Genesis 42
The Bad family reunion!
Prayer for illumination:
Sermon introduction:
When I was in 2nd grade I found a giant, green, hairy caterpillar while climbing a tree in our backyard. It must have been at least 1.5 inches long and 1.5 centimeters thick. It looked something like this (show image). I put the caterpillar in a jar with some sticks and some leaves and I waited, and waited, and waited. Eventually the caterpillar disappeared in a cocoon and some time later a butterfly emerged (show image). I could not believe the transformation that took place. How in the world does a caterpillar become a butterfly? What causes this incredible transformation?
Genesis 42 is about transformation. Let me read you a quote about the people God is going to transform?
“Apart from Benjamin, Joseph’s brothers were a miserable lot. Sons two and three, Simeon and Levi, were guilty of premeditated genocide in the slaughter of the unsuspecting Shechemites (ch. 34). Number one son, Reuben, had committed incest with his father’s concubine… (35:22). Next, all ten of them had taken young Joseph and stripped him and beaten him and thrown him into a pit with fratricidal intent- which was only averted by a passing caravan and his sale into slavery in Egypt (37:12-28). Number four son, Judah, then impregnated his daughter in law, Tamar, who had disguised herself as a Canaanite prostitute (38).” (Hughes, 493)
Jacob’s sons were a mess! They needed to be transformed. God could have wiped them out and started over but God is glorified in the transformation of sinners, aren’t you glad?
Do you ever get discouraged? Do you ever wonder if God is going to transform you? Do you ever wonder if you will make any progress in Godliness? Do you ever get discouraged because you are committing the same sins you committed ten years ago? If your answer is yes, this story is for you.
How does God transform us? He uses many different tools to transform us. Lets look at how God transforms these men.
The context of transformation
The agent of transformation
The fruit of transformation
First, the context of transformation!
What is the context of the transformation? A severe famine!
Genesis 42:1–5 (ESV) — 1 When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2 And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers, for he feared that harm might happen to him. 5 Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
Jacob is distressed about the lack of food for his family. The famine Joseph predicted hit Canaan hard, so hard that it was a life and death situation (41:57). Jacob says to his sons “Why do you look at one another”. In other words “stop staring at each other, pull your hands out of your pockets and do something.” You get the impression that Jacob is not really happy with his sons. I doubt they play family scrabble around the campfire in the evenings together as one big happy family.
God allows this famine so that Joseph and his brothers will be forced to deal with the past. It is only when Joseph’s brothers confront their past and admit their wrongs that they will change. Since God wants them to change he is going to make sure they head down to Egypt.
Application- God is the one who brings this about! He is willing to use difficult things like famines to bring about personal transformation in the lives of his children.
What famine has God brought into your life to transform you? Lost job, wayward child, new job, difficult professor, a new boss, financial ruin, loneliness, an addiction, etc…
Have you ever considered that God may be allowing hardship to bring about transformation in your life? He will use whatever you are facing to transform you no matter how painful it is.
(Piper- don’t waste your cancer)
First, the context of transformation
Second, the agent of transformation!
Joseph is God’s agent of transformation. Notice that he is God’s agent. God is the one who brings about transformation through Joseph.
How is Joseph an agent of transformation? To begin with Joseph recognizes his brothers!
Genesis 42:6–8 (ESV) — 6 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. 7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” 8 And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.
It has been roughly 20 years since Joseph has seen his brothers (13 years as a slave plus 7 years of plenty). This long period of time explains why the brothers did not recognize him. Plus Joseph was probably dressed in the finest apparel of Egypt, he probably had a clean-shaven face, and he spoke Egyptian. Did Joseph gasp, pause, or panic inside when he first recognized his brothers? Was he angry? Was he relieved? I’m sure it was a mix of all the above.
Application- Where were you 20 years ago? It has taken twenty years for God to fulfill what was prophesied in Joseph’s dreams. Do you think Joseph ever got discouraged? Do you think he doubted God’s promises while a slave, while he was falsely accused, and while in prison? Sure he did. He was human. God does not always do things on our timetable.
Maybe you are still waiting for that promotion, that pregnancy, that way word child to come home??? God knows what he is doing and his timing may not be our timing but it is perfect timing.
In verses 6-9 Joseph recognizes his brothers!
How else is Joseph and agent of transformation? Joseph interrogates his brothers
Genesis 42:9–20 (ESV) — 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them. And he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness (weak points in one’s defense) of the land.”
We read in 41:51 that when Joseph’s rose to power in Egypt he forget all the baggage of his youth. Now it all comes flooding back to him. He remembers the dreams God gave him in Gen 37:5-11 but what he sees before him is only a partial fulfillment. In his second dreams the sun, moon, and 11 stars bowed before him, meaning his father, father’s wives, and eleven brothers would all bow to him.
