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10-Genesis-C42^44-Joseph_s_Brothers_repent.docx|
Genesis 42:1-44:34 Key Verse 44:33 Joseph’s Brothers Repent “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.” God created the heaven and earth (Gen 1:1). God shaped man and woman in his own image (Gen 1:27). He built personal relationship with them. But they broke such special tie by committing a sin. God is love (1Jh 4:7). But God cannot ignore sin, because he is God of the righteousness. He had to judge and destroy sinful man and woman. He did not do however. The decision of God is opening a way for them to repent. In many aspects, Joseph bears the love of God and the image of Christ. In today story, we can see how God use the love of Joseph to save his family. Part 1. Joseph remembers his dreams (42:1-38) The famine of Egypt extended into Canaan, and Jacob’s family suffered from. Jacob heard that the Egypt government stocked grains, so Jacob sent ten sons to buy those foodstuffs. But he excluded youngest son Benjamin from the journey team. Jacob had not forgotten the painful memory about losing Joseph because of the brothers’ fault. Joseph, the governor, sold grains to every national coming to Egypt. When ten brothers are ushered into his presence, Joseph recognized who they are at the first sight. His heart must have been flooded with all kinds of emotions. They bowed down as observing royal decorum before him. Joseph remembered the dreams of his young days (37:5, 9). His dream told him that the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to his presence. But, due to that dream, his brothers sold out him as a slave to strange nation. How angry and upset he might have felt when facing them. During all those years, they paid even no attention to how Joseph suffered because of themselves. It might be a good time to take revenge on them for Joseph. However, he understood the meaning of his dream God finally fulfilled. Joseph realized that his life had a great purpose and that everything that had happened to him was a part of God’s sovereign plan. When his brothers bowed before him he did not use the moment to exult in his victory; he remembered the faithfulness of God and sought God’s will. He realized that God had sent him to Egypt for a purpose, and that purpose was becoming clear. God wanted to use him not only to save physically his family from starvation, but he also wanted to use Joseph to redeem his brothers spiritually. Joseph did not reveal himself, and the brothers did not recognize who governor is. He spoke harshly to them and accused them of being spies. He leveraged them to tell about his father and younger brother, Benjamin. Because of their suspiciousness, the brothers were put in a jail and kept there for three days. Joseph would give new opportunity to prove that what they had said was true, only if their youngest brother came to Egypt. He released all of them except Simeon for being held as hostage. It is unlikely to be harassment for his own pleasure. It is because he frequently felt real pain and he turned aside and wept, suffering with them. Joseph was leading his bothers step by step to repent of their sins. Look at 42:21. “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 upon us.’” They confessed to one another the evilness of their deed. This was a giant step toward true repentance. Their guilty consciousness led them interpret even the good things that he did for them in a negative way. When they discovered the money Joseph gave secretly in the grain sacks, they got greatly terrified. Look at 42:28. “‘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?’” Fear of God came into their hearts. When they returned home with the grain and reported to their father all that had happened, and he was distressed. When they emptied their sacks and found that all of their money—not just the money in one sack—had been returned they were really upset, and very frightened. Jacob would not agree to send Benjamin back—even though Simeon was a hostage and they needed gain in order to survive. Part 2. Judah’s great change (43:1-44:34) The famine was very severe. All the grain the journey team brought from Egypt reached to the bottom. Jacob, finally, suggested that they go back to Egypt once more. It is because that it was the matter of life of death. But the brother could not turn back without Benjamin whom Jacob grudged. At this time, Judah came forward. See 43:8, 9. “Then Judah said to Israel his father, ‘Send the boy along with me and we will go at one so that we and you and our children may live and not die. I myself will guarantee his safety. You can hold me personally responsible for him.” Jacob unavoidably decided to send Benjamin with them. He was afraid that the misery of Joseph would happen again. He gave a double amount of money and gifts and relied on the grace of God. When the brother journey team arrived in Egypt they were invited to Joseph’s house for lunch. This luncheon invitation terrified them. They had been anxious about the silvers discovered in sacks. But Joseph’s steward assured them that he did not want their silver. He said, “Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you your treasure in your sacks; I received your silver.” Then he restored Simeon to them. What a grace! But when