Friday slowdown

A final thought for this week.... I know our studies have been lengthy, and I hope that you have waded through them and gotten some good from them!

As we studied this week, I kept thinking over and over that we believers are so blessed -- we can be so happy in this world, and then we will be happy in the next, as well! I've often said in conversation with other Christians, that I don't know how unbelievers can navigate this world without Him. I don't see how they do it! For unbelievers, bad things happen with no ultimate purpose. When the waves of circumstance and mistreatment by others threaten to capsize an unbeliever, what can they cling to? I can't imagine the fear they must feel.... on the other hand, as the waves rise around a believer, she or he has no fear. We may not know what will happen in the short run, but we are certain that in the long run, God's plan for our lives will be worked out perfectly.  We can have that perfect peace that casts out fear. We can be satisfied that "all is well."
As Christians, we firmly believe that all things work together for our good and for God's glory. Why? Because He has said it is so, and He is faithful!  We can confidently walk by faith and not by sight. We know that even if things are difficult to understand now, someday we will see all of the the links in the chains of circumstances; we'll see how God's providence led us each day. And one day, in heaven, we will bless the Lord for His wisdom in our lives.
I'm reminded of an old gospel song that is precious to many of us..... "We'll Understand it Better By and By:

Trials dark on every hand, and we cannot understand

All the ways that God would lead us to that blessed Promised Land.

But he’ll guide us with his eye, and we’ll follow till we die.

For we’ll understand it better by and by.

Paul called it "seeing through a glass darkly." He was referring to this sweet promise, that God knows what He is doing even when we don't.  We can be satisfied with God's purposes, His providence, and His plans for us.

Are we satisfied with God?

Purpose and providence, conclusion

This week, we've been dealing with some truths about how God can use the deeds of sinful people to accomplish His purposes. What some people call providence is actually all part of the plans that God has for us....

But how does knowing this help? We have this head knowledge; now what can we accomplish with this?
I believe that it can help us prepare for when trouble comes our way -- we will be ready and we won't buckle and fold under pressure. Our faith will be strong.
I believe that it's helpful to realize that our troubles don't happen by accident. It's really easy to allow our focus to be on the present, the now. If we do that, we are focused on people who have hurt us deeply, or people who we counted on and they let us down. Or the boss that fired us. Or perhaps people we trusted have actually stabbed us in the back, or someone we thought was godly has betrayed their faith and shattered our respect for them.
We could go on and on, right?
But as long as we focus on the people who have hurt us, or the circumstances that we face, we're actually doomed to remain in a dismal, miserable swamp of hurt feelings and depression.
Perhaps we need to remind ourselves that our enemies, as well as our all-too-human friends, are instruments in the hands of God. They are His way of correcting us and shaping us into the image of Jesus Christ. As far as our enemies are concerned, if they do not repent and seek His grace, they will face His judgment. As far as other believers are concerned, God knows how to discipline His children, and that includes those believers who take advantage of us or who mistreat us. The day will come when they will face the Lord. All those who misuse others will someday be called to account for it -- it may not be in this life, but in the life to come.
In the end, we will be made better; our faith will be made stronger; our reliance on the things of this world will be lessened. The Lord will be our strength and our portion. Think about it with me: can we say in the midst of our troubles, "Lord, I'm satisfied with You."?  When those hard times come, we can say confidently, " It is the Lord, let Him do what seems best to Him." After Job had lost virtually everything, he declared, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Let's pray that the Spirit will strengthen us, so that those words can be our testimony, too.

As we make application of what we've learned, let's remember this: we can see good where others can see only evil.  This may have been the biggest secret of Joseph's success -- he saw God everywhere. Joseph had such a profound sense of God's presence in his life that he understood that everything that happened was due to the hand of God working behind the scenes.  This is how he could tell his brothers, "It was not you but God that sent me to Egypt." Even the sin of Potiphar's wife and the false accusation, and the years in prison all related to God's purposes for Joseph's life.  I think that many times we may say "God was with me," but that doesn't tell the whole story.  I think what we have learned this week is that we can say, "God was in charge of the whole process." He is omniscient, and He even uses the deeds of evil people for His own purposes.
Let's make another distinction here.....it's not that the brothers sold him into slavery and THEN God intervened to bring about a good result. Everything that happened to Joseph was part of God's ultimate plan -- he was sent to Egypt to save the lives of his very own family, and the brothers who had betrayed him. This was God's plan from the beginning; this was a plan of a sovereign God! We can rest in the fact that while God will allow people to reveal the evil in their hearts, and use their sinful deeds, it is He Who knows the outcome. His purposes will be accomplished.

Another thing we can learn from this week's study is that we have a reason to forgive those who hurt us. You know, we all love happy endings. We like for villains to get their just reward, and for the good guys to get the girl, and all that good stuff. (Grin)
But not every story has a happy ending (at least not here on earth). If we believe our God is sovereign, we can forgive those who hurt us. Not saying we should forget. Nope.
Those memories are with us forever. But we can forgive even when we can't fully forget. We can choose not to dwell on the hurt and mistreatment. We can decide not to cling to the hurts of the past.

