Where is Clarity Found?

Introduction

In a world such as ours clarity is desired above all else. We want to know what tomorrow will bring. We want to know if what we love will be taken from us. We want to know which direction we are to go. We want to know what we will find when we go. In other words, we want to see what lies ahead, because life is frightening and often painful. Yet the power of beholding the future, is a power withheld from the creature and is found solely in God alone. We’ve seen this throughout the story of Joseph’s painful experiences, the story of his brothers sins, and the story of his father’s loss. The many happenings displayed in the life of Joseph serve to remind us of our limited vantage point and compels us to look to the One who sees all and directs all, as our only secure refuge. The revelation we are to gather from Joseph’s life is that we are not in control, but that the One who is in control is trustworthy and loving. We are taught to stop living solely through the lens of our limited vantage point and to instead entrust all that we are to God Most High, who not only created the heaven and the earth, but who by his most holy, wise and powerful preserving and governing of all his creatures and all their actions tenderly cares for all those who are called by His name. Christian that’s you and that’s me. And so, today may the God of peace be with us and may we enjoy the peace of God, as we learn to further entrust ourselves to His care.

Recap

Pharaoh has two dreams that unsettled him and Joseph is remembered and called forth to interpret Pharaoh's dream.

After a toilsome trial dragged out for years, suddenly Joseph’s faithfulness is reward as he is exalted to the right-hand of Pharaoh.

A fierce famine comes upon the land, and all the peoples are sent to Joseph for food.

The land is without food, Joseph is their only hope and its in this context that we move into chapter 42 in which we are drawn back to Joseph’s long lost family.

Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt

Genesis 42:1–5 ESV

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.

The famine spread through all the land, and Joseph’s family was not excluded from its terrors. Their desperation sent them to Egypt, but notice Jacob’s past loss led him to hold on tightly to Benjamin for fear that he may lose him as well. So with Benjamin at his side, Jacob sends the rest to gather food the family.

For the sake of time, much of what follows will be a summary of what we find in the biblical text.

Joseph’s brothers arrive in the distant land of Egypt and there before Joseph fail to recognize him, but Joseph knows who they are and decides to put them to the test. They came for food but Joseph in verse 9:

English Standard Version Chapter 42

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.”

However, Joseph acts as if he is not convinced and will again claim that they are spies and demands that they bring their youngest brother, Benjamin, to prove that they are not spies. This surely distressed them in light of the fact that they’ve already broken their father’s heart by tearing Joseph from him, and now they would break it further by tearing Benjamin from him. Suddenly the skeleton in their closet, yesterday’s sin terrifies them as they feel that God’ judgment is looming overhead. Verse 21:

Genesis 42:21 NASB95

Then they said to one another, “Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us.”

We derive an important lesson from this moment, for its is often the case that

Yesterday’s sins become tomorrows fears.

A sin committed long ago may suddenly flood one’s memory as calamity brings before the mind thoughts of judgment. You again look at the grave where yesterday’s sin has been buried and find it empty, as sin’s skeleton hides himself behind an unseen corner ready to pounce upon you with the deserved vengeance you thought you had escaped. Such was the angst of Joseph’s brothers as the tides suddenly changed and the tables were turned against them. Sin often comes back to haunt us, and for this reason provides a very powerful motivation to avoid sin at all costs. I’m sure many of us here know what its like to have a forgotten mistake suddenly remembered as its consequences creep up on us unexpectedly. This happens in this life, but also for all of the wicked in the life to come. Those who think they’ve escape God’s notice shall find that all of their skeletons are laid bare befor the eyes of God and will soon justly pounce upon them in the day of judgment if their sins are not forgiven. What a powerful motivation for seeking God’s mercy and what a powerful motivation for God’s people to share the good news of Jesus.

Joseph tests them further by secretly placing all of the money they used to buy food from him back in their sacks and so when they have gone a little ways from Egypt they discover that their money has been returned to theirs bags and dread falls upon them. They then approach their father and tell him of all that had transpired and that if they want more food, they will have to send Jacob’s beloved Benjamin with them to which their father replies in verse 38:

English Standard Version Chapter 42

38 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.”

I’ve lost too much already and I will not risk losing Benjamin. Yesterday’s pain holds fast to us, and Jacob’s response is understandable. Yet, I believe one thing that is being pointed to is that Jacob’s faith has been obscured and in this moment he is unable to see the invisible hand of God at work. God tells his people to trust him no matter how bleak their circumstances may appear. When our world seems to be falling apart and what we love most seems to be at risk, we tend to lose sight of the presence of our Sovereign and caring God amid life’s difficult circumstances. Such was the case with Jacob in this moment. So while they ate of the bread of Egypt, Jacob stood still but soon their food was gone and he said to sons:

English Standard Version Chapter 43

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.’ ”

Left with the choice of either dying or risking his son, Jacob’s hands are tied and in verse 13 we discover that he anxiously sends them them Egypt finding no way out.

In this horrible moment of testing Jacob was forced into a position that stunned him, starve or send Benjamin possibly to his demise. We often find ourselves amid dilemmas that paralyze us. Either way we turn is frightening and this fear shrouds our judgment, as our sight of the Almighty is dimmed by the obscure clouds of uncertainty. We see only what may be lost, and the possibility of having a hole struck in our heart binds us with the fetters of anxiety as our trust in God fades. Jacob still carried yesterday’s pain and was fearful of adding any more weight to his grief, and so amid this dilemma he feels a heavy sense of hopelessness. I’m damned if I do and I’m damned if I don’t.

