You know, life is really about movement. Moving from one stage of life to another. Carefree childhood years, learning young adult years, middle-aged family years, empty nest years, retirement years…It’s all about moving from one stage of life to another. And through every stage God is moving through life’s events to grow us and get us ready for what’s next.
Think with me for a moment. What kind of person were you twenty years ago?
Now think about the events God’s used in the last twenty years to shape you into who you are now. Life is all about movement.
In tonight’s chapters we’re going to see twenty two years of God moving in the lives of Jacob and all of his sons to bring about His will in their lives. 22 years of movement.
But first let’s remember where we are in the story:
- Joseph was hated by his brothers
- They sold him into slavery in Egypt when he was just 17 years old
- Through tumultuous years Joseph rose to power in Egypt
- A famine in the land drove Joseph’s brothers to come buy grain from him
- Joseph wanted proof his brother Benjamin was alive, so he kept Simeon prisoner
- Jacob wouldn’t let his sons return to Egypt with Benjamin
[Read Genesis 42:36-38.]
Jacob had put his foot down. He’d already lost two sons and didn’t want to lose another. No one was going anywhere. But remember, there was still a famine in the land. The food they had would eventually run out. And hunger will move a man to do just about anything.
I. Hunger moves Jacob to trust God
[Read Genesis 43:1-15.]
Remember, this is the last thing Jacob wants to do. As we saw last time, he probably suspected the brothers of killing Joseph and Simeon and wanting to do the same to Benjamin. But the famine had brought a sense of urgency to him and he had no other options.
He tells the brothers to take enough money to buy more grain and to pay for the grain they received the last time they were there. He also tells them to take some of the delicacies from their land as a gift for the Egyptian ruler. (These were probably not available in Egypt.)
Finally, he shows them how he would be trusting Almighty God, El Shaddai, to bring back to him all of his sons safely. Jacob was finally at that point where he put it all on the table. The only thing he could do was trust the Lord. He knew the money and the gifts wouldn’t be enough. He needed the hand of God to watch over his children.
Have you ever found yourself in a position like this? Where only God could help you?
[Man in desert, pump, water bucket, illustration.]
God puts us in situations where the only thing we can do is trust Him. And even though it’s usually not an enjoyable place, it’s a wonderful place because that’s where our faith grows! That’s where we can see the hand of God! That’s where we can point others too when they are faced with an insurmountable situation!
Well that’s where Jacob is. He’s moved to completely trust God with his children, and off they go back to Egypt. When they get there a meeting is set up between them and Joseph and:
II. The meeting moves Joseph to tears
[Read Genesis 43:16-24.]
The brothers are really scared that meeting with the ruler of Egypt meant their free lives were over. They fall all over themselves to make sure that didn’t happen.
But instead of their fears being realized, they are treated extremely well. Simeon is released from prison to them, they get some water to drink, their donkeys are fed, they get their feet washed, and Joseph’s house steward tried to comfort them by referring to the sovereignty of God.
[Read Genesis 43:23.]
This man is referring to the Hebrew God, the God of Jacob, having been in control of the situation. Either Joseph had told his house steward about His view of God and he was simply repeating it to the brothers, or maybe Joseph had influenced him to believe in God for himself. I like to believe the latter since the steward puts God’s actions and his own in the same context.
So the brothers have been treated well and now get to share a meal with Joseph.
[Read Genesis 43:25-31.]
It’s been twenty two years since Joseph had seen Benjamin, his only full brother. The last time he saw him they were both teenagers running around in the fields at home with the entire family. Now he’s a grown man. A lifetime that seemed to be lost, could now start again. The emotions overwhelmed Joseph to the point that he left the room and wept.
I’m sure there was a struggle within himself as to when he should reveal himself to Benjamin and the brothers. There they were right in front of him after all those years. But the time wasn’t right. He needed to find out if they were the same brothers that sold him as a slave or had they changed over the last 22 years. So the meal continued.
[Read Genesis 43:32-34.]
It’s almost like Joseph was giving them hints that he knew them better than they thought. How would he know to seat them from youngest to oldest? They sat in astonishment.
But Joseph wasn’t done. He tested them to see if they would resent Benjamin for receiving more portions of the feast like they resented him for receiving more attention from their father when he was still at home. (That’s what started this whole thing in the first place!)
They seemed to pass the first test by the absence of vocalized resentment. But Joseph needed to know had they really changed. So now we see that:
III. The need for reconciliation moves Joseph to plot
Joseph comes up with an elaborate plane to find out if the brothers had in fact changed.
