No one who has been born of God practices sin, because His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin continually, because he has been born of God. - 1 John 3:9
In last week’s message, Jacob sent all of his sons except Benjamin to Egypt in order to buy food. When they arrived, Joseph recognized them and decided to put them to the test. He accused them of being spies and took Simeon as a prisoner. He gave the remaining brothers the grain they needed, sent them away, and told them to come again with Benjamin as proof of their innocence. The brothers returned home and told Jacob everything that had happened.
This morning we will pick up the story right where we left off. Would the brothers go back? Would Simeon remain in jail forever? Would Jacob allow Benjamin to leave home with them? So many questions… let’s find out the answers!
I. BACK TO EGYPT (Gen. 43:1-15)
The famine continued until Jacob’s family ran out of the food supply they’d brought back from Egypt. He asked his sons to return and purchase more grain, but Judah reminded him that they would be unable to do so without Benjamin present. Jacob questioned them for revealing that they even had a younger brother, but Judah calmly explained that they couldn’t have predicted the prince would want to see him. Judah then promised to take personal responsibility for Benjamin’s protection, as Jacob didn’t trust Reuben’s earlier pledge to do so. He urged his father to let them go and not to delay any longer.
Left with no other options, Jacob begrudgingly agreed. He decided to send a collection of some of the finest products from Canaan as a gift for the prince. Furthermore, he had the brothers take twice as much money as they had taken previously. Half of it was for the grain they’d already used but never properly paid for and the other half was for the food which they were going to buy. Finally, he prayed that God would watch over them, that all would go well, that Simeon would be released, and that all of the brothers would come home safely. And so the brothers, including Benjamin, returned to Egypt again.
One of the lessons we can learn from this passage is that sometimes we have to do things that we don’t necessarily want to do in order to get what we want or need. Jacob didn’t want to let Benjamin go. In fact, he waited for as long as he possibly could before releasing him. Even then he was hesitant. But when left with no other choice but starvation, he finally allowed Benjamin to return to Egypt with his brothers. Perhaps there have been times in your life that you’ve had to make (and act upon) undesirable, but necessary, decisions.
II. JOSEPH SEES BENJAMIN (Gen. 43:16-34)
When Joseph saw that the brothers were back with Benjamin, he had them escorted to his house. He had his servants begin to prepare a lunch for them. This seemed strange to the brothers, they reasoned that Joseph was angry with them for having taken the first load of food without paying for it, and they feared the worst. They told Joseph’s steward that they’d brought the payment for the grain from their first trip and swore that they hadn’t withheld it on purpose. The steward wasn’t concerned or upset about it. Instead, he brought Simeon out to them, gave them water to wash their feet, and fed their donkeys. So the brothers anxiously waited for Joseph’s arrival and prepared the gift they’d brought for him.
When Joseph arrived, they brought the gift to him and bowed down in his presence. Joseph asked about their aging father. The brothers responded that he was well and bowed down a second time. Then Joseph asked if this new person with them was their youngest brother Benjamin. He then prayed that God’s grace be upon Benjamin. Moved with emotion, Joseph hurried out of sight and wept. Once he regained his composure, Joseph returned and instructed his servants to serve the meal. Typically Egyptians and Hebrews ate separately. But Joseph chose to eat with his brothers, and they were seated around the table according to their age. Benjamin was given a larger portion than his brothers.
Everything that was happening seemed bizarre. Why would the Prince of Egypt serve a special lunch for these brothers in his own house? Why would he bless Benjamin in God’s name? Why would he personally sit and eat with them seeing that they were Hebrews? How could he possibly know the correct order of their birth? Something was definitely going on… but the brothers didn’t yet know exactly what it was. When things seem peculiar and people are acting in curious ways, it is usually a sign that something is taking place behind the scenes.
