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Well, any of you who have taken a trip, you know, maybe across the country, or you visited! some special landmarks. You know, when we were in California, a drive up the Pacific! Coast Highway, or a trip to Yosemite, or going to the Sequoia National Park. On the trip, there are these little scenic detours, these little pull-outs by the side of the road, and you stand there as a family, maybe take a picture, but it's designed because they want you to just appreciate, to stop, and consider, and enjoy, not just the journey itself, but enjoy the scenic things along the journey. And so, that's kind of what I want to do today.
I want us to, we're obviously taking this journey in Genesis, chapter 42 today, but along this journey this morning, in this story of the life of Joseph, I want us to pull off by the side of the road, and I want us just to pause and consider the view. It's not on, it's not on, they're recording, but just ignore the mic. You can all hear me, right? Okay, if we need to turn it on, we can do that. Now, where was I?
I think it's easy to lose sight of the fact that in a story of Joseph, in a story of Jacob and his ten brothers, in this narrative of heading to Egypt, in this rise to power, I think it's really easy for us to miss the fact this is not just a story about Joseph. This is the story of God.
This is the story of God working and moving through his people. Really, the Old Testament and the New Testament both is a story of God. That's why it's written.
It's written to inform us about the wonder of the God that we serve. Not just about individuals, but his working through individuals to shine the spotlight on himself. And so, in our scenic tour this morning, I want us to pull over and just to take in the view. Take in a view of our God today.
And I think there are five, five scenic stops that we're going to make in this journey this morning, if we make it through. And I trust and pray that this will be encouraging to you.
As we remind ourselves of who our God is and what God desires, what his character is aiming for, for you. As he is transforming you into his image, as we've seen that is the ultimate purpose of God in your life, and in my life, and in Joseph's life, the ultimate purpose for God, for you, is not some future version of you. It's not what you're going to become one day when somehow all of the things of your life kind of culminate into this one ultimate plan. But God's ultimate purpose for you is the purpose he's working out for you today. And that purpose is the purpose he's going to continue to work on until he comes to take you to heaven. And that's the purpose of transforming you into the image of Christ. So, if that's the purpose, then we need to take in the view today of seeing what is God like? What are some of those things about God that make him stand out so that when you portray the wonderful picture of Christ and people look at Christ by looking at you, he's shining through your life, what sort of things should they see? What portrait should we convey? The masterpiece that God is working in your life is a masterpiece to make you look like God. And so, if that's the case, then what does God look like? Or how should God look like in your world? In the world in which he's placed you?
How should God look? And how can you make the gospel look like the gospel? It's the word euangelion.
It's good news. How can the message of Christ be good news through you? And it will only be good news as it contrasts itself from the darkness and the despair and the chaos and the destruction of this life.
All the things that happen in this life are contrasted as people look at you and they see the good news shining through, which is the image of Christ shining through your life. So, how does that show up?
Well, look with me at chapter 42, verse 1. This is the first scenic stop. And the first scenic stop is God is interested in his renown. He's interested in his image. He's interested in making much of himself. So, how do I get there? Here's what it says in verse 1. It says, Alright. Let's take a time out right there.
There is news in Canaan about something. What's happening? What news is Jacob hearing?
There's food in Egypt. Not a trick question. Why was that important? There's food in Canaan. Matter of fact, there is no food in any of the known world except for Egypt.
Jacob knows that there is worldwide famine, but there's also an answer. Think about this with me for a moment. Think about the incalculable suffering that is taking place in this moment.
Think about the reach that this has had in the world and the collateral damage that has been playing out. Think about that for a moment. Think about the millions of individuals who are suffering because of needing some food.
Think of how indiscriminate this suffering was. So that whether you were an old person or a young person, a man or a woman, a boy or a girl, a baby, a toddler, it doesn't matter.
Hunger was indiscriminate. And the suffering that was taking place in this moment was profound. And yet God had to allow that.
God had to allow that for a greater purpose to be played out. What was at least one of those purposes for God to allow suffering?
What resulted, what happened because of suffering? Here in verse 1. Okay?
It's great. Okay? The immediate purpose here is that Jacob heard, and it sets in motion what will follow here in the remaining chapters, that God will now bring Israel and 70 of his family to Egypt.
