The Practical Redemption Of Man

The Life Of Joseph, Session #6- The Redemption Of A Man’s Family

Intro.

- We could easily call this session, “Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch…”

- I say that because our focus will return to the land of Canaan and the family of Jacob.

- 20 years have passed since we have had concentrated time with Joseph’s family. 13 years from slavery to Pharoah’s dreams and then 7 years of good land production.

- Now, in that 20^th year, we begin with the description of the common conditions.

• Genesis 41:57-42:5 : “So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands. 42:1 When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, ‘Why do you look at one another?’ And he said, ‘Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die.’ So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, ‘Lest some calamity befall him.’ And the sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.”

- The infamous 10 brothers are alive and well, suffering alongside every nation through a devastating famine.

- There was little choice but to go down to Egypt just to survive.

- The brothers came into town and came before their own brother Joseph, known to them as the Egyptian Supervisor of Food Distribution, Zaphnath-Paaneah.

- There they are before the very brother that they had cruelly treated 20 years earlier.

- Not realizing that they were fulfilling a dream, they bowed themselves before Joseph.

• Genesis 42:7,8 : “Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted as a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them. Then he said to them, ‘Where do you come from?’ And they said, ‘From the land of Canaan to buy food. So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.”

- From here, Joseph tests his brothers. He accuses them of being spies. They deny it, calling themselves “honest men.”

- Then in verse 13, they describe their family situation.

• Genesis 42:13 : “And they said, ‘Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.’”

- Joseph gets an idea: Let them bring his full brother Benjamin to Egypt! After a 3 day stay in prison, the boys are arguing among themselves.

• Genesis 42:21-24 : “Then they said to one another, ‘We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us.’ And Reuben answered them, saying, ‘Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us.’ But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter. And he turned himself away from them and wept. Then he returned to them again, and talked with them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.”

- On their way home, the 9 brothers found themselves intrigued as their money was found in the money sacks and the question of how God was dealing with them.

- They got back to Canaan and re-told the story to their Father.

- Jacob’s reaction was severe.

• Genesis 42:36-38 : “And Jacob their father said to them, ‘You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me.’ Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, ‘Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.’ But he said, ‘My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.’”

- This section of scripture is very instructive regarding the effects of sin. Our sin affects our relationship with God and the people around us.

- Sin never stays isolated.

- Let’s take a look at what this chapter presents to us.

- Let me suggest that there are 4 accompanying side affects of sin that are seen in this chapter.

I. The Presence Of Perpetual Regret

II. The Maintenance Of A Sin Life

III. The Anticipation Of God’s Retribution

IV. The Stumbling Of Fellow Believers

Text

I. The Presence Perpetual Regret

- Looking back to verse 1, Jacob cannot understand why the boys are not jumping out on the caravan to get some food for their families.

• Genesis 42:1 : “When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, ‘Why do you look at one another?’”

- Just hearing the word “Egypt” must have stopped them cold in their tracks, for they surmised that that was where Joseph, if he were alive, would be living a slave’s existence.

- Here, they will not jump at the chance, even with their own family’s survival at stake.

- Their actions haunted them daily. They knew that if Joseph was alive and miserable, that they did this to him. They were responsible. As a result, they are emotionally paralyzed.

- Regret eats at us when we have done a good thing that has not worked out. How much more when we have sinned and brought an ungodly thing into our lives.

- In this instance, I cannot help but think of Judas who regretted giving Jesus up for a slaves’ bounty. His regret led him to suicide.

- Our regret may not be that extreme, or lead us to that action, but the pleasures of sin are not worth whatever guilt it will produce.

II. The Maintenance Of A Sin Life

- One cannot just lie and then just be relieved. Sin must be maintained and renewed with sin adding to sin.

- Jacob’s children had to base their relationship with their Father on a living lie.

- Everytime Jacob talked with the boys, imagine how they were unable to have a functional conversation about the grief regarding Joseph’s loss.

- It’s not just in the family: Here we see them in Egypt carrying on their lie to Joseph’s face.

- Sin is constantly needing to be maintained.

- A great example of this is seen in the life of King David, who slept with Uriah’s wife Bath-Sheba, impregnating her. He tried to cover his tracks by bringing Uriah home from the war effort and getting him to sleep with his wife, but he would not, choosing instead to sleep outside because he was “on-duty.”

- The next night, David purposely got Uriah drunk so that in a drunken stupor, he would sleep with his wife. Ironically, a drunk foot soldier had more integrity than a sober King, as Uriah again slept outside.

- Finally, David sent Uriah to the frontlines of an intense battle, in order that he might be killed.

- After all that, he quickly took Bath-Sheba as his wife to fully cover up his activities.

- Sounds like a lot of work and a continual burden! But David did not get away with it.

• Psalm 32:1-4 : “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer.”

III. The Anticipation Of God’s Retribution

- This point is especially interesting, especially in light of Psalm 32:4. David said that “God’s hand was heavy” upon him. When one is living in sin, there is a lack of peace and there is a certain feeling of dread around every corner.

- The 10 sons of Israel certainly expressed this clearly when they spoke one with another in verses 21 and 22.

- “God is going to get us! We knew better and we still went ahead with our activity.”

- God does not want this for His people, but when we entertain or enter into a sinful activity, this is the certain outcome in our minds.

- The writer of Hebrews writes an ominous aside to this truth in Hebrews chapter 10.

• Hebrews 10:27-31 : “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

- Then look at verse 35.

• Hebrews 10:35 : “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.”

- Our confidence is in the blood and sacrifice of Christ. When we choose sin, to live in it as a rule, we forfeit that confidence and only have a sense of fear and dread.

IV. The Stumbling Of Fellow Believers

- Here is the final point and the one that is most grievous.

- Notice Jacob. He is over-protective, afraid to let Benjamin out of his sight.

- He lacks a confidence in God’s hand to protect and cover his family.

- He also displays a skewed perspective on life in general.

- Note again in verse 36. “All these things are against me.”

- There is no acknowledgment of what God would or could do. All he thinks about is the grief and there is no talk about God’s presence.

- Jacob is a shattered man because of his son’s activities. Joseph has suffered as well.

- Even though Joseph has risen to the highest rank in the land of Egypt, he is still at a loss.

- Here he is, almost 20 years removed from the initial offense, and he is still broken up over the loss of his life and family.

- He still weeps over these fellow brothers who had mistreated him so cruelly.

- Here is a man, at the top of his world, who still deals with the emotional wounds dealt to him from the sin of another.

Conclusion

- As we conclude, consider a few parting thoughts.

- I know that it might seem elementary, or basic to cover this concept.

- I answer that possible objection by saying that God found it important enough to preserve.

- Perhaps you might conclude that you are not being tempted right now and this is irrelevant information. My counseling room tells a different story!

- If you are not being tempted now, just remember that Satan looks for “opportune times” and one is likely around the corner.

- Finally, if you are or have been in sin, let me say that God is wanting to forgive and cleanse. His blood, His grace and His mercy are sufficient for those that confess their sins and repent of their actions. Let’s be men who live in that reality!