Transcript

Providentially Secure-Part Four

Genesis 42:1-50:26
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Pastor Randy Smith

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As we prepare for the final sermon in our study in the great book of Genesis, we also find ourselves in the final of four sermons in our study of God's providence and the life of Joseph.

To create the teaching I have presented to you the last few weeks, I have basically taken five assumptions that we can all agree upon and sought to synthesize them into the best working model that will bring us the greatest joy and God the greatest glory when going through trials. This model is not of my invention because it's from the Bible, and it's also been taught throughout the centuries - unfortunately, it's been lost mostly in our generation.

Assumption 1: Pain and trials in this world are inevitable. Job 5:7, "Man is born for trouble, as sparks fly upward." Regardless of what we do, people will disappoint us, illness will affect us and possessions will frustrate us.

Assumption 2: We all want to be happy and at peace. We are hardwired by God to desire these feelings. Our decisions are (or should be) based on pursuing that which will bring us the greatest joy. As Blaise Pascal said, "This is the motive of every action of every man, even to those who hang themselves."

Assumption 3: Regardless of our circumstances, we are commanded by God to "Rejoice in the Lord always" (Phil. 4:4) and "Let the peace of Christ rule in [our] hearts" (Col. 3:15) and "In everything give thanks" (1 Thes. 5:18).

Assumption 4: We are to do "all [things] to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31). That means regardless of the situation or circumstances, we are to be found praising and thanking and adoring Him.

Assumption 5: If you are in Christ, God loves you beyond your wildest imagination. He has spoken His love and demonstrated His love in putting away all your sins in the death of His Son. He is intimately involved in your life, makes no mistakes and desires nothing in His infinite wisdom but your very best. He is a good God!

So how do I put all of this together as it pertains to dealing with trials? The answer is a biblical understanding of God's providence. It is knowing that God is ruling His universe exactly according to His will and is personally working in the lives of each of His children for their ultimate good as the Bible teaches (Rom. 8:28). While pain in this world can rip our hearts out, we know deep down inside that God is using the pain, even the evil inflicted upon us, with good and wise and loving intentions primarily to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ. This allows us to overcome our circumstances and suffer with hope without complaining, becoming bitter, running away, blaming others or defending ourselves. Deep down inside we can have peace and joy and still praise God in the difficulties which will bring God the greatest glory.

I know there's a lot being taught out there today, but I am not aware of any other "system" that is more biblical or one that will bring you the greatest peace and joy and God the greatest glory!

One pastor said, "As a wise, skilled pharmacist mixes medicine, our heavenly Father wisely mixes exactly the right measure of bitter things and sweet, to do us good. Too much joy would intoxicate us. Too much misery would drive us to despair. Too much sorrow would crush us. Too much suffering would break our spirits. Too much pleasure would ruin us. Too much defeat would discourage us. Too much success would puff us up. Too much failure would keep us from doing anything. Too much criticism would harden us. Too much praise would exalt us. Our great God knows exactly what we need. His Providence is wisely designed and sovereignly sent for our good!" (Don Fortner).

We have God's promise that He is always working good in our lives from the pain. Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." All we see is the back of the tapestry. Faith believes God is working a masterpiece on the other side. Or as Augustine put it, "Trust the past to God's mercy, the present to God's love and the future to God's providence."

So let's wrap things up and see how things turned out for Joseph and how he responded to the providence of God.

1. Pharaoh Dreams (Review)

I begin with "Pharaoh's Dreams" our first point by way of review.

Joseph's life has been one dramatic display of suffering. Put yourself in his shoes: You are abused and then thrown into a pit by your brothers. Then you are sold by them for twenty shekels. You are taken hundreds of miles away as a seventeen year old and sold as a slave in Egypt. Then you are falsely accused of rape and thrown into the dungeon for most of your twenties. You serve other people, but no one makes any effort to help you.