Why was that important? Egypt? Ever thought about why Egypt? Dialogue with me.
Why do you suppose Egypt was important? And I'm not looking for a deep theological answer here. Just real practically. Why would a group of, a small group of 70 people, why would being kind of absorbed into this massive, powerful, prominent, and fruitful empire, why would that be important?
Okay? So they were protected in Goshen, but they were a little nation growing within a greater empire, weren't they? Okay.
Okay. So there was at least the potential of worldwide proclamation. Okay? Worldwide testimony. What else? Just practically.
Why would that be important? Okay.
Perhaps some refinement. Learning. Some cultural values. Maybe growing in educationally, perhaps. Okay?
That would be something to that. What about in terms of provision? What about in terms of protection? Do you realize that for 400 years, we don't really hear about the history of this nation?
Because, I think, because there was no conflict. There was no warring. There was no need for provision or protection, because that was all handled by the greater empire.
So Egypt actually becomes this incredible incubator for this fledgling nation, so that by the time they rise in power, now all of a sudden Pharaoh is saying, holy cow, there are more Jews here than there are Egyptians.
Do you think that was by design? That God providentially uses this secular, heathen nation to nurture and grow and allow his people to flourish like never before.
That was amazing. So God does that. So he allows suffering for the sake of his people.
For the sake of transplanting his people for a time in a place where they will like, boom, explosion time. But I think it's more than that.
And that's why I say God is interested in his renown. I think that perhaps the other reason, and I'm kind of filling in the white space is because it's not clear.
So I want you to understand this is my feeling. But I think that God is interested in worldwide evangelization. Because think about this.
God tells Abraham, he says, I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Now why is that important?
Because as the nations see God's people flourish, they will automatically ask themselves the question, who is their God?
It's just the way things happened in that day. When good things happened to certain individuals, it was an evidence of the fact that they were following a God who had incredible power to bless and to favor the people that were serving him.
And so it would be through Abraham that the nations would enjoy a measure of prosperity, a measure of blessing.
And so God is on display through the life of Joseph, showing up, and the world gets to take advantage of Joseph's God.
Worldwide evangelization. Think with me about this for a moment. What does Potiphar say in Genesis 39.3?
He says, And his master saw that the Lord was with him, Joseph, and that the Lord made all he did prosper in his hand. God showed up in Joseph's life.
And Potiphar recognized it. It wasn't just anybody. It was the Lord, Yahweh. It's very distinct in the text. How about Potiphar's wife?
She says, Lie with me. And Joseph is very clear. He says, How can I do this great wickedness and sin against my God? What about the keeper of the prison?
Genesis 39.23. It says, The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph's authority because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.
What about the cupbearer and the baker? They come to Joseph, or Joseph comes to them, and they say, We're troubled. We've had some dreams. And Joseph says, Actually, They say to him, We have each had a dream, and there is no interpreter.
And Joseph says to them, Do not interpretations belong to God? How about Pharaoh? Pharaoh calls him in. He says, I have heard.
I've had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I've heard that it is said of you that you can understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph says to Pharaoh, It is not me. God will give Pharaoh an answer.
How about Pharaoh's staff? In Genesis 41, 38, and 39. And Pharaoh said to his servants, Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. So what conclusion? Do I think we can legitimately draw from Joseph's example?
That wherever Joseph thrives, whatever situation Joseph finds himself, God is always pushed to the forefront of his life. So here is Joseph.
He is on the world stage. And who do you suppose is getting the glory for that? I promise you it's not Joseph. Joseph has faithfully pushed God to the forefront.
He has faithfully allowed God to show up in the spotlight because he knew that's where God deserved to be. I think that God is graciously allowing very hard things to happen so the world will know this is who I am.
They will come to Egypt. And the conversation might go something like this. Egypt has food? Has there not been a famine in Egypt? Oh no. There's been a famine there.
But let me tell you, they've got somebody in charge. How did he know that there was going to be a need? He started storing up food for the last seven years? How did he even know? Well, Pharaoh had this dream.
