The Wagons Are On The Way
Genesis 45:16-28 KJV And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, Joseph’s brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants. [17] And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; [18] And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land. [19] Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. [20] Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours. [21] And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way. [22] To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment. [23] And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way. [24] So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way. [25] And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father, [26] And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not. [27] And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived: [28] And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.
I. JACOB’S PREDISPOSITION TO DOUBT
A. The Voices of the Past
-If we look into a little background about Jacob, we see that he has a tendency to believe bad news. It started very early in his life.
• His mother would tell him, “Your father loves Esau more than he does you.”
• His mother would tell him, “Esau is going to kill you.”
• His mother would tell him, “Your father and brother are in a plot to leave you out of the inheritance.”
• His uncle would tell him, “You have seven more years before you get Rachel but in the meantime take Leah.”
• His uncle would tell him, “You are a conniving cheat and I am going to kill you.”
• His wife would tell him, “You hate me. . . You have no time for me. . .”
• His men would tell him, “Esau is waiting down by the river to kill you. . .”
• His sons would tell him, “We found this bloody coat. . .” With Jacob assuming the worst, the seed of doubt grew and implied that Joseph was dead at the paws of a wild animal.
-All of these voices over the course of his life and all of the situations that Jacob found himself in, predisposed him to huge doses of doubt.
-Add in the components of a hugely dysfunctional family:
• Four mothers.
• A tent full of boys that had dark markings on their character.
• The motivations of jealousy and constant conflict in the home.
• The planned murder of a brother.
• All sorts of immorality that would have been expected on the street but not in the home.
-I might be full of doubt and unable to believe any good news either if I had to live in that environment all the time.
-Doubt works in small doses. . . . but huge doses of doubt will overdose your spirit and kill your faith.
-That is why Paul left us with these words:
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 KJV [3] For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: [4] (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) [5] Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; [6] And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
-It is crucial that our mind be protected from the strongholds of the enemy.
-It is with a great certainty that there may be some who are dealing with voices that continue creeping out of the past. These voices are literally suffocating the life out of you. The voices can come from a thousand directions. .
• A parent who did not love you. . . .
• A guardian who was supposed to protect but instead violated you. . .
• A close friend who may have broadcasted your deepest secret. . .
• A boy-friend or girl-friend who stole your innocence. . .
• A relative who destroyed your confidence in any one that seemingly wanted to help you. .
• An ex-husband or an ex-wife who totally betrayed you. . .
-The voices sometimes still ring out to you, they come unprompted and unsolicited, they still shock and they still hurt. . . . but that is what the voices of doubt try to do. . .
• You are worthless!
• I wish you had never been born!
• What a loser that you are!
• See. . . I told you so. . . You can never do it right!
• You have never finished anything that you have started!
• You are going to lose everything!
• You will be just like your father/mother!
-If you listen to those sorts of voices too long. . . you will start believing them. . . That seemed to be the case for Jacob, every time he turned around something was trying to drag him down.
-But I have a remedy for those sorts of voices that sometimes roll around in your head:
2 Timothy 1:7 KJV For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Micah 3:8 KJV But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, . . .
Zechariah 4:6 KJV Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
Luke 10:19 KJV Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
-There are times in your life that you will need to do a little preaching to yourself and there is no better way to do it than with Scripture.
Doubt (defined) -- Truth that is half-dressed, half-hearted, and half-filled. Doubt is simply truth that has been twisted, deformed, and is walking backwards.
-Doubt always emanates from its father, the devil. So you have to remember what Jesus said about doubt.
John 8:44-45 KJV Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. [45] And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
-The prevailing thing that can overcome doubt is the words of Jesus:
John 14:6 KJV Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
B. The Good is “Too Good”
-The first thing that caused Jacob to doubt was all of the voices of the past. The second thing that he struggled with: believing the good news. It was just too good to be true!
Genesis 45:26 KJV And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not.
-Jacob’s belief that Joseph was dead had literally eaten into his spirit in such a way that he could not receive the good news. There are some who hug and coddle their despair for so long that they cannot give it up.
-The good news was just “too good to be true.” It isn’t too odd how that doubt will extinguish the fire of your spirit. The devil is aware of this and doubt is one of his most effective tools.
-Overwhelming circumstances become such dictators to our faith. . . .
• Martha said, “Lord, he has been dead for four days!”
• They told Jairus, “Don’t trouble the Master any longer, your daughter is dead!”
• Peter said, “But Jesus, we have fished all night long and haven’t caught a thing.”
• The disciples said to Jesus, “Huge crowd, Lord, send them home. . . All we have is a little bread and a few fish.”
• The widow told Elisha, “The creditor is on the way and I don’t have anything in my house except a pot of oil.”