Lastly, we can have a new appreciation for God's wisdom in all things.
Do you like to work jigsaw puzzles? Our family has enjoyed many puzzles over the years. Sometimes to make the puzzle more challenging, we will put the box away, so we can't consult it to figure out where pieces go. It does make it more difficult!
In the same way, our lives may seem like giant jigsaw puzzles, and we can't find the box anywhere! We keep trying to figure out where our pieces go, and trying to figure out the big picture at the same time. No wonder it's a struggle! As the years pass, we pick up more pieces to the puzzle, and sometimes things that used to trouble us seem to fit into place. We gain a new appreciation for the wisdom of God; nothing is ever out of place or wasted.

We live this way by faith. We choose to believe that God is at work in everything that happens to us. Even when we look around and can't make sense of it right now, we know Who is in control. Faith like that is strong and honors God. And that is why Joseph's story is so important for us to study.

We'll finish up with a final thought tomorrow....

Purpose and providence, continued

This week, our studies have to do with God's purposes and His providence. We have noted that He can accomplish His will through the deeds of humans, even the evil ones. This is a deep and interesting subject, and I believe if we study this, we'll be better prepared to answer the questions of unbelievers.

First, let's look at the hearts of the people in Joseph's story. We can't see into people's hearts, but God can. And sometimes He will allow them to reveal what is in their hearts.....if we think about Joseph's brothers, we know that they were motivated by jealousy and resentment. They just couldn't abide with the thought that one day this pipsqueak of a little brother, an acknowledged favorite of their father (and recipient of that fancy coat) would rule over them! Those motivations were in their hearts, and God gave them a chance to reveal the envy that was there. As long as they were around Jacob, Joseph was safe. But when they were out gathering the flocks, Jacob couldn't see or hear them.... so when Joseph came to find them, their envy boiled to the surface. Jacob and Joseph may both have been unaware. It may have surprised, even shocked Joseph to discover the depth of his brothers' envy, when they proposed to let him die in the pit. However, God interposed (there's that word again!) and the Midianite caravan came along in the nick of time.
Others in Joseph's story reveal what is in their hearts, too. Potiphar's wife, the palace baker and cupbearer.... they all acted according to their own inclinations, but it was all in accordance with God's purpose and plan.
I guess the important thing to remember is that God didn't cause the brothers to envy.
God didn't cause Potiphar's wife to lust.

 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

The brothers and the woman did that on their own.....God simply gave them an opportunity to act out their evil thoughts. By doing that, He allowed them to reveal the evil that was already festering in their hearts.

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: (Matthew 15:19)

Second, God also permits Satan to prod them into evil deeds.... when we studied I Peter, we read that Satan prowls the earth like a roaring lion, seeking humans that he can destroy. But we must remember, even though he's a pretty powerful being, he can do nothing without God's permission.  In the book of Job, it is God Who tells the devil to consider His servant Job. Satan is not allowed to afflict Job beyond limits set by God. Yes, the devil is powerful, but it's God Who is omnipotent. Satan has great knowledge, but it is God Who is omniscient. Remember when Jesus told Peter that Satan had made a request?

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: (Luke 22:31)

Jesus is telling him that Satan had asked permission -- the devil could not tempt him to evil without God's permission. We know, then, that Satan operates within limits that are established by God. This is comforting, but it's also a warning!  It's comforting to know that our temptations are not random. They don't happen by chance, but they are permitted by our Father. Here's the warning -- God still holds us accountable for how we respond to those temptations. Years ago, a comedian got laughs by saying, "The devil made me do it!"
Actually, Satan may tempt us, but we do the sinning all by ourselves....

Thirdly, let's look at what some scholars call "restraining grace." This simply means that God doesn't let things get as bad as they can be. But when God removes His hand that is holding back the evil, then things fall apart pretty quickly! In Romans 1, Paul tells us that God exercises judgment sometimes on unbelievers by giving people over to further sin. Sometimes the harshest judgment is for God to do nothing at all. If people reject God, and despise His grace and mercy, they are left with nothing but His judgment.

So, God can and does use the deeds of evil men and women to further His plans and purpose in this world. The Magi (or the three wise men, whichever we like to call them) came to one of the most evil men in the world when they sought Christ. Herod the Great was not only evil to the core, but was also hugely paranoid. The Magi went to Bethlehem, and Herod continued to fret and fume about the "new king" that might just overthrow his rule. Herod's violent actions against the wee babes would be the impetus for Joseph and Mary's quick departure into Egypt, and that would not only ensure Jesus' safety, but fulfill Scripture:

When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. (Matthew 2:14-15)

Years later, the events surrounding Jesus Christ's death were not random or happenstance, either. It wasn't an afterthought; it was all in God's plan. But His death did take place at the hands of sinful, lawless men who stand guilty before the Lord (check Acts 2:23).
Even though it may be difficult for us to see, and hard for us to understand, God used the wicked deeds of wicked men to bring salvation to the world.

