
“If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half.” Winston Churchill.
Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul Chapter Six: From Anxious to Peaceful
Winston Churchill, the prime minister who defeated Hitler and led Great Britain to victory in World War II. “If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half.”[60]
One of the ways we can conquer fear is by coming face to face with our fears…
This wave of God’s grace is going to put this family in the place where they have to face the very things they have feared.
1 Now the famine was severe in the land. 2 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.” 3 But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 5 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.’ ”
Gen 43:1-
So time passes and the famine goes from bad to worse … And the food that they had received from Egypt has run out… and the Pressure is back to Egypt…
We see in our text the paralyzing affect of fear…
Grace is at work in this family — God’s grace is making them come face to face with with the hurts, guilt and now their fears..
Josep
Jacob fears that if he sends Benjamin with his sons —that just like Joseph he would end up loosing Benjamin… the fear of the past has gripped Him…Fear has also gripped the brothers because they still have to return to Joseph and prove their innocence but they need to have Joseph… Judah manages to convince Jacob that he would take soul responsibility for both Benjamin and Simeon.. and if anything happened to them he would give his own sons in return...
b Jacob is faced with the tension of holding onto Benjamin Rachaels son… (whom he loved) - Exchange for Simeon (Leah’s son--- lesser favorite because he way back he as was deceived into marrying)
o Joseph to prove their innocence...
a. Run out of food - they have the Presures to Go back
b. Jacob is faced with the tension of holding onto Benjamin Rachaels son… (whom he loved) - Exchange for Simeon (Leah’s son--- lesser favorite because he way back he as was deceived into marrying) --- So grace is crashing down on this family.... Joseph has to move beyond his own feelings of betrayal and fears of loosing Benjamin.... Famine is again the instrument of God’s grace… Grace is moving them towards Egypt.... Little does Jacob know that the future of the whole nation lies in Egypt and not in Canaan… Egypt is going to be this place where Israel is going to become this nation… through whom the Messiah is coming to bless the whole world...
Grace is the Outworking of God’s Power and it is coming crashing down of this family…God is working...
b Jacob is faced with the tension of holding onto Benjamin Rachaels son… (whom he loved) - Exchange for Simeon (Leah’s son--- lesser favorite because he way back he as was deceived into marrying)
---Joseph has to move beyond his own feelings fears of loosing Benjamin.....The way to conquer fears is to come face to face with our fears...
One of the ways to face our fears is to discover where these fears originated.. maybe
The outworking of Grace is once again moving them towards Egypt.... Little does Jacob know that the future of the whole nation lies in Egypt and not in Canaan… Egypt is going to be this place where Israel is going to become this nation… through whom the Messiah is coming to bless the whole world...
When the brothers arrived back in Egypt — Joseph is going to put them through another series of tests.. They are going to be tested at feast..
Tested by the feast
When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make ready, for the men are to dine with me at noon.”
And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement. Portions were taken to them from Joseph’s table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him.
Gen 43:16-
When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground.
And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”
They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves.
And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!”
Gen 43:26
Joseph tests the brothers again…
Now remember this is time of extreme famine… and to celebrate a banquet in these conditions was quite unusual…The brothers looked at each other and couldn’t believe the favor that they had received...
Godly sorrow leads up to Repentance.
At the feast Joseph seats the brothers according to their age from the oldest to the youngest during the meal …
Now remember this is time of extreme famine… and to celebrate a banquet in these conditions quite unusual…
he purposefully favors Benjamin… giving five times as much food… Joseph was testing the brother attitude towards Benjamin… would they get jealous… will history repeat itself....
Joseph creates opportunities one last test… an opportunity to see if the brothers will betray Benjamin in the same way that the had gotten rid of him.
Joseph is the instrument of Grace…he ratchets up the tension again after having them experience his favor and goodness… He sends them away this time planting the Joseph’s cup into the youngest sons saddle.
Joseph secretly put in place the ultimate test of his older brothers, ordering the steward to put Joseph’s ceremonial silver cup … at the top of Benjamin’s bag. By watching the other brothers’ response to Benjamin’s trouble, Joseph would be able to observe firsthand the other brothers’ true character
.He then sends the Steward of the house after the brothers.. and stops them just outside the city limits… The steward excuses them of repaying Joseph’s goodness with Evil… One of them has stollen from Joseph’s table.... This was unthinkable!!