-But there are a hearty few who refuse to let their overwhelming circumstances become a dictator to their faith. . . .
• Seven times the Lord healed on the Sabbath. . .He did not let the mundane over-ride the miraculous. (Sometimes you have to ignore the protocol to get the prophetic.)
• One man said to the Lord, “If you will just speak. . . No need to go to the need. . . just speak and my servant will be healed.” (Sometimes you will have to absent yourself from the need to get the miracle.)
• The woman with the issue of blood pressed through the crowd and was healed. (Sometimes you have to be willing to be buffeted to get the blessing.)
• The Syrophonecian woman just wanted a crumb of blessing and healing for her daughter. (Sometimes you have to be willing to be insulted to get what you need from the Lord.)
• Bartimaeus was healed because he would not let the crowd stifle his worship. (Sometimes you have to worship through the blindness to get the blessing. Sometimes there won’t be “perfect” surroundings to get the miracle, you have to work with what you have.)
• There were some men who peeled back a roof to get to healing. (Sometimes you have to be willing to tear some things up to get your need met.)
-The Lord can still save. . . He can still deliver. . . He can still heal. . .
-Here are some things to feed doubt when it attacks:
Matthew 28:18 KJV And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Matthew 11:28 KJV Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 16:18 KJV And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Acts 1:11 KJV Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Daniel 7:13-14 KJV I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. [14] And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
-Scripture clearly indicates to us that if God has a plan, it will come to pass regardless of the obstacles of doubt that stand before you.
II. THE WAGONS FROM “ANOTHER” COUNTRY
-One of the things that will stop our faith is fear. Have you ever experienced that rude, gnawing fear that ate up your faith?
-When you begin to notice fear in its biblical context, there are some situations or characteristics that seem to cater to the growth of fear:
• Genesis 15:1 -- “After these things,” God told Abraham not to fear. What were those things? Abraham had experienced a great victory in battle. Fear will present itself after great victory.
• Genesis 32:11 -- Jacob is about to have to face his brother for the first time after 20 plus years had passed. Fear presents itself when you are facing potential conflict.
• Genesis 35:17 -- Rachel is encouraged not to give in to fear as Benjamin is being born. Fear will present itself when you are birthing something great in your life, something that is going to outlive you.
• Exodus 14:13 -- Moses told the children of Israel not to fear at the Red Sea. The Egyptians were pursuing them from behind and were going to destroy them and the Red Sea was in front to drown them. . . Fear will present itself when you are about to cross over into God’s greater purpose.
• Exodus 20:20 -- Again, Moses instructs the children of Israel not to fear. Fear will present itself when God is about to test (KJV – “prove”) you.
• Joshua 10:8 -- Joshua summons the people to not fear the Amorites who are “gathering” against them. Fear will present itself when you feel overwhelmed by your circumstances.
• Romans 8:15 -- Paul mentions a spirit of bondage that will create fear.
-It is not the will of God for a saint to be struck with a constant state of fear in our lives.
A. The Wagons Are On The Way
Genesis 45:21 KJV And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.
-If the wagons had not been sent, Jacob and all of his family could have never crossed the wilderness and desert to get to the palace. Joseph knew exactly what to pack to sustain these men across their desert experience.
-Highly treasure and carefully value the supplies that come to you from “another” country. How many times have the wagons from “another” country rolled into the place of worship? How many times have the wagons from “another” country restored your soul. . . your faith. . . your confidence. . . and your trust?
-Even if Jacob did not buy into the words of the messengers, when he saw the wagons he could believe that Joseph was alive.
• The first sign of Joseph was a bloody coat and it fooled Jacob.
• The second sign of Joseph was wagons full of goods and it encouraged him.
• The first sign rattled Jacob. . . but the second sign restored him!
-How the enemy would love for you to stop short at the first sign!
• The first sign of trouble can paralyze you. . . but the second sign of blessing can redeem you.
• The first sign of doubt can cripple you. . . but the second sign of blessing can anoint you.
• The first sign of disaster can suffocate you. . . but the second sign of blessing can exalt you.
• The first sign of difficulty can ruin you. . . but the second sign of provision can breath life into you.
-You cannot stop at the first sign. You have to look for the second sign. Persistent faith will not be defeated by what it can see because we walk by faith and not by sight.
-The reason that Jacob doubted the message was because he doubted the messengers. But the sight of Joseph’s wagons convinced him.
-There are accounts of this sort of thing in the miracles. . . Lord, help thou mine unbelief. . . Joseph did not give his brothers what they deserved. This is the way that it works with God. . . we get far more than we deserve.
B. The Wagons Are Loaded
-Not only are the wagons on the way. . . they are loaded. . . . .