Let's study this more tomorrow......

Prayer requests

I hope no one minds, but I'd like to request prayer today. My hubby of forty-plus years will be undergoing surgery today, and I'd appreciate any one who has time to offer up a prayer for him, and for the wisdom of the surgeon. It's not a life-threatening procedure, but as they say, many things can happen when humans, anesthesia, and doctors are involved. (Grin)

If our study posts are late for the next few days, please bear with me; I will get our studies up here as best I can. I appreciate all of you who study here, and I wish God's blessings for each of you.

If you have a prayer request or a praise, please feel free to leave a comment so that everyone can pray and rejoice along with you!

Purpose and providence

More than once in our studies of Joseph so far, we've referred to "providence," and to God's purposes and His ways of accomplishing His will. But we've really just skipped across the top of that subject like a stone released from my hand, skipping across a placid pond. Let's dig deeper, shall we? I think this is a subject that perhaps we may sometimes shrug off, "Well, I trust God and have faith in Him to work out His purposes, and to accomplish what He wants my life to be."

All very, very true.
But can we truly speak of this with certainty? Can we defend our faith? I believe it's important to have the faith "of a child," but it's also important to be able to stand up for our convictions and defend them, too!
So this week, let's look at this and see what we can learn.
With me so far?
Let's dive in!

Many of us are dealing with some large obstacles or issues in our lives. When we are going through ordeals, when we are unfairly attacked, when we're lied about.....when our spouse abandons us, when our reputation is smeared, when our friends throw up their hands and walk away..... when our financial underpinnings are torn away, when we lose our job, when someone near and dear to us dies..... even as believers, it is hard for us to handle.

It may appear impossible that these things could accomplish anything good.

But they can.
The key word in that sentence up there was "appear." We see far less than what God sees.
Yes, the negative circumstances and the treachery are all due to the work of the devil and the sin of humans.  But the good that may come from these is not planned by the hand of men and women; the good that can come out of these bad things is not apparent in advance, and is not seen at all except by people of faith.
So here's our question, and it's one that unbelievers and Christians alike have asked at some point in their lives: how can God bring good out of evil?
Haven't you been asked this before?  "Why did God let that happen?" "It's mean, it's unfair, it's evil."

How can God bring good out of evil? Several commentaries that I read used the word "interpose." They mentioned that God interposes in every situation, so that he is able to bring good out of the worst that can happen in this world.

                       interpose -- to place between, to intercede, intervene. To come between other things, to assume an intervening position.

Not a word that we use too often, but I think in this sense, when we are talking about God turning evil to His good purpose, it means that God actively engages and involves Himself in the worst moments of our lives.
Wow. That's quite a thought, is it not? I actually want to see that again: God actively engages and involves Himself in the worst moments of our lives. Quite frankly, when I look at some of the heartache and evil in this world, I simply can't understand what it means for God to "interpose" in those situations. But that is because my human mind isn't capable of understanding some things:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,    so are my ways higher than your ways    and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)

But we can rest assured that God, in His wisdom, knows exactly what He is doing. Isn't it comforting to know that in this world full of cruelty and sin, our God is not passive. He doesn't just "wind up the clock" as the deists used to say, and then walk away. Instead of just being an observer, our God works behind the scenes to bring about results that are for our good as His children, and are good also for His glory.

Thinking along those lines, let's look back at Joseph..... He had been envied, hated, betrayed, sold, accused falsely, and imprisoned unjustly. In Genesis 45, we see him send the Egyptian servants away as he reveals himself to his brothers -- they're terrified to meet the brother they sold into slavery more than twenty years ago!
He has them in his grasp.
He can order them killed. Or tortured. Or thrown into (or under) the jail. Or anything else he desires to have done to them..... and if anyone had a "right" (be careful, this is purely human thinking here) to be bitter, it was Joseph. It must have been awfully tempting to get even.
But this is what we read in Genesis:

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! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping.7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.9 Now hurry back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay." (Genesis 45:4-9)

Wow.
God sent me here.
The very thing used against him (their betrayal and their having sold him into slavery) results in his exaltation to second in command in Egypt; what they did results in his being able to save the brothers who betrayed him. "It was not you who sent me here, but God." What a man of faith! He mentions God five times in just six verses -- I guess he didn't want his brothers to miss the point!
He's saying, yes, I know what you did. I haven't forgotten your treachery. You wanted to hurt me, but God allowed it to happen so that I would end up a ruler in Egypt at the exact moment when you needed help -- and I would be here to save you and your descendants."
Joseph's perception of God was so great that it made the sin of his brothers look small.

Joseph's words are pretty amazing. This week let's examine this question: how does a holy God sometimes accomplish His plans for us through the deeds of evil people?

