THE TEST OF POWER AND AUTHORITY
Last week, we talked about the promotion of Joseph to the second highest in command of Egypt.
He had been lifted up from the dark dungeon of despair to the palace of great responsibility, authority and power.
It was a long process of waiting patiently and faithfully.
But during those years, he never lost sight of his faith and trust on God.
He never gave up.
That is why at the right time, God granted him the reality of his dream.
This is what we will discover as we study Genesis chapter 42.
We will find out his capability to be a good leader.
He is now in a position of power, prestige and authority.
There was famine all over the land.
It has created an international disaster.
People from the surrounding nations heard that Egypt had food.
Egypt had enough provision to survive the famine at that time.
And people from all over the land wanted to buy food from Egypt.
Joseph was the one in charge.
And one day, while Joseph was busy with his work, his brothers arrived to buy food.
Joseph at once recognized them.
These are the very same people who had thrown him into a pit to starve, while they ate their lunch.
He cried for help, but they refused to listen.
Can you imagine the thoughts that would go through the mind of Joseph at that moment?
This will be the greatest test in all his life.
Now that he is in a position of power and authority, he could have easily abused his power.
He could have easily squeezed and persecuted his brothers as a sign of his anger and revenge.
He could have effortlessly harassed them, oppress them and torture them.
But he did not do such wicked thing.
In fact, he had shown great competence, ability and skills in handling his position well.
You see, God is always testing each one of us.
He will test us on the way we handle and be in charge of a situation.
He will test us on the way we manage and supervise people.
He will test us on the way we run and maintain resources.
He will test us by giving us power and authority.
If we are not ready for such a position, we can wrongly and corrupt that power and authority.
Worst, we can become a dictators and it will be a big problem.
You see, power can corrupt.
Absolute power can corrupt absolutely.
God wants us to handle well our area of influence.
People who have been prepared by God executes their power and authority properly and correctly.
They do not destroy relationships but they identify mistakes and accurately adjust themselves to people.
Through the use of his power and authority, relationships can be made even stronger.
Good relationships after all especially in the family should be mended, improved and renewed.
It should not be left to rot and disintegrate.
This is what happened in the life of Joseph.
When he was in such position of power and saw his brothers, things began to happen for the better.
God's greatest desire is for us to have a relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ.
Once we receive His forgiveness, then we are ready to fulfill the rest of His plan for our lives.
Our destiny will unfold as we obey the Holy Spirit.
There are several truths that we can learn from Joseph:
I. EVEN WHEN HE HAD GREAT AUTHORITY, JOSEPH RECOGNIZED HIS PURPOSE. Genesis 42:8-9 "8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. 9 Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected.”
The verse says that Joseph saw his brothers purchasing food in Egypt.
Although he recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.
Their identity reminded him of his unforgettable past.
His memories were awaken just a mere look at his brothers.
His emotion was provoked, arose and revived.
But the next verse also tells us that he remembered his dream about them.
The word "remember" means he recalled, he looked back and he recognized.
It means that Joseph saw that God had a purpose in placing him in this position of power and authority.
In the midst of the famine in the land, God will save his people.
God will use Joseph for that purpose.
And so, Joseph must protect, provide and preserve his family.
He must care for them and guard them from harm.
This was his first priority.
God gave him great power and prestige for this very purpose.
This purpose was much greater and much more significant than to seek revenge to his brothers or get even.
If he sought revenge, it means he was not worthy for such position.
And he proved himself worthy.
Revenge and retribution was not an option.
The Bible says, "Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord." Romans 12:19
And so, it is God who will take revenge, not us.
Meanwhile, Joseph had such great weight of duty, responsibility and accountability in his hands.
The whole population depended upon him for food.
Hence, he did not puff up his pride.
He did not retaliate.
He did not reciprocate.
He did not get even.
He acted well and fulfilled that very purpose that brought him there.
In the same manner, what do you do when people hurt you?
Don't get even, my brothers and sisters.
It is wrong and it will ruin your life.
When God gave us authority and position, we must remember that there is a purpose for it.
Our purpose should always be to bring glory to God.
We are to know His Word.
We are to grow in His character.
We are to keep His commands.
We are to be a witness for Jesus Christ.
Every Christian is called to an active ministry.
We are Christ's followers.
God's ultimate destiny for us is to further His kingdom on earth.
And so, there is no room to take an eye for an eye.
When a person recognizes his purpose in life, he will not abuse his power and authority.