Can you imagine enjoying meal with friends and then walking out with the some of the silver… they are flabbergasted… none of them was capable of this… They are so certain of their innocence that they say the brother who has done this is deserving of death… And the steward says so be it… Then one by one from the oldest to the youngest they go through the luggage… They come to Benjamin… and there is the Silver cup.... Until this point ---- The wave of Grace has brought to the surface… Guilt and now there is the condemnation… the Bible tells us the wages of sin is death… there is still one more step needed...
Judah stands up and take Responsibility for Joseph…
Judah—in the longest speech found in Genesis—drew near to Joseph and delivered an impassioned plea explaining Benjamin’s importance to their father, Jacob’s reluctance to let Benjamin journey to Egypt, and his own pledge to protect Benjamin
18 Then Judah went up to him and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself.
19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’
20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’
21 Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’
22 We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’
23 Then you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.’
24 “When we went back to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
25 And when our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food,’
26 we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down. For we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’
27 Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.
28 One left me, and I said, “Surely he has been torn to pieces,” and I have never seen him since.
29 If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in evil to Sheol.’
Yet the brothers were changed men. Judah—in the longest speech found in Genesis—drew near to Joseph and delivered an impassioned plea explaining Benjamin’s importance to their father, Jacob’s reluctance to let Benjamin journey to Egypt, and his own pledge to protect Benjamin (). Refusing to act out of self-interest and leave Benjamin behind
. Refusing to act out of self-interest and leave Benjamin behind
He admits their guilt about sending Joseph into slavery, and he then goes on to show in his plea for Benjamin how completely they have repented of their former sins.
Judah confesses their corporate guilt.
He admits their guilt about sending Joseph into slavery, and he then goes on to show in his plea for Benjamin how completely they have repented of their former sins.
16 And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found.”
“It is God who has found out your servants’ guilt”
The weight of Grace has produced fruits of repentance.. and they are now ready for real reconciliation.... God wants to do deep work in our lives.. deal with real hurts.... but we have to allow God’s grace to excavate the deep places of our lives..
Judah represents a huge corner that has taken place in this family… The weight of Grace has produced fruits of repentance.. and they are now ready for real reconciliation.... God wants to do deep work in our lives.. deal with real hurts.... but we have to allow God’s grace to excavate the deep places of our lives..
It is this Point that Joseph’s heart melts..
1. Feast - Will they be jealous of Benjamin
2. Cup in Saddle -
Deal with the pressure to
Pressure to Bring Benjamin --
T/s When Grace Breaks into our lives it will....
4. Grace brings us Face to Face with Unmerited Favor.
4. Grace brings us Face to Face with Unmerited Favor.
Joseph tells the brothers on two occassions that God was working behind the scenes.
(, ; ). God was behind the scenes working out the events so Joseph could save his family and keep the developing grand story of Israel alive. But Joseph didn’t know or understand while it was happening.
a. God Soveriegnty
The relationship between divine sovereignty and human responsibility is a theological mystery that is something ultimately beyond human comprehension. Mysteries make us uncomfortable, and thus there is always a temptation to rationalize them, that is, to modify one belief to make it more compatible with the other, in this case to play down divine sovereignty by saying that certain actions fall outside the realm of God’s control or, alternatively, to claim that, since all is predestined, man is not really answerable for his acts
We often find ourselves in that place. Difficult things are happening. God seems so inactive. Well, that’s the active silence of God! He’s faithfully at work. You’ve got to believe that with God, when nothing seems to be happening, something is happening!
Soon as Judah stands up there is this definite turn in the Story....
We don’t have the ability to see the big picture in the short run. We have a hard time seeing a good outcome in times of pain. But eventually, we begin to see the hand of God. He’s been refining us into His image. And He’s preparing us to be a force in the lives of other people in ways we could never have fathomed.
b. Man's Accountablilty for sin.
The story of Joseph weaves these two ideas together.... God sovereignty moving through the narrative…Like a funnel --- God moves these brothers towards His Grace.... … But we Joseph waiting for that response to Grace…
Soon as Judah stands up there is this definite turn in the Story....
Soon as Judah stands up there is this definite turn in the Story....
the story of Joseph offer just models of repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation and illustrate the workings of divine providence in human affairs, but it reports yet another stage in the story of God’s saving purpose for the whole world
2. Godly Sorrow leads to repentance
What follows is the Restoration of the Brothers..
1 Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. 4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.
