The Brotherhood

Opening Illustration

Duch … a former head of the Khmer Rouge security service in the 70’s ... responsible for killing over 1200 Cambodians

What stood out at the tribunal was the deep remorse ... he admitted his guilt .. and sort the forgiveness of families and others ... he said:

"I am solely and individually responsible for the loss of at least 12,380 lives,... These people, before their deaths, endured great and prolonged suffering and countless indignities. I … forever wish most respectful and humble apologies to the dead souls.

"As for the families, I [am] asking you to kindly leave your door open for me to make my apologies. May I meet with you to allow me to share your intense and enduring sorrow any time in order to express my most excruciating remorse?"

The majority of people are not interested in forgiveness. They want to see justice .. in fact many thought the sentence was too light

It seems Duch became a born again Christian while in West Cambodia .. and of course lots of people think it’s just a sham .. all a put on

Are you comfortable with that .. sharing heaven with Duch .. is that the depth of FORGIVENESS that we know in our faith

Today we see Joseph meeting his brothers .. his own flesh and blood that hated him .. keen to kill him but eventually selling him into slavery .. he’s been mistreated .. ended up in prison wrongfully accused of rape .. and now it’s 20yrs on .. what’s been working through Joseph’s mind .. what would he do when he finally caught up with them again?

The Story So Far….

We’ve started to look at the life of Joseph .. Jacob’s 11th son .. the son most likely to inherit the dynasty

We saw God revealing the future through DREAMS .. Joseph had dreams of ruling his brothers and .. that .. the rest of the family would bow down to him

Well we saw jealousy and hatred lead to selling Joseph into slavery .. then Joseph a cause of blessing in his new home – Potiphar’s house where he is second in charge .. that all hits a low as Joseph is unjustly thrown in prison .. but blessing follows there as well as he is 2IC in prison .. he becomes known as one who walks with God .. as an interpreter of dreams .. which is helpful when Pharaoh has some doosey’s, 7 fat cows eating 7 skinny cows etc and needs to know what God is doing … Joseph interprets and gets a new job .. from prison to palace .. 2nd only to Pharaoh and sets about the task of wisely storing the years of plenty so that when famine comes Egypt will be the breadbasket of the world

Bowing To Brother Joseph

Ch.42 opens with the inevitable .. famine drives Jacob’s family to Egypt .. look at v.1 “Why do you just keep looking at each other?” … don’t just sit there gawking at each other .. we need some food so we don’t die .. OK? … But Benjamin has to stay at home

So one day 10 scruffy shepherds turn up at the Governor’s palace .. here is the second most powerful man in the world a man with total authority .. life and death in his hands .. head-dress, face painted .. he walks like an Egyptian .. and talks like an Egyptian .. so there has to be an interpreter … this Hebrew who has taken on an Egyptian mindset but the sight of these Canaanite shepherds brings back memories .. sad memories .. memories of 20yrs ago …. Joseph sees his brothers before him ..they recognise his authority but not who it really is before them .. it’s Joseph their brother … and they BOW DOWN .. dreams come true. Gen.37:6,9

What follows is a TEST .. have these guys really changed over the years? What is their relationship to Benjamin .. Joseph’s brother? How do they treat him?

So Joseph puts on his “cranky pants voice” accuses these Canaanites of spying out the land of Egypt to see how well it is protected ... to prove their innocence and verify the story, they must go back to Canaan and bring back Benjamin .. and just to be sure Simeon is held hostage in prison .. and the silver that was payment for the grain was put back in the sacks

Look at 42:21 They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come upon us.”

22 Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood.” 23 They did not realise that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter.

Even after 20 yrs their consciences are tender .. their guilt has been playing on them .. they really believe that God is after them

Jacob has been at the gate wondering when the boys would return .. finally he sees them on the horizon .. and getting closer .. Rueben, Dan, Judah, Zebulan .. 1, 2, 3, 4, ….9 ..Simeon isn’t there .. good job he didn’t send Ben with them!!