He is going to do all that he can to see this dream come to pass because he longs to see his brother Benjamin and his elderly father.
But how is he going to get everyone to Egypt? He develops a brilliant plan. He will accuse his brothers of being spies in order to get them to admit that they have another brother. Once they admit this he will hold one of the brother’s hostage until they all come back. It is a perfect plan. In the meantime he is going to make sure that his brothers feel bad about what they did to him. No wonderer the Egyptians were impressed with Joseph’s wisdom!!! Lets see how this plan unfolds.
10 They said to him, “No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants have never been spies.”
They try to prove they are not spies by pointing out that they all have the same father. If they were spies there father would not let them all go to Egypt together. If they were found out the father would lose all of his sons and have no one to carry on the family name.
12 He said to them, “No, it is the nakedness of the land that you have come to see.”
This is the second time Joseph accuses them of being spies. He will accuse them of being spies a total of four times to break down their resistance in order to worm information out of them. (12,14,15,20)
13 And they said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more.”
Bingo! He just got the information he wanted. In their effort to plead their innocence the brothers give even more information. They admit that Benjamin is still alive and back in Canaan.
15 By this you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here. (This is the key verse) 16 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.” 17 And he put them all together in custody for three days. 18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God (Elohim): 19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined where you are in custody, and let the rest go and carry grain for the famine of your households, 20 and bring your youngest brother to me. So your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” And they did so.
There are so many things we can say about these verses but the most important thing to see is that Joseph finds a way to get the whole family to Egypt by holding one of the brothers hostage until his younger brother returns.
In verses 6-8 Joseph recognizes his brothers!
In verses 9-20 Joseph tests his brothers!
How else is Joseph an agent of transformation? Joseph convicts his brothers!
Genesis 42:21 (ESV) — 21 Then they said to one another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, 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.”
So far all of Joseph’s actions are designed to do two things. First, get his whole family to Egypt. This will be accomplished by holding Simeon hostage. Second, he wants to convict his brothers of their crime against him. He does this by reenacting what happened to him 20 years earlier.
Twenty years earlier his brothers had to go back to their father Jacob with one less brother. Now they have to go back to their father again with one less brother.
As Joseph was a prisoner in Egypt now Simeon is a prisoner in Egypt.
Furthermore Joseph was tied up before their eyes and sold into slavery now Simeon is tied up before their eyes and sold into slavery (Joseph gives them all their silver back).
They recognize by the grace of God that this is no coincidence. Which is why they say in verse 21 “we are guilty concerning our brother”.
23 They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them. 24 Then he turned away from them and wept. And he returned to them and spoke to them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.
Joseph weeps because he sees their penitent hearts. His cold hardhearted brothers are being transformed before his very eyes.
In verses 6-9 Joseph recognizes his brothers!
In verses 9-20 Joseph tests his brothers!
In verses 21-28 Joseph convicts his brothers!
Joseph is God’s agent of transformation. God is behind this whole situation controlling all the details, causing the famine, putting Joseph in power, allowing Jacob to run out of food, and now the brothers are standing before the one they betrayed twenty years earlier. This is no coincidence. God wants to transform these me.
God used Joseph as his agent of transformation in his brother’s lives and it was painful. God will use agents to transform us and it may be painful.
Illustration:
Bill Waggstaff
Elder recently confronting me!
Application-
Are you going to let other be agents of transformation in your life? Will you invite their input? Maybe God wants to use your spouse, your sibling, your boss, and your roommates to transform you. Don’t resist!!! He often uses the least likely people to do this.
But they don’t have all the facts!!! They don’t need to because God has all the facts and know all the details.
Kenneth Maresco (there is always a grain of truth when correction is being brought to you)
God is the hero of this story and some times the application is simply to marvel at his loving kindness!!!
God’s commitment to his own glory ensures that he will transform you.
By the way being convicted of sin through an agent of transformation is a good thing. If you’re a Christian you have a place to unload the guilt.
The context of transformation
The agent of transformation
Third, the fruit of transformation!
What is the fruit of this transformation? The Fear of God!
Genesis 42:26–28 (ESV) — 26 Then they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed. 27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money in the mouth of his sack. 28 He said to his brothers, “My money has been put back; here it is in the mouth of my sack!” At this their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”
This is the first time the brothers mention God. They clearly see him working behind the scenes to discipline them and their hearts fail them. In other words, they are experiencing a healthy dose of the fear of God. They understand that their sins were against God, and they understand that He was intimately involved in bringing about their conviction.