Friday slowdown

Truly we have been set free!

Joy, joy, unspeakable joy
Hope like never before
You came for us
You are our freedom

Love, love, unshakeable love
We shall overcome, we will never give up
We lift a shout, we lift a shout
Everyone singing

Come on, come on now, we've got a new song
Come on, come on now, a song of liberty
Let the world hear heaven's melody
This is the shout of the hearts You've set free

True, true, we know it's true
We stand now, risen with You
You lifted us
You are our freedom

Strong, strong, whatever may come
You have already won
We lift a shout, we lift a shout
Everyone singing

And we'll dance, dance
Dance in Your freedom
Oh, Your glorious freedom
Forevermore, forevermore

The truth can set us free

Wow! Joseph has just revealed his identity to his brothers!
Ummmm, what would YOU say if you were one of them? (Grin)
"Hey, bro, no hard feelings?"
"Great to see you!"
"We're cool, right?"
Here is the most amazing part of this story..... no hard feelings. No recounting of their misdeeds. No threats. No "I'll get even with you now!"
He lets them off the hook!
Completely.
He says five things to his brothers, who we can imagine are thunderstruck, unable to move or speak, perhaps cowering before him....
First, in verse 4, he tells them to "come near." Again, can you imagine? They are probably trying to see who can work their way to the back of the crowd, like the way some peeps like to sit at the very back of the church. No, you get up close, I'm standing right here! They really can't believe that he's going to be nice!
Secondly, he says who he is: "I am Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt." He holds up what they did, like a garment in a bazaar -- he's quite willing to look at what they did, and he's not going to deny it.
Third, (and this should have been quite a relief to them) he tells them not to be distressed or angry with themselves for their crimes. Then, the fourth thing he tells them is "God sent me before you to preserve life." He has an amazing perspective on the situation, right? He goes on to tell them about the years of famine, and how God worked to preserve their family.
The fifth thing he tells them is to hurry up! Go get Dad and tell him that I'm alive, and bring him here! In fact, bring the whole family! I have a great place picked out!

The next passage is so special. We all know that children want to know that their dad is proud of them:

Now hurry back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay. 10 You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. 11 I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’
12 “You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. 13 Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.” (Genesis 45:9-13)

At the end of the day, the prime minister of Egypt, with all his finery and wealth and authority, was still his father's son. Every child wants to know, "Are you proud of me?" After all of the pain, the sorrow, the sadness, the waiting, and then after rising to the peak of Egyptian society, the number one priority for Joseph was to know his dad was proud of him.
So, he says, "Hurry, hurry."
Then, finally, the brothers reunite -- group hug!! Lots of happy tears and hugs and pats on the back, I'm sure. Notice that the Word tells us all the brothers were greeted and forgiven. What they had done was far beyond the pale, but he forgave them. This is a picture for us of the love and forgiveness of our Savior, Jesus Christ. And we also see that his love overcame their shame. It says they talked with him. A simple phrase. But it speaks volumes; they were restored, and they could really talk together. Perhaps now was the first time they'd ever really been a family.

Oh boy.
Now it's time to face their father....
The rest of Genesis 45 is the tale of their journey back to Canaan, and their telling Jacob that his son, Joseph, is really alive. (He nearly dies on the spot. Seriously.)

So they went up from Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father, 26 and they said to him, “Joseph is still alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” But Jacob was stunned and his heart almost stopped beating, because he did not believe them. 27 When they told him everything that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel (Jacob) said, “It is enough! Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.” (Genesis 45:25-28)

How incredible it must have sounded to the old man. Not only is Joseph alive, but he is the ruler of all the land of Egypt -- second only to the Pharaoh.  No wonder he nearly had a heart attack. For over twenty years he had thought his beloved son was dead. First he would be shocked, I'm sure. How long do you think it took him to start asking some hard questions?
"What really happened that day?"
"How could you have sold your own brother as a slave?"
"Why did you lie to me?"
The Bible doesn't tell us how they answered him.... "Well, you see, Dad, we um, well, um, we were mad at him, and so we threw him in a pit. but we weren't really going to kill him. We just wanted to scare him." (although that's not the truth) "Yeah, Dad, then the traders came along and they offered to buy him. And we're really sorry about that beautiful coat being dipped in blood. We shouldn't have lied to you like that."
Oy vey.
No matter how they told it, no matter how they tried to make it sound a little better, there was no acceptable explanation. Nothing that would cover up their hatred, their envy, their treachery. But maybe Jacob was so overjoyed that he was willing to overlook all their lies, because the last verse shows Jacob rejoicing, and preparing to go and see his son. I can imagine him leaning on his staff, directing all of the packing, beaming with joy that soon he would see Joseph.
The rest of Genesis tells us that Jacob did move to Egypt and was reunited with his son. His family prospers in Goshen, and Jacob dies at the age of 147 with his family gathered around him.

