No Ordinary Joe
Genesis 43
Pastor Jefferson M. Williams
Chenoa Baptist Church
01-16-2022
A Family in Shambles
In 2015, our family was in shambles. We had moved back from Florida and that spring Mother’s Day and Father’s Day went by without either of the boys calling us. We didn’t even know where Austin was and Joshua had no interest in speaking to us. Satan had conspired to tear my family apart and Maxine and I were grieved by the state of our little clan.
Maybe you understand this situation. Maybe your family is in shambles as well. You have grown children that don’t talk to each other or you. You have children that have gone off the deep end into sin and feel like you are judging them for their life choices. Christmas time was spent alone with your thoughts and your regrets.
Can I give you some encouragement today? I’ve been there but I’ve seen God do miracles to bring my family back together again.
Remember, “God is always doing 10,000 things and, at any given time, we may be aware of three of them.” - John Piper
This morning, we are going to see God doing the work of restoration and reconciliation in Joseph’s family. And He will do it in a way that none of them could have ever seen coming.
Turn with me to Genesis 43.
Prayer.
Jacob’s Request
“Now the famine was still severe in the land. So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”
Famine is terrible. The lack of enough food is something that most of us have never truly experienced.
Famine hit Rome in 436 B.C. It got so bad, that people were throwing themselves into the Tiber River.
Famine ravaged England in 1005, and Europe in 879, 1066, and 1162, causing millions to starve to death.
Northeast Africa is notorious for famine. There are some parts of that region that haven’t had any appreciable rainfall in years.
In our text today, the famine is getting worse. I’m sure that Jacob and his sons prayed for the famine to be over. They have no idea that they are in store for six more years to try to survive.
They probably had been rationing food as much as they could and it became apparent that the food would soon run out.
Sometimes necessity drives us to do what we should do in the first place.
Jacob tells the brothers to go back and buy a little more food from Egypt. But he knows that can’t happen.
Judah’s Reminder
“But Judah said to him, “The man warned us solemnly, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you. But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”
Notice that Judah doesn’t even mention Ben’s name.
The man in Egypt meant business and there would be no more grain until they returned with their little brother.
Jacob’s Rant
Israel asked, “Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?” They replied, “The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. ‘Is your father still living?’ he asked us. ‘Do you have another brother?’ We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”
Jacob is still playing the “poor me” card.
He actually asked why the told the truth. Why didn’t they just lie? Remember what Jacob’s name means? “Deceiver.” This is something that Jacob was good at.
The brothers were flabbergasted. How in the world could we have known that he would ask us about having another brother?
Dad, it’s almost as if he somehow knew us!
Judah’s Guarantee
Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die. I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice.”
Rueben had disqualified himself to lead by sleeping with one of his father’s concubines. (See Genesis 35:22)
Rueben did try to step up and told his dad that if he didn’t bring Benjamin back safe that he could kill his two sons. What?! (See Genesis 42:37)
Simeon and Levi disqualified themselves to lead by committing mass murder over the rape of their sister. (See Genesis 34)
Enter Judah. Judah is the fourth born son. But he’s not without fault either.
He was the one who suggested that the brothers sale Joseph instead of kill him. (See Genesis 37) He also slept with his daughter-in-law. (Genesis 38)
Judah will guarantee Ben’s safety.
Jacob’s delay and denial could cost the lives of the entire family. ?
Jacob’s Command
“Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds. Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
Jacob instructs the boys to take the man in Egypt a gift basket. It worked when he thought his brother Esau was coming to kill him. Maybe it will work with the Egyptian ruler.
Solomon wrote:
“Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.” (Proverbs 19:6)
The contents of the gift were the same sort of foods that the caravan who bought Joseph would have been carrying!
Take a gift.
Take double the amount of money.
And, finally, take your brother.
Then Jacob gives a blessing and a prayer. He invokes God Almighty - “El Shaddai” in Hebrew, the name that God had revealed Himself to his father Abraham (see Genesis 17).
He prays that God would grant them mercy, compassion in the sight of men.
Notice that he doesn’t even say Simeon’s name. Oh yeah, get what’s his name back too.
Then he echoes Esther when she says, “If I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:16)
Jacob is risking everything. He will be left alone to wonder and wait. He finally decides to trust God.
