Real Forgiveness from God
A. Reason and Recognition
B. Rebukes, Requirements and Remorse
C. Restraint and Return
D. Review
Have you ever been in a situation where you do something that you know is wrong but you justify yourself in the fact the “the other person deserved it”, “the other person could afford it more than I” or any such similar situation.
Normally when we live our lives in this way—as the bible says we reap as we sow.
When people do these things to us we are normally not so free thinking?
Our normal response is not Well they deserved it more than I…they were more in need than I…or praise God I was in such a position that it did not cause me as severe a hardship.
Are we all that different?
Are we all so shallow?
Is this what God calls us to be?
I have been in plenty and I have been in need, I was the same person in these situations however, I think that I am a better person in these situations today because of Jesus
Christ in my heart.
Today, I can truly say Praise God in all things—sometimes it may take me a while to do so however. I do pray that people see this change that Jesus has brought about in my life and in your life…you see it is enmity with my flesh to forgive as Christ and God calls us to forgive. The nature of Christ that lives within you and I are what allows us to be able to do this in any capacity at all.
Let’s walk with Joseph as he finds himself in a situation that many of us still desire. A position that would allow us to right something we perceive as a great wrong in our lives and see the love and wisdom of God he shows in his generosity and restraint.
A. Reason and Recognition
Genesis 42:1-8
Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? [2] And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.
[3] And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. [4] But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him. [5] And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan. [6] And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. [7] And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. [8] And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
We watch as the ever-wise steward Jacob is led by the circumstances under the control of God to bring the nation back together. The aged Jacob directs “Behold, I have heard there is grain in Mizraim:” go down and buy.
Isn’t it amazing that just as in this case with Jacob and the brothers God was working things for their greater good—even though they could not see it.
Do you seek for God’s greater good in your situation today?
If you truly know the heart of God, you know that he seeks to do only good for and through you. As the nation of Israel must have thought—Why do we have to go and get grain from Egypt? God knew that they would be able to go through experiences that would allow some to mature in their faith and trust in God and ultimately lead to the line of David and to Christ. This is the line that is represented in your new or re-birth. Claim your inheritance—an everlasting inheritance above any earthly price.
The ten brothers are sent, and Benjamin, the youngest, is kept by Jacob. There are several easy reasons given but I believe it was because he was the baby, Rachel’s child, and the only full brother of his beloved lost Joseph.
“Lest mischief befall him,” Jacob continues to demonstrate wise stewardship in that he understands hard times often make hard men and women. People often revert to mere images of their former self in tough times because they start to rely on themselves more and more.
Yet, as Christians we should understand and know that we cannot depend on ourselves. God sends the rains, God sends the sun, it is God who is in total control of all things. To depend on myself shows, I do not trust in the all-sufficient providence of God. May it never be so in your walk with God.
The ten brothers meet with a rough reception from the lord of the land. “The governor”—the sultan.
Should they have expected otherwise? No, remember the Egyptians prior encounter with the Hebrew people was marked by lies and deceit.
We see Joseph presides over the cornmarket of the kingdom. “Bowed down to him with their faces to the earth.” This is not due to the greatness of Joseph but the Greatness of God in bringing about what was meant for bad and making it good. Well might Joseph think of those never-to-be-forgotten dreams in which the sheaves and stars bowed down to him.
“And knew them.” How easily we forget our transgressions against others and how difficult it is for us for forgive transgression against us. How could Joseph fail to remember the ten full-grown men of his early days, when they came before him with all their peculiarities of feature, attitude, and mother tongue.
Surely Joseph knew the great changes that God had made in his life. Joseph probably sought by “And he made himself strange unto them”, to see if his brothers had been changed by their own actions and to test their hearts, to test their affection toward Benjamin, and to bring them to repent of their unkindness to himself.
How like the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives to bring us to repent against the wrong we do and to change and become wise stewards of the call which Christ has placed on our lives. How will you respond today?
B. Rebuke, Requirements and Remorse
Genesis 42:9-23 (KJV)
And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. [10] And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. [11] We are all one man’s sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies. [12] And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. [13] And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not. [14] And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies: [15] Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. [16] Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies. [17] And he put them all together into ward three days. [18] And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God: [19] If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses: [20] But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
[21] And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. [22] And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required. [23] And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.
“Spies are ye.” This was to put a color of justice on their detention. Spies easily could have been sent by an invader to test to see the nakedness of the land, its fortifications or unfortified frontier, and its present impoverishment from the famine.
“Sons of one man are we.” It was highly unlikely that ten sons of one man would be sent on the hazardous duty of spies. “And behold the youngest is with our father this day.” What a blessing this would have been for Joseph to hear that Benjamin and Jacob were well. “And one is not.” Time and the pain of Jacob have assuaged all their bitter feelings, both of exasperation against Joseph and of remorse for their unbrotherly conduct. This little sentence, however, cannot be uttered by them, or heard by Joseph, without emotion.
“By the life of Pharaoh.” Joseph speaks in character stating he would “Send one of you.” This proposal is enough to strike terror into their hearts. The return of one would be a heavy, perhaps fatal blow to their father. And how can one brave the perils of the way knowing the hardened conditions that existed? They cannot bring themselves to concur in this plan and they all go to prison.