And this guy Joseph shows up and he says, God will show the dream. And that same God is the one who's worked all these things out. And Joseph has wisely stored up food.
And so we've got to go to Egypt. That's where the food is. God shows up. Because Joseph faithfully pushes God to the forefront.
And so the nations are blessed by God through the conduit of Joseph. I think that's really amazing.
Jacob hears there's grain in Egypt. He says to his sons, get going. Get a move on. What you waiting around for?
Come on, start heading to Egypt. And here we find them in verse 2. Or excuse me, verse 3. It says here, And behold, Excuse me.
Wrong chapter. So, ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. Time out. Ten? You think that's a problem?
Let's keep reading. But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with his brothers. For he feared that harm might happen to him.
Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came. For the famine was in the land of Canaan. It's a big problem.
Last we left Jacob in chapter 37, He had been confronted with some news. The news of his son's death.
Now these rascals, The ten older brothers, I call them rascals because not only Did they not take responsibility for what they did to their brother, But instead, Their story is, He was mauled by a fierce animal.
And here's his robe. And so, What is Jacob supposed to conclude by that? He's the one to own the responsibility.
Since he's the one who sent Joseph out on his own. So, For the next 13 years, Jacob is grieving for his son, Not only the loss of his son, But the guilt that he felt for having done that to his son.
It says that, In chapter 37, 34, and 35, Jacob tore his clothes, Put sackcloth on his waist, And mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and daughters arose to comfort him, But he refused to be comforted.
And he said, For I shall go down into the grave, To my son in mourning. There will never be a happy day in my life again. My son is dead.
And so, In withholding Benjamin, And keeping him back for himself, God is now beginning another, There's kind of this tandem situation taking place, Where now the ten older brothers are making their way to Egypt, And what do you suppose is really at the forefront of their attention.
Benjamin's not with us. I can't believe we did that to Joseph. God's already beginning this process. He's beginning the process of helping them to connect in their own minds, The time of past events.
So, Jacob sends them down, And they show up. So, let's pull over in this first stop. This scenic stop. Let's talk a little bit about the gospel.
Okay? We see the gospel, I think, show up. This message about God show up in the life of Joseph. But what about, what about in your life?
What is the gospel? You ever thought about that? What is the gospel? I think we would all say, Well, the gospel involves a need for repentance from sin.
There's got to be a sense in which I understand Where I stand in relationship to God as a sinner, Separated from him. There's a need for repentance in my life.
That Jesus is the only perfect one who can save. And he paid the penalty for sin for me. And by receiving him in faith, And trusting in him, And confessing that he is Lord, And believing in my heart that God raised him from the dead, I'll be saved.
That's the gospel, right? And I say, yes. That's a part of the gospel. But I think that's just a sliver. I think that's just a piece.
Certainly, the good news about God is that he saves. But it's more than that. I think the gospel, As we find in Luke chapter 24, When Jesus shows up with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, Walking back that stretch of seven miles.
It says he, In beginning with Moses and all the prophets, Told the story about himself. Really, the gospel is the good news of God.
It's the story of God in your life. In Acts chapter 2, This is the, No need to turn there. Let's just think together. In Acts chapter 2, On the day of Pentecost, The Holy Spirit shows up, And all of a sudden, These 120 believers move out into Jerusalem.
And you know what it says that they did? It says, In verse 11, We hear them telling in our own tongues, The mighty works of God.
That is the gospel. The mighty works of God. How God has changed your life. The blessing and the wonder of your God, Showing up in every aspect of your life.
Every part. Invading every compartment. Every sphere. Dominating it. Transforming it. Changing it. Renewing it.
Helping it. Saving it. Not just for some future eternal thing, But for today. That's the gospel. Chapter 2, 47.
Talking about this early church that develops. It says, They were praising God, And having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number, Day by day, Those who were being saved.
Why? Because of praise. Praising God. God. They were a transformed people.
And they let the whole world know, What the difference maker was for them. It was God. It was God changing them. Every aspect of their life. And because of their incredible testimony, Of praising God.
Giving voice to his story. Helping people understand the mighty works of God. God gets the glory.
His renown is known. And God is saving people day by day. It's extraordinary. In chapter 7, This is Stephen. Acts chapter 7.
