Fearful Heart Series

WHEN LIFE IS THE PITS: FEARFUL HEART

A. We are continuing our study on the Life of Joseph titled: “WHEN LIFE IS THE PITS.”

1. Today we will be studying the “FEARFUL HEART” that is EVIDENT in Jacob and his SONS.

2. The GENERATIONS of Jacob, also known as Israel, began in Genesis 37. There are two overarching

PURPOSES that God is accomplishing in the Life of Joseph.

a. First: God is working through these events to bring the Israelites, the family of Jacob and his sons,

to Egypt in fulfillment of the Word of the Lord to Abraham- Genesis 15:13-14 (READ).

COMMENT:

By taking them to Egypt, God will REMOVE Israel from the EVILS of Canaan for a time and UNITE them as a PEOPLE.

b. Second: God allowed Joseph to go through all the PERILS (PITS) that he went through to

ultimately SAVE his FAMILY from the deadly FAMINE and bring them to EGYPT.

COMMENT:

Joseph and his BROTHERS will become the HEADS of the twelve tribes of Israel—a GREAT NATION—in fulfillment of the PROMISE God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that through

their OFFSPRING all the Nations of the World will be BLESSED.

The coming of God’s Son Jesus Christ, born to the tribe of Judah, was the ultimate fulfillment of that PROMISE. We, too, are RECIPIENTS of that PROMISE, having given our LIVES to Christ.

B. But before all of that can take PLACE, this FAMILY needed RECONCILIATION.

1. Joseph’s brothers had SINNED against him, against their father Jacob, and, most of all, against God.

a. Before there can be genuine RECONCILIATION, there has to be REPENTANCE—a turning

away from SIN and turning to God.

b. For over 20-years, the brothers had been carrying this horrible SECRET and GUILT of what they had done to Joseph, and now it has begun to RESURFACE.

2. God has been in the PROCESS of LEADING these brothers to REPENTANCE through several STEPS.

a. The PHYSICAL FAMINE has pointed to their SPIRITUAL FAMINE and HOPELESSNESS.

b. Joseph’s HARSH CONFRONTATION and TESTING has AWAKENED their GUILTY

CONSCIENCE.

c. Their CONFINEMENT in PRISON for three days led them to finally CONFRONT and then

CONFESS the SINS they COMMITTED against Joseph—at least to themselves.

d. Their DISTRESS is heightened upon their RETURN HOME when they discover their SILVER that was used to PURCHASE the GRAIN in their SACKS and realized God’s HAND at WORK.

3. Yet, God is not DONE using Joseph to TEST these men.

a. Not only does God use HARDSHIP, TESTING and TIME to awaken our CONSCIENCE, He also

LAVISHES His GRACE and GOODNESS on us to lead to REPENTANCE.

b. Paul reminds us in Romans 2:4b that “the kindness of God leads you toward repentance”.

COMMENT:

Our TEXT today bounces back and forth between the FEARS of JACOB and his SONS and the unbounded KINDNESS and PROVISION from the hand of Joseph.

MESSAGE:

I. THE FEAR OF JOSEPH’S FAMILY

A. Jacob’s FEARFUL HEART.

1. The brothers head back home to Canaan with orders from Joseph, the Governor of Egypt, to return

with their younger brother, or else Simeon, who was RETAINED in custody, will DIE.

a. “On the way back, one of the brother’s discover the SILVER that he gave to purchase the GRAIN from the Egyptians in his SACK of GRAIN. Trembling with fear they ask each other,

‘What is this that God has done to us?’” – Genesis 42:27-28.

COMMENT:

After arriving home, they told their father Jacob about the HARSH CONFRONTATION they had with the Governor of Egypt and how they must return with Benjamin or else Simeon will not

be released from PRISON.

b. “Then as the brothers were EMPTYING their SACKS of GRAIN that they had purchased to FEED their FAMILIES, each one found his POUCH of SILVER in his BAG, and they were FRIGHTENED”- Genesis 42:35.

c. Their father then said, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon

is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!”- Gen. 42:36.

COMMENT:

Even though Reuben, the oldest brother, PLEADED with his father to allow them to return to Egypt with Benjamin, and even offered to have his own sons KILLED if he didn’t return Benjamin back safely, Jacob REFUSED to let him go.

2. But the FAMINE continued to RAVAGE the LAND, and the GRAIN they had purchased from

Egypt has RUN OUT- Genesis 43:1-14.

a. Out of dire NECESSITY, Jacob says to his sons, “Go back and buy us a little more food”- v. 2.

COMMENT:

God’s DISCIPLINING PROCESS continues for Jacob’s family. And, I’m sure that they have been PLEADING with God to stop the FAMINE and send RAIN in the LAND. I can hear Jacob saying to his family, “Next week, it will be better. Let’s just hang on a little longer.”