Trinity Baptist Church July 23, 2006
Series: Character on Display
Character on Trial
Genesis 43:1-45:15
In the last century, Elbert Hubbard wrote, “the final test of greatness lies in being able to endure contemptuous treatment without resentment.” We’ll watch today as Joseph passes that test with flying colors.
We’ve been examining the life of one of the “greats” of the Old Testament. For several weeks we’ve observed the kind of character God builds into lives.
We first watched God develop Joseph’s character through excruciating experiences. Then we saw God test his character, through tough, rugged trials.
Not the least of Joseph’s experiences went on for over two decades; it was forced and long-term separation from his family and home, at the hands of his brothers. They had first meant to kill him, then they decided to sell him. The upshot, was he became a slave in Egypt, a country not known for treating slaves well. From slavery, Joseph went to prison, accused unjustly and incarcerated without a trial. Repeatedly, though, our text said, God was with Joseph. And God developed His man precisely in those harsh environments and over time. His slave days and imprisonment spanned about thirteen years.
His situation is now completely different. Now Joseph sits at Pharaoh’s right hand, as the equivalent of Prime Minister. His elevation was dramatic, as we saw. His administration of the famine relief project was very competent and good; for seven years, the surplus of the crops was gathered into storage. Granaries and even storage cities were built to hold all the surplus. Now in the throes of the predicted famine, only people in Egypt, have food.
People from all over the region make their way to Egypt to buy what they need. Among the foreigners who came were 10 of Joseph’s 11 brothers. We saw last time, Joseph recognized them, but they did not know him. And so, Joseph tested them -- first he accused them of being spies. To prove they were honest men, he sent them home, with grain for their family, but also with the orders to bring back the youngest brother they mentioned. To be certain they would, he kept Simeon in Egypt in prison; he won’t be released until the brothers return with the 11th brother.
Joseph is in control and he maneuvers the situation to bring about God’s purposes. The whole family is now in his hands -- the hands of a man who walks with God and a man God will use to save them from starvation and give them a safe haven where they can grow into a nation.
The Setting of chapters 43-45 is still the famine which exposes Jacob’s family to the threat of starvation. They made that first trip to buy food. Benjamin was left behind, because Jacob favored and loved him like he had Joseph. He was the second son of his favorite wife.
Now Simeon has been left behind in Egypt. Chapter 43 opens like chapter 42. The famine rages; it’s now described as severe. With hunger, and approaching starvation threatening, Jacob tells his sons in verse 2, go back to Egypt and buy us a little food.
Time’s up. A decision has to be made. But, immediately Judah reminds dad, that “the man” -- that Egyptian official -- told them in no uncertain terms, "you shall not see my face unless your brother is with you". He says, "send Benjamin and we’ll go. Otherwise we won’t, it won’t do any good!"
Jacob balks, he argues, he sulks. He displays the same old, self-centered uncooperative attitude. In many ways, studying Joseph’s life is studying the contrast in attitudes and character between Joseph and his father.
In verse 8, Judah steps up to the plate. He pressures his father to make a decision in line with Joseph’s requirements. Back in chapter 42, Reuben had told Jacob he’d take Benjamin and if he didn’t bring him back, Jacob could kill his two sons. Judah shows more maturity.
In verse 9, he says, "I myself will be surety for him; you may hold me responsible for him." Reuben pledged his sons’ lives. Judah pledges his own life. Judah has changed dramatically.
Jacob finally consents, although you can tell, he’s still thinking of himself. Verse 13:"take your brother also, and arise, return to the man. May God Almighty grant you compassion with the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."
The eleven of them set off, carrying gifts, and meeting Joseph’s requirement, taking Benjamin.
Remember the last chapter? Joseph instructed that the money the brothers used to buy their food be returned to them. His people put it into the sacks of grain their donkeys carried. So this trip they bring twice the money along. When they arrive, verses 20-21, they immediately seek out the house steward and tell him the story. He assures them that it’s their money, and that’s is not the reason they were brought to Joseph’s own house.
Despite their fear about the money, they find they’re going to Joseph’s own home in order to eat the noon meal with him. Simeon is brought to them. They get ready for Joseph’s arrival by unpacking the gifts they brought along.
I want to make four observations from the narrative and then talk about some pointed lessons.