Stephen is standing before this group of individuals. And we find this really full treatment of the gospel. Before he's martyred. And his version of the gospel begins with the history of Israel.
All the way from Abraham until the present day. It culminates in the person of Jesus. Because he is certainly front and center in the gospel message. But it is a story of God working in his people throughout history.
Changing them. It's the work of God. So, I believe the gospel becomes tangible. As it demonstrates its redemptive quality in every aspect of your life.
Has Jesus saved you? Just for some future date? Or has he rescued your family? Has he rescued your husbanding?
And your wifing? And your childing? Has he rescued your academic pursuits? Your studenting? Has he rescued your working?
Has he rescued your submitting to the authorities that he's placed over you? Has he rescued your leading? Has he rescued your relationships?
Has he rescued your posture towards your health? Has he rescued your giving? Has he rescued your compassion for the hurting?
Has Jesus rescued every area of your life? So there is so much distinction between you and them. They say, Wow! God has shown up in that person.
It's distinctive. That's what God was doing for Joseph. God was showing up in his life. And it was noticeable. It was obvious.
And the nations were able to see God on display because of Joseph's devotion to push God to the forefront. Okay. That's scenic stop number one.
Scenic stop number two begins in verse six. It says this, Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land.
And Joseph's brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them.
Okay. Let's pause there for a moment. Let's remember some things about Joseph's life. What are some things we remember about his character?
What do you remember? What's that? He's a servant. That's important. He told the truth. Okay.
He had integrity. What else do you remember about his character? He was forgiving.
He doesn't have this well of bitterness in his life. And we'll see that some more as the story plays out. It's great. He certainly wasn't bitter towards Potiphar.
He wasn't bitter towards the cupbearer. Okay. He didn't like exterminate them once he had the opportunity to. He doesn't have this life of bitterness.
He's learned to forgive. What else? He's humble. He was a hard worker.
He was a person who demonstrated wisdom. He had compassion for people. So let's not imagine that as that character continues to be refined, that now all of a sudden Joseph snaps and everything is broken now in his life.
I want us to look through this part of the story with the eyes of what we've seen in his life leading up to this point. A person of character. Not a person who is letting jealousy take hold or frustration or bitterness get hold of his life.
There's something more going on here. And I think we have to use the story that we've learned to this point to kind of understand something's happening in Joseph's life.
He seems to be acting a certain way. It can be interpreted through multiple layers. But given the fact that I know who he is, I've got to see this through the same lens. That make sense? You think that's fair?
I could be wrong. But I think something big is at play here. And here these brothers come in. Okay? They come in.
They bow before him. And then all of a sudden there's this, woo-hoo! In Joseph's mind, he remembers. You ever prayed for something like forever?
And then God answers. Has that ever been your experience? What happens in that experience? I can tell you for me, there's worship.
There's celebration. There's like, wow, God, you nailed it. Thank you. And I think that's what's going on in Joseph's life right now.
I think he recognizes his brothers. They don't recognize him. He sees them bowing down. He remembers that dream. And he's saying, God, you are so faithful.
And in that moment of recognizing the faithfulness of God, now you're not going to then also turn and then begin to sin. That's just not going to happen in that moment.
Let me give you a personal example. I'll try to make this brief. My kids, when we were living in Illinois, kept saying, Dad, can you build us a tree house?
And I was like, I don't really have money to buy wood. I don't really have the materials for that. But, tell you what, you do this for me. You pray that God gives us lumber and I'll build you a tree house.
So every time we pass a lumber yard, hey, should we pull over and ask them if they've got some lumber they can kind of give to us? No, it's not going to work that way. You pray, God will provide.
So I kid you not, for two years they prayed every single night. God, please give us some lumber. We want a tree house. So we're in this, we're in a ministry up there and kind of in transition time and they had just bought a facility and they were renovating and tore the guts out of this building.
And drywall's coming down, electrical's coming down, all of the studs are coming down and we're hauling it out to the dumpster and I tell somebody, hey, I got to take some lumber out to the lumber.
Ha ha! Look at it all! Look at all this lumber! And so we built a tree house. We built a double-decker tree house.