A pastor that I read this week have seven laws of Jacob’s leadership:
1. Whatever problems there are today can be put off to tomorrow.
2. No problem can be as bad as it seems.
3. Honesty is not always the best policy.
4. Always look out for number one.
5. As much as possible, put the blame on others
6. If our efforts to solve the problem fail, add money.
7. When all else fails, then trust God.
So the brothers, with the gift basket, the silver, and Benjamin set out again to go down to Egypt.
The Brothers’ Fear
So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin also. They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare a meal; they are to eat with me at noon.”
The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph’s house. Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, “We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys.”
When Joseph sees his brothers are back he tells the steward to prepare a meal for them. But instead of being excited or flattered, the brothers are terrified.
It’s like when I worked at the school and would take a student out in the hall to talk to them. What was the first question they would ask? “What did I do wrong ?” Same with being a pastor. It’s hilarious. I could be telling them they won a million dollars and they would be scared.
Their guilty consciences start running wild and they decide that they are being invited to the house to be attacked and taken as slaves…and steal their donkeys.
These are rural shepherds and they are in the New York City of Egypt. Not sure why Joseph would want with their donkeys.
Guilt can make mountains out of mole hills.
The Steward gives them Shalom
So they went up to Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. “We beg your pardon, our lord,” they said, “we came down here the first time to buy food. But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver—the exact weight—in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us. We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don’t know who put our silver in our sacks.”
“It’s all right,” he said. “Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.”
Joseph’s steward meets the at the door and they launch into their explanation about the silver.
The steward interrupts them and says “Shalom!” No worries!
The God of your father has blessed you.
Wait, how is this possible? This Egyptian servant just gave the brothers a Hebrew blessing and used them term Elohim. How do all these Egyptians know Hebrew?!
The steward had Simeon brought out to them. He had been in prison for more than a year. There was great rejoicing at this reunion.
Joseph’s Arrival
The steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet and provided fodder for their donkeys. They prepared their gifts for Joseph’s arrival at noon, because they had heard that they were to eat there.
When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground. He asked them how they were, and then he said, “How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living?” They replied, “Your servant our father is still alive and well.” And they bowed down, prostrating themselves before him.
Joseph arrived and they immediately presented him with the gift basket and bowed down. In fact, it says this twice, the second time they “prostrated themselves,” meaning to be face down on the ground.
Joseph’s dreams were coming true. Now all ten brothers were bowing down to him.
Moses, in the Hebrew, actually focuses on their shalom. He asked about their shalom and their dad’s shalom. He is overjoyed to hear that his dad is still alive.
But now, after all these years, his full brother Ben is standing right in front of him.
Joseph’s Tears
As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there. After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, “Serve the food.”
Ben would have been about five to ten years younger than Joseph. He hasn’t seen him since Ben was a child.
Again, an Egyptian gives a Hebrew blessing - God be gracious to you, my son.”
And then the emotions of twenty plus years welled up in his chest. He never thought he would see Ben again.
He hurried out and found a place to let it out. He sobbed quietly, thinking God that his family is with him.
Just a quick aside. It’s okay to cry, even if you’re a guy. Tears are God’s gift to us. Sometimes when the pain is too much, tears say what words can’t.
David recorded in his journal:
I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. (Psalm 6:6)
Joseph composes himself and gives the order to serve the food. Let the feast begin. And many their fear subside.
Supernatural Seating Arrangement
They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians. The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each other in astonishment. When portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as anyone else’s. So they feasted and drank freely with him.
Each of the groups, Joseph, the Egyptians, and the brothers ate at separate tables. The Egyptians considered anyone who wasn’t Egyptian, descended from the gods, to be detestable.
When the brothers were seated, they stared at each with wonder. They were seated in their birth order, from Rueben down to Benjamin! The odds of someone guessing this order is 1 in 40 million!
Not only that, but Benjamin was treated as the guest of honor and given five times as much as the other brothers.
This was another test. Would their envy and jealousy rear their ugly heads again? Or were these brother’s being changed by the process that they were going through?
It seems that they didn’t care at all and celebrated with Joseph, and drank freely with him. The fear was completely gone and the feast was a celebration.
Next week, we will come to the climax of the story of the brothers and Joseph. It is one of my favorite chapters in all the Bible.
Applications
Restoring Families
I started today with the story of my family in shambles. There was nothing that we could do to put everything back together again except to pray and trust in God’s power and providence.
It didn’t happen overnight, but God has restored our family.
It took 21 years for God to restore Joseph’s family. And during that time, it would have been easy to think that all hope was lost.