It took a long time, as far as we humans are concerned, but God accomplished his purposes for Joseph and his family. There will be four hundred years that pass, and the Jews will live in Egypt: they will prosper at first, and then be slaves under a Pharaoh that knew nothing much about Joseph. Then years later, a leader named Moses will lead them out. Almost 1800 years after that, a baby will be born Who will be called the Lion of the tribe of Judah. We know Him personally. His name is Jesus.

The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son (descendant) of David, the son (descendant) of Abraham:2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers [who became the twelve tribes of Israel]. (Matthew 1:1-2)

Hey! That's not fair! Joseph is the hero of this story, and he doesn't get mentioned. He's just one of the brothers of Judah. I mean, come on, we've studied Judah before, and he doesn't have the squeaky-clean past that we might think was necessary in this genealogy. Well, he DID save Joseph's life by suggesting that they sell him.... but then there's that whole thing with Tamar, right? Hmmmm, come to think of it, it WAS Judah that made the impassioned speech and pleaded for Benjamin..... that was the final proof for Joseph that his brothers had truly repented.
I guess if we are thinking in our own human ways, it does make more sense for the Messiah to come from the line of Joseph. But perhaps that shows just how different our thinking is from our Father's way -- and it shows how little we understand the grace of God. Jesus has as an ancestor, a very fallible, flawed man who was capable of both great cruelty and great compassion. Ohhhhhh. In other words, he is just like most of us.
So, when God writes the story, He puts Jesus in Judah's family tree.
We talked weeks ago about how much Joseph understood at the time all this was happening. How much did he already know? Not a bit.
But God knew, and saw, and planned it all.
God used Joseph to bring about healing of a family. Brothers were set free from sin and guilt. A father was restored to his son. Ultimately, all of this would result in a Savior being born in a tiny town called Bethlehem.

All of us need to be set free just like Joseph's brothers were set free. If we are willing to face the truth about our sins, and if we are willing to confess them and repent, then we can give up our anger and excuses and love one another.
Do we want to be set free?
Can we look back at a point in our life, and point to that as the time we were set free?
Dear Lord, thank you that we don't have to be perfect to come to you.....and thank you for the truth that sets us free. Now let us learn from you to love others as you have loved us!

Amen!

Facing the truth about ourselves, continued

Did you read those two chapters? 44 and 45? Let's go!
The banquet is over.
It's time for the brothers to go back to Canaan. (You know, they still don't know it's Joseph.)
Before they leave, Joseph tells his steward to hide a silver cup in Benjamin's bag. They're not gone very long before the steward catches up with them and accuses them of stealing the fancy goblet.
All sorts of denials ensue, with the promise that if any of them are found to have the cup, that brother will die.
Well, the steward checks all their bags and finds it right where he hid it -- in Benjamin's bag.
Now, understand this -- it is not Joseph's intention to have his brother killed. He wants to find out if they will abandon Benjamin, the same way they callously abandoned him. Had they changed?

Imagine how terrified the brothers were..... what a happy banquet, and what an awesome party! What was going to happen when they got back to Joseph's house? Would they all be thrown in jail? Or be killed?
My grandma used to say, "Truth will out." And we see that here..... it comes from the mouth of Judah. He is speaking for all of the brothers and he admits their guilt:

  “What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants’ guilt." (Genesis 44:16a)

This is what Joseph has been waiting for -- not just confession of guilt, but also an acknowledgement of almighty God. Secret sins have a way of festering on the inside of us. Not to be gross here, but there are bacteria that grow easily without any oxygen - anaerobic, they're called. They grow and multiply in dark and hidden spaces. That's the way that sin does. Without the oxygen of confession, sin grows and makes us sick. At some point, we have to "come clean" if we want to get better..... if we want to be free. These brothers have been sin-sick and guilty for a long time; they've been in bondage and fear of being discovered for many years.

We'll see now that even though it's Judah that makes quite a speech, all of the brothers have repented. Judah pleads that they have Joseph's approval to take Benjamin back home to Canaan. Back home to the old man who eagerly awaits his sons' return. And at the end of the speech, Judah offers himself as a replacement for Benjamin.

 “Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers." Genesis 44:33)

Now we see loyalty. Twenty years ago, the brothers would have abandoned Benjamin and waltzed home to Canaan, leaving the youngest as a slave in Egypt. All is changed by confession and repentance. They won't leave Benjamin; they won't abandon him. They're a true family now. Why? Grace has worked in their hearts, and they are about to be set free!
Joseph doesn't need to hear any more. The time has come that he had hoped for -- reconciliation. He could now reveal his true identity.

Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.
3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence. (Genesis 45:1-3)

(The Amplified Bible translates that "dismayed at his presence.")
Dismayed?
How about shocked?
Other translations use "stunned" and "terrified."
Let's stop and think.....what would it take to convince us that someone we thought was dead, was actually alive?
The last time they saw him was more than twenty years ago when they sold him to the caravan. Now he's not just alive and well, he's the prime minister of Egypt!

What could the brothers say?

