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* Index - Mendelsohn's Sermons on Joseph * Scripture text: Genesis 43 |
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Introduction
Dreams have been the focus of so much of the book of Genesis. Joseph is the main man of dreams, in fact, so much that his brothers called him "That dreamer" (chapter 37) He interpreted dreams and as a result was elevated to the prime ministership in the land of Egypt. He dreamed of reunions with his family and his own sovereignty at the time. And in our last lesson the story began to fulfill this dream. We saw Joseph in a time of testing and a time of tension,. which continues into this chapter, and finally a time of transition. All the while God is after something in the brothers. He wants to turn this dysfunctional Abrahamic family into something to his praise and honor. God wants a mighty people, a nation to represent Him in the earth. Changing the hearts of Israel from wingeing, self-consumed, liars will be the work of the Spirit of God.
A time of testing
We started this section in chapter 42 with the testing of the family with hunger, harsh words, confinement, surety, and confession. Last week's lesson ended as we began the second season of the endgame, what we are calling the time of tension.
A time of tension
This section begins in chapter 42.25 and continues to 43.15. Four tensions are apparent. The brothers are given their money back into their backpacks and upon discovering this, they are very much afraid. They actually blame God (42.28) for the situation, which isn't bad. I mean it's not bad that they are thinking about the Almighty. But like so many in these days who attribute all manners of evil to God and all good to well, good fortune or luck or the lap of the gods or� to themselves, this is consistent. Humanity loves to attribute blame. Without this, where would the lawyers be? Blame increases among those who sin together. The brothers had been guilty in their past with Joseph in the mocking and in the selling. They were guilty in the lying to their father Jacob. God wants them to face their wickedness and demonstrate a change of heart. Reconciliation will only come when both of these conditions are met.
Tensions mounted with 1) the fear and anxiety of the last chapter. The chapter ended with despair riddling the old man Jacob. "I always am bereaved" he said. "All things are against me." (42.36) What a sound of 2) despair. Jacob's conniving past with great success is now deteriorating and he is meeting his own frailty and incompetence to fix it. Jacob was like a man who could make anything work out to his own satisfaction. He bought off his father Isaac; he bought off his brother Esau. He wiggled out of the negotiations with Laban his uncle. All the time he ended on his feet, seemingly unscathed. But of late, with the introduction of the final section of Genesis (chapter 37.2), the one called "The record of the generation of Jacob" we see the fallen Jacob. You cannot be a man of God without such humiliation. We spoke at length about humility last week.
Once again tension mounts as Jacobs whines about his special and favourite son. I'm guessing the older brothers (and perhaps Benjamin also) were really sick of hearing about this special son. Jacob is upset that the boys revealed the extra non-visiting son Jacob says "He is left alone" (42.38) meaning Benjamin is alone without his older brother. Jacob is still fixed on Rachel and the love he shared with her. If Leah is still alive, she must have felt continually like a 2nd class wife. Shame on Jacob for this.
As chapter 43 begins we see the tension of 3) Delay. (1-10) The food supply shrank, and Jacob lived in the dream world of ignoring. What did he ignore? The cries of his other son yet in jail in Egypt. Simeon was locked up until the brothers returned. How long must those days have been!
Judah had that change of heart we mentioned, as evidenced by his generous offer to be surety for Benjamin, obviously Jacob's preeminent concern. Judah had been one who volunteered Joseph to be sold. Judah had been involved in that sexual misconduct case with his daughter in law. Judah had faced his own evil and had a change of heart. That's the only way to really change, isn't it? Meet your own evil, that is, look in the mirror of spiritual truth and recognize your own smudges. Then see that God wants to change us from the inside and turn to Him and repent. Judah made clear this was an urgent matter (43.8), one of life and death. Jacob accepted the surety of Judah but did not accept the surety of Reuben. Why? Perhaps because he saw the change in Judah, but more probably because Judah had also lost two sons and knew what was required in terms of grief.
Another tension arose: the tension of 4) unbelief. (11-15) Jacob is not the same man he was earlier in life, as we have mentioned. He has changed from the man who led the family back to Bethel for that new beginning with God. He sounds like a man bereaved and trusting the Greek gods of fate and destiny rather than the Maker of the Universe. This is not faith in the biblical sense, but simply complacency with 'que ser�, sera' as a modern motto.
