God in the Ebb & Flow of Life:
Betrayal and Burlap
Scripture Text: Genesis 37.18-35
INTRODUCTION
Last-week, I tried to lay the ground-work so that we would have a realistic picture of Joseph’s family-life. It isn’t pretty!... Hatred, …jealousy, …resentment, …favoritism …in-fighting ~ …the ingredients that-make unsavory-recipe of brokenness.
This week, we find these-ingredients coming-together in a shocking-way. These attitudes and animosities have-been mixed-together and baking-in-the-oven of time ~ …and what we see take-place in today’s story is the fruit of what began quite-a-while-ago… It just goes-to-show, that-what’s on-the-inside, …will eventually, somehow, come-out in actions.
When I urged us last-week, not-to-let anger or resentment or jealousy get a foothold in our hearts, …part of the reason we don’t wanna let this happen is because it will come-out! Somehow, someway, those-feelings we try to push-down, …push-back, …bury-outta-sight ~ …they’ll come-out in ugly-ways!... A biting, cuttin-comment. Agreement with unfounded-gossip. Turning a blind-eye to a brother’s need. Clipping-the-wings of someone trying to fly. Refusing to read the new-chapter of someone’s-life who is trying to turn-the-page. Don’t let things take root in your heart… …except for the love, mercy, and compassion of God! Whatever gets-a-foothold… Whatever-takes-root in the soil-of-your-heart… It will produce fruit!... A lemon-tree cannot produce anything-else, …other-than sour-fruit. Don’t let anger, hatred, jealousy, or resentment take-hold in your heart!
Joseph’s brothers don’t take this advice to-heart. And the-things-that did-take-root in their hearts ~ …they produced absolutely-shocking fruit! A plot to murder. Violence against a brother. Sold into slave-traders’ hands. Profit from betrayal. A plan to cover-up their dirty-deeds. A scheme to deceive their aged-father!... Shocking-fruit! ~ Wouldn’t you-say!?!
But-then-again… What did you expect to happen?... A group hug!?! Chocolate and roses, exchanged? A friendly game of football in the fields of Dothan, once Joseph got-there!?!
On the fields-near-Dothan, …the brothers-of-Joseph hatched-a-plan to murder; …they executed an act-of-betrayal, …and they proceeded to-deceive their father ~ Why!?!
It’s really-pretty-simple!... They allowed things to take-root in their hearts that would-eventually-produce rotten-fruit!
Ya-know… you may be-able, …for-a-while, …you-may-be-able to sweep-it-under-the-rug, …or stuff-it-in a closet, …or hide it in the basement of your soul… But, whatever-it-is, …it will take-root, ..and spring-up-shoots, …and eventually…
Eventually it will produce ugly, rotten-fruit!... And-you’ll-be-surprised by what you see yourself doing; …and you’ll-be-surprised by what you hear yourself saying. You might-be-shocked that those-words came out of your-mouth; …or that your-hands did so-much-damage! But, when you’re in the heat-of-the-moment, …you’ll think, say, and do-things that you wouldn’t normally come up-with. Can you hear Joseph’s brothers justifying-themsleves?... As they sat-around the camp-fire, …with Joseph lying in the bottom-of-the-cistern ~ …It probably went something-like-this:
“Well! If he hadn’t been-wearing that blasted, rainbow-colored-coat! “Who does he think he is, …trotting-around-the-countryside, “…wearing that ridiculous-robe!?! “Does he think he’s a king? “Does he think he’s better-than-us? “Does he expect us to tell him how-great he-is!?! “His head is so-full of-dreams -…those stupid-dreams! “Every-time I see him, “…I can’t get-it outta-my-head! “How-dare-he suggest that he’s better-than-us… “How-dare-he flaunt that robe before-us! “I can’t stand the sight-of-him! “I wish I never-had to lay-eyes-on-him ~ ever-again! “I wish he was gone… We’d be better-off without him… “Then, life sure-would-be better!...”
“Yea… That’s-right… “Life would-be so-much-better without that-snooty, …snobbish dreamer-of-a-boy! “What are we watin’-for, boys!?! ~ “Now’s-our-chance: Let’s be-done-with our-problem.”
What did you expect to happen? ~ When we let this kinda-junk weasel-itself-into-our-hearts, …these are the kinds-of-actions that end-up coming out!
In the New Testament, James writes some powerful-words that could’ve-been aimed right-at Joseph’s brothers ~ …or it could be aimed right-at church-families in our day-and-time! He says:
What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them… So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. (James 4.1-2a, 7-10, NLT)
Whatever seeds you allow to be planted in your heart, …that’s the kind-of-fruit that your life will produce!
