So, the last time that we met, I think Sam was bringing us through chapter 42.
So, to bring us up to speed, before we head into chapter 43, there's a famine over the whole land.
And Jacob sends his sons down to Egypt to buy food.
And what the brothers don't know is that when they arrive, Joseph has been made governor of Egypt.
He's in charge of distributing food to all the surrounding nations.
But the thing is, Joseph recognizes the brothers, but the brothers don't recognize Joseph.
They get their food and return home.
And on their way home, they stop and open up their sacks and discover that the silver they had used to buy the grain had been returned to them.
But also, the food that they had got came at a price.
Joseph keeps one brother in prison, Simeon, and demands that if they come again, have a look in chapter 42, verse 34.
Joseph had said to them, you're to bring your youngest brother, that's Benjamin, to me, so that I will know that you are not spies, but honest men.
Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.
You can buy food.
So it was crystal clear that if you come back again to Egypt, you're not going to get any food unless you bring Benjamin.
And that brings us to chapter 43.
Well, let's pray before we look at that together.
Father, your word is living.
It is like a surgeon's scalpel that cuts right to the heart and exposes what our hearts are truly like.
And so we come and ask that you would show us our need of you so that we may come to your throne of grace and mercy
and receive all that we need for our lives today.
We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Thank you, Avian.
Just what I needed.
Well done.
Thank you.
Well, there's a crisis in Jacob's clan.
The boys are getting hungry and their bellies are beginning to rumble.
Have a look at verse 1.
Now, the famine was still severe in the land.
So when they had eaten all the grain they had bought from Egypt, their father said to them,
Go back and buy us some more food.
Well, that's easier said than done.
Look at verse 3.
Judah said to his father,
Come on, Dad.
You know the answer to that.
The man, speaking of Joseph, warmed us solemnly.
You will not see my face again unless your brother Benjamin 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 Benjamin, we will not go down because the man said to us,
You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.
Well, Jacob didn't trust his sons.
In fact, he had made his feelings known after the last trip.
Look at the last verse of chapter 42.
Jacob said,
My son, Benjamin, will not go down there.
Your brother, speaking of Joseph, is dead and he's the only one left.
If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking,
you will bring my grey head down to the grave in sorrow.
There was no way he was going to part with his younger son.
Well, once again, all these hidden hurts and these deep divisions that existed within the family
bubbled to the surface.
Look at chapter 43 and verse 6.
Israel, that's Jacob, 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?
Do you have another brother?
We just simply answered his questions.
How were we to know he would say,
Bring your brother down here.
It's not our fault.
So Jacob's in a dilemma, isn't he?
If he doesn't send Benjamin,
they're not going to get food and they're all going to die.
But if he does send Benjamin to Egypt,
he fears that Benjamin could die.
Well, the brothers are worried about supplies.
So Judah, one of the brothers, offers his father a deal.
It's not really the sort of thing you do when you're in good relationship with one another.
It just shows the breakdown that existed.
Verse 8.
Then Judah said to 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.
Just hurry up, Dad, and make your decision before we all starve to death.
Now, while the brothers are prioritizing food for their bellies,
it seems that God is actually more concerned about the sin in their hearts.
You see, 22 years have passed since the brothers had sold their brother, Joseph, into slavery.
Remember, Joseph had been the special one, the favorite one.
And his father, Jacob, had bought him that designer jacket, the lovely bright colored one.
So in envy and jealousy, they sold their brother as a slave.
And to make matters worse, they covered it up.
They killed a goat.
They put blood on the coat and bought it to their father, Jacob.
We found this father when we were out.
Check and see if it's your son's coat.
We don't know who it belongs to.
Well, Jacob fell for it.
It is my son's coat.
Some ferocious animal has devoured him.
Joseph has surely been torn to pieces, he said.
Well, the brothers may have deceived their father all these years,
but nothing is hidden from God.
You see, they may be prioritizing food for their bellies,
but God is more concerned about the sin in their hearts.
You see, the most important need for us is not physical, but spiritual.
It's not about a good career, finding the right partner,
owning a house, retiring on a big pension.