That was awesome. And my kids, they were at Gramp Camp, so I'm piling it all up in the garage so that when they come home and that garage is open, surprise!
And we had a blast. We had a blast putting up that tree house and celebrating the goodness of God. There was righteous reckoning.
There is righteous reckoning with God. God answers prayer and all of this hardship that Joseph experienced now begins to come clear.
He sees his brothers standing before him and he remembers the faithfulness of God in fulfilling the promises that he had for him even though 13 years have gone by.
Actually, I take that back, not just 13 years because it's 13 plus 7. So 20 to 21 years have gone by before he finally understands and sees God working.
But there's a problem. There's a big problem because Joseph knows how they treated him as a favored son and somebody is not in the group.
Benjamin is not in the group. Oh, what happened to Benjamin? What is up with my father? Is he even alive?
And I'm sure these things are going through Joseph's mind and so he asks some questions. He takes a posture that on the surface seems very hard and very difficult but I believe he's mining for information here.
In verse 6 he says, Joseph was the governor of the land. He was the one who sold all the people. His brothers came and bowed before him and then verse 7, Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them but treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them.
We find what he says. He says in verse 9, You are spies. You have come to see the nakedness of the land. They say to him, No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food.
We're all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants have never been spies. Okay, there's a glimmer of some information. So Joseph presses in some more.
He says to them, No, it's the nakedness of the land that you have come to see. And they said, We are servants, twelve brothers, the son of one man in the land of Canaan and behold, the youngest is this day with our father and one is no more.
Okay, got it. Information. Dad's still alive and brother's at home. Okay, that's the first piece of good news. Joseph presses in verse 14 some more.
It is, As I said to you, you are spies. By this you shall be tested. By the life of Pharaoh you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here.
Send one of you and let him bring your brother while you remain confined that your words may be tested. Whether there is truth in you or else by the life of Pharaoh surely you are spies.
And he put them all together in custody for three days. So, Joseph is trying to help his brothers.
I really believe that. Joseph puts them all together. He says, One of you is going. So, as they are all together, now, can you envision maybe what that dialogue sounds like?
What are they talking about? What is happening? What do you suppose? Help me here. Who is going to go?
What else is maybe playing out in their minds at this point? Maybe I actually would rather stay because I don't want to face Dad.
You can go. Egypt is a little bit better. Who is going to tell Dad? He doesn't trust him yet.
Why? Why should he not trust him yet? Okay? Because of what they did to him. But he's... That's right.
There is not brokenness yet. There is not brokenness yet. And let me tell you, nothing will beat you into brokenness better than a jail cell.
We're going to get to that in a moment. It's good. I think Joseph longs for brokenness in his brothers. He longs for brokenness.
So here they are in this prison cell. We know, well, we kind of know what's coming too. We know what else is going on in their mind. We deserve this.
this is our fault. Now, the hen has come to roost. Now, our past iniquities are catching up with us.
So, we find that Joseph sends him to prison. And I wonder, even for us, sometimes, what goes through our heads when tragedy strikes?
What are some of the questions that you ask yourself when hard things come? Let's be honest. Let's put ourselves in their shoes. What do you go, what do you think about, Bob?
What did I do to deserve this? Something must be wrong in my life. And that is an important question. question. You must ask that question.
Because God disciplines those he loves. And if you're a son or a daughter and you've been involved in some sinning, God loves you through discipline.
So, that's an important question to ask. We've got to ask that question. So, we move past that and say, no, this isn't because of sin. So, what else is going through your mind?
Okay. What is God trying to do in my life to get me ready for something else?
That's a great, great question. How do I, yeah. How do I fix this problem? Yeah, we think about that for sure.
How do I get myself in this mess? If only I had so these things are going through their minds and it's going to take something significant to pull them out.
Before we get there, I want us to think about this this God who is righteous in reckoning. Do you know that God God is faithful to answer prayer for you?
God is faithful to do that. Would you describe yourself as being a person of praise?
Like, when really hard things happen, do people look at your life and say, you know what, you're going through some really hard things, but I'll tell you what, I've never seen somebody worship God that way before.
Their life is so dominated by Thanksgiving. It's quite extraordinary. And it shows up even more when hard things come. And I don't get it.