How would you respond to this? I can tell you what I've experienced from most people, even Christians. A common response would be mad-at-God, withdraw from the church, want-nothing-to-do-with-people, wasting life, possessing a heart filled with anger and resentment and self-pity. Yet remarkably we see none of this with Joseph. He's praising God. He's serving others. He's making the most of his time. He's, as I said earlier, trusting in God's providence. He's walking by faith and not by sight. He's looking to God and not his circumstances. His trials made him not bitter, but better in character as he grew in the likeness of Christ.

God promises us good in the circumstances, but He doesn't promise to change our circumstances. His primary goal is to change us. Yet sometimes He does change the circumstances and in Joseph's case things turn around in a way he never would have predicted (see Acts 7:10).

As we learned last week, Pharaoh has two dreams mentioned in verses 2-7 in chapter 41. No one can interpret his dreams, but the cupbearer suddenly remembers a Hebrew man, a fellow prisoner at the time, who helped him a couple years ago (verses 9-13). Joseph is rushed from the dungeon to Pharaoh's presence (verse 14). Joseph replies in verse 16, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer." It is determined that there will be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine in the land (verses 25-32). Joseph suggests Pharaoh finds a man who is "discerning and wise" who can oversee the storage and distribution of the grain (verses 33-37). Pharaoh says because of his character and devotion to God, "You are the man, Joseph!" (verses 38-39). So to the former slave and former prisoner Pharaoh says (verse 40), "You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you."

2. Joseph Tests

Everything seems like it's turned out just fine for Joseph, but there is still one incomplete situation in his life. He still has to deal with the situation with his brothers. And like it usually is with interpersonal issues, God providentially arranges circumstances that force us to resolve these matters. Let's move to the second point, "Joseph Tests," and see how God works things out.

In the beginning of chapter 42 we learn that this famine has now hit, and the entire world is affected. Look beginning at verse 1, "Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, 'Why are you staring at one another?' He said, 'Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die.' Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt" (Gen. 41:1-3).

Can you see where this is heading? While Benjamin stayed home (41:4), the ten brothers that mistreated Joseph came and found themselves face-to-face with their brother. Verse 6 says they "bowed down to him with their faces to the ground." Remember Joseph's dreams from chapter 37? Verse 8 adds Joseph recognized them although they did not recognize Joseph (the tension mounts - the dramatic music kicks in!). How is Joseph going to respond?

Joseph doesn't demand that they be executed although he had the power to do so, nor does he simply forget about the past and throw some food their way. Joseph wants to see if his brothers have changed so he puts them through a rather bizarre test. Permit me to briefly summarize it.

He questions them as to whether they are spies. They deny the accusation. They mention they are twelve brothers of one man named Jacob, one brother is no more and the other brother is home. To test them at their word, Joseph tells them to return with Benjamin as proof. They are released and Simeon is detained. Their bags were filled with grain and their money was returned.

After much reluctance and as the famine is pressing harder on his family, Jacob finally permits them to return to Egypt with Benjamin. The older brothers accept full responsibility for Benjamin's safety. The brothers arrive in Egypt. Joseph weeps in privacy. They eat a big meal together. After dinner Joseph commanded their sacks be filled with grain. He also had his silver cup, unknown to the men, placed in the sack of Benjamin. Shortly after they depart, the brothers are questioned as to the location of the cup. They respond (44:9), "With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves." The cup was found in Benjamin's sack. The brothers are overwhelmed at the pain this will bring to their father, Jacob. Judah replies (44:33-34), "Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me - for fear that I see the evil that would overtake my father?" They had learned their lesson (see 42:21-22).

Chapter 45, beginning in verse 1, "Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried, 'Have everyone go out from me.' So there was no man with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it. Then Joseph said to his brothers, 'I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?' But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, 'Please come closer to me.' And they came closer. And he said, 'I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life'" (Gen. 45:1-5). Verse 8, "Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God."

