WHEN LIFE IS THE PITS: GENUINE REPENTANCE
A. We are coming to the close of our study of the Life of Joseph titled: “WHEN LIFE IS THE PITS.”
1. Today we will see “GENUINE REPENTANCE” finally taking PLACE in the HEARTS of Joseph’s
brothers.
2. Several months have passed from the time when the brothers first went down to Egypt to buy GRAIN
to FEED their FAMILIES.
a. Apparently Joseph has yet to REVEAL his true IDENTITY to his BROTHERS because he isn’t CONVINCED that they have GENUINELY REPENTED of the SINS they have COMMITTED
against him, their father Jacob and, most of all, GOD.
b. Although in their first JOURNEY to Egypt their GUILTY CONSCIENCE was AWAKENED by the HARSH CONFRONTATION and TESTING of Joseph as the Governor of Egypt, which led to them to the conclusion that God may very well be PUNISHING them, they had not yet demonstrated the CHANGED HEART that Joseph wanted to see.
3. Remember, God is the ONE who put Joseph in this POSITION of authority OVER not only all of
Egypt, but, most importantly, over his BROTHERS.
a. God is GUIDING Joseph through this painful RECONCILIATION PROCESS that his brothers are going through in order to bring about GENUINE REPENTANCE.
b. And God is not DONE YET.
B. The apostle Paul writes that there are two kinds of SORROW, but only one leads to REPENTANCE.
1. 2 Corinthians 7:10- “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret,
but worldly sorrow brings death.”
a. “GODLY SORROW” is that which PRICKS the HEART prompting one to experience a DEEP SHAME and REMORSE for the OFFENSE committed against the HOLINESS of God.
b. “WORLDLY SORROW” is prompted by REGRET and is fundamentally SELF-CENTERED.
COMMENT:
WORLDLY SORROW revolves around the PAIN sin causes to oneself rather than the OFFENSE and DISHONOR it is to God. It’s not SORROW because of the HEINOUSNESS of SIN as REBELLION against God, but SORROW because of the PAINFUL and UNWELCOME CONSEQUENCES of SIN.
2. Thus far these brothers have only experienced WORLDLY SORROW.
COMMENT:
“It was only after being CONFINED in PRISON for three days that they even considered this DISTRESSFUL ORDEAL that they were enduring could POSSIBLY be the CONSEQUENCE of how they ATTACKED their teenage brother who was PLEADING for his LIFE, and still SOLD him into SLAVERY”- Genesis 42:21.
a. They REGRETTED what they did, especially since they were now SUFFERING themselves, but there was certainly no DEEP REMORSE and GODLY SORROW.
b. But what God has PLANNED for them through Joseph, will CHANGE all that.
MESSAGE:
I. THE REPENTANCE OF JOSEPH’S BROTHERS- Genesis 44:1-34
A. The FINAL TEST- Genesis 44:1-15
1. Last week we saw how Joseph had invited his BROTHERS for LUNCH.
a. The MEAL, although a little STRANGE, went WELL. (Benjamin, being served five-times
the food of his older brothers, probably went home with a “TO-GO BOX”.)
b. The BROTHERS were planning to LEAVE for HOME the next day with the GRAIN they came to PURCHASE to feed their FAMILIES.
2. As Joseph ordered his STEWARD to fill their sacks with GRAIN, he instigated a FINAL TEST
for his Brothers- vv. 1-2 (READ).
a. Now this has to be a strange REQUEST for the STEWARD.
COMMENT:
Returning their SILVER that was used to purchase the GRAIN, not once but twice, is STRANGE enough, but now he is also ordered by Joseph to put his special SILVER CUP in the younger brother’s SACK. And even more STRANGE, the very NEXT DAY he is ordered to go CHASE after the brothers on their way BACK to Canaan and “ACCUSE them of STEALING it.”
b. So, early the next morning the BROTHERS load up their DONKEYS and head for HOME.
COMMENT:
They didn’t get very FAR, when the STEWARD and other men with him, CHASED them down and ACCUSED them of STEALING the governor’s SILVER CUP and said to them, as Joseph ordered, “Why have you repaid good for evil?”
3. The brothers DEFENDED their INNOCENCE- vv. 6-10 (READ and COMMENT)
a. “So sure of their INNOCENCE, each of them QUICKLY opened their SACKS of GRAIN for
them to SEARCH”- v. 11.
b. “Starting from the OLDEST to the YOUNGEST the STEWARD searched each SACK until
he found it in Benjamin’s SACK” - v. 12.
COMMENT:
Now, when these brothers had the OPPORTUNITY to GET RID of their father’s FAVORITE SON Joseph, they took it. “JUDAH was the one who came up with the PLAN to sell him as a SLAVE to the Merchants who were traveling to Egypt”- Genesis 37:26.
