November 23, 2014
Scripture:
Scripture:
A day will come when we will be singing to the Lord Jesus. As I said before, Revelation 4 talks about creation and ch. 5 talks about redemption. We will still remember that creation once we are singing heaven. Read Psalm 136:1-9, 24-26.
Hymn 85 — Just as thou art, without one trace
Prayer
Let’s look at part of the story of Joseph this afternoon; he’s one of the most beautiful pictures of the Lord Jesus. At the point we’re going to jump in on the story, Joseph has been sold by his brothers, worked as a slave in Egypt, and interpreted the butler’s and baker’s dreams. The famine that the Lord—who knows past, present, and future—had given Pharaoh dreams about also has arrived. Joseph has been in Egypt for around 20 years—about half his life! It had been a long time before he was raised to power; just as it has been a long time that our Lord has been waiting in heaven to come back for us.
Joseph’s brothers had come to Egypt to buy food, but had found their money returned to them in their sacks—they had gotten the food free. Simeon had been held captive in Egypt, and Joseph had warned his brothers that they couldn’t see his face again unless they brought Benjamin down with them.
Genesis 43, 44
Egypt was the only place you could buy food during the famine, so that’s where Joseph’s brothers went. As mentioned, the first time they went their money was returned in their sacks. They told their father, Jacob, about this. Time passed and they began running out of food again. It took Jacob a long time to finally agree to let Benjamin go with his other brothers, though. He told them to take of the best of the land as a present for Joseph, and to take double money for the food.
Jacob will be in heaven, but here he’s an example of a natural man. He was trying to bribe Joseph, like those who try to work their way to heaven (without any certainty of doing so). God isn’t pleased with the works of man; we learn that from Cain’s story. Man can’t and won’t please God with his works. Jacob also saw the blessing of God as chance, or an “oversight”. There are no such thing as chance and luck! It doesn’t exist. God orders all that happens in our lives.
Once Jacob had his plan to bribe Joseph all in place, he said, “And the God Almighty give you mercy before the man.” If something in his plan fell through, then hopefully God would patch things up. Jacob also said, “If I’m bereaved of my children, I’m bereaved.” He had little faith and no certainty.
Joseph’s brothers took their gift down to him, but Joseph didn’t mention it. How could you give something to someone who has everything? Joseph was second under Pharaoh and had everything at his fingertips! He could buy anything he wanted! We can’t give the Lord anything that He doesn’t already have, either. He’s the Lord! There is something that He desires from us, though, and we’ll look at that later.
Joseph wanted to dine with his brothers, so he had them brought into his house. Acting as natural men again, they didn’t see the blessing of God in this. It was a blessing that Joseph wanted to eat with them. They saw it, though, as an opportunity for Joseph to seize them for servants. However, Joseph’s servant—who talked like a believer—was able to reassure and calm them. Joseph then came and asked about the welfare of his father. They told him that Jacob was well, and bowed before him. Joseph then saw Benjamin, the brother from his own mother, for the first time in twenty years. He was so overcome with emotion that he had to leave and weep before being able to have the meal.
This is what the Lord desires from us: communion. He wants to have communion with us, saved sinners. First, though, there is conscience work that has to be done. That’s what Joseph tried to do with his brothers by returning their money the first time. On this second visit, not only did he put their money back again, but he also put his silver cup in Benjamin’s sack.
Why? His brothers had tried to show him that they were honest men by bring the money back from their first visit, but Joseph wanted to know if they had really changed from the time they sold him into slavery and lied to their father. Would they do it again? Would they leave their youngest sibling when he was in trouble? They didn’t! When Benjamin was caught, every last brother packed up and went back to Egypt. It was Judah who led his brothers to sell Joseph into slavery; and yet he was the one who had taken responsibility for Benjamin, and who pled with Joseph for him. He had repented, and didn’t repeat what he had done to Joseph. Grace does strange things to bring us to repentance!
Joseph revealed himself to his brothers alone, just as the Lord met the man born blind alone, and the woman at the well alone. The woman at the well was in sin—an outcast of society, which is why she was drawing water in the heat of the day. Sin hurts, but the Lord wants to help us. That’s why Joseph ate with his brothers; he wanted to show the goodness of the Lord in wanting to help us. The Lord cares so much for us, and He alone can give true peace and joy. The world doesn’t give true peace and joy.
After Joseph revealed himself, his brothers couldn’t speak. Their lives were in his hands! They had sold him, and now he was second in command over Egypt! Even so, he wanted them to come near to him. He called them brothers, and still loved them. That’s like the Lord with the Jews. When Jesus comes back and reveals Himself to them, they will ask, “What are those wounds in your hands?” He will reply, “The wounds that I was wounded with in the house of my friends.” Yet He still loves them.
The Lord knows all of our past, and yet He still loves us. All our sins were present at the cross. We knew before then that our flesh loved evil, but at the cross we learn something worse. We learn that the flesh hates good. The Lord wants to change that in us; that’s why He died on that cross. There isn’t a person in the world that He doesn’t love and want to help. He wants to get to our consciences and bring us to repentance, just as Joseph did with his brothers. He wants each one of us to come near to Him, and have true joy and peace.
Hymn 333 – Come to the Saviour, make no delay
Prayer