Joseph is not without a strong conviction of incumbent duty in all this. He knows he has been put in the position of lord over his brethren in the foreordination of God, and he feels bound to make this authority a reality for their moral good.
Do you take your duty of lifting up, edifying, and calling your brothers and sisters to the accountability to the word of God and their lives in Christ?
After three days, Joseph reverses the numbers, allowing nine to return home, and retaining one. “This do and live.” Joseph with all the power that God has given him tenderly treats his brothers and affords them a fair opportunity of proving their words true, before putting them to death on suspicion of espionage.
“The God do I fear.” A singular sentence from the lord paramount of Egypt! It implies that the true God was not yet unknown in Egypt. We have heard the confession of this great truth already from the lips of Pharaoh Gen. 41:38-39. But it intimates to the brothers the astonishing and hopeful fact that the grand vizier serves the same great Being whom they and their fathers have known and worshipped; and gives them a plain hint that they will be dealt with according to the just law of heaven.
“Carry grain for your houses.” The governor then is touched with some feeling for their famishing households. The brothers, though honoring their aged father as the patriarch of their race, had now their separate houses and families. Twelve households had to be supplied with bread. The journey to Egypt was not to be undertaken more than once a year if possible, as the distance from Hebron was upwards of two hundred miles. “Your youngest brother.” Joseph longs to see his full brother alive, his last memory being of Benjamin as a child of about four. “Verily guilty are we concerning our brother.”
Their attack and unkindness to Joseph was beginning to bear the fruit of repentance. “Because we saw the distress of his soul when he besought us, and we would not hear.” How vividly is the scene of Joseph’s sale here brought before us. It now appears that he besought them to spare him, and they would not hear! “This distress.” Retribution has come at last. “His blood is required.” Reuben justly upbraids them with their hardness of heart. Their brother’s blood is required; for murder was intended, and when he was sold his death was pretended.
The interpreter was between them, but Joseph heard the spontaneous expressions of remorse, coming unprompted from their lips.
C. Restraint and Return
Genesis 42:24-28 (KJV)
And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.
[25] Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them. [26] And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence. [27] And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack’s mouth. [28] And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?
The fountain of his affection is deeply stirred. This can be compared to the unequalled affection of God for HIS creation. Joseph cannot repress the rising tear, imaging the tears of God on our behalf. Joseph has to retire for a time to recover his composure. He now restrains himself from taking Reuben, who was not to blame, but takes Simon, the next oldest, and binds him before them so that they might tell about it upon their return.
He then gives orders to supply them with corn (grain), deposit their money in their sacks without their knowledge, and furnish them with provision for the way. Joseph feels, perhaps, that he cannot take money from his father. He will pay for the corn out of his own funds. But he cannot openly return the money to his brothers without more explanation than he wishes at present to give.
The nine brothers return home and record their wonderful adventure. Apparently at the first stage one opened his sack to give provender to his ass. The discovery of the silver in its mouth strikes them with terror. In a strange land and with an uneasy conscience they are easily alarmed. It was not convenient or necessary to open all the bags on the way, and so they make no further discovery.
Again, do we rejoice in the things that occur around us or are we consumed by things in our lives?
God calls us to be anxious in nothing but in all things turn unto HIM who alone is able to bring about HIS good and perfect will.
D. Review
Genesis 42:29-38 (KJV)
And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying, [30] The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. [31] And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies: [32] We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan. [33] And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone: [34] And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land.
[35] And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. [36] And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me. [37] And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again. [38] And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
The brothers return to Jacob and tell him in amazement of the things that have befallen them on their trip. Upon emptying the other sacks all the silver turns up, to their great amazement and consternation.
Jacob the wise steward is concerned that this may place the nation at risk.
Do you show such wise concern for the work of God? Does the manner in which you go about your life show this concern for the things and work of God?
Jacob laments the loss of his son. Reuben offers two of his sons to Jacob as pledges for Benjamin, to be slain if he did not bring him back in safety. The sorrowing parent cannot yet bring himself to consent to Benjamin’s departure on this hazardous journey. “And ye shall bring down.” Jacob either speaks here in the despair that sometimes seeks to enter our lives, or he had come to know or suspect that his brothers had some hand in the disappearance of Joseph.
The nation of Israel was preserved another season and praise should be given for this work of God. To seek to know and do the will of God we must of course be able to understand and to seek God’s will. This can only start after we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We must confess that we are sinners and come to repentance as Joseph’s brothers have come to in today’s lesson. If you are at a point in your life that you truly seek to turn from walking in a manner opposed to God, giving yourself fully to the will of God, and asking him to come into your life as Lord and Savior, we ask you to come forward at this time. If God is leading you to make a decision for service to answer a call to HIM, we ask you to come forward.
As in all things, we must give ourselves fully to the will of God in our lives, just as Joseph did when sold into slavery, put into prison, and today in preserving the nation Israel and his family.
If you have any prayer requests or know of anyone in need of prayer please let us know we would enjoy praying for and with you. Continue to strive for the light that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Closing Prayer.