Verses that inspire

Yesterday, we quoted a verse in the gospel of John:

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

What exactly does it mean?
I suppose in academia, that phrase could mean promoting the power of education and learning. The desire to have academic freedom. But Jesus wasn't talking about classroom learning.
At that point in history, the people listening to Jesus speak were under the rule of the Roman government. They had a huge amount of autonomy, but they still were aware every day of who was in control -- the presence of soldiers, governors, and more from the Roman culture was enough to keep it firmly in their minds that they were not a free people.
But in actuality, Jesus was not talking about political freedom, either (even though the next verses show us that is how the Jewish people interpreted his words).

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin." (John 8:34)

Being a slave to sin is the "ultimate" bondage. The freedom that Jesus offers to us is a spiritual freedom from the slavery of sin; we can be released from the sinful lifestyle, the habitual lawlessness and the ignoring of God's Word that human beings find themselves trapped in.  Jesus went on to note that the people may have had a biological relationship with Abraham, but that they were not members of God's family, because they were slaves to sin. He pointed out that if they were followers of Him, they would know the truth about their sin, and about Christ, and they would be freed from their bondage and brought into the family of God.
Oh, how casually we can read that! How nonchalantly we can think on it!
But how totally awesome it is!
Knowing the Truth will set us at liberty...... free from sin, from condemnation, and free from death!

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:22-23)

Peter's words that we studied earlier this year come to my mind:

For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. (I Peter 2:15-17)

Thank you, Lord, for setting us free!
These verses inspired me.....won't you leave a comment and share a verse or passage that has inspired you?

Facing the truth about ourselves

Last week, we studied "facing our past." We saw that our conscience, a very valuable part of us, can guide us or be ignored. Then, if we ignore it long enough, it may take some work by the Spirit of God to awaken it!

Once it is awakened, as in the case of Joseph's brothers, it may be necessary to really look at ourselves, and that may be painful.........

It's a trait that most human beings share: we have a problem sometimes, looking at ourselves honestly. Telling the truth about ourselves is pretty difficult sometimes.  Many of us will do whatever we can, to keep from facing the truth. We'd rather play games than look at ourselves the way in which our Father God looks at us. We'll pretend; we'll make things sound more palatable; we will hold on to our anger, our self-importance, our self-will. It's never, ever, easy to look honestly at our failures -- having had some epic fails, I know this is true.

God is Truth. He does not lie, and in fact, no liar can stay in His presence.

 . . . and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. (Revelation 21:8b)

The hardest truth we will ever face is to look in the mirror and be honest about ourselves. It takes courage. That is what the brothers will learn in this week's chapters.
It's said that today eighteen percent of the population is undergoing therapy at any given time. Many of them meet each week and pour out their hearts and their pain to trusted counselors.  Articles and blogs discuss the need for complete honesty about oneself, in order to achieve the best and most positive outcomes. It's hard. It's painful. But it is so necessary.
Being honest about ourselves means being ready to accept and talk about our failures. At first, that can be excruciatingly painful. It's also scary! To say that it can be difficult is an understatement.
But it's the people who swallow their fear, hold on to the support from a loved one, endure the pain, and walk that hard road of truth -- it's those people who get better. The hardest part is deciding to be honest with ourselves; the rest of the road will be a lot less bumpy.

Some counselors are Christians, and some of them will encourage their clients with this verse:

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

I read a sermon where someone had added a phrase: "but it will hurt, first." Perhaps this is why some people aren't able to get better.... perhaps they are unwilling or frightened about how the truth will hurt.  It can be easier to avoid the truth because it may be too painful to bear.
It's not like we have a shortage of truth. We have books of encouragement, coping strategies, comfort, and more, from believer-authors and nonbelievers, too. We can go to seminars; we can listen to podcasts; more importantly, we can search God's Word. But our fear may make us put up barriers in our hearts and souls, to deflect the truth and send it packing. We may react angrily to those who seek to gently help us.
Perhaps that is why we are angry. Stubborn. Bitter. Greedy. Depressed. Self-harming. In the midst of all the pain of living in this world, if we can accept the pain of looking at ourselves honestly, the truth can indeed set us free. (Seriously, there have been some major blunders in my own life that have caused lingering effects.... looking at them honestly and admitting my mistakes has been so painful, but it's the only way I've been able to deal with all of it, ask people for forgiveness, and daily ask the Spirit to help me go on.)

So here is the scene when we left Joseph and his brothers -- they had all gathered at Joseph's house at the grand banquet hall. It was the first time in twenty years that all twelve of them had been together. The Bible tells us that they were celebrating and making merry; they'd had some drinks and were relaxed with their host......
But they still had no clue who he was.
Joseph is standing before them, and behind Joseph is the God Who has orchestrated it all to bring them to this moment. The truth is about to set them free -- but it's going to hurt, first.

For this week's study, please join me in re-reading the 44th and 45th chapters of Genesis.