But God Almighty, El Shaddai, was working behind the scenes to bring about His will and His plan for not just Jacob’s family but for the coming of the Messiah.
Maxine prayed for her father for thirty plus years before he committed his life to Christ.
My friend, Dale Petre, prayed for over 40 years before he saw both his parents become Christ Followers.
I have a friend who prayed for an ex-husband for the last twenty years and still continues to pray that he will surrender his life to Christ.
Jim Cymbala, the pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York, told the story of his daughter becoming involved in drugs and running away. Their hearts were broken but they just continued to pray.
Their church has a prayer service on Tuesday night and over 1,000 people attend. That particular night, one of the elders stood up and said that they were all going to focus their prayers on the pastor’s daughter that night. People were on their faces interceding for this young lady and Jim’s family.
Later that night, as Jim was sitting at the dining room table, there was a soft knock at the back door. His daughter walked into the house and sat down at the table and finally said, “You guys were praying for me tonight, weren’t you?” And that was the beginning of reconciliation.
Can I encourage you to put your family, whatever shape it is in, into the hands of El Shaddai and trust Him to do behind the scenes what you can’t do - change hearts and lives from the inside?
Four Stages of Surrender
Dr. Jordan Rogers talks about the four stages of surrender that we see in this text.
1. Surrender begins when you accept responsibility for your actions.
We see this when the brothers are put into prison and confess their sins thinking that Joseph couldn’t understand them:
“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.” (Genesis 42:21)
This is why we pray prayers of confession. God already knows but we are agreeing with him that we didn’t just break a rule but we broke His heart.
2. Surrender blossoms when you recognize your need in humility.
Jacob and the brothers were in dire straights and they were completely dependent on the man in Egypt to survive.
Once you realize that you can do nothing to save yourself, you are humble enough to ask for God’s help.
3. Surrender blossoms when you release your grip on control.
We see this when Jacob finally agrees to let Ben go to Egypt with the brothers.
Once you are humble enough to ask for God’s help, you can let go of the illusion of trying to control your life.
4. Surrender is rewarded with a gracious reception.
Do you notice how kind Joseph is to them? He arranges to put their money back in their sacks. And what is their response? Fear. He arranges for them to eat a meal with him. And what is their response? Fear.
Guilt can rob you of the joy that comes from God’s kindness. Paul wrote to the Roman Christians:
“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)
There are times when people are convicted of their sin and overwhelmed with sorrow and that leads them to salvation.
But many other times it is not the sorrow but the kindness of God that He shows toward us when we are helpless, hopeless, and hellhound that captures our hearts.
That what happened to me. After hearing the story of the prodigal son I just couldn’t understand why the father was looking, standing on tiptoe, watching and waiting for his son to come back. The same son that basically told his dad I wish you were dead and took the money wasted it in the far country.
That kind of love didn’t make sense to me. It was irrational love and it was exactly what my heart longed for.
Instead of blasting the son, he blessing him with a ring, sandals, robe, and a fattened calf. This is a beautiful picture of the kindness of God.
Supper time
To eat a meal with someone in that culture was to enter into a intimate relationship with them.
When the meal was served and the wine started to flow, the brothers fear disappeared and they feasted with this man that was showing their extraordinary kindness.
David wrote of this kind of meal in his journal:
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5)
Never forget in this story that Joseph is a picture of Jesus.
In Revelation 3, Jesus gives an invitation to share a meal with him:
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Rev 3:20)
Have you opened the door to Jesus? He has a feast prepared for you and all you have to do is receive it.
Let’s go back to that Hebrew name for God - El Shaddai. It comes from a Hebrew word meaning mountain - strong, unmovable, trustworthy.
El Shaddai is a promise keeper, a protecter and meets us in our desperateness.
One of my favorite writers Jared Wilson puts it this way in his book “Love me Anyways”
“Until we have run out of options and out of crutches and out of props. Until we are leaning, tottering, bent low, and beat down. When we are in the ditch, and our body is screaming but our soul is quiet in the foreboding aftermath of a great person cataclysm, there is Christ, mighty to save. No one is our rock but He. No one is our stronghold but He. He is our only hope.
Love has a face that can be seen.
Love has a voice that can be heard.
Love has arms that hug and hands that hold.
We may not be able to see, hear, and feel them now, but someday will will. And even now He is closer than we think.”
Closing Song: El Shaddai