First, 1. Joseph deals kindly with his brothers. (43:1-34)
Joseph arrives at his home. There they are; again, as in the first visit, they bow before him. He first asks if their old father, whom they had mentioned is still alive and well. He is, they respond.
And then Joseph looks at his brother Benjamin. Verse 29 -- "he lifts his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son: is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?" He blesses him. May God be gracious to you, my son."
The situation is too much for Joseph. Like when his brothers first came before him, his heart betrays him. After looking into the eyes of a brother he hasn’t seen for 2 decades, his emotions come to the surface and he rushes out to find a place to cry. That tells us what’s in Joseph’s heart. He loves his family, he loves his brothers and even though he’ll test them again, his heart toward them is good.
When he comes back, he seats them for the meal. They sit at a different table, because Egyptians did not eat with non-Egyptians. But he astounds them, verse 33 records, because he assigns them places in the exact order of their birth.
They don’t know his identity, but they were obviously thinking there is something amazing going on. Next, Joseph does something else quite extraordinary. He gives his brother Benjamin -- the youngest -- five times the portion that he provided to each of the other brothers.
This is the beginning of what we’ll talk about next: he’s going to test them in different ways:
-- are these still the jealous brothers who had hated him and his dreams and his coat? Will they say anything about their younger half-brother getting favored treatment?
Remember Joseph is still communicating through an interpreter, like in the last visit, but of course could understand anything they‘d say. But he hears nothing come out of their mouths.
He moves on in his plan:
2. Joseph again tests his brothers’ character. (44:1-34)
Drop to chapter 44. Joseph still isn’t ready to identify himself. There’s something else he wants to know about their character. They came to get their brother out of prison and brought along the youngest. They even tried to return the silver that was given them last time. Good signs.
So Joseph feeds them, then again, like before, he provides them with food; this time his instructions are to give them as much as they can carry. Once more, his servants put their money back into the mouths of each grain sacks. But there’s an addition, and here‘s the test. This time, his own personal silver cup is concealed in the sack of Benjamin.
The brothers load their donkeys and begin their journey. This time, though, as they get out of the city, Joseph dispatches his man after them. The steward orders them to stop; he searches their belongings, locates the silver cup, and identifies single supposed thief: it’s Benjamin, the youngest, dad’s second favorite son of his favorite wife. That one, the steward makes clear is the one who is to now become Joseph’s slave.
The first test question:
What will they do about Benjamin? Jettison him, like they did Joseph? Or will there now be loyalty? They sold one brother off to slavery in Egypt, will they let this one go too?
The answer is gratifying. First, they won’t even let him return alone. 44:13. "Then they tore their clothes". That’s a sign of remorse and repentance. "And when each man had loaded his donkey, they returned to the city." Hear the language -- each -- all? It’s an “all for one” approach. When they come into Joseph’s presence, Judah makes quite clear that they will all become slaves, not just the one who has apparently stolen Joseph’s cup.
Joseph pushes in verse 17. "Far be it from me to do this." It‘s not all who must pay the price, it’s just the single thief who must remain.
Here’s the second test question:
Not only will they be loyal to their brother Benjamin, will they demonstrate any concern about their father? This son didn’t come on the first trip, because his father didn’t want any harm to come to him. Would they not care about father Jacob and just let things be as Joseph demanded? Again, Judah steps up to offer the alternative.
Verse 18: "If I may, let me speak a word," he begins. Then in 19 and following he reviews the events of the first trip. You asked about our family; we told you, openly, honestly.
One father, 12 sons, one of whom is dead, this younger one alone is left of that one mother.
His father loves him. You insisted we bring him this trip, so we did. Our father sent us to buy more food; we came and he came too. But, verses 28 and 29: "our father said, if harm befalls him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow….." Judah says, "when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad’s life, when he sees the lad is not with us, he will die."
Judah even explains that he became the guarantee for Benjamin’s safe return. And so, he pleads with Joseph, "please, let me remain here as your slave. Let the lad go up with his brothers; how can I go back if he’s not with me and see the evil that would overtake my father?"
This isn’t the same hard-shell attitude Joseph had known growing up. In the old days, his brothers were jealous, cruel, harsh and violent. But there’s been genuine and deep change. God has done some serious work in them as well. Joseph’s testing has proved it.
He makes his decision. And
3. Joseph discloses himself to them. (45:1-15)
45:1 indicates that Joseph could no longer control himself. His emotions are at the end. But this is not going to be a public revelation, it’s will happen in private.
