Guilty Conscience Series

WHEN LIFE IS THE PITS: GUILTY CONSCIENCE

A. In our study of the Life of Joseph,

1. We have been looking at various PITS that Joseph has endured, and today we will see how he deals with his brothers “GUILTY CONSCIENCE”.

2. Joseph’s DREAMS of being a RULER have now come to pass after 13-years, and God has BLESSED

him ABUNDANTLY.

a. After interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams, the King of Egypt not only puts Joseph as second in charge of all of Egypt but he gives him a new name: “Zaphenath-Paneah” (Genesis 41:45)- “the God who

speaks and lives.”

COMMNET:

Although Pharaoh may not fully understand whose Joseph’s God is, he KNOWS that He SPEAKS to Joseph, and he wants to RECOGNIZE that while, in turn, give him a more ACCEPTABLE Egyptian name.

b. Pharaoh also sanctioned Joseph to MARRY the DAUGHTER of the PRIEST of ON, “Azenath”.

3. “He and his wife have two sons, both born before the seven-years of famine began”- Gen. 41:50ff.

COMMENT:

Although Joseph was given and Egyptian name by Pharaoh, the NAMES that he chose for his SONS were HEBREW NAMES that give us a GLIMPSE into the HEART, MIND and SOUL of Joseph as he had to GRAPPLE with all the HURT and BETRAYAL and PHYSICAL DURESS he endured for over 13-years.

a. He gave his OLDER SON the name “Manasseh”, which means “FORGETFULNESS”. (God made Joseph to FORGET all the PAIN and INJUSTICES he had gone through.)

COMMENT:

Joseph had been SPOILED by his FATHER, REJECTED by his BROTHERS, then ATTACKED and SOLD into SLAVERY by them. He had been THROWN in PRISON for HONORING God, and the ONE he had helped FORGOT him. Despite years of this kind of TREATMENT, Joseph could say, “I choose to forget it all.”

b. He then gave his YOUNGER SON the name “Ephraim”, which means “FRUITFULNESS”. (He gave him this name because God has made him FRUITFUL in a FOREIGN LAND.)

COMMENT:

He was RAISED from the PIT to a PALACE, and was made to be a POWERFUL RULER next only to Pharaoh. Through all the PAIN and HEARTACHE that Joseph endured, God had never FORSAKEN him but was with him EVERY STEP of the way.

B. During the Seven-years of Abundance, Joseph put his PLAN to work by STORING UP 20% of all the

GRAIN that was HARVESTED in the land of Egypt during those years.

1. “When the FAMINE came, Joseph opened the STOREHOUSES and began selling the GRAIN not only to the Egyptians, but to people from other COUNTRIES who were also affected by the severe FAMINE”- Genesis 41:56-57.

2. Remember, the Seven-years of Abundance followed by Seven-years of Famine is God’s PLAN unfolding to SAVE and PROTECT the DESCENDANTS of Abraham who will become the Nation of Israel through whom His Son Jesus Christ, the SAVIOR OF THE WORLD, will be BORN.

MESSAGE:

I. HOW JOSEPH DEALS WITH THE GUILTY CONSCIENCE OF HIS BROTHERS

A. The FAMINE brings Joseph’s BROTHERS to Egypt- Genesis 42:1-5 (READ)

1. The severe FAMINE that plagued Egypt also adversely impacted the Land of Canaan where Jacob

and his SONS and their families lived, which was about 300 miles away.

a. They can’t GROW any CROPS to FEED themselves, much less their LIVESTOCK.

b. So, their LIVESTOCK is DYING and they are running out of GRAIN to FEED their FAMILIES.

2. Jacob heard WORD that Egypt had PLENTY of GRAIN that they were SELLING, and I’m sure

that his SONS were AWARE as well.

a. But when he decides to SEND his sons to Egypt to BUY grain, their GUILTY CONSCIENCE

begins to RESURFACE.

COMMENT:

The very mention of Egypt caused the BROTHERS to get this dreadful look on their FACES. Their FATHER asked, “Why do you just keep looking at each other? Why do you look so STRANGE? I mention Egypt, and you guys act so WEIRD!”

b. The word “EGYPT” brought up all the MEMORIES and the GUILT that they had tried to FORGET over the last 20 years—how they had SOLD their little brother into SLAVERY to MERCHANTS who were HEADED to Egypt.

3. So, Jacob sends his older SONS to Egypt to BUY some GRAIN, but he would not allow his

youngest son Benjamin to go for FEAR that he might be HARMED.

COMMENT:

Benjamin is Joseph’s full-brother born to Rachael, the only WIFE that Jacob really LOVED. I’m sure that after LOSING Joseph, Jacob didn’t want to take any chances that he might LOSE Benjamin as well.

4. “After arriving in Egypt, the brothers had to go before the GOVERNOR of Egypt, which just

so happens to be Joseph, and BOW DOWN to him with their faces to the ground” - v. 6.

COMMENT:

The BROTHERS have had this terrible SECRET that has created a GNAWING GUILT for