guilt and fear occupy a person’s heart, even the kindnesses of others seem to be harassment. When they sat down to eat, they were truly mystified, for they were seated in the order to their age from the firstborn to the youngest. It is miraculous that the prime minister of all Egypt knew so much about Jacob’s family. “They looked at each other in astonishment (43:33).” Joseph wanted to have them served with royal food from his own table. Benjamin was specially treated as given 5 times more than anyone else. Perhaps Joseph thought that Benjamin as much as the brother had hated him in his youth. They were very hungry, so the feasted and drank freely with Joseph. There was one final and climatic event. Joseph sent his brothers home laden with grain, but he had his own special silver cup placed in Benjamin’s grain sack. Then he sent his steward after them. They were stopped and searched and there was Joseph’s cup in Benjamin’s sack. There were 2 options: Just leave the guilty man and go home; or go back to the city and take responsibility with him. They loaded up their donkeys and went back. The prime minister decreed that the guilty man must remain and serve as a slave, and the rest of them could to back to their father. Judah stepped forward. He stood for his youngest brother and pled. He laid his heart before Joseph. He told about his father’s love for Benjamin. He mentioned also the story of Joseph and his father’s great sorrow. He said, “If the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father, and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy’s life, sees that the boy isn’t there, he will die. Your servants will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave in sorrow.” (30, 31) He continued to say, “I promised to bring the boy back. I took responsibility.” Then he said, “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. How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come upon my father.” (33-34) Judah take Benjamin’s place. What a great change! Judah was selfish when he sold Joseph as a slave to Egypt. But, now he bears unselfish love in his heart. It was the fruit of real repentance. Joseph loved his brothers. When they suffered from their guilty consciences, he turned back with a broken heart (42:24). Later, when he saw his brother Benjamin, he could not contain his feelings; he had to leave the room to go and weep. When the brothers repented, he kissed them and wept over them (45:2, 15). But Joseph’s love is tough love because it is redemptive love. Joseph clothed holy love God gave to him. His brothers had committed a great sin against Joseph. God hate sin but he loves sinners. Joseph did not hate his brothers. He only wanted his brothers to recognize their sins and repent. Joseph wanted to help them to repent, because God really wanted it. God wants me to confess out sins. (1Jn 1:9) “When we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” In order to lead his brothers to repent before God and be forgiven, he made them suffer anguish for a short time. Judah was the ring-leader in their terrible crime. But this time was that Judah really repented. He became a man who kept his promises, a responsible son and brother. He was a sinner who had truly repented. He could be the bearer of God’s redemptive history and the ancestor of David and Jesus. Today story teaches what real love is. Real love is not self-centered. Real love is redemptive. It is love from God’s point of view. To help the loved one to repent is real love. Joseph endured much personal pain in order to lead his brothers to repentance. He wanted to hug Benjamin, but he waited. Real love is always accompanied by pain and wait. Like Potiphar’s wife, people try to satisfy their desire for love by satisfying their lust. But real love is helping the one we love to come to God and repent and live in a right relationship with God. Our Lord Jesus shows real love for human beings when he says. “Repent and believe the good news!” I thought about myself who is man of love. It was because I felt a confident that I have a special talent to happy others. My voice seems to be good for singing a song and telling some stories. My sense of humor is well developed to make people happy. The balance of passion and gentleness is thought of as another good talent for me to be such a man of romantic. But it was a total misunderstand. I did not know what true love is. Love is not such humane or emotional thing. One shepherd had tried to help me repent sin problems in the view of God. I believed that such way of love was unnecessary and unpleasant. In my belief, love can people happy and happier. I was really angry about such approach. But by knowing what God’s love is in today story, I came to acknowledge that the way of love is absolutely right. Jesus loved me by helping repent and redeeming. His love was the promise of my salvation. I accepted the fact that the shepherd tried to help me out to have the real blessing at the risk of receiving my hatred. But the shepherd is finally received holy respect from me. I really thanked Jesus who truly loves me. Now I learn that what love is and how I can love others. I pray that may I mature into a man of true love by imitating the love Jesus showed to us. Amen. |
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