Jacob hears the story and is devastated .. Joseph is gone .. Simeon is gone and now they want to see Benjamin, take Benjamin away GEN 42 ..v.36 “..everything is against me!!”

Read on to v.38 “My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my grey head down to the grave in sorrow.”

Jacob will not let Ben out of his sight .. NB he is the only one left. i.e. the only one left of Rachel’s children .. the next heir

Well the food runs out it’s all die or go back with Ben .. in the end Judah steps up and takes PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for Ben .. they load up the carts with gifts .. plenty of silver .. and it’s back to Egypt

When Joseph sees them all .. esp Benjamin, he gives orders to get lunch ready .. the brothers are still nervous .. curious verse 43:18 Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, “We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys.

The second most powerful man in Egypt and he’s after their donkeys?? Yeah right!

Benjamin gets special treatment .. 5X as much as the others .. he’s Joseph’s full brother ... and how will the other brothers react to this FAVOURITISM?

Ch.44:1 .. Joseph has a final test as he sends them away .. he puts his own special cup in Ben’s sack and sends them on their way .. and sends his steward to catch the ”thief” that has stolen his belongings .. the brothers confident of their innocence make a rash promise .. which doesn’t seem to communicate well .. vv.9-10 If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.” …. “Very well, then,” he said, “let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame.”

Joseph is waiting .. ready to give his Oscar performance .. Ben is the “culprit” .. he will be enslaved and the rest are free to go .. the bothers of old would have shot through .. BUT Joseph sees a changed brotherhood .. they are looking after each other .. caring for their father .. Judah steps up to Joseph explains the situation and is prepared to stand in for Benjamin .. for him to be released and Judah rot in the Egyptian gaol .. NB v.34 How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come upon my father.”

We have to notice the CHANGE in JUDAH ... He’s not the same bloke that wanted to get rid of Joseph ...

Ch.45 .. time for Joseph to come clean .. he can’t stand it any longer

ILLUSTRATION

I remember a friend of mine reading this story of Joseph to his 5 yr old and paused about here and said “What do you think Joseph should do now?” ..What should he do to his brothers who wanted to kill him and then had sold him off .. and caused all his troubles”

Hmmm .. Joseph should kill them!

Well .. a bit more grace in Joseph .. there are no grudges, just forgiveness

Joseph calls them closer .. take a good look and Joseph goes about hugging and kissing .. group hug .. no COVID19 here!

Real forgiveness is not PASSIVE ... not just a withdrawal of my moral right to get justice .. or the withdrawal of my anger ... it is wishing the offender GOOD .. wanting them to be BLESSED .. I won’t hurt you back .... I ABSORB the wrong you’ve done to me

Joseph is keen to get his dad and all the rest of the families and bring them to Egypt .. Pharaoh is keen to get Joseph’s family back … at the moment this is where salvation is …. and so Joseph sends them back with truck loads of stuff .. all the best things of Egypt .. and being a realist says “Don’t quarrel on the way”

Bowing Down to God

Fascinating isn’t it .. all the twist and turns in this “account of Jacob” where Joseph is the feature

Joseph so badly treated, his brothers who are so horrible to him .. but he’s not about revenge. Why does a guy like Joseph behave the way he does?

Is it just a case of “time heals all wounds”? .. 22 yrs are a long time!

ILLUSTRATION

I know an older woman who had stopped talking to a friend for many years .. the problem was way back when her friend didn’t ask her to be bridesmaid at her wedding

She’d carried that grudge and bitterness well into her advancing years ..

It gets that way doesn’t it? You meet some people who are just so critical and bitter .. everyone walks on eggshells around them

Now some people have gone through some extremely difficult times .. some very sad stuff

You might go through gross INJUSTICE .. UNFAIR DISMISSAL .. people lie about you .. always put the worst construction on everything you say ... Joseph knows how that feels

We want to clear our name .. or we can be really wishing something horrible happens to people ... sticking pins in the voodoo dolls

Well Joseph hasn’t been rubbing his hands together just waiting for this day when he can reveal a huge pit he’s been digging to throw his brothers down there one day ... see how they like it!