That must be a divine quality. That must be God working in their life. just write down this verse.
Colossians 2, verses 6 and 7. Colossians 2, 6 and 7. Here's what it says. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus, the Lord, so walk in Him.
If you are a child of His, you need to walk in His steps. You need to emulate His life. You need to do what Jesus does. You need to follow His example. Okay, how? You're rooted and you're built up in Him.
You're established in your faith. Abound in it with thanksgiving. Wow. I don't know about you, but if there's anything that's elusive in my life, it's thanksgiving.
I tend to see things very black and white very clearly and it's really easy to call a spade a spade and in doing that to say, I'm going to write that person off right now.
Or, I see the situation, God, what are you doing to me? What do I do to get in this mess? instead of saying, oh Lord, I'm so thankful that you're on the throne and that this is for my good.
You have that struggle ever in your life? It's really easy to get critical of people. It's really easy to get bent out of shape over situations that happen in life.
It's really easy to complain. It's really easy to complain. Isn't it interesting that the two passages in the New Testament that talk about worship, the clearest, songs and hymns and spiritual songs, one focuses on the aspect of the Holy Spirit, don't be drunk with wine but be filled with the Spirit.
Okay? The other talks about, it says, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. So, we got the power of the Spirit and the power of Christ through His word, evidence itself in worship and guess what the byproduct is?
Praise. Thanks. Whatever you do, give thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I think Paul focuses on that because he knows how hard we do with that. I'm going to take a detour from our detour.
We were having a front yard Bible club when we were living in Illinois and all the kids were supposed to come. They had been invited to be part of this and we only had two or three kids show up the first day.
Like, where is everybody? We'd had like 12 the previous year. Well, come to find out they were in playing video games. They had kind of grown up a year over time and there are things that are more important than learning about the Bible.
So, the leader said, hey, you know, what should we do? And I think when my wife says, well, we just need to pray that God shuts off the power somehow so they can come.
Well, you guess what God did the next morning? I was sitting on the couch at six in the morning and all of a sudden this boom flash of light, a transformer about 150 yards from our house blew and the rest of the week no power.
Don't ask my family to pray. It'll come true. The problem was it was a week like we've just had. Oppressive heat and humidity.
No fans, no air conditioning, no circulation of the wind through the house. It was pretty miserable. And on Thursday after days of that, my daughter, I won't tell you the name, comes to me and says, Daddy, I don't think this is fair.
I don't like this one bit. And I was reminded of this verse. It says, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father. Now, my initial response was, hey, think about, you know, 50% of the world doesn't have power.
You ought to be grateful for the power you get at some point. And I think that was okay. But I think that was missing the mark. Because it really wasn't grateful for the lack of electricity.
It was just grateful that we only have a lack of electricity for a couple of days. How do you say, thank you for no power? Thank you for oppressive heat and hard time sleeping at night.
How do you say that? Well, here's what happened on Friday. On Friday, I think it was Friday, Thursday or Friday, I forget, there were a couple of kids who gave their life to Christ because of no power.
Is that a reason to praise the Lord? You see, we can do that because of the God we serve. We can say thank you for no power because even if we don't see how God is going to show up, we know that he's working it through somehow.
If it's not just to shape character in us, it's to bring about purposes in others. And that's a good thing. We need to be people who are giving thanks.
That's scenic stop number two. Let's take this last one, this third one here, and we'll finish the other couple next week.
Scenic stop number three. God is interested in full repentance. This is where we begin to see what Ed was referring to. Verses 18 to 22.
It says, On the third day, Joseph said to them, Do this and you will live, for I fear God.
Okay? That goes back to the beginning. Remember Joseph's unwavering commitment to push God into the spotlight? Here he is doing it again. If you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined where you are in custody and let the rest go and carry the grain for the famine of your households.
And bring your youngest brother to me so your words will be verified and you shall not die. And they did so. Then they said to one another, In truth, we are guilty concerning our brother.
That's cool. There's the beginnings of brokenness. In that we saw the distress of his soul when he begged us and we did not listen.
That is why this distress has come upon us. And Reuben answered them, Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy, but you did not listen?