There’s an old saying: …Sin will take you further than you wanna go and cost much more than you’re willing to pay! Do you think that when they first-started-noticing that their father favored Joseph, …do you think the brothers immediately started hatching a murderous-plan? Do you think that when they first heard Joseph’s dreams (about bowing down to him), …do you think that they started-scheming-a-plan to sell him as a slave? Do you think that when they first saw that colorful-coat, …do you think they started planning to deceive their father by dipping the coat in blood?
No! ~ But, …they allowed hatred and jealousy and resentment to get-ahold in their hearts; …and eventually fruit-was-produced!
James urges Christians ~ Bible-believing, church-going Christians ~ …he urges us to humble ourselves before the Lord… Why!?!... Why does James tell-us to-submit-ourselves to God and to-resist the devil and to-humble ourselves before the Lord?
It’s-not-just James… Elsewhere in the New Testament… Why does Paul warn Christians against receiving Communion when our hearts aren’t-right toward our brothers-and-sisters? Why does Jesus say:
If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. (Matthew 5.23-24, NIV)
Why?... It’s because, …what’s in our heart will come-out in our actions. It’s-because, …what’s in our heart will-affect our walk with the Lord. It’s-because, …God cares about what’s-in your-heart …and He wants to-purify it from all-unrighteousness!
And-so… one of the first-things we need to notice, …as we listen to this ugly, and tragic chapter in Joseph’s life, …the first-thing to-notice is that his brothers’ actions are nothing more-than, the fruit of the-stuff that had already been planted in their hearts! Whether you wanna call it dysfunction, ..or sin, …or simply ‘weeds’ in the ‘garden’ of their hearts, …they allowed hatred and resentment and jealousy to take-root… And-what-we see-and-hear them dong in the fields-of-Dothan, …it’s the fruit of the seeds that they planted and cultivated and nurtured!
Do I need-to-ask the question of application ~ …do I need to ask, ‘How does this apply to your life?’
I think we understand the principle at work, here: …what gets planted will produce fruit; …But, the question-of-application is: …What have I planted in my heart? What am I nurturing and cultivating in my heart-and-soul? Is there something there that you’re ashamed of, …something you’ve tried to sweep under-the-rug or hide in some dark-closet? Do you harbor anger or resentment, …or jealousy or bitterness; …do you hold-onto-the-wrongs or the mistakes that someone has-made against you?... It could-be a family member (as-was the case with Joseph’s mixed-up family). It could be feelings toward a co-worker, …or a fellow-student. It could be an un-Christlike attitude toward a neighbor who’s been a pain-in-the-katuckus! Maybe you’ve held onto feelings of bitterness toward a brother-or-sister in Christ!... Ya-see, …the question is not whether they’ve done something against you, …or something to hurt or disappoint you. Rather, the question is whether you’re withholding that-which Christ has freely given to you: Love. Mercy. Forgiveness.
Holding onto anger or resentment or unforgiveness or bitterness or-whatever ~ …Here’s-what-happens when we plant these-kinds-of-seeds in our hearts:
1) It hurts you!
2) It will produce surprising/shocking fruit.
3) It affects your relationship with God.
Take a look at-what one Scripture-passage says about the connection-between how-we-treat the people-in-our-life, …in connection to our relationship with the Lord-God:
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and life a life of love. (Eph 4.32 - 5.1)
Listen… I don’t-wanna-belabor-this-point. It’s-obvious. But, so-many-people have such-a-hard-time with this! And it doesn’t do any-good to act-as-though it’s no-big-deal! It is a big-deal. Harboring un-Christlike attitudes toward others ~ …it’s gonna tear-you-up; ...it’ll eat away at your heart-and-soul; …and it’s gonna come out in some-pretty-ugly-ways. That’s not-what God wants; …and-honestly, …I don’t think it’s what you-want, either!
Psalm 19.14 sums-up-my-life-prayer. And-maybe this touches-a-chord with your deepest-desire, too. It says:
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Ps 19.14)
Is this the prayer of your heart? ~ I believe that it is for the vast majority of us; …but, this cannot happen when we allow seeds of jealousy, …seeds of bitterness, …seeds of resentment or hatred, …the ‘meditation of my heart’ will not be pleasing in God’s eyes when we allow these-kinds-of-seeds to be planted in the fertile-soil of our hearts!
Sadly, …Joseph’s brothers weren’t praying-this-prayer. They let seeds be-planted in their hearts that produced some pretty-ugly fruit.