Friday slowdown

Are we in Joseph's shoes today?

Are we perhaps in his brothers' shoes?

Our past and our future are both in God's hands...... I can't think of a better place for them to be! Lord, I place them in your strong hands and I raise my empty hands toward you.... fill me with your Spirit and your strength!

Abba Father!!

Facing our past

We can see as we study this week that little by little, God is awakening the consciences of Joseph's brothers. It's not easy to face our past - and sometimes it is quite painful...

Remember when Jesus told the story about a young man who demanded his inheritance from his dad? Off he went to a country far away and spent his fortune on "wine, women, and song." As long as he had money, he had lots of buddies, but when the money was gone, he discovered his friends were gone, too. In this story, just as in the story of Joseph and his brothers, it was a famine that caused him to be in dire need. Even today, God can use the "famines" of life to bring us to our senses, or to make us face our past.
The young man in Jesus' story found himself alone.
No friends.
No home.
No money.
Only job he could get was feeding another farmer's hogs, and sharing their food. (Ugh)
Quite a come-down, eh?
In Luke 15, Jesus says that the young man "came to his senses." We don't know how long it took.....only that his suffering finally brought him around. The famine showed him the folly of his ways.
Isn't that the way, for some peeps?
The expression my grandma used to use was "he/she had to learn the hard way." And indeed, it does seem that some people can ONLY learn that way! But I guess that anything that brings us to our senses must be for our own good! (I see some of you nodding, here.)
We might wonder why it took such a long time for the brothers to come to their senses. I think the answer lies in God's timing.
If the brothers had come to their senses while Joseph was in prison, it wouldn't have made any difference, I don't think. Joseph was needed as the PM with a plan when the good years and the famine years came. When the right moment came, and they were in dire straights, that was different. They came to a totally different country and threw themselves on the mercy of the leader, hoping that he would give them grain for the money they brought with them.
When the right moment came, their memories were stirred....they heard once again the cries of their younger brother in the pit. There was no escaping what they'd done twenty years earlier. We can see that God moved in the events of the day, to orchestrate just the right atmosphere, opportunity, and timing for their consciences to be awakened.
I don't believe they were ready before now, to face the consequences of their sins. Sometimes in our efforts to help people, we may intervene too soon. Think about it: one day before the prodigal "came to his senses," he was not ready to come home. We might have looked at him and the situation he found himself in and thought, "Yup. He's definitely ready." But it's possible that if the father in the story had gone after his son, and tried to bring him back early, the son might have resisted. It might be that he would protest and tell his dad that he was getting ready to make his big comeback, investing in pork bellies. Or that he was going to make a fortune on a new feed for hogs that he'd developed.....
We may smile at this example, but just because we think someone has hit rock bottom, doesn't mean they have. They may still be planning their comeback in their own strength. It has to happen to every prodigal; it can't be forced (or predicted, either).
Repentance is the work of God in a human heart. As long as their lying and scheming (and deceiving themselves) continues, the best thing that we can do is to pray for God's Spirit to bring them to their senses, and to wait patiently until that happens.

That leaves us with two final applications from these chapters, for our own lives.
We may, like Joseph, have been the victim of mistreatment at someone else's hands. We may have been betrayed. We might have been abused. Perhaps we were falsely accused. What can we do to awaken the guilty conscience of our tormentors?
In a word, nothing.
Sorry.
That's for God to do, and only He can do it! We can't force someone to repent. Only God can bring that person "to their senses."
If we are like Joseph, we must simply do as he did; he served the Lord where he was, and did a great job at his tasks. He waited on the Lord. He gave God time to deal with those who had hurt him. And we can do these things, too. We can let go of the past and move forward with God's help.
Secondly, if we are like Joseph's brothers, and are burdened with a guilty conscience, we can grab hold of God's promise to make us white as snow, even if our sins are as red as scarlet. We should run, not walk, to the cross and claim the blood of our Savior Who died for us. The door of heaven is open, and we'll not be turned away!

Back to our story......back at the banquet hall, we're about to see the final act.
They still don't know Joseph is alive.
They have no clue that he is standing in front of them.
Is this going to be a happy family reunion, or will it be a mass heart attack?

We'll see......