It's not about having a great ministry program in your church,
the best music and wonderful sermons,
all of which we have here, of course.
All these things are good, but they're not God's priority.
What God desires is that we face our sin
and deal with our sin.
In this account of chapter 43,
we're going to see that God confronts sin,
revealing our desperate need for mercy,
and displays the grace and welcome
he gives to sinners like us.
God confronts sin,
revealing our desperate need for mercy,
and displays the grace and welcome
he gives to sinners like us.
So first, the mercy we desperately need.
Look at verse 11.
Then their father 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.
Now remember what they bring, okay?
A little balm and a little honey,
some spices and myrrh,
some pistachio nuts and almonds.
Take double the amount of silver for 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.
Well, Jacob's request must have hit them like a ton of bricks.
Take spices and silver
and your brother
and go to Egypt.
Well, it's like their sin of the past is being replayed before their very eyes.
Do you remember what happened to Joseph?
Go back to chapter 37
and see if you can spot some similarities.
Chapter 37.
The scene here is the brothers have thrown Joseph down into an empty well
and they're thinking of a way to get rid of him.
We'll pick it up in verse 25.
As they, the brothers, sat down to eat their meal,
they looked up and saw a caravan or a convoy
of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead.
Their camels were loaded with spices
and balm
and myrrh
and they were on their way down to
Egypt.
Judah said to his brothers,
What will we gain if we kill our brother
and cover his blood?
Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites
and not lay hands on him.
After all, he is our brother,
our own flesh and blood.
His brothers agreed.
So when the merchants came by,
his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the well
and sold him for 20 shekels of silver
to the Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt.
Let's go back to chapter 43.
You see, the scene is almost identical, isn't it?
Their hidden past sins
are now playing out before their very eyes.
The brothers are packed up with spices
and silver
and their brother
and they're heading for Egypt.
Coincidence?
I don't think so.
God is taking them back to that terrible day
when they sold Joseph.
God is confronting
their unconfessed sin.
Well, of course, all of this is unknown to Jacob.
But he does
the only right thing.
He gathers his sons together
before they head off
and they have a quick prayer meeting.
Verse 14.
We're back in chapter 43.
Let's pray, brothers.
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.
Now, this is no superstitious tradition,
a kind of quick prayer,
a lucky charm.
No, Jacob is crying out to
God Almighty.
This is how God
had introduced himself
to Jacob
years before.
I am the Almighty God.
I'm the Creator God,
the Sovereign God,
the God who has mercy
on his people.
So what Jacob is praying
is that God would deal
with the sons
in mercy.
He wouldn't treat them
as their sins deserve,
but that he would be kind
to them.
Now, isn't that
what the brothers
really need?
As they head off
to Egypt
with their spices
and silver
and their brother
remembering
their past sins?
Well, they've also got
their father's prayer
ringing in their ears.
God
have mercy.
You see, that's where
we all need to start.
You see, maybe there's
something in your past
or my past
that is undealt with.
It's been brushed
under the carpet
all these years,
hoping that with the
passing of time
it will just go away
and everybody
will forget.
perhaps God
is confronting us,
reminding you
of a relationship
that is broken
and not sorted
within the family,
convicting us
of some habit
that has never
really been addressed.
How do we deal
with it?
Well, we start
with prayer
just as Jacob
did in verse 14.
We recognize
our desperate need
and we cry out
to God
for mercy.
Now, the big question
is
will God
answer that prayer?
Will God
be merciful?
Can you press
the space bar
there, Alex?
Sorry.
Thank you.
Thanks.
Second,
the grace
we generously
receive.
No?
Never mind.
Don't worry.
Leave it.
I'll, um...
It's the grace
we generally
generously receive
is the next heading.
Verse 15.
So the men
took the gifts
and doubled
the amount
of silver
and Benjamin
also.
They hurried
down to Egypt
and presented
themselves
to Joseph.
Now, remember
they don't
recognize
Joseph.
Verse 16.
When Joseph
saw Benjamin
with them,
he said to
the steward
of his house,
Take these men
to prepare
my...
Take these men
to my house.
