Have you ever been hurt? By someone close to you? By
friend? Family? Church?
How do you treat them when you see them?
Do you avoid them, shun them, never see, or speak to
them again?
What if they threw you in a pit, intending to leave
you there to die?
What if they sat down to eat, while you cried for help
and begged to be released?
What if they pulled you out of the pit and you thought
they had a change of heart, but instead, they sold you like an animal?
What if that happened, and then, years later you saw
them again?
What if they desperately needed your help?
What would you do if it happened to you?
It happened to Joseph by his very own brothers.
Now they’ve shown up begging for help.
What would you do?
This is what he did...
Genesis 42:1 When Jacob saw that there was grain in
Egypt...
Why was there grain in Egypt?
Because of Joseph’s brothers. Kind of.
What’d they have to do with it?
They sold Joseph into Egypt.
What’s that go to do with the price of grain in Egypt?
God gave Pharaoh a couple dreams forewarning of feast
and famine, seven years each. However, at first neither Pharaoh, nor anyone
knew what the dreams meant.
But God gave Joseph the interpretation and wisdom to
know what to do about it.
So, just like that Joseph moved from the prison to the
palace. Pharaoh made him his right-hand man over all the land of Egypt.
See, if not for Joseph’s brothers, he’d never have
been in Egypt to interpret the dreams.
So, does that mean Joseph being sold into
Egypt was part of God’s plan?
Don’t answer too quickly. Especially if you’re tempted
to say, “yes”.
Let me rephrase the question.
So, does that mean Joseph’s brothers’ wicked plan was
part of God’s plan?
Of course not.
God can never be tempted with evil, nor
does He tempt anyone with evil. James 1:13.
The drunk driver that killed your loved one? Not part
of God’s plan.
The rapist, the murderer, the thief that steals,
kills, destroys. Not God’s plan.
The hurricane, the tornado, storm, most likely
not His plan.
What about the sickness, the cancer? Probably not
God’s plan either.
He created a perfect planet with a perfect plan and
gave it all to perfect man. He looked at it all and said, it was very good.
Genesis 1:31.
Man deviated from the plan and corruption, sin,
sickness, storms, thorns, thistles, weeds, politics, traffic jams, entered the
planet.
When those things happen don’t blame God. Don’t say, “Well,
you know everything happens for a reason, we just have to trust God’s plan.”
Ephesians 5:17 tells us: Therefore, do not be
unwise, (foolish) but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Know the will and character of God.
Jesus says the thief comes to steal, kill,
destroy, I’ve come that you have Life and Life more abundantly. John 10:10.
God takes no pleasure in the death of the
wicked but would rather they turn from their wicked ways and live. Ezekiel 33:11.
This event with Joe and bros is a perfect example of
Romans 8:28:
God works
all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are
called according to His purpose. His plan.
...Jacob said to his sons,
“Why do you look at one another?”
Like the four lepers during the famine in 2 Kings 7,
“why sit we here ‘til we die?”
2 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.”
We can sit here, staring at each other, complaining
about the weather, praying about the empty cupboards, or we can put feet to our
faith and get up and go get some grain.
Faith without works is dead (James 2).
3 So Joseph’s
ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But
Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he
said, “Lest some calamity befall him.”
Benjamin was the youngest and Joseph’s only full
brother. Their mom, Rachel, had already died.
The others were half-brothers, same dad, different
moms.
So, if something happened to Benny, there’d be no
children left from Rachel (or so Jacob thought).
5 And the
sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed,
for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
They traveled with a caravan of folks heading to
Egypt.
6 Now
Joseph was governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all
the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down
before him with their faces to the earth.
Has something ever happened where you find yourself
saying, “I think I’ve seen this before”?
That’s what Joseph was doing.
7 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.”
Remember these are the guys who threw him in the pit
to die and wouldn’t listen when he cried for mercy.
These, his very own brothers, treated him like an
animal and sold him into slavery.
8 So Joseph
recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.
It’s been years. They sold Joseph at 17. Now, he’s
nearly 40.
9 Then Joseph remembered the dreams
which he had dreamed about them...