He will not do any wrongdoing.
He will not do any injustice.
He will not do any misconduct.
God's overall purpose should always prevail in our hearts.
That is why it is important to start with a personal relationship with God.
Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins.
Acknowledge that we are all sinners, we cannot save ourselves.
That Jesus died for all our sins at the cross as our once and for all sacrifice.
Repent, turn away from sin.
Make Him your Lord and Savior.
Matthew 20:25-27 (NIV) "25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—
Hebrews 13:17
17 Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you."
Eph. 5:23
23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
II. EVEN WHEN HE HAD GREAT AUTHORITY, JOSEPH HAD TO DEAL WISELY WITH HIS BROTHERS.
Genesis 42:14-17 "14 Joseph said to them, “It is just as I told you: You are spies! 15 And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” 17 And he put them all in custody for three days."
In these verse of Scripture, we find Joseph dealing wisely with his brothers.
He pretended that he did not know them.
He did not reveal his true identity to them.
He said to them: “You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected.”
Of course, they were not spies.
They were his brothers.
The goal is to get more information about his family.
He had been out of contact for many years.
He had to do this without his brothers realizing who he was or what he was attempting to accomplish.
And so, he made them believe that he was bitter and rough to them.
This was intended to produce fear.
Fear can induce them to speak up the things that they have been hiding secretly in their hearts.
Fear allows them to remember and recognize their sins.
Because of fear, they have admitted their wrongdoings.
And so, they blurted out or squeal out the things that Joseph wanted to know.
What did Joseph want to know?
Joseph wanted to know the condition of his father and his dearly beloved brother Benjamin.
They were desperate in trying to talk their way out of the charge that they were spies.
They supplied and provided him with enough facts and information that they would never have given otherwise.
Later, Jacob would rebuke his sons for what they have revealed. (Genesis 43:6).
These facts also provided Joseph with an opportunity to test, evaluate and assess his brothers.
He wanted to know whether there was consciousness and conviction of their sin.
Are they really sorry for their sins?
Or their hearts are really that callous?
This was godly wisdom.
And he was able to do that because of his great authority.
In the same manner, we must also learn to use the wisdom that God has given us in relation to the people we come in contact with.
Our wisdom comes from the Bible.
There are people who misunderstood the application of the Scriptures.
They will make the Bible say anything they want.
Whether you believe it or not, this is true.
Think of what Joseph could have made of his dream if he distorted its interpretation.
If he had been dominated by bitterness and hatred, he could have viewed his vision as a mandate from God to make it miserable for his brothers.
Isn't it that God revealed to him in his dream that his brothers would bow down to him?
He could have dashed it into their eyes and given them a proof text for it, if he wished.
It is an alarming possibility but it is true.
People who are not fit for such a promotion of position of authority can misuse and abuse their power.
They can justify their sinful actions with biblical texts.
But Joseph did not do that.
He remembered his dream and dealt wisely with his brothers.
Later in the text, we read: 18 On the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God: 19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. 20 But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die.” This they proceeded to do.
21 They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come on us.”
Joseph had to confine them in prison for three days to make them realize the sin that they have committed.
They probably felt miserable after three days of confinement.
It brought fear and conviction upon them.
They realized that they were being punished because of their brother.
They saw him distressed, anguished and afflicted.
They heard him plead, beg and appealed for his life to be spared.
But they would not listen.
They would not hear.
They would not pay attention.
Do they have the heart and the emotion for their own brother?
Joseph wanted to know.
And now that the same distress has come upon them, Joseph discovered something.
They have been convicted of their sins.
They too have the heart and the feeling that can get hurt.
And Joseph could not bear the thought of their anguish and misery.
It took only three days for them to be in prison compared to Joseph spending many years all by himself.
This was the heart of a leader.
The key to his wisdom is his "fear of God."
Joseph said, "I, too fear God." vs. 18.
That means, he had genuine faith for the One true God - the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Because he fears God, he had to deal wisely with the people he comes in contact with.
The Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Proverbs 1:7
Fearing God means having such reverence for Him.
It means, we respect Him, obey Him and submit to His discipline.
This is the motivating factor for us to worship and surrender our lives to the Creator of the Universe.
Fearing God does not mean we are scared or frightened of God.
We have no reason to be scared of Him because nothing can separate us from His love.
And so, when we fear God, we fear His judgment upon us if we commit sin and displease Him.
Joseph feared God.
