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Date: 20th Nov 2011

Series name: From Forgiven to Forgiving

Sermon # in series: 4

Joseph’s Story

Bible Reference: Genesis 42:1-24

A disclaimer from Pastor Jon

I am often inspired, provoked and corrected by such luminaries as John Piper, Mark Driscoll, Wayne Grudem, John McArthur, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Charles Spurgeon and many others. If you know their writing and preaching well, you will no doubt sometimes find their thoughts, illustrations and quotations scattered throughout my sermons. I make no claim to original thinking; indeed I am very wary of anything that seems new or unique – it seems unlikely that the Spirit of God should reveal something to me that he has chosen not to reveal to the great preachers and teachers of the past! I try to footnote direct references to other peoples’ material, but sometimes they are just there in my head, perhaps from something I have read months or years ago, and I don’t really know where it’s come from!

Unless otherwise specified, all scriptures are taken from the HOLY BIBLE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder and Stoughton Limited.

Intro – story so far...

A long time ago, in a faraway land – Joseph.

  • 11 brothers – big family! Their dad liked Joseph best of all. Bros jealous. Face!
  • One day – so jealous – kill him. Bro Judah has idea – sell him – make money. Lie to father.
  • Age 17 – sold to slave traders – ended up in Egypt
  • Loves God and works hard
  • Long story but by a series of miracles – ends up #2 in Egypt.
  • And Pharaoh – sit around all day anyway – J running the country! Age 30
  • Terrible famine – what’s that? – 7 years no rain. Everyone comes to buy food.

Reading: Genesis 42:1-24

So the brothers all go off and come back with their little brother Ben.

Huge banquet – Joseph gives them as much food as they can carry – hides silver cup in Ben’s bag.

Video clip: Joseph 1:15:06 to 1:22:19 ends with “That is not the lesson the Lord (blessed be his name) has put before us”

All-age talk

How do you feel when someone is horrible to you?

Someone at school calls you a horrible name? Pushes you over?

  • Break up friends with them?
  • Don’t go near them any more?
  • Say nasty things about them to your friends – get back at them?

Joseph’s brothers were really horrible to him – can you imagine how upset you’d be if you never saw your family again – alone in a foreign country.

But Joseph wasn’t angry. Maybe he was sometimes. Bedtime – thought back – really upset. Could have been really angry – angry person – always in a bad mood. Can you do an angry face?

James 1:20 …people’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

Not what God wants from us.

Instead, Joseph chose not to be angry, but wanted to forgive his brothers. Much harder to forgive – but it’s what God wants us to do.

Someone else in the Bible

  • Didn’t do anything wrong
  • Sold for a few silver coins
  • Wanted to forgive anyone who came and said sorry
  • Who? Jesus.

When someone does something horrible to me – how can I not be an angry person – instead be a forgiving person?

Through Jesus.

Ephesians 4:32 ...forgive each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

If Jesus has forgiven you, he will give you the HS who helps us forgive other people.

Next time someone does something horrible to you – pray that God would help you not be angry – but help you forgive them.

Pray – thank you – Jesus – when they hurt him – not angry – prayed that God would forgive. Help us be kind & forgiving, like Jesus.

Adult talk

Ever had a huge decision to make - don’t know what to do?

  • Which course to take – affect the whole direction your life will take.
  • Should I marry this person?
  • Should I leave this person?
  • Do I turn off the life-support?

Going round & round – sleepless – can’t eat – worry – what if – what if I don’t?

Joseph had that:

  • Last saw his bros 15 yrs earlier
  • Last sight of them was from between the bars of a cage – carried away to who-knows where – terrified 17 year-old[1], crying, pleading with them for his life[2].
  • They’d betrayed him – own brothers – sold him for a few silver coins. Callously ignored his frightened, anguished cries.
  • And now here they were - out of the blue – ghosts from the past.

What would he do?

First thing that pops into his head is something about spies. But that’s no good really. The fact is, I think he has no idea what to do – so shaken – so confused – everything crowding into his head. So what does he do?

Genesis 42:17 And he put them all in custody for three days.

Buying some time – needs to think. 3 days[3] of mental torture. What should I do? Can you imagine?

  • I’m the 2nd in command in Egypt – I can do what I like. Creative torture techniques – invent some new ones – especially for Judah – his idea[4].
  • Send them away – that would be merciful wouldn’t it – way more than they deserve!
  • Ignore them – in the past – why do I want to bring it up now?