That’s why he had a déjà vu moment. That’s why the
bros bowing to him looked so familiar. Only in the dream they were sheaves.
...and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to
see the nakedness of the land!”
They’re all standing there... all ten, where’s Ben? Where’s
my brother, Benjamin? Did they kill him? Throw him in a pit? Sell him as
well? They must be up to no good.
LIES! YOU’RE ALL SPIES!
You see, even though Joseph named his firstborn, Manasseh
(meaning: making forgetful) and said, “God has made me forget all my toil and
all my father’s house.” Gen. 41:51.
He didn’t really forget.
Time doesn’t heal all wounds.
Have you been hurt; especially seriously hurt, like
Joseph?
We can’t expect Joseph to be all hugs and kisses after
what they did to him—doesn’t matter that they were brothers. Makes no
difference that it’s been years.
Seeing them might’ve opened a floodgate of emotions. He
might’ve been 17 all over again, with those big brothers ripping off his robe
and violently throwing him into a dark pit. Leaving him to die.
Then, worse, selling him as a slave.
Over the years did he imagine seeing them, “spying” on
him, laughing at him laboring as a slave?
Did he pray a thousand times that they’d come to their
senses and come to rescue him?
His thoughts of them spying out the land might not
have been rational, or logical, but the fear would’ve been all too real.
Some of us know all too well exactly how this feels.
If a monster from the
past steps into your present. You do not have to pretend it doesn’t
matter. You don’t have to say, it’s all okay.
God can and does occasionally heal
wounds instantly without effort, but not usually.
Normally we must lean hard into Him, face our giants, and
walk through the fire; but not alone, never alone.
So, in the end, we’re stronger in the broken part, and
He can flow through us, to help others walk through the same fiery trial.
So, we
can say, as Joseph will say in Gen. 50:20; what was meant for evil, God worked together for Good.
He wants us healed. Not living perpetual victims, with
unending shrinks, counselors, support groups, labeling ourselves by our
sickness, weakness, disease, sin.
He wants us healed. Not going numb with drugs, booze,
parties, sex, becoming workaholics, alcoholics.
He wants us healed. Not walking in denial, saying it’s
fine, no big deal, as we sabotage our lives bouncing from one dysfunctional
relationship after another, one catastrophe after another.
Have you been hurt? Are you still hurting? God wants
you healed.
Or perhaps you’re the one who’s done the hurting. And
that hurts.
God is able and willing and wanting to
help heal from that, too.
Jesus says it like this:
Matthew
11:28-29
Come to Me, all you who are weary and
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke
upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will
find rest for your souls.
John
14:28
Peace I leave
with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to
you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John
15:11
These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may
remain in you, and that your joy may be full
John
16:33
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In
the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have
overcome the world.”
When Jesus announced His purpose on the planet He
quoted from:
Isaiah
61:1-3
The
Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me,
because
the LORD has anointed Me
to
preach good news to the poor.
He
has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to
proclaim liberty to the captives
2 to
proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
and
the day of our God’s vengeance,
3 to
console the mourners in Zion—
to
give them a crown of beauty for ashes,
the
oil of joy for mourning,
and
a garment of praise for a spirit of despair.
So
they will be called oaks of righteousness,
the
planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.
You will be stable and sound and solid and strong as
an oak, that He is glorified in you; so when folks look at you, they are
drawn to Him.
Philippians
4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer
and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be
made known to God; 7 and the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus.
Don't worry about anything, pray
about everything.
You normally say thank you after you’ve received.
However, with this kind of God pleasing, faith building prayer, you offer thanksgiving
with the petition.
Faith is always recognized and rewarded, and the peace
of God that passes all understanding, will
guard your heart and mind.
God wants you
healed
Joseph wasn't sick physically, but he had a soul
wound that needed mending.
You are a spirit, you have a soul, and
you live in a body.
Are you hurting? Are you wounded in your soul? God
wants you healed.
Lord Jesus, thank You for sending Your
Word to heal us. We just read how You offer us rest, Your peace, Your joy, healing
for our broken hearts, freedom, liberty, strength and stability. Thank You that
Your Word will not return void. We receive this from You, so You can flow
through us, to all those You’ve given us, so all of us are saved, and therein
You are glorified.
