Seeing God Work

This last week I have worked long and hard ministering to a particular individual that I have ministered to for over ten years now. From my vantage point the individual seems to be going nowhere fast, if there is progress it is slower than what can be seen. From my perspective there is little to no desire to pursue God or make any life changes… HOWEVER

I have seen this situation work in the hearts of my children and my wife

I have also seen God work in my heart and life through these events as well

Sometimes it is hard to see when God is working in a persons heart… YET I sometimes find myself being the judge of something I cannot fully see.

Scripture sometimes gives us a glimpse to varying degrees into how He is working in peoples hearts…

Enoch… becomes a dad and then it is stated he walked with God

David… we know him from youth to death, the Psalms, his faults and victories

Peter or John… we see them learn, grow and teach us even

Then there is Thaddaeus… chosen by Christ as one of His twelve disciples and God used him too

We must remember!!! God has revealed certain amounts of information and insight for His purposes in order that we may better understand how we should live and who He is in a greater more meaningful way!

We see a great deal of narrative in Joseph’s life, his actions, reactions, heart, and life lessons… this does not mean or indicate that God was not working in the lives and hearts of his brothers and family as well.

What we will see in today's narrative…

JOSEPH- has learned to wait, Trust God, and Humility

BROTHERS- working through Bitterness, Unresolved sin, seared conscience

FATHER- Trust God with your Children

Our narrative will begin in Genesis 42:1-5

Genesis 42:1–5 NASB95

Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” He said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die.” Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt. But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm may befall him.” So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.

Does our past bring fear or trust...

It was thirteen years for Joseph’s coming into power from prison

It has been seven years of plenty

Now we are well into the famine and starvation is on the horizon for many…

Benjamin is well over twenty years old at this point…

The past has made Jacob (Israel) fearful whereas we see in Joseph’s life the past hardship, hurts, grief has only made him trust God all the more

BUT GOD IS WORKING IN JACOBS HEART

His brothers come, bow down… but don’t recognize Joseph. (NOW… Joseph has forgiven them, but he wants to see if he can trust them) Genesis 42:8-20

Genesis 42:8–20 NASB95

But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him. Joseph remembered the dreams which he had about them, and said to them, “You are spies; you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land.” Then they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. “We are all sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants are not spies.” Yet he said to them, “No, but you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land!” But they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive.” Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you, you are spies; by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here! “Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.” So he put them all together in prison for three days. Now Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God: if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in your prison; but as for the rest of you, go, carry grain for the famine of your households, and bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be verified, and you will not die.” And they did so.

Trusting a Liar…

Three times they are accused of being spies until Joseph hears about Benjamin

They are asserting that they are honest men… Joseph knows different

They have been telling the lie about Joseph for over twenty years now they believe their own lie!

Joseph wants to KNOW that Benjamin is safe

He gives them time, Joseph knows how time in the pits causes one to think…

These men have had a seared conscience for over twenty years now… we don’t know and cannot know how God has worked over that time BUT GOD IS WORKING IN THEIR HEARTS

We see a glimpse of this working in Genesis 42:21-28

Genesis 42:21–28 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.” Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood.” They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them. He turned away from them and wept. But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and to restore every man’s money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. And thus it was done for them. So they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there. As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money; and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. Then he said to his brothers, “My money has been returned, and behold, it is even in my sack.” And their hearts sank, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

God Convicts the Heart

We see they admit their guilt! Verse 21

They call sin… sin

Remember Simeon was the second oldest… But Reuben the oldest attempted to spare Joseph

Joseph shows grace… provisions and riches at no cost to them

They recognize that God is working in this situation…

Amazing how after twenty years this unresolved sin is still such a heavy burden on their minds, hearts, and conscience

What a horrible way to live

Joseph had been freed of his prison long ago, but they were still locked within the prison of their guilt

When they return we see Jacob hold even tighter to what he has no control over… life and death. He morns his sons lost and refuses to let go at the potential cost of loosing all his sons to starvation.

Jacob finally succumbs to the plan to return and sends gifts to appease this man “Joseph” and they return with Benjamin.

Joseph upon their arrival has them sent to his home…

In their guilt of the past they automatically think as they had done...

Genesis 43:16-18 shows they think as they had done

Genesis 43:16–18 NASB95

When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his house steward, “Bring the men into the house, and slay an animal and make ready; for the men are to dine with me at noon.” So the man did as Joseph said, and brought the men to Joseph’s house. Now the men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in, that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us, and take us for slaves with our donkeys.”

The thief thinks all will steal from them, the liar is suspicious of others honesty, the gossip is always thinking others are speaking of them… with unresolved sin we bear a burden of guilt!

Joseph now does what Paul instructs in Romans 12:19-21

Romans 12:19–21 NASB95

Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

How to Repay

Joseph demonstrates this well… in verses 24-34 we see Joseph

Free Simeon from prison

feed their donkeys, wash their feet, give them water to drink

He prepares a meal for his enemies, he dines with and presents a feast with fine food and wine

He even sat them according to their age… Giving Benjamin five times the portion!

Once again he blessed them with grain… BUT GOD WAS WORKING IN HIS BROTHERS HEARTS

Joseph had one final test… he saw Benjamin, alive, well, but had they learned, had God taught them???

We see their hearts in Genesis 44:11-34

Genesis 44:11–34 NASB95

Then they hurried, each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. He searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. Then they tore their clothes, and when each man loaded his donkey, they returned to the city. When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him. Joseph said to them, “What is this deed that you have done? Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed practice divination?” So Judah said, “What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and the one in whose possession the cup has been found.” But he said, “Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.” Then Judah approached him, and said, “Oh my lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord’s ears, and do not be angry with your servant; for you are equal to Pharaoh. “My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ “We said to my lord, ‘We have an old father and a little child of his old age. Now his brother is dead, so he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.’ “Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me that I may set my eyes on him.’ “But we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ “You said to your servants, however, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’ “Thus it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. “Our father said, ‘Go back, buy us a little food.’ “But we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ “Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons; and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces,” and I have not seen him since. ‘If you take this one also from me, and harm befalls him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.’ “Now, therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad’s life, when he sees that the lad is not with us, he will die. Thus your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. “For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame before my father forever.’ “Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. “For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me—for fear that I see the evil that would overtake my father?”

Giving up freedom to be truly free!!!

They had come from being willing to give up a brother, kill him, sell him, and lie about him

God had been working in their hearts for over twenty years

They were willing to give up their own freedom and serve as slaves in order to be free of this guilt of sin against their brother Joseph

God had broke down walls, convicted the heart hardened with bitterness

Trusting God to Work

I hope you see where God is working in you...

Is it in the waiting on Him?

Is it in His conviction of unresolved sin?

Is it in trusting Him?

I pray also that you will extend time and patience as God works in other…

You don’t know how long He will take

You and I are not the Holy Spirit… leave His work in peoples live to Him

PRAY…

Pray that God’s work in their heart will be effective,

pray that they will receive it,

pray that YOU will be patient

AND TRUST THAT GOD IS WORKING IN YOU AND THOSE AROUND YOU.