The Big Reveal Series

No Ordinary Joe: The Big Reveal

Genesis 44-45

Pastor Jefferson Williams

Chenoa Baptist Church

01-23-22

Pig Hearted?

Fifty seven year old David Bennett Sr was dying. He needed a heart transplant but was deemed ineligible for a normal transplant or a heart valve. So the University of Maryland medical team treating him suggested a first - transplanting a genetically modified pig’s heart into Mr. Bennett’s body.

Before the surgery, he jokingly asked the doctor if he would oink after he woke up.

The surgery was a success and they are monitoring Mr. Bennett’s progress a month later.

Isn’t that a feel good story. But what if I told you that there are many people that believe that Mr. Bennett didn’t deserve the opportunity to live because of his past actions?

We’ll come back to that in a minute.

The Bible states that we all need a heart transplant. The prophet Ezekiel wrote of God’s promise to change our hearts from the inside out:

“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.” (Ezekiel 36:26)

Joseph’s brothers needed their hearts changed and, this morning, we will see evidence that God did just that in their lives.

Feast not Fear - Review

Last week, the brothers finally convinced Jacob to allow Benjamin to go with them back to Egypt in order to buy more food.

When they arrive, they try to explain to the steward that they paid the money for the grain but somehow the money was put back into their sacks.

The steward tells them to be at peace, “Shalom,” and that the God of their father had blessed them.

The brothers are invited to dine with Joseph and they are terrified and fear that they will be attacked and taken as slaves.

Joseph arrived and the brothers give him the fruit basket that Jacob had suggested.

When the brother’s were seated, they looked at each other in astonishment. They were seated in birth order.  Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin. The odds of someone guessing that is 1 - 40 million!

When the food is served, Ben is treated as the favored guest and given five times more than everyone else.

But instead of being jealous, the brother’s finally relax and feast without fear. It was a party. The wine flowed freely and the brothers drank…a lot!

That brings us to our text for today. We have been building up to this point for weeks. This is one of the most amazing texts in all the Bible.

Turn with me to Genesis 44.

Prayer.

The Set Up

Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack. Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” And he did as Joseph said.

As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, “Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil? Isn’t this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.’”

The brothers awoke with pounding headaches and a hazy recollection of the night before. Did someone have a lampshade on their head? Although they were hung over, they were happy about how the trip had turned out.

But Joseph had one more test for his brothers to endure and this one will give them the opportunity to finally come clean and show evidence of changed hearts.

Joseph directs his steward to put their silver back in their sacks. Again, this is Joe showing kindness to his brothers. But he also directs the steward to take his royal silver cup and slip it into the youngest brother’s sack.

The ten brothers loaded up their donkeys. They had come to Egypt wondering if Simeon was still alive or if he had been sold into slavery. They were worried about how this Egyptian official would respond to their return, especially with their little brother in tow.

But everything had gone far better than that could have imagined. Simeon had been released, Ben was safe with them, they had dined with the second in command of Egypt and they were returning with sacks loaded with grain.

But then they saw a group of of men on horse back coming up quickly behind them.

It’s like when you and I look in the rearview mirror and see the flashing red lights.