Obviously now Benjamin is the FAVORITE SON. He, too, is the son of Rachel, the only WIFE that Jacob really loved. Like Joseph, I have no doubt that Benjamin was afforded many PRIVILEGES from his FATHER that the OLDER BROTHERS never had.
To GET RID of Joseph they had to come up with this ELABORATE PLOT and then LIE to their Dad that they found his BLOODY ROBE in the desert, leaving Jacob to believe that his son was attacked and killed by a WILD ANIMAL. BUT NOW . . . they can LEGITIMATELY get rid of Benjamin and tell their Dad that he had STOLEN the Governor’s SILVER CUP and is now a SLAVE of Egypt.
c. “But instead of HURRYING off to get HOME since the steward said they would be FREE from BLAME if none of them were found with the CUP, they ALL return to the CITY with their LITTLE BROTHER”- v. 13.
4. Once again they bow down to the Governor of Egypt, not realizing it’s Joseph- vv. 14-15 (READ).
a. Again, Joseph is not trying to TORTURE his brothers, and he certainly wouldn’t be SETTING
UP Benjamin to be HARMED in any way.
COMMENT:
He wants to know how his BROTHERS will REACT to this “OPPORTUNITY” to GET RID of their LITTLE BROTHER who is their father’s FAVORITE SON. Are they going to joyfully LEAVE him BEHIND or are they going to DEFEND him?
b. Already, we are seeing CHANGED HEARTS in these BROTHERS.
COMMENT:
The BROTHERS that Joseph knew 22-years before would have said, “Goodbye, Benjamin. Tough luck, for you! Hope it works out okay. See Ya!” And they would be on their MERRY
WAY.
But not this time. These BROTHERS are DEEPLY ANGUISHED that this is happening to Benjamin, and they are not going to let him to FACE these ACCUSATIONS alone.
c. Okay . . . let’s very briefly talk about v. 15 when Joseph asked, “Don’t you know that a man
like me can find things out by divination?”
COMMENT:
Some people read that and think, “I thought Joseph was a godly man, and here he is practicing magical arts.” We have to remember that Joseph is playing a PART of an Egyptian Official. He doesn’t want to let on that he is a WORSHIPPER of Yahweh . . . he will very shortly, but not right now. He just wants his brothers to think that he knows NOTHING about Yahweh, but merely practices the RELIGION of the EGYPTIANS.
B. Then we see the brothers’ REPENTANT response to the TEST- Genesis 44:16-34.
1. Judah speaks on behalf of the brothers- v. 16 (READ)
a. Although Judah doesn’t understand how the SILVER CUP got into Benjamin’s SACK, he
knows there is nothing that he can say to DEFEND it.
b. But instead of maintaining their INNOCENCE saying this is all a MISTAKE, Judah makes
a revealing CONFESSION: “God has UNCOVERED your servants’ GUILT.”
COMMENT:
I believe the “GUILT” to which he is REFERRING is really not about “stealing a silver cup” (because they didn’t), but about the SINS that he and his brothers had COMMITTED against God when they SOLD Joseph into SLAVERY 22-years ago. That is a LONG TIME to COVER UP your GUILT. It took 22-years for the PLEAS from the PIT to REACH their HEARTS.
Judah had come to a point in his LIFE where he BELIEVED that God was finally giving them what they DESERVED for their EVIL DEEDS against Joseph. And since the SILVER CUP was found in Benjamin’s SACK, sadly, he, too, would be PUNISHED right along with his BROTHERS.
c. But Joseph said, “That wouldn’t be fair. Only the one who had the cup should be my slave,
and the rest of you are free to go in peace.”- v. 17.
COMMENT:
Joseph gave them another OPPORTUNITY to DITCH the FAVORITE SON and go back home to their FAMILIES. And this time they don’t have to COVER UP anything or LIE about what happened. They can just tell their Dad the TRUTH.
2. Judah humbly and passionately speaks up again explaining how keeping Benjamin in Egypt as a
SLAVE would absolutely put their Father in the GRAVE- vv. 18-32.
COMMENT:
He recounts how his Father was RELUCTANT to let Benjamin come with them on this
TRIP for FEAR that he might be HARMED in some way, but the Governor of Egypt insisted.
He shares how his Father had already LOST one SON born to Rachel that he BELIEVED was “torn to pieces by a wild animal and had not seen him since, and to LOSE the other SON of
Rachel would KILL him” (vv. 27-28),
He emphasizes how he made himself responsible for the PROTECTION of the YOUNG MAN and how he PROMISED his Father that he would bring him BACK home SAFELY.
3. Then Judah makes this FINAL PLEA- vv. 33-34 (READ)
a. Do you not see the CHANGE of HEART of this man from 22-years before?
b. There is a GENUINE REPENTANCE in Judah that is DEMONSTRATED in two ways.