He hurriedly sends everyone out of the room, including the interpreter through whom he’s previously communicated with his brothers. He’s alone with them. And he breaks and he cries so loudly that the Egyptians outside the room hear it, and verse 2 says, even Pharaoh’s household hears about it.
Then out it comes. For the first time in his mother tongue he speaks to them:
"I am Joseph! Is my father still alive!?"
"But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence." I’ll bet they were! It’s what he’s said, it’s that he’s said it in their language and it’s the extremely open and personal way it’s come in the middle of loud weeping. He’s no longer the harsh powerful man of Egypt.
He calls them close to him. He repeats. "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt." Verse 12: "your eyes behold, your brother Benjamin’s eyes see it: you hear that it is my mouth which speaks in your language."
They were struck dumb. They likely could not respond as well because of the reeling sense of pain and guilt that would have swept over them. The dirty dark secret about the brother they long said was dead had come out. The object of their earlier hate and violence stood before them. Their evil deed was open for people to know, including their brother Benjamin who could report it to their father.
But his open declaration isn’t about revenge, as we saw last time. Vengeance is the furthest thing from his mind.
Instead,
4. Joseph reveals God’s strategy despite his brothers’ sin. (45:5-9)
He doesn’t rebuke them. He doesn’t discount their behavior, but watch how he teaches them about God’s powerful strategy. Verse 5. Don’t be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.
Verse 7. "God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth and to keep you alive by a great deliverance."
Verse 8. Now therefore, it was not you who sent me here but God."
Verse 9. "Go to my father and say to him, your son Joseph says, God has made me lord of all of Egypt."
Even over in chapter 50, after Jacob’s death, the boys still didn’t fully feel Joseph’s convictions about God’s sovereignty. They will still be worried about him taking revenge after their father’s death. There again, in chapter 50, Joseph repeats the same idea to them:
"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive."
One of the greatest assets in Joseph’s character is that he sees through the circumstance and finds God at work behind every scene.
Have you ever gained the conviction that circumstances are God’s tools? That circumstances do not steer and control your life?
And the best signal of this is our responses. If I spit and sputter, and whine and complain like Jacob at every harsh turn of events, those barometers are broadcasting I don’t have the conviction that God cares -- or I don’t believe He’s involved in my life -- or I simply don’t trust Him.
Let’s learn some
Lessons from Joseph’s responses. There are three I want to offer you.
First, Recognizing God’s involvement transforms our attitudes. (“But God“)
Joseph is a changed man -- from his attitudes outward. His heart is different. The secret of his transformation is one we need to learn; it’s wrapped up in that 2-word phrase, but God. He’s walked with Him and trusted Him now for 20 plus years. That includes 13 years of grueling, hard times. But God never failed to stand with him in every single circumstance.
In the process, God revealed that His fingerprints were all over Joseph’s circumstances.
Those two words but God change everything. If you think yourself to be alone, then circumstances will absolutely drown you. When you know with conviction that the God and King of Heaven in involved in every relationship, event and situation that crosses your path, that changes everything.
Secondly,
Seeing God’s hand revolutionizes our responses. (“God sent me“).
It doesn’t stop with attitudes; it’s not just our thinking that God transforms, it’s our responses, when things happen which would normally surprise us and catch us off guard.
Like we saw last week, having his brothers show up was a test of Joseph’s response to the people who had hurt him the most? Would he nail them, torture them, enslave them, imprison them? Or would conviction drive him to be kind?
Finally,
Knowing God’s heart makes us gracious instead of vengeful. (“God meant it for good“)
Joseph has the freedom, from chapter 42 until the end of his life, to operate in grace toward his brothers. Why? Because he knows it was God Who sent him.
Not these characters. They did evil, but God used it. They were just God’s tools to begin shaping his life and character into someone God could use. They were God pry bars to get him loose from his home and send him on ahead.
Joseph operates life consistently with a divine perspective. His response of grace and kindness proves it.
Steps I need to take
The difference between a belief and a conviction is that a conviction begins to make a difference in how we think and behave.
Do you have the deep-seated conviction that your God engages in the details of your life?
How are your responses when affliction comes?
How about when people are hurtful?
Most of us need to experience what Joseph did. That God, Who is good, and powerful and sovereign over the details led him, stood with him, and never abandoned him. And that God therefore could give him the grace to respond as he did to the people who hurt him most.