Jacob immediately goes into old mode as a fixer, to use Bernard Malamud's novel hero image, by telling the boys, who have been men for years, how to deal with the Egyptian ruler. Note that Jacob says, "take your brother also" (43.13) not "Take also my other son." He seems to be emphasizing their personal responsibility to care for Rachel's other son. Perhaps it's a reflection of their failure to do so with Rachel's firstborn, Joseph.
Jacob sends them off with blessings (v. 14) asking El Shaddai to change the heart of 'the man' so he would show mercy, actually rachamim, mercies. The invoking of the blessing reminds the boys of who really is in charge, so maybe I misspeak about the complacent lack of real belief in Jacob. But of note is his desperation and the unspoken name of Simeon compared to that of Benjamin.
A time of transition
The brothers had three problems with which to deal. One of money, second of Simeon's release and finally, Benjamin's protection in mind as they move to the sands of Egypt.
It's common in circles of guilt that when you have done something wrong and the principal of the school asks you to come in, that you are going to get 'yours.' The policeman doesn't usually pull you over to have a chat and ask you to buy a ticket to the policeman's ball. No, and especially if you have done something which makes you guilty, you know when they ring you, they are going to give you a ticket or make you stay after school to clean the chalkboards or worse, you will be expelled or jailed. Thus when the brothers here were given an invitation to the home of Joseph as yet unrevealed, they were sure they were in trouble. They hadn't even had time to explain their situation. They wanted to clear up the trouble.
So they pitched their case to the steward who actually knew more about the event than they did. (v 23) What perplexity must have risen in their hearts.
Now on to Simeon's release. Simeon and the brothers had a sweet reunion, but then there was the matter of the protecting of Benjamin, would that be accomplished as swiftly?
The 2ic threw a party for the brothers. Imagine coming as a common buyer of goods into your local Coles or Woolies and ending up at the Hotel International in the executive suite, dining with the head of the stock exchange and the Prime Minister's family. The brothers bowed as you would expect (thus fulfilling the dreams from Joseph's youth).
When Joseph saw his kid brother (he uses the Hebrew "katan") he leaves the room to compose himself. Imagine the continuing surprises of the brothers, as this unknown king and family knew the birth order of the visiting guests. (v. 33)
This was certainly a time of transition, as the brothers moved from fear to peace. No punishment due to the stolen, not stolen money. Release for Simeon. Benjamin was not in danger. Good news indeed, eh?
But premature and false joy it was, because the brothers had not dealt with their sins. It's one thing to be relieved and another to be forgiven. Life is easier without conflict, but it's not necessarily the right place to be living. We in this western world often think that if our bills are paid and no one is coming after us to arrest us that we are all right. People who are self-confident multiply pain upon themselves. We must like Judah face our wickedness before our heart can really be changed.
Anything short of humble repentance and confession will not bring about true reconciliation with God or other people.
Compare to Y'shua
We've been comparing Joseph to the Messiah each week, and today is no different. Today's add on to the list (available up the back on the table) is that Joseph knew his brother's life and life story. This favored son of the Father knows our hearts and our lives and longs for us to be in relationship with Him no matter from where we come. So it is with Y'shua, the special Son of the Almighty, who was sold into slavery, and became the 2ic in heaven, actually given all dominion and authority, and to whom we must come and bow ourselves. We can only approach him with humility and in facing our own wickedness. Then and only then can we experience the change of heart Jeremiah the prophet predicted.
Summary
Here are some things I see as we conclude, and you can add your thoughts to your own list.
Dear friends, we have eternal life due to the Saviour Y'shua, due to His love and forgiveness. His Resurrection has proven His new covenant. His teaching is great, and yet it goes well beyond that to His life and death. No amount of good works will give us enough information to help us overcome evil. No amount of information will help us overcome our own evil inclination. Only the messiah can repair our relationship with God, which will in turn give us pleasure with Him.
If you have never experienced this eternal and new life about which we are speaking, if you are yet outside the relationship with God, then pray with me. If you haven't yet been restored into fellowship with Him, do so today. Won't you pray this prayer and ask God to forgive you of your sins, whatever they might be, and come home to pleasure with God? Lord forgive me in the name of the Messiah, the Serpent Bruiser, Y'shua himself. Forgive me for all my sins, and make me clean again. Give me eternal life in the name of Y'shua and make me born again. I trust you.
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