Perhaps some here - have people in your past who’ve hurt you

  • Dwell on it – mull it over – if I ever got the chance I’d…
  • Perhaps you dread ever seeing them again – memories flooding back – ghosts from the past.
  • Perhaps hide it – forget about it – ignore it – block it out.

Joseph does none of those things – because he’s God’s man

Genesis 42:18-19 On the third day, Joseph said to them, "Do this and you will live, for I fear God: If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households.

“I fear God” – he’s God’s man and he wants to behave in a godly way – doing what God wants is more important to him than what feels good. Might feel good to kill them on the spot – and they deserved it. Might feel good to send them away hungry to die in the desert. Might feel good to get revenge. But he knows it’s not God’s way.

Maybe for someone here today – going through that anguish right now. What should I do? Please – if you’re a believer – tackle it God’s way. Not always easy – might be incredibly hard – but it’s right. And you’ll feel better when you’ve done what’s right[5].

So what does he do? – pursues forgiveness and reconciliation.

Our model is God himself isn’t it?

  • We sinned – far from him – ignored and rebelled against Holy God – ignored his laws – done our own thing – I want to live my way. Enormously serious – separated.
  • He pursued us – showed us where we’ve failed.
  • Damascus road – blinding flash of light – or slow realization – I’ve sinned against God – need forgiveness.
  • Come to him in repentance – sorry.
  • Welcome home! Reconciled – living for him & with him now!
  • Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
  • That’s what Joseph is doing!

Let’s briefly see what he did:

Does not take revenge

He could have done. Could have killed them all. Chose not to. Decided not to repay evil for evil. Not going to take revenge. Not overcome with evil. Instead – going to overcome evil with good. Saw that last time in Romans 12[6]. The solution to sin in your life is never more sin! Might feel nice to get revenge – but sin always feels nice at the time – it’s afterwards that you feel wretched. And the whole situation is a lot worse. Joseph is a great role model for anyone who’s been badly hurt in the past – no revenge.

Shows practical love to them

Immediately gives them a whole load of food – as much as they can carry. And refunds their money too[7]. They still don’t realize it’s Joseph though. But it shows he bears them no ill-will. Doing good to his enemies.

Aiming high - wisely

Easiest course of action for Joseph – send them off with some food and a message: Never set foot in Egypt again - aiming low.

Instead – tells them to all come back – including Benjamin. Wants to build the relationship – pursue reconciliation.

Now he’s being careful too – not letting on who he is at this stage – wants to know if they’ve changed – do they have genuine sorrow because of what they did? Not going to be walked over, hurt again.

Wise – if you’ve been hurt by someone before – be wise in how you pursue reconciliation – offer forgiveness. Don’t just throw the doors open to the person who abused you or your family – don’t give your back details to your ex business-partner who swindled you! Be shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves[8]. Maybe over time, forgiveness and reconciliation will develop – be wise, shrewd.

So they go off and get Benjamin – and when they return Joseph gives them more food – and hides the cup in Ben’s sack. What will they do? Will they leave Ben to die in Egypt? Are they still uncaring, selfish – or has the guilt of what they did to Joseph had some positive effect on them?

Judah steps in[9] – the one whose idea it was to sell Joseph – steps in to save Ben’s life. He’s had 15 years of shame and guilt because of what he did. Not going to let it happen again. They all feel the same – genuine, godly sorrow. In offering their own lives, they’re saying, “We’ll do anything to put this right. Can’t undo the past – but we feel the guilt of it so badly that we’ll do anything to avoid it again – even giving our lives.”

Goes & talks to them, alone

Genesis 45:1 Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, "Make everyone leave my presence!" So there was no-one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers.

Why did Joseph do that? Why send everyone out? This is so gracious. If someone sins against you – you go around telling everyone – even when it’s forgiven – reconciled – others will always see them differently. If Stuart lets down my bike tyres one day because I’ve annoyed him – and I go round telling everyone – and then he and I forgive and are reconciled – you’ll all still think Stuart is an idiot. Go on own – protect his reputation.

So Joseph keeps it quiet. He’s #2 in Egypt – he wants his brothers to be treated as heroes, not as the bad guys who once tried to kill him. Wants to keep it between them – no-one else’s concern. That’s incredibly gracious. Would have been so easy to let the rumours spread. He’s protecting their reputations! That’s grace!

Genesis 45:3 Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?"

[What do his brothers do?]

But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.