10 And they
said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all
one man’s sons; we are honest men; your servants are not
spies.”
12 But he said
to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”
Joseph has good reason not to trust them. Would you trust
human-traffickers? Especially ones who sold you into slavery?
Plus, one of the brothers is missing. Joseph’s got to
be wondering about his little brother. What’d they do to Benjamin?
The Lord commands us to forgive, and to
love, even our enemies, but He doesn’t say we must trust them.
Pray for wisdom, especially in conflict resolution such as
this. James 1:5.
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.”
Okay, now he has some answers (if they’re being honest).
Benjamin is alive and at home with dad, and “one is
no more.” They think Joseph is dead, or maybe that’s how they sugarcoat
what they’d done.
14 But Joseph
said to them, “It is as I spoke to you, saying,
‘You are spies!’ 15 In this manner you
shall be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this
place unless your youngest brother comes here.
See, he really wants to see Benjamin. Confirm he’s
okay and they’re not lying.
16 Send one of
you, and let him bring your brother; and you shall be kept in prison, that
your words may be tested to see whether there is any truth in you;
or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies!”
Notice, twice he says they shall be tested.
Joseph basically tells them, “Okay prove it. Words are
cheap. Show me your brother.”
He still doesn’t trust them and comes right out and
tells them they must verify their words to see if there is any truth in
them.
In conflict resolution, let every word be
established.
When someone who’s hurt you comes back hat in hand,
bowing down, saying, “I’ve changed, you can trust me...”
Go slow.
If they’ve changed they won’t have to tell
you, it’ll show.
Go slow.
There’s nothing wrong with going slow, real slow.
Anybody can put on a show when they want back in your good graces.
Actions speak louder than words. Let their actions over
time confirm their words.
Let every word be established.
17 So
he put them all together in prison three days.
Joseph put them on ice for a few days.
In conflict resolution, not only go slow, but take
a break.
Don't let their presence consume you. Take a break,
at least three days, probably more, with no communication.
Most importantly:
Get a plan from God.
Get alone with God. Invest time with God. Follow His
lead. His peace.
18 Then Joseph
said to them the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God:
Joseph opens up, just a little.
He uses the Hebrew word, “Elohim” for God. The name his
family would use. Not the name of an Egyptian false idol.
19 If
you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison
house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses. 20 And bring
your youngest brother to me; so your words will be verified, and you
shall not die.”
And they did so.
Joseph took a break with God and his plans changed.
Instead of keeping all but one, he releases all but one.
A little revelation from God opens the door to a whole
lot more...
21 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.”
22 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.” 23 But they did not know that
Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an
interpreter. 24 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.
Perhaps Joseph planned to keep Reuben (the oldest),
but when he overheard how he stuck up for him, he selected Simeon (second
oldest) instead.
Joseph went and wept. His heart was exploding with
emotion. Should I give another chance? Do I dare trust again? Should I share
who I am? How I feel? I really want to see my dad and little brother.
What would you do?
As we continue, we’ll see that Joseph has a few more
surprises to expose whether his brothers are men of integrity.
For now, just remember:
1. God wants you healed
2. We must forgive and love, but not always trust
3. Let every word be established
4. Take a break
5. Get a plan from God
Let’s pray,
Lord Jesus, thank You for showing us that
You were with Joseph, through the pit, the prison and the palace. Thank You for
telling us that You’re also with us, through every past, present and future
trauma, through PTSD, ADHD, every anxiety, every stress, every fear, every
sleepless night, nightmare, every panic attack, every pit and prison. Thank you
for Your rest, Your peace, Your joy.
We pray, this THANKSgiving, is the most
thank-full, and this CHRISTmas, is the most joy-filled, because every moment
from this moment we are the most CHRIST filled we’ve ever been.
Thank You.
We love You, forever.
Amen.
Prayer Requests:
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Conflict Resolution, Genesis 42
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Resolution, Genesis 42
This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed
for you to sow.
Thank you for sharing.
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