That is why he dealt wisely with his brothers.
Story:
In The Chronicles of Narnia, an allegory by C.S. Lewis, the author has two girls, Susan and Lucy, getting ready to meet Aslan the lion, who represents Christ.
Two talking animals, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, prepare the children for the encounter.
"Ooh," said Susan, "I though he was a man. Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."
"That you will, dearie." said Mrs. Beaver. "And make no mistake, if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knee's knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."
"Then isn't he safe?" said Lucy.
"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver. "Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? Of course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the king, I tell you!"
In the same manner, on Judgment Day when we appear before God, we can either have the boldness of a Christian or we are silly.
We have BOLDNESS and courage because of the righteousness of Christ in us. We are safe.
Or SILLY to appear before God because all our sins will be judged, punished and condemned.
But He is Good.
And he is the King.
He is the lion of the tribe of Judah.
Scriptures:
1 Peter 2:17 (NIV) "17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
Psalms 19:9 (NIV) "9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous."
III. EVEN WHEN HE HAD GREAT AUTHORITY, JOSEPH HAD A HUMBLE HEART.
Genesis 42:22-24 "22 Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood.” 23 They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter.
24 He turned away from them and began to weep..."
The underlined verses reads: "He turned away from them and began to weep."
That means he could not control his emotion.
He wept because his heart was humbled and softened by the things he saw and heard.
His brothers realized their sin and the things they did to Joseph.
They were upset and troubled in their hearts.
They knew that they were being punished for such a crime.
And then, Reuben stood up and said, "Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood.'
Those words are enough to pierce the heart of Joseph.
He had a soft heart for all off them in spite of what they have done to him.
He can't bear their sufferings in spite of the troubles he received from them.
This is what it means to have a humble and soft heart.
This is the heart that Joseph had.
This is the kind of heart that we need to have.
A heart that is hard to sin and a heart that is soft for the sinner.
That is the kind of heart God had.
2 Peter 3:9 "God is not willing that any should perish but that all would come to repentance."
Only God can give us that kind of heart.
There are people whose hearts are hard, solid, tough and rocklike.
They want to punish people even though these same people have already realized and repented from sin.
And so, they want to hurt, to kill and to destroy just like the roaring lion.
When we come to God, God is heavy and hard at our sins.
He can't look at us because of our sins.
Because sin deserve punishment and penalty.
But when he knows that we have fully repented, He forgives us and treats us as His very own.
This is the kind of God we have.
This is what God requires of us as we treat people.
Be forgiving.
Be kind and gentle.
Be loving.
And so, look at your own heart.
Is it humble and soft or is it hard and tough?
The Bible says that God will give us a new heart.
Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV) "26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
Do you have that new heart from God?
Your kind of heart will determine whether you are meant for that position of authority.
Illustrations:
Abraham Lincoln was one of the greatest US Presidents of all time.
He had great position but he used his power and authority well.
There was an incident when Lincoln was wrong that he would allow himself to be corrected, even if the corrector was arrogant or self-serving.
An oft-quoted story is told of an incident between Lincoln and his Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton.
Lincoln, under intense pressure from a committee of Western men headed by Illinois Congressman Owen Lovejoy, issued an important order to redeploy some troops.
The notion seemed sound enough, but when Lovejoy went to Stanton’s office to communicate the order, Stanton flatly refused.
“Did Lincoln give you an order of that kind?” asked Stanton.
“Yes he did.”
Then Lincoln is a damn fool for ever signing that order.”
Lovejoy, in amazement responded, “Do you mean the President is a damned fool?”
“Yes sir,” Stanton said, “if he gave you such an order as that.”
Lovejoy returned to the Executive Mansion (now called the White House) and rehearsed everything to Lincoln.
“Did Stanton say I was a damned fool?” asked Lincoln when Lovejoy had finished.
“He did, sir; and repeated it.”
Lincoln’s response is so revealing of his humility.
Here was a congressman from his own state standing before him, the very congressman who had obtained his allegiance and the resulting Presidential order a short time before, and now his authority was being openly challenged.
Without concern for saving face Lincoln replied, “If Stanton said I’m a damn fool, then I must be one.
He is nearly always right in military matters. I’ll step over and find out what his reasoning is.”
Stanton, with his superior expertise convinced Lincoln to rescind the order, and in the process probably saved many lives.
Psalms 25:9 (NIV) "9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way."
Proverbs 11:2 (NIV) "2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom."