Gen 45:1-
This is the third time that Joseph has come to tears… on the other two Occasions…He tried to hide his feeling and emotions… But, this time Joseph is overwhelmed with Emotions....
Maybe Joseph had been suppressing some of his emotions.... When he saw the brothers waiting in line all those feelings must have come flooding back.... Even though God has been working in the brothers hearts… he was also working the heart of Joseph…
…
We dont have all the details of of their conversation but little imagination is needed to guess that at first they stammered their guilt and then as they grasped the forgiving spirit of their brother, they poured out their gratitude for his mercy and grace
G
details of their conversation but little imagination is needed to guess that at first they stammered their guilt and then as they grasped the forgiving spirit of their brother, they poured out their gratitude for his mercy and grace
T/s When Grace Breaks into our lives it will....
4. Grace brings us Face to Face with Unmerited Favor.
4. Grace brings us Face to Face with Unmerited Favor.
The relationship between divine sovereignty and human responsibility is a theological mystery that is something ultimately beyond human comprehension. Mysteries make us uncomfortable, and thus there is always a temptation to rationalize them, that is, to modify one belief to make it more compatible with the other, in this case to play down divine sovereignty by saying that certain actions fall outside the realm of God’s control or, alternatively, to claim that, since all is predestined, man is not really answerable for his acts
The story of Joseph weaves these two ideas together.... God sovereignty moving through the narrative…Like a funnel --- God moves these brothers towards His Grace.... … But we Joseph waiting for that response to Grace…
Joseph Credits this to God’s grace working both through His Sovereignty and mans free will..in verse 5...
Joseph used two phrases which kept both sides of the truth before his brothers and also before us. On the one hand he told them “you sold me,” but at the same time he reminded them, “God sent me.” In no way was their responsibility diminished, but equally in no way had the Lord ever lost control of the situation.
When we go through those times, we wonder where God is and what He’s up to. How could God allow such turmoil and intense difficulties? Why isn’t He doing something about it?
Joseph tells the brothers— That the things that happened to them was the outworking of Grace....
5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.
(, ; ). God was behind the scenes working out the events so Joseph could save his family and keep the developing grand story of Israel alive. But Joseph didn’t know or understand while it was happening.
We often find ourselves in that place. Difficult things are happening. God seems so inactive. Well, that’s the active silence of God! He’s faithfully at work. You’ve got to believe that with God, when nothing seems to be happening, something is happening!
We often find ourselves in that place. Difficult things are happening. God seems so inactive. Well, that’s the active silence of God! He’s faithfully at work. You’ve got to believe that with God, when nothing seems to be happening, something is happening!
We don’t have the ability to see the big picture in the short run. We have a hard time seeing a good outcome in times of pain. But eventually, we begin to see the hand of God. He’s been refining us into His image. And He’s preparing us to be a force in the lives of other people in ways we could never have fathomed.
Conclusion:
Grace continues… It is grace that brings us to our great need of Christ… but it doesn’t end…
“Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without Church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without contrition. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ living and incarnate” (p. 38).
Jesus demonstrated that Grace is costly
… because it costs a man his life and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner” (p. 5).
It’s wonderful that God’s grace never grows weary or runs out because, this side of eternity, no one is a grace graduate. – Paul David Tripp
“When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die”
Grace is sets realistic goals of ourselves and others....
... we need to walk in Grace.. Joseph admonishes the brothers not to quarrel on the trip back to the father.
Knowing his brothers as he did, Joseph did not make the mistake of expecting too much from them too quickly. He told them, “See that you do not become troubled along the way” (v. 24).
Grace is sets realistic goals... we need to walk in Grace.. Joseph admonishes the brothers not to quarel on the trip back to the father.
He was saying to them, “Don’t mess up by getting yourselves into a fight while you’re on the way back home. There are more important things to concern you than the sort of things which so easily claim your attention.”
1. Grace brings us face to face with our Hurts.
The story of Joseph tells us that God is masterfully weaving His redemption story through all of our frail human experiences..
1. Grace brings us face to face with our Deepest Hurts.
2. Grace brings us Face to face with Our Guilt.
Even though now in the present we don’t see perfectly but one day on the day… we will be able to look back and say that Go works all things together for good for those who love him…
2. Grace brings us Face to face with Our Guilt.
2. Grace brings us Face to face with Our Guilt.
3. Grace brings us Face to Face with our Fears.
Grace brings us Face to Face with Unmerited Favor
4. Grace brings us Face to Face with Unmerited Favor