Arrangements are made to get Jacob and have the entire family reunited in Egypt in the land of Goshen. There would be seventy of them altogether. Jacob is overjoyed to see his son, Joseph, whom he believed for roughly two decades was dead. Seventeen years later Jacob blesses his sons and dies. They bury Jacob in the Promised Land as he requested.

3. God Delivers

Our final point, "God Delivers."

Starting in verse 15 of chapter 50, "When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, 'What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!' So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, 'Your father charged before he died, saying, 'Thus you shall say to Joseph, 'Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.'' And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father'" (Gen. 50:15-17).

The brothers' fear is legitimate, but I have every reason to believe their story is an outright concoction. Obviously this matter between Joseph and his brothers was not fully resolved in their minds.

Joseph's reaction? The end of verse 17, "And Joseph wept when they spoke to him." Why did he weep? I believe the best answer is that after seventeen years his brothers could not accept the fact that they were really forgiven. They had a genuine concern that Joseph was holding out until his father's death and then he would execute his revenge (similar to Esau in 22:41). Joseph wept because his love for them and the integrity of his words were questioned obviously for all seventeen of these years that they were together in Egypt! They assumed Joseph would have responded just like them. They assumed no one could forgive their heinous transgression. Joseph's heart is broken.

Verse 19, "But Joseph said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.' So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them" (Gen. 50:19-21).

Joseph's words are evidence that he chose the path of forgiveness because he trusted God's hand in all of this. As an undeserving sinner receiving God's grace, how could he not forgive those who had offended him?

It's great what we see here: First, Joseph, probably clearer than ever reveals his trust in the Lord's providence. "God always has good purposes in the suffering, and we are thankful to witness His goodness right here in keeping people alive." Second, since he trusted the Lord, we do not see the bitterness or vengeance that the brother's expected, but rather we see mercy and kindness and forgiveness. And third, Joseph's reply was not, "I'll get you back for the evil you brought upon me" nor was it a superficial smile, "No problem, everything's fine, don't worry about it." Often we err in one of these two extremes. It was a skillful and biblical response to the situation. "On the one hand, what you did was evil. It was wrong and it brought me tremendous grief. Yet on the other hand, I forgive you because I have been forgiven by God and I trust that He, even though this thing was evil, is always working in my life for good. Don't worry guys, you are forgiven, it's over and I will repay you only with good by providing for you and your families" (see Romans 12:17-21).

This is a message of God keeping His word. Not only were all the dreams fulfilled (Joseph, Baker, Cupbearer to Pharaoh), but when we turn to the next book we see how God will lead people out of Egypt and eventually to the Promised Land just as He promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

But what we do not see until much later is how God fulfilled His ultimate promise to crush the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). When will that Messiah come that resembled Joseph who also was loved by His Father and despised by His people and betrayed by those closest to Him? His life will also be one of continual suffering and misery like Joseph. His life will also be marked by forgiveness like Joseph. And He too would be exalted in the end like Joseph. But as Joseph came to save people from physical death, Jesus came to save us from our spiritual death, and that is something each one of us in this room needs more than anything else.

My unbelieving friend, let me be very blunt. You are a sinner and your life is separated from a holy God. Like Joseph's brothers, all the good deeds in the world can't make a difference. You simply need God's mercy. And that is what you have available in Jesus Christ. He died by taking your sin upon Himself so that you might be forgiven. Salvation is a message of grace, and it comes to those who receive Him in faith.

Perhaps you feel like Joseph's brothers and see yourself unworthy of this undeserved gift. We all are, but such an attitude is an insult to the living God. I'm sure it also breaks His heart when we also question His love and the integrity of His words.

Will you come to Him today simply on the basis of faith? And will you then know the eternal blessing that God is with you and that He loves you and that He is providentially working all things together for your good? In doing so you too can be filled with joy and peace, rising above your circumstances like Joseph, growing into a more Christlike individual, praising Him for His wonderful wisdom and goodness in Christ.