Genesis 45:23 KJV And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way.
-Can you imagine what is must have been like for old Jacob? His country has been starving under the wretched hand of the famine. There has been zero-growth with the crops. It has not rained in ages and the land is stifling in the heat. It is in the hottest part of the day when the heat and silence are prevailing across the land.
-Egypt during that time was at the height of civilization. The construction of Pharoah had brought great notoriety to the land. His kingdom had been wildly successful and the tributes had come in.
• India had sent on ships and barges its rich frankincense, sharp cinnamon, gleaming diamonds, and ivory treasures.
• Syria had sent its luxuries of purple and silk.
• Greece had corralled its finest horses in the world and sent them to Egypt.
-So when Joseph determined to send the wagons back to get his father, nothing was spared.
• He loaded them with corn.
• He packed the wagons with bread.
• He added meat to the wagons.
• He made arrangements for clothing to be carried.
-Wagon after wagon rolled out of the palace grounds of Egypt. . . . They were heading out for a rescue mission.
1. The Enemy Cannot Stop the Relief
-I found a story about a valiant man who brought some relief with his bravery.
Leo Thorsness was from Walnut Grove, Minnesota and fought in the war in Vietnam. He was a Major, U.S. Air Force, in the 357th Tactical Fighter Squadron. His bravery occurred over North Vietnam on April 19, 1967. He received his Medal of Honor from President Richard Nixon, on October 15, 1973.
His official citation was for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. As pilot of an F-105 aircraft, Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness was on a surface-to-air missile suppression mission over North Vietnam. Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness and his wingman attacked and silenced a surface-to-air missile site with air-to-ground missiles and then destroyed a second surface-to-air missile site with bombs.
In tile attack on the second missile site, Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness’ wingman was shot down by intensive antiaircraft fire, and the two crewmembers abandoned their aircraft.
Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness circled the descending parachutes to keep the crew members in sight and relay their position to the Search and Rescue Center. During this maneuver, a MIG-17 was sighted in the area. Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness immediately initiated an attack and destroyed the MIG. Because his aircraft was low on fuel, he was forced to depart the area in search of a tanker.
Upon being advised that two helicopters were orbiting over the downed crew’s position and that there were hostile MIGs in the area posing a serious threat to the helicopters, Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness, despite his low fuel condition, decided to return alone
through a hostile environment of surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft defenses to the downed crew’s position. As he approached the area, he spotted four MIG-17 aircraft and immediately initiated an attack on the MIGs, damaging one and driving the others away from the rescue scene. When it became apparent that an aircraft in the area was critically
low on fuel and the crew would have to abandon the aircraft unless they could reach a tanker, Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness, although critically short on fuel himself, helped to avert further possible loss of life and a friendly aircraft by recovering at a forward operating base, thus allowing the aircraft in emergency fuel condition to refuel safely.
Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness’ extraordinary heroism, self-sacrifice and personal bravery involving conspicuous risk of life were in the highest traditions of the military service, and have reflected great credit upon himself and the U.S. Air Force.
C. The Wagons Are Going To Take You To the Palace
Genesis 45:27-28 KJV And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived: [28] And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.
-Jacob fainted when he heard the words that Joseph was alive. . . . When he saw the wagons of relief. . . . His spirit revived.
-Sometimes more than anything that is what we need when we get into the house of God. . . to see His mighty works and excellent greatness. . . . then our spirits are revived.
-The wagons were on the way. . . they were loaded. . . but that was not all. . . . the wagons are going to take us to the palace.
-But just as these wagons are coming from the palace, they are going to take Jacob and his family back to the palace. These wagons were not just a one time deposit. These wagons would not allow their resources to dwindle down to nothing and leave them in the famine.
-These wagons were not just bringing relief but also rescue. Another consideration with these wagons was that they weren’t just bringing good things but they also were bringing good news.
-That is the magnificent thing about the way that God works. . . not only will He bring you relief in your situation but He is going to pull you out of it and take you out of your famine-ridden land to the palace.
III. CONCLUSION -- THE PROMISES OF GOD
-I have book in my library by Herbert Lockeyer. It is entitled “All the Promises of The Bible.” It is literally loaded with promises of what God can do if we will trust in Him.
• Give God Time, even when the knife is flashes in the air, you will see the ram in the bushes.
• Give God Time, even when the Pharoah’s armies are on Israel’s heels, a path through the water will be suddenly opened up.
• Give God Time, even when the bed of the brook is dry, Elijah will hear a guiding voice.
-You must give God time. . . . The Wagons Are On the Way!!!
Philip Harrelson
November 24, 2006
barnabas14@yahoo.com