Slaughter
an animal
prepare a meal.
They are to
eat with me
at noon.
The men
did as
Joseph told
him,
and he took
the men
to Joseph's
house.
Now, the men
were frightened
when they were
taken to his
house.
They thought,
we were bought
here because
of the silver
that was put
back in our
sacks the
first time.
Remember...
Don't worry,
Sam.
Leave it.
It's fine.
Remember,
Joseph had
kindly put
back in
their bags
the silver
they had
paid for
the grain.
But the
brothers thought
it was all
a trick.
But it
wasn't a
trick.
It was
Joseph's
kindness.
Verse 18.
He wants
us...
He wants
to attack
us and
overpower
us and
seize us
as slaves
and take
our donkeys.
The brothers
are terrified.
We can
imagine them
thinking and
talking amongst
themselves.
If he's
anything like
how we
treated our
brother,
we don't
stand a
chance.
We're going
to end up
as his
slaves too.
Verse 19.
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've
brought it
back with
us.
We have
also brought
additional
silver with
us to
buy the
food.
We don't
know who
put our
silver in
our sacks.
Well,
we can hear
their knees
knocking.
What's
going to
happen to
them?
Will their
father's
prayer for
mercy be
answered?
Well,
amazingly,
God acts
with generous
grace.
Look at the
response of
the steward,
verse 23.
It's all
right,
he said.
Be at
peace.
Don't be
afraid.
Your
God,
the God
of your
father,
has given
you treasure
treasure in
your
sacks.
I
received
your
silver.
What?
Not only
was their
silver
returned,
this act
of kindness
was none
other than
the work
of God.
Look what he
says,
your God,
the God
of your
father,
has given
you treasure
in his
sack.
this is
covenant
talk.
This is
the God
who had
made
promises
to his
people,
the God
who promises
to be
loyal and
faithful
despite
their
sin.
You
see,
the silver
turning up
in their
bags was
not some
kind of
miraculous
act.
No,
Joseph had
given orders
to the
steward to
put the
silver
back.
However,
the steward,
verse 23,
is making
it abundantly
clear that
it was
God
working
through
Joseph.
God was
responding
in generous
grace to
a bunch
of broken
sinners.
And to
show the
extent of
his
generosity,
look at
the end
of verse
23,
he also
brought
Simeon
out to
them.
He freed
his brother.
What
generosity,
what
kindness.
You see,
we too
can be
terrified
like the
brothers,
afraid that
if we
face our
sin,
that if
God would
somehow find
out or
somebody else
would find
out,
God will
give us
what we
deserve.
So rather
than confessing
our sin,
we hide
our sin.
Instead of
running to
God freely,
we hide
in shame
and we
bury our
guilt and
we live
in fear.
If this
encounter
with the
steward
teaches us
anything,
it teaches
us that
God is
patient
and God
is kind.
He responds
not as we
expect,
but with
generous
grace.
You see,
mercy is
not being
treated as
our sins
deserve,
but grace
is receiving
what we
do not
deserve and
that's what
the brothers
get,
not just
mercy,
but grace.
God is
more than
merciful,
he is
generously
gracious.
In fact,
it only gets
better for
the brothers.
Third,
if you're
taking notes,
the welcome
we compassionately
gain,
the welcome
we compassionately
gain.
Let's follow
the story,
verse 24.
The steward
took the men
into Joseph's
house,
gave them
water to
wash their
feet,
provided
fodder for
their donkeys.
They prepared
their gifts
for Joseph's
arrival at
noon because
they had
heard they
were going
to eat
there.
When Joseph
came home,
they presented
to him the
gifts they
had bought
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.
All this
bowing down
before someone
they don't
know.
At last,
there's a
sign of
humility
from these
hardened
brothers.
It seems
that their
encounter
with God's
grace is
beginning to
change their
hardened
hearts.
Verse 29,
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.
Now,
that's an
important
phrase for
us to
understand.
Deeply
moved means
his heart
was filled
with compassion.
Not just
a feeling
inside,
but a
desperate
need to
act to
help those
who were
in desperate
need.
So,
verse 30,
deeply
moved with
compassion
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.