[Read Genesis 44:1-15.]
The brothers have no idea what’s happening to them. They thought they had a successful meeting with Joseph. They had gotten their brother Simeon, they had gotten their grain, and all 11 of them were on their way home. Who would risk that by stealing the ruler’s royal chalice?
Now this royal cup was traditionally used for the ruler to drink from and for practicing divination. (The divination referred to here was a form of hydromancy which used the movement of the water in the cup to predict the future.)
Now this doesn’t mean that Joseph was into these pagan, Egyptian practices. It was all a part of the rouse used to make the brothers believe he was an Egyptian and not their brother. They probably knew of the ritual and also saw him drinking from the cup at their meal together.
Look at how Judah responds to the situation.
[Read Genesis 44:16.]
First he gives another confession of their sin against Joseph. Then he tells Joseph that they will all stay as slaves. They were now truly brothers who stuck together!
But Joseph pushes them a little further to test that loyalty. Judah again steps forward and makes an impassioned plea on behalf of his littlest brother. Try to imagine the emotion of the moment as Judah is pleading for Benjamin’s, and his father’s, life.
[Read Genesis 44:17-34.]
A change of heart had definitely taken place within Judah and his brothers. This is the one who came up with the plan to sell Joseph into slavery, and is now willing to become a slave himself. All motivated by his love for Benjamin and his father Jacob. The events of the last 22 years have moved him from a selfish, ruthless man into a selfless, courageous, sacrificial man.
Remember, to Judah and his brothers, becoming a slave in Egypt meant the life you knew was over. You would definitely die a slave probably more sooner than later. He’s giving his life for Benjamin’s. Sound like anyone else? Jesus Christ, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, gave His life for the lives of us all.
Once Joseph was finally convinced the brothers had changed and reconciliation could take place, he couldn’t continue the charade any longer. You see,
IV. Love moves Joseph to open up
As I read this, try and picture the scene in your mind’s eyes.
[Read Genesis 45:1-15.]
Twenty two years of confusion and anger and struggles and resolve all came gushing out at once. But instead of it coming out in hatred and rage and revenge, love poured out of the heart and mouth of Joseph. He wanted them to know he had forgiven them and wasn’t holding their sin against them. He had come to a place where he understood that it was God providentially moving through the brothers actions to place him in Egypt. Joseph understood that God’s in control of everything!
[Read Genesis 45:5-8.]
Joseph told the brothers that God’s purpose for him coming to rule in Egypt was to not only preserve life for all during the famine, but to preserve the line of Abraham through them by keeping them alive. I think Joseph had the covenant in mind when He spoke of God’s faithfulness to the household of Jacob.
Would we all grow into a place of faith where we can have this same attitude that Joseph had. Where we look at the trials of our lives and realize that God has a reason for allowing them into our lives. God didn’t stop paying attention to us for a few minutes while a trial sneakily crept into our life. God providentially moves through our entire lives to move us from one stage to another. And it’s all designed to bring about His will on earth through us. What peace of mind comes when we fully trust Him. What inner joy comes when we fully trust Him. What amazing answers to prayer come when we fully trust Him.
Joseph’s life had come full circle and he knew it was all because of the power and love and faithfulness of God. Wouldn’t you have liked to have been there to see this transpire?
Well, there’s one more movement to take place in this chapter, and it shows how:
V. Blessings move Jacob out of depression
[Read Genesis 46:16-28.]
That old man’s life had been restored! God had done it! God had not only brought his eleven sons back from Egypt with plenty of money, food and supplies, but his beloved son Joseph was alive! Israel was no longer living in remorse and depression, but joy filled his heart and he found new energy to pick up his entire family, again, and move to a new land.
Consequently, although not mentioned here, I’ll bet the brothers came clean to Jacob and the entire family about what they had done to Joseph. Reconciliation for the whole family was now possible because of God’s faithfulness to them, and Joseph’s faithfulness to God.
Through twenty two years of dramatically trying times, God had done an amazing work in Jacob and all of his son’s hearts.
- For the brothers God used chastening to grow them
- For Jacob God used trials to grow him
- For Joseph God also used trials to grow him
What has God used to move you from one stage of life to another? What has God used
to grow you? Whatever it is, it’s for your good and God’s will to be done. Trust Him throughout!
Next week we’ll see Jacob and his household move into the land of Goshen.