Put yourself in their shoes. You betrayed him, sold him, ignored the anguished cries of a child. Haunted you ever since - thought it was all in the past. But now here he is – not as a frightened boy any longer, but as the #2 in the most powerful nation on earth. You are toast. They must have expected this was their last moment on earth. Sheer terror – knees knocking – dry mouths – couldn’t speak. Terrified at his presence.

Got to say this – if you’ve not been forgiven today – as you sit here you know that you don’t belong to the Lord – one day your sin will catch up with you.

Numbers 32:23 you may be sure that your sin will find you out.

One day we’ll all stand before God – and the ghosts of the past will come back and accuse us – things we’ve done; things we’ve said; things we ought to have done but didn’t. People we’ve lied to - God knows. And we’ll stand, like Joseph’s brothers, before an all-powerful figure who has the power to accuse us and sentence us.

Don’t wait until that day to pursue reconciliation with God. Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.[10] You don’t have forever.

Joseph’s brothers came in repentance. They were terribly sorry, ashamed of what they’d done. And what does Joseph say?

Genesis 45:4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!”

Come close! That’s grace – that’s forgiveness! Not half-hearted “not going to hate you quite so much” - this is real, deep reconciliation! Come close to me. Jesus – come to me – weary, burdened – rest.[11]

Doesn’t minimize what they’ve done, but forgives anyway.

Genesis 45:4 ... "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!”

It’s not like they’d forgotten – I am Joseph – which one?! He’s reminding them what they did. The temptation is, when someone has sinned against you – and they start to show signs of repentance – to minimize what they did. And you start to talk – and they admit part of what they did – and you say – “yes, it’s OK now – wasn’t that much of a big deal – don’t worry about it”. Sort of half-way forgiveness. Never really dealt with it all – try and put it behind us – but there’s still stuff left unsaid –and it’s never really healed – and therefore never real reconciliation.

No, Joseph says, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!” Not minimizing it – dealing with the depths of it. Letting them know he’s forgiven them for all of it![12] It was terrible – sorry – forgiven you.

Does good to them

Sends them away to get their wives, children, grandchildren – come and live with me.

Not in the furthest reach of the empire.

Genesis 45:18 I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land.'

Genesis 50:21 So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

Remembers God is in control

Genesis 45:5 … it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.

Genesis 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

If Joseph – not sold into slavery – he and family – died in desert. No Jewish nation. No Messiah, Jesus. No saviour for us! And 15 years later, Joseph can start to see it! Bet he didn’t when he was being carried off in a cage.

Whatever has happened in your past – or present - God has never stopped watching over you, ordering things, weaving his cosmic tapestry. Does all things to glorify himself – and if you’re a believer – to do you good in the long run. Hold onto that in hard times!

How do we sum up?

Forgiveness is not something that should be thrown out like it’s some cheap promotional pen – something you hand out on the streets – it’s something deep and precious that we offer and hope the other person will come and take.

It’s not something for our benefit – to make us feel good – it’s something we do for the other person. But boy, does it feel good when you’ve done what God requires of you!

And it leads to reconciliation. Restored relationship. Not always possible – but we shouldn’t be the ones who get in the way. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.[13]

If you’re in those 3 days right now – what do I do about that person? 1 – make sure you’re forgiven. 2 - Encourage you – forgive, as the Lord forgave you.

Talk to us – here to help you through.

Discussion questions

  • Why do you think Joseph wanted to tell his brothers who he was, on his own? What can we learn from this in our dealings with other people? (Genesis 45:1)
  • Do Josephs’ words “Come close to me” (Genesis 45:4) remind you of anything Jesus said? Can you think of any other comparisons between the life of Joseph and Jesus?

[1] Genesis 37:2

[2] Genesis 42:21

[3] Genesis 42:17

[4] Genesis 37:26

[5] And Joseph pursues reconciliation because he is a man of God; not because it will make him feel better; not because he needs closure, but because it’s right!

[6] Romans 12:17-21

[7] Genesis 42:25

[8] Matthew 10:16

[9] Genesis 44:18ff

[10] Isaiah 55:6

[11] Matthew 11:28

[12] Wish we had time to talk through the sovergnty of God in hurt and forgiveness. “It was to save lives that God sent me here ahead of you.” Joseph saw that God’s hand was in this – he had his purpose and plan in it all. Also Genesis 50:20 – God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives”. Big, powerful stuff, but not enough time – arghhh!

[13] Romans 12:18