So now, there comes a reckoning for his blood. They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them.
Then he turned away from them and wept. What did Joseph desire for his brothers?
What did he want for them? You think that he desired brokenness for them because he knew that true wellness, true spiritual and mental, emotional health will come through the right posture with God, the right approach to God, the right understanding of God?
I see. I think he begins to see God show up in their life. Some glimpses of some brokenness here. He is just overcome.
He is overcome with emotion. Like, God, you did it again. You are doing it again.
Who could have thought that these hard-headed, cold as stone guys will begin to melt? Will ever come to the point of recognizing that what they did against me was wrong?
Only you can show up in giving this gift of repentance and brokenness. Only you can show up to begin that process for them. And he is beginning to see this and he is just overcome.
He's overwhelmed. Good tenderness. Good passion. Desire to see the best for his brothers.
Not just physically being well. But most importantly to be well spiritually. This scene was etched into their minds.
They remember and recall the events of that day. What do they refer to here? What are some of the things in verses what, 21 that they refer to?
Describe that scene for me. What's that?
That's right. I warned you guys you would not listen to me and here it comes. Here it is. I agree.
I agree. Good point. Really good point. Okay. Now, they leave home knowing that Benjamin's not there. Okay. That was probably a factor. Joseph's questioning and then putting him in prison is beginning just to stir the conviction of their hearts.
And I agree. I think it was all intentional for their good. They're remembering this scene like, remember his desperate cries, please don't do this to me.
And it's haunted them. It has haunted them from the day it happened. Their dad has reminded them every day. Every day of sorrow, every day of grief for father has been a day of grief for them.
They have lived this moment by moment, day by day. It's haunted them. But surely Joseph was dead in their minds. And they have come to believe their own story.
They really have come to believe their own story. Three days in the Egyptian prison, these terrible turn of events, a clear reminder before they leave home, and now the impending doom that certainly awaited them when they went home.
You referred to that. The grieving father, the starving family, the need to bring Benjamin back. The sky was clearly falling for these men in their own minds.
But they would never be whole without being broken. broken. And God was beginning that process in their life. So how about you?
Put yourself in the shoes of these ten brothers. brothers, you will never be whole unless you're broken. Are there things in your life you've kind of given a pass and maybe the years have trickled by without dealing with those big things because you're too worried about the implications of what would happen if you come clean about those things?
You ever been there? I was. When I was in high school and just learned to drive, I was backing out of a car place and I turned a little early because I didn't know that you weren't allowed to do that or shouldn't do that and so I put a big dent in the car next to me.
But I didn't know whose car it was and I was like what can I do? So I let it go. And then several years later I was roofing a house with my dad, somebody in our church and we were putting on a free roof and guess what I saw in the driveway?
The same car and the same dent. Oh what do I do? there it is.
I let it go. No big deal by now. The past is past. It's only a couple hundred dollars. I could pop that thing out no problem.
And then come my sophomore year of college and a person comes to the school and says you know what? deal with the things in your past that are sins in your life.
You need to get past them. You need to move past those things so you can be the person that God wants you to be. So you need to pray right now. God bring to my mind all those things in my life that I need to make right.
Help me to be broken. I prayed that. Guess what came to my mind? In a flash. I can't deal with that.
Nope. Not going to do it. Not going to do it. Too much time has gone by. So two years after college I'm in Los Angeles and I'm listening to a message and same thing.
Hey deal with the things in your past because God wants you to be a whole person. He wants to be a broken person. Okay. Alright Lord I'll do it.
So I called up Miss Machowski and I said guess what that little dent in your car. Sorry that was me. How can I deal with that? And we did.
We did business. And I tell you it was so freeing. Something that seemed like Mount Everest was so small and all I had to do was come clean.
what do you need to come clean with today? What is it in your life there needs to be brokenness for you before God can continue to move you in the journey of spirituality?
I imagine there might be something and perhaps time and distance have made this very small thing into something very large because you're like now I feel embarrassed about having waited so long but I just dealt with it right?
Do business with God do business with that individual and let brokenness settle in to your life thanks for listening sorry for holding you on too long I have to do I do I do I do I do I do I do I do I do do lip lip do I do lip lip