What’s Joe’s secret .. what’s driving him?

CHAPTER 45 ... look at vv.4-9 “Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. ... God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

“So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. Now hurry back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay.”

Genesis 45:4–9 NIV

Friends .. this is the big point .. this is the KEY!

What is the remedy for despair/hopelessness? It’s knowing that GOD IS IN CONTROL .. this is the God who KEEPS HIS PROMISES .. He’s the God who can take all the mess and blunders of the past and brings good from them .. this is God’s SOVEREIGNTY

Godliness = bowing down to the rule of God. Joseph KNOWS that at the heart of all these tough times ... through all the dramas he has had to go through .. God’s been working HIS purposes out

Now I’m sure that’s not what he was thinking when he was pleading for his life in the pit ... or when he was thrown into prison .. or when he was charged with rape

But as He reflects he has learnt that God is a GUIDING GOD .. the brothers were making their decisions .. making their choices .. Potiphar’s wife followed the leading of her desires and jealousies BUT God was overruling all these events for HIS purposes ... to fulfil HIS promises .. as we will see NEXT WEEK

God is preserving Jacob’s family because it will become a nation .. ISRAEL and yet others are BLESSED ... it is not just a few families .. and not just a little nation that God is concerned about .. Egypt is SAVED .. all mankind will benefit from the saving work of God

Your life and mine are all part of God’s work too .. family .. the partner you choose .. the friendships .. the good the bad and the ugly of life .. failed relationships ... job .. connections .. neighbours .. suffering .. persecution... giftedness ... accidents .. physical disability

Our lives are littered with wise decisions mixed with wrong choices .. it’s messy no matter how much we try and control life ..

ILLUSTRATION

A friend of mine used to let his 4yr old drive his car .. when they were on large open areas he’d let his little boy drive ... he’d make all the noises “Broom broom” have his hands on the wheel BUT his dad had his unseen hand at the bottom of the steering wheel at all times .. he was changing gear .. he was applying brakes as they took the 4WD around the paddock at 15kph

That’s a great picture of what we are talking about .. we think we are in the driving seat .. but God never takes his unseen hand off the wheel .. he’s aware and He’s moving everything towards HIS purposes .. even though at times it can seem that our world is being run by 4 yr olds!

We can’t control life BUT we must walk with God as we live life

We can’t make people say sorry to us .. but we must be people who forgive

We can’t just be stuffing down all the resentment and pain ... trying to keep a lid on all the hurt .. it’s easy to HATE .. easy to AVOID others just IGNORE them .. they’ve hurt me I’ll sulk

FORGIVENESS is a great key .. Joseph mirrors God’s forgiveness .. and is the great testimony to God working in our lives .. makes others sit up and notice

Y’see in another tragedy of circumstances Jesus is maligned .. accused of BLASPHEMY .. of having DEMONS .. being a charlatan .. he is beaten and abused and finally executed YET on the third day rose from the dead ““Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”

(Acts 2:22–24 NIV)

Jesus secured forgiveness .. and if you know this forgiveness .. LIVE as forgiven people and forgive others .. Matthew 18 .. the UNMERCIFUL SERVANT

Conclusion

Friends life can be really tough at times but they are all opportunities that God gives us to GROW

God is working His purposes out .. he IS working all things for your good

Expect sin and hurt and learn to forgive and trust God in all things

Keep short accounts with God when it comes to our sin ... and keep reminding the devil of his FUTURE as he reminds you of your PAST

If you’re trusting Jesus and His death and resurrection you are FORGIVEN ... nothing more to be done .. and whether you’ve been responsible for the execution of over 1200 people or ... a murderer on a cross ... or an ordinary Joe or Susie ignoring God .. you are forgiven

Now we need to love others the same

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness .. 1 John 1:9