But-before we poo-poo their choices, …I want us to see just-how-comfy, their shoes-fit on our feet! “How’s-that”, you-ask…
Well, …I think there’s a part of us that can-really-identify with these guys. They might-point-out how it seemed their-little-brother got-more-of-their-daddy’s-attention than they-got ~ …and that hurt. They might-point-out how Joseph kept bringing up those silly-dreams ~ …as though he was really-somethin’-special, …and they were nothin’-more-than grubby-shepherds. They might-point-out how every-time they saw Joseph with that ridiculously-colored-coat ~ …it was like salt-in-a-wound. And-all-these-things would-seem-to-justify their feelings-and-attitudes toward their brother. But-notice: …the question is not whether you-are-justified in holding-onto certain-feelings; …the question is whether you allow those feelings to work-themselves-into your heart-and-soul. The brothers did. And-now-we-know what became-of-those feelings! A plot to murder. Violently abducting their brother. The decision to sell him into slavery. And the scheme to deceive their father… It’s an ugly scene.
But-even-though we might (at some-level) understand how the brothers could feel these-things toward their little-brother, …we’re baffled by how-they-let-things get-outta-hand! But, that’s-what-happens when we bury these-kinds-of-seeds in our hearts.
As I have studied this-passage, …God has just opened it up in an amazing-way. Truly, I could preach 3-or-4 sermons from this one-story. There’s the whole-thing about the problem-of-suffering ~ …and it’s a question that is on the lips of so many people-nowadays: …If God is good and loving, why is there so much suffering in this world? I’d love to take that-question-on; …and the events-that-transpire between Joseph-and-his-brothers bring-up that-very-question. But, that’s gonna be a sermon for another time!
I could preach a sermon dealing with God’s-plans for families ~ …and how our family-life is to be a reflection of God’s love for His children; …and the relationships between Jacob’s family are antithetical to God’s plans for families. I’d love to take-on that-question. But, that’s gonna be a sermon for another time!
I could preach a sermon focusing on losses ~ …the loss of a child (Jacob); …the loss of hope (Joseph); …the loss that comes from broken-relationships (the brothers); …this story is filled with so-much deep-and-painful losses. I think Scripture has a lot to say about loss and-that even in the midst-of-these-losses, …God is still working to bring about healing and hope and redemption. It’s good-news ~ …but that’s gonna have-to-be a sermon for another time!
As I’ve prayed about the direction that God would want this sermon to-take, …He would not let this thing-go: …that-the-things we allow to take-shelter in our hearts will eventually produce fruit. They are seeds that are planted. We may be able to mask them for a while; …hide them behind a façade ~ …but they will brew and simmer and they will eventually produce fruit. And-frankly, …we will be surprised by some of the ways that these things come-out!
Do you think that when the brothers first suspected that their father loved Joseph more than them, …do you think they immediately started planning to get-rid-of-him? Do you think that when they first heard Joseph’s dreams, …do you think they huddled-up and designed a plan to sell him into slavery? Do you think that when they caught-the-first-glimpse of the rainbow-colored-cloak, …do you think-that they came up with a plan to dip it in blood to cover-up their other deeds? No!...
But, they allowed the feelings of resentment and jealousy and hatred to get buried in the fertile-soil of their hearts. And when we do-this, …who-knows what’ll come-out!?! ~ It won’t be pretty! It’ll probably be shocking and surprising and “out-of-character”. And, it certainly won’t-be something that’ll-be-pleasing in God’s eyes!
So what-do-we-do?... What do we do when we find our hands are filled with these-seeds? What do we do when hatred and jealousy and resentment and bitterness, …what do we do whenever we find any ungodly-seed threatening to bury itself somewhere in our heart?
Remember-what-James said; …there’s a three-fold-strategy for dealing with this stuff: “Humble ourselves before God” “Resist the devil” “Come close to God” In-putting this strategy in-play - whenever we find the seeds of ungodly-attitudes threatening our hearts – …in-putting this strategy-in-play, …we allow our hands to be washed and our hearts to be purified! Can I encourage you to put this strategy into-practice whenever you find yourself struggling with these-things? Don’t wait until these seeds have produced big-intimidating-plants in the midst of your heart; …but, at the very-first-sight of the seeds of resentment or bitterness, …at the very-first-inkling of the seeds of jealousy or unforgiveness ~ …at the very-first-sight: …humble-yourself before God and ask Him for His help; …resist the devil’s urging that you hold-onto these feelings; …and draw-close to God, for you cannot stand against the enemy-of-your-soul, all-by-yourself!