He didn't
want them
to know
who he
was.
After he
had washed
his face,
he came
out and
controlling
himself said,
serve
the food.
I mean,
what a
transformation
is taking
place.
Not only
have they
received
generous
grace,
but now
they also
gain a
compassionate
welcome,
eating in
the home
of the
governor
of all
of Egypt.
Verse 32,
they served
Joseph by
himself,
the brothers
by themselves,
and the
Egyptians who
ate with
them by
themselves.
So,
three different
seating areas,
but all within
the same
vicinity,
because the
Egyptians could
not eat with
Hebrews,
for that is
detestable to
the Egyptians.
They obviously
saw themselves
as superior.
Verse 33,
the men had
been seated
before Joseph
in order of
their ages,
from the
firstborn to
the youngest,
and they
looked at
each other
in astonishment.
How does
he know our
ages?
Who told
him?
Did you
tell him?
No, I
didn't tell him.
Did you?
No, I
didn't say
anything.
Well, all
of this will
be revealed
next week,
but there's
something else
that we need
to be
astonished
about.
Not just
the brothers
as they
try to
figure out
how he
knows so
much about
them,
but remember
back to
when the
brothers were
plotting to
get rid of
Joseph.
Do you
remember how
that account
all started?
Chapter
37,
verse 25,
it tells us,
they took
him and
threw him
into an
empty
well,
and then
they sat
down to
eat their
meal.
Well, here
they are
again, all
the brothers
together.
The first
time they're
all sitting
down again
eating a
meal, but
this time
they're being
served by
their brother
who they
had sold
as a
slave.
They had
hated him,
they had
got rid
of him,
and now
they've
been welcomed
by him
and served
by him.
We, the
reader,
should be
astonished
at what
is taking
place.
What
compassion,
what
kindness.
But what
is even
more astonishing
about this
event is
the picture
it paints
for us.
You see,
we have
been welcomed
to the
feast of
King
Jesus.
You see,
like the
brothers
treated
Joseph,
so as we
read the
story,
so we
have treated
Jesus.
We have
turned against
him.
We have
hated Jesus
and sought
to get rid
of him.
We've
plotted and
planned to
remove his
rule over
our lives.
We don't
want anything
to do with
him.
We've
killed
him.
But
Jesus in
his goodness
doesn't
give up.
He
confronts
us with
our sin.
He
reveals to
us the
mercy that
we desperately
need.
He calls
us not
to hide
our sin,
but to
run to
him and
confess our
sin,
to receive
his generous
grace and
his compassionate
welcome.
You see,
the one that
we have
disowned,
has become
our true
brother,
who has
served us
by giving
his life
for us.
Although we
have sinned
against him,
he has
taken our
sin on
himself and
died in
our place.
And now
Jesus, our
brother,
reaches out
his hand
of friendship
and he
invites us
to feast
at his
table.
The
brothers here
in this
account,
are
separated.
It's not
a true
union.
But isn't
that what
we do
receive when
we are
welcomed by
Jesus?
We become
his children.
He is
our brother.
We feast
at his
table,
forgiven
and
welcomed.
God's
loved.
So as we
reflect on
this story
together,
let's not
hide our
sins of
the past.
Let's not
brush them
under the
carpet and
hope that
they'll all
go away and
everybody else
will forget.
Don't live
under the
crushing weight
of guilt
and shame.
rather let
us come
to Jesus
with open
hearts and
we will
find mercy
and grace
and a
compassionate
welcome.
Let's pray
together.
Father, as
we reflect
together,
we know
that nothing
is hidden
from your
sight.
You know
all our
thoughts
and all
our
deeds.
Father,
help us
that we
wouldn't
carry the
weight of
guilt and
shame,
but that
we would
cry out
to you
for mercy
and know
that you
respond with
generous
grace,
taking our
sin upon
yourself.
and giving
us that
compassionate
welcome
that we
might feast
at your
table
with our
brother,
Jesus
Christ.
How amazing
is your
gift to
us.
Please help
us to run
to him
every day.
We ask
this in
Jesus'
name.
Amen.