Facing our past

We began this week by asking everyone to re-read the chapters in Genesis -- chapters 42-43. I hope you've done that, and we are ready to roll!
(Hang in there, this may be lengthy today!)
Some people read these two chapters and they get all in a swivet, as my grandma used to say....they focus on the fact that Joseph is not being honest with his brothers for the moment. They feel like he should have identified himself immediately to them. Why didn't he? Why didn't he just give them the food and send them away? Or perhaps tell them, "Hey! Good to see you again -- oh, by the way, I'm not a slave anymore. I'm the number two dude here in Egypt."
Are we wondering why the subterfuge?
I think that Joseph was interested in more than just their physical needs: he wanted to see if there could be true reconciliation.  Looks to me like in all the years in Egypt, and throughout his rise to power, he didn't stop thinking about his elderly dad, and he never disowned his brothers. They were still his family. I think we can see that deep down, even though he dressed like an Egyptian, and talked like one (talked to his brothers through an interpreter), he really wasn't an Egyptian. He was still the son of Jacob. He still longed to be part of the family he'd been torn away from. That couldn't really happen if he just loaded up their animals with food and slapped the donkeys on the rump and said "Bye now!"
There were questions that Joseph needed answers for..... did his brothers still hate him? Had they ever repented of their treachery and betrayal? Would they even want him in the family again? Pretty hard questions. So, to get honest answers, Joseph takes the difficult road of concealing his own identity.
In Genesis 42 and 43, we have a series of tests for the brothers. We shall see if their consciences are awake, or if they are still seared and sleeping.....

Wonder how the brothers looked when Jacob told them to go to Egypt to buy food? I bet there were some nudges on shins and some glances between them. That was where they'd sent their brother, all those years ago -- that was the last place they wanted to travel to!
Did you notice how things progressed in our two chapters?
The famine and the loss of their prosperity stripped them of their self-sufficiency. Harsh treatment brought to their minds the way they'd treated Joseph. The three days in jail reminded them of the pit they'd thrown him into. Simeon being bound and left in Egypt reminds them of how their family was divided. Joseph's demand for them to bring Benjamin is a test of their honesty -- they've spent years lying about their sin! The returned money forces them to admit to each other that they are truly guilty.
There's a truly significant turning point in the lives of the brothers, once they have spent three days in the Egyptian prison (did you wonder, as I did, if it was the same one that Joseph had lived in?).

They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come on us.” (Genesis 42:21)

This is important! They have made the first step on the road to repentance! During their three days in prison, the Spirit of God has nudged them to remember.... did you notice what they recalled?
Not that they had hated him. But they did.
Not that they'd plotted against him. They did that, too.
Not just that they betrayed him. Oh, they did that, indeed.
And not just that they threw him in the pit.
They recalled his screams and cries from the pit, as they callously joked and ate their meal. In spite of their seared consciences, nothing had been able to erase that memory. God has connected their past sin with their present situation. The first step is to stop blaming others, and admit that we are wrong.

The second significant step is when they discover the silver in the sacks on the way home. Joseph had secretly put the silver that was designated to pay for the grain, into the grain sacks -- this made it look as if they had stolen the whole kit and kaboodle.

 “My silver has been returned,” he said to his brothers. “Here it is in my sack.”Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, “What is this that God has done to us?” (Genesis 42:28)

This is amazing, but perhaps not for the reason we first think: this is the first time that we see the brothers mention God's name. All the while that they did their past misdeeds, God was relegated to the sidelines. They didn't have to think about Him there. Now they have to admit the truth..... they admit their sin, and they see God's hand at work.
That whole, tangled up, evil web of lies has not been erased. It's been lying in their hearts like the edge of a super-sharp knife, ready to cut if they allow themselves to think about it. And now the Spirit of God has kinda tapped on their shoulders and said, "Remember?" So, they realize that God is bringing their sin to light.

It's hard sometimes for us to be honest with God, isn't it? And it's hard to be honest with others. For many of us, it's a constant battle to be transparent in all our dealings. Why? Because when we have sinned, we want to cover it up! It's difficult to say, "I am guilty," or "I was wrong." Many times we act just like these brothers and try to cover up our sin, and then stifle our conscience. But we will have an awakening, just as these brothers are....
The sons of Jacob have passed their first test -- they've admitted what they have done, and the Holy Spirit is telling them that what happened twenty years ago is connected to what's happening to them today. So, they go back to Jacob and tell him that they must take Benjamin back to Egypt with them. Of course, he resists.

Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more,and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!” (Genesis 42:36)

He believes Joseph is dead. He knows they left Simeon in prison in Egypt. He doesn't want to lose Benjamin, too. The ruse is working.....no one has a clue that the man in Egypt is Joseph. So they head back to Egypt, with Benjamin in tow -- all of them fearful of what may happen.
When they arrive, nothing makes sense. There's a grand banquet being prepared in the palace. Simeon is released from prison. Joseph walks into the grand hall, and then leaves -- seeing his little brother Benjamin overwhelms him with emotion, and he leaves in order to compose himself.

Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there.31 After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself,said, “Serve the food.” Genesis 43:30-31)

Then the banquet begins; how strange, as they go to the table.....their places are around the table, arranged in their precise birth order! How could any Egyptian know that?
And then one thing more: when the food is brought out, little brother Benjamin receives five times as much as the others (because he was Joseph's only full brother).  It's a TEST! Will they allow others to be blessed more than themselves? It was the old green monster of jealousy that started this whole story! Back then, envy caused them to turn against Joseph. But now they rejoice because Simeon is out of prison, and they are all together. It doesn't matter if Benjamin gets more, because everyone has plenty.....

We'll finish our study of this chapter tomorrow.