la vengeance se mange très-bien froide Page1
What the Bible Really Teaches About Getting Even
Genesis 42 February 2, 2012
Romans 12:19–21
Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Revelation 6:9–11
When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.
Isaiah 61:1–2
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God…
Luke 4:17–21
And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD. And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Why do we want revenge?
Why do we want to see wrongs righted?
Remember, Joseph is a type of______
He was condemned______
He was imprisoned falsely
He paid,______, for crimes he never committed
He was then______and______
Now he will confront those who offended him
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A major theme – mercy and grace
Psalm 145:8–9
The LORD is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and great in lovingkindness. The LORD is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works.
Jeremiah 31:2
Thus says the LORD, “The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness— Israel, when it went to find its rest.”
Hebrews 4:16
Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Why wasn’t Benjamin traveling?
Maybe Jacob had his suspicions about 20 years ago
Note who they go to see and what they do upon arrival
Genesis 37, ______
Isaiah 60:14
The sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you, and all those who despised you will bow themselves at the soles of your feet; and they will call you the city of the LORD, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
Joseph, as a type of Christ, has all that is needed
Philippians 4:19
And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
As the nation will respond to Christ at the end of the age, so we shall see the brothers of Joseph doing
Zechariah 12:10
I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.
Joseph______his brothers
He fishes for information
Accuses them
Uses ______on them
Joseph has learned a lot in twenty years
He accuses them of being spies multiple times
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He is going to find out if they really are now______or false
When you and I are tested, what is really going on?
Jesus simply asking, “Do you______?”
Or are we spies for the enemy?
Jude 16–19
These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage. But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.”
Matthew 7:16–21
You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Our job as believers is to be just as our Lord, to be______. This is called______.
Joseph had to do this as part of his job.
Matthew 7:16–21
So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
After keeping his brothers on ice for three days he continues his keeping them on edge
Joseph provides a testimony to his half brothers, they miss the import of the statement
Some of his brothers are now over 50
They are seriously______
Joseph continues in his role as Prime Minister but he also continues in his role of testing his brothers as well
The danger of assumptions
The brothers talk in front of Joseph thinking he cannot speak Hebrew
They______their crime
They are filled with ______
They recognize they are reaping what they sowed over 20 years ago
Note what Reuben says: Page 4
Remember – these brothers have a checkered past
Judah – lust, adultery, incest
Reuben – incest, rebellion
Simeon and Levi – genocide and perfidy
All of them but Reuben – selling their brother into slavery
Joseph wants to see if they have changed at all, what______will they produce?
Why is Simeon kept as hostage?
His name means hearing
They return without hearing
The oldest tried to stop the crime, the next oldest did not, and Joseph picked up on that
Isaiah 6:9–10
He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive; keep on looking, but do not understand.’ Render the hearts of this people insensitive, their ears dull, and their eyes dim, otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and return and be healed.”
The brothers are on a guilt trip but they______
Remember Joseph told them he followed Elohim
He refuses payment for the grace and mercy he extends
The discovery
The family discussion
The decision to do______…for now
Ever notice how our decision when tested to not deal with the issue the Lord is working on in our life does not ever result in the issue going away
About Telling the Lord Not Now
God Makes It Now
Genesis 43
Notice that to get the family moving…God keeps the famine going
Either buy food or starve
Ever notice the lengths God goes to get us in a place of full surrender
Just study how God dealt with the nation of Israel to get them to return until finally…judgment
We do not know how long it took to go through the supplies
Notice the conversation and how much they feared “the man.”
We will not go if you do not let us take Benjamin
Judah offers himself and all he has as surety to Jacob Page 5
They are invited to lunch with the Prime Minister
Because they did not hesitate to sell Joseph in slavery, they______
They even backdoor Joseph and start working his servants
By the way – notice the answer
They get Simeon back, but now they are all a bit hypertensive
Why are they fearful?
Why are we fearful?
How much control do we give to anxiety and fear?
There is nothing like suspense and anxiety for barricading a human’s mind against the Enemy.—Screwtape to Wormwood, in C. S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters, (the “Enemy” here being God)
The enemy wants us to be in fear, then we are______for Him.
Why should I fear? I am on a Royal Mission. I am in the service of the King of kings.—Mary Slessor, missionary hero
Philippians 4:6
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Introductions
More bowing
Separate tables please
But at the table of the guests, arranged and all in proper birth order
And Joseph served their plates from his own table
We are also invited to a meal
Matthew 22:1–14
“Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. “And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. “Again he sent out other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.” ’ “But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. “But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. “Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but thosewho were invited were not worthy. ‘Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.’ “Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered
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together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. “Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Why did Benjamin get five times everyone else?
Have they changed______?
Why does the Lord sometimes give that person over there more than I have?
Have I changed?
The Lord measures our growth not only by how we deal with our brothers and sisterswhen they are______-, but also when they______.
John 13:34–35
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”