Christian, we are often called into scenarios where no choice feels to be the right choice. In fact, in moments like these our hand seems to be forced to go in a direction we’d much rather avoid. You may be there today, but let me remind you that the Lord is God and He is the Lord of the right and of the left. He is Lord of all that you call your own, He is the Lord of life and of death. He is Lord of all. As Lord He tenderly whispers in the ears of all his saints saying, “Trust me for I am with you. Though the road be rough, weary, and a source of fright, know that I the Lord will carry you through the night. I have planned it long ago and good you will find at the end of the road.” Jacob could not see this at the moment, the brothers could not see this at the moment, and you may not be able to see this at the moment. But the Lord will fulfill His promises and He will bring good out of all the ill, and ultimately good will be our lot in that place free of pain and free of worry, in the sweet land of Canaan soon to be our everlasting home.

They could not see it, but God held their destiny firmly in his hands but their limited vantage point obscured the clarity offered by faith. And so, unsure of how all would transpire with much fear and trembling, Jacob eases his grasp from Benjamin and off went his boys to the frightening land of Egypt.

Is God calling you to send something/someone you love down to Egypt? Is he calling you set aside your desire for control, for certainty, for knowing what will happen next? I urge you look beyond what you see and by faith entrust yourself to the faithful God of heaven who loves you so. For all who take refuge in Him will not be ashamed.

Jacob’s sons soon arrive in Egypt and are brought to a dinner with Joseph, they confess that they found their money put back in their sacks and sought to return it to Joseph to which he replied

English Standard Version Chapter 43

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.

They recieved their brother back, they ate and they drank and all seemed well. Yet, Joseph tested them further and ordered a servant to slip one of his silver’ cups into Benjamin’s luggage. All seemed well to his brothers until suddenly as they left for home, they were stopped and accused of stealing from Joseph. They were searched and to their great dismay the cup was found in the sack of Jacob’s beloved boy, Benjamin. Fear grips them as they perceive their father’s demise and they are brought back to Joseph to discover their fate. Joseph declares that only he who took the cup would face his punishment and beginning in verse 18 Judah begins to plea:

English Standard Version Chapter 44

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.’

Verse 32:

English Standard Version Chapter 44

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.’ 33 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. 34 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.”

From this plea, Joseph’s heart breaks and he begins to weep so loud that all of his servants hear him and even the household of Pharaoh hears him. And he pours the truth upon his brothers in 45:3

English Standard Version Chapter 45

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. 6 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. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 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. 9 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. 10 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. 11 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.’ 12 And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13 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.” 14 Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.

His brothers then joyfully bring word to their father Jacob and they and all their household journey to Egypt for a glorious reunion! Now this is where I’d like to wrap up our study of Joseph’s life. Look again in verse 5, “God sent me here to preserve life, verse 7 God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant. Verse 8 So it was not you who sent me here but God.” Think about the profundity of what is being said here. All of the pain that we’ve traced throughout Joseph’s life, all of the pain experienced by his father Jacob, and even the great sin of Joseph’s brothers is here shown to have been a part of a wonderful plan that is serving now to keep the family line alive and even to bless so many who would have have otherwise perished. While Jacob had thought his boy Joseph was lost, and then that Simeon was lost and that soon Benjamin would be lost, God held them all safely in his hands so that Joseph could not have been any safer or better off, Simeon was also safe and secure in Joseph’s presence, and soon Jacob was reunited with his long lost son and all the meanwhile God was accomplishing their good by establishing Joseph as lord of Egypt so that they all may survive and God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and now Jacob could be fulfilled.

Yet along the way clarity could not be seen with the eyes. All appearances suggested that God was not with Jacob, and that things were out of control and headed toward ruin. Living solely by sight will suggest this to you every time. When difficulty comes, when loss comes, when want comes, when pain comes, when opposition comes, when uncertainty comes, sight says to you all is lost and nothing good can come of this. We are thus stripped of our peace, stripped of our trust and we carried away by every passing wind. Sadly, many Christians find themselves living more by sight than by faith and there they find anxiety, distress, and worry of every kind. The world is full of to much trouble to live in this way, for to live by sight is to live in fright, for day by day the world’s threats surround us. So dear Christian, what you ought to glean from this story is that is God is over all and controls all. If you belong to Him, He promises to bring good out of every misery. His purposes never fall, for he causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him, for those who are the called according to His purpose. You may be in Joseph’s shoes down in prison today, you may be in Jacob’s shoes bearing the grief of loss, and you may even be in Joseph’s brothers shoes and your past sins haunt you. No matter your circumstances, if you are truly in Christ God will take care of you and bring through this wearisome life and as Joseph, his brothers, his broken-hearted father suddenly beheld the glory as all of the puzzle pieces finally fell into place, I do believe that we also shall behold the glory ourselves as all of the puzzle pieces, the puzzle pieces of pain, worry, uncertainly, seeming escape, joy, triumph, loss, doubt, failing, and fear, all finally fall into place we shall stand in awe and say, “all of it, yes all of it, God intended for good, and this final picture is more breathtaking than I ever could of imagined.” Saints, I don’t know what you are through but these small puzzle pieces of pain are but a small part of your story and soon they will come together and you will know that the Lord is good.