(1). “Judah OFFERS himself in PLACE of his little Brother.”
COMMENT:
Before he was quick to SELL Joseph—his father’s favorite son—into SLAVERY to make a few bucks and GET RID of him in the process. But HERE he is willing to make himself the SLAVE of the Egyptian Governor so that Benjamin—his father’s other favorite son—can go
FREE.
(2). “He is genuinely CONCERNED for his Father’s welfare.”
COMMENT:
Judah and his brothers knew how DEVASTATED their Father would be thinking that Joseph was KILLED by a WILD ANIMAL, but they didn’t CARE. In fact, they were DELIGHTED to see the MISERY and HEARTBREAK of their Father who certainly hadn’t
shown much LOVE to them.
But HERE, Judah, knowing that his Father still FAVORS the YOUNGEST SON over all the REST including himself, says to the Governor, “How can I go back to my father if the boy
[young man] is not with me? Do not let me see the misery that would come upon my father.”
He saw that MISERY before and secretly enjoyed every TEAR that his Father shed and every WHIMPER that poured from his heart. But now experiencing a “GODLY SORROW that has led him to REPENTANCE”, Judah is lamenting “DON’T LET ME SEE THAT AGAIN!”
II. OUR REPENTANCE- Psalm 51
A. In Psalm 51 we have a picture of a REPENTANT man.
1. This Psalm was written after David’s ADULTERY with Bathsheba.
a. Nearly one year had passed with David LIVING a life of MISERY and DESPAIR.
b. David had desperately tried to COVER UP his SIN through DECEIT and even MURDER, until finally the Prophet Nathan HARSHLY CONFRONTED David pointing out the HIDEOUSNESS of his SINS.
2. Psalm 51 reveals that GENUINE REPENTANCE is more than just having “SECOND THOUGHTS” about what one has done WRONG. It is complete CHANGE of HEART that will ULTIMATELY lead to CHANGED ACTIONS and a CHANGED WAY of THINKING.
B. GENUINE REPENTANCE signals:
1. The END of FOOLING OURSELVES- vv. 1-4 (READ)
a. Often when we commit SIN, we turn right around and try to EXPLAIN ourselves as a way to
EXCUSE our SIN.
COMMENT:
Do these EXCUSES sound FAMILIAR? “I didn’t MEAN IT the way it SOUNDED.” “I was TIRED and STRESSED out at the time.” “I assure you, I did it all in INNOCENCE.” “You MISUNDERSTOOD my ACTIONS.” “I ASSUMED this was OK given the CIRCUMSTANCES.” “It depends on your DEFINITION of SEXUAL IMMORALITY.”
b. Genuine repentance GRIEVES over SIN, it doesn’t try to EXPLAIN it AWAY.
COMMENT:
King David had been PLAYING GAMES for nearly a year—just going about his BUSINESS of RUNNING the country, PRETENDING that nothing was WRONG. It wasn’t until he saw the UGLINESS of his SINS through the eyes of Nathan the Prophet that he immediately BLURTED out, “I have sinned against the Lord.” – 2 Samuel 12:13.
c. David cries out, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight . . .”
COMMENT:
Six times in the first four verses of this Psalm David admits his SIN. David is TIRED of PLAYING the GAME. He’s TIRED of FOOLING himself. After nine MISERABLE months he finally admits, “God, I’ve done WRONG. I’ve SINNED against you. I’ve committed EVIL in your sight.” It was then that David’s HEALING began.
2. The BEGINNING of SPIRITUAL PURIFICATION- vv. 7-10 (READ)
a. In many of David’s earlier Psalms he wrote of his INNOCENCE, BLAMELESSNESS and
PURITY.
b. But now David could no longer WRITE those WORDS and SING those SONGS. He had
DIRTIED his SOUL and he feels so UNCLEAN and IMPURE.
COMMENT:
Do you remember a TIME when you FELT that way? You gave in to a SIN that you thought you would NEVER ever COMMIT, but you did. And afterwards you felt so ASHAMED and so DIRTY.
c. REPENTANCE and CONFESSION deal with more than the overt EXPRESSION of SIN.
COMMENT:
David wasn't just interested in FORGIVENESS. He wanted SPIRITUAL PURIFICATION as well. He wanted FREEDOM from those VALUES and DISPOSITIONS that contaminated his ACTIONS. He never wanted to COMMIT those SINS again! And he CRIES OUT, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
C. Christian, I don’t care what you have DONE, how BAD you think you are, or how DIRTY you might FEEL, all that God is WAITING for is your GENUINE REPENTANCE—your deep REMORSE over your SIN and RESOLVE to do better—so He can “WASH you WHITER than SNOW!”
CONCLUSION:
IS THERE A SIN OF WHICH YOU HAVEN’T REPENTED?