III. THE STOLEN CUP (Gen. 44)
Joseph ordered his servants to fill the brothers’ sacks with grain and to give them their money back (again). Furthermore, Joseph told his steward to secretly place his silver cup in Benjamin’s bag. At morning light the 11 brothers left for home. Not long after they’d gone, Joseph sent his steward after them. When the steward caught up, he accused the brothers of stealing Joseph’s cup. They strongly denied the charge and claimed that they were innocent. The steward stated that if any of them had stolen the cup, that individual would become the prince’s slave. They searched their bags and found the silver cup in Benjamin's sack. The brothers were overcome with grief and were brought back to the city.
Joseph began to interrogate the brothers. Judah spoke up as their representative, but was unable to give a defense for their guilt. He suggested that all of them be held as slaves, but Joseph replied that only Benjamin would be kept. Judah approached Joseph and explained that Benjamin was his elderly father’s favorite son - the only son left of his mother. He stated that Jacob would die of sorrow if Benjamin did not return home safely from Egypt. Judah had pledged to protect Benjamin and couldn’t go back to Canaan without him. Out of deep love for his father and youngest brother, Judah volunteered to take Benjamin’s place. This pictures Jesus' substitutionary sacrifice for sinners.
Almost 25 years earlier, it was Judah who had proposed selling Joseph to the Ishmaelites as a slave. Now, as poor Benjamin seemed destined to become a slave also, Judah desperately sought to intervene. Rather than purposely condemning his brother to a life of servitude, he instead acted compassionately to deliver his brother from such a fate. Clearly Judah had changed. It has been said that the best indicator of true repentance occurs when a person chooses to act righteously while facing the same situation or circumstances that formally led them to sin.
CONCLUSION
In closing, let’s briefly review a few of the lessons we’ve brought out in today’s message.
First, sometimes in life we have to do things that we don’t want to do in order to get what we need. For example, there are days we don’t want to go to work and would rather stay in bed, but we need that paycheck and don’t want to get fired. So we get up and go…
Second, when people are acting strangely and things seem out of place, it is likely that something is going on. People do and say things for a reason. Motivations drive actions. We should be sensitive enough to recognize and question curious and peculiar conduct.
Third, true repentance can be defined as a change of mind that results in a change of behavior. Everyone sins, even Christians. That said, those who are truly sorry and repentant will not continue to repeat the same sins over and over again habitually.
In last week’s message, Jacob sent all of his sons except Benjamin to Egypt in order to buy food. When they arrived, Joseph recognized them and decided to put them to the test. He accused them of being spies and took Simeon as a prisoner. He gave the remaining brothers the grain they needed, sent them away, and told them to come again with Benjamin as proof of their innocence. The brothers returned home and told Jacob everything that had happened.
This morning we will pick up the story right where we left off. Would the brothers go back? Would Simeon remain in jail forever? Would Jacob allow Benjamin to leave home with them? So many questions… let’s find out the answers!
I. BACK TO EGYPT (Gen. 43:1-15)
The famine continued until Jacob’s family ran out of the food supply they’d brought back from Egypt. He asked his sons to return and purchase more grain, but Judah reminded him that they would be unable to do so without Benjamin present. Jacob questioned them for revealing that they even had a younger brother, but Judah calmly explained that they couldn’t have predicted the prince would want to see him. Judah then promised to take personal responsibility for Benjamin’s protection, as Jacob didn’t trust Reuben’s earlier pledge to do so. He urged his father to let them go and not to delay any longer.
Left with no other options, Jacob begrudgingly agreed. He decided to send a collection of some of the finest products from Canaan as a gift for the prince. Furthermore, he had the brothers take twice as much money as they had taken previously. Half of it was for the grain they’d already used but never properly paid for and the other half was for the food which they were going to buy. Finally, he prayed that God would watch over them, that all would go well, that Simeon would be released, and that all of the brothers would come home safely. And so the brothers, including Benjamin, returned to Egypt again.
One of the lessons we can learn from this passage is that sometimes we have to do things that we don’t necessarily want to do in order to get what we want or need. Jacob didn’t want to let Benjamin go. In fact, he waited for as long as he possibly could before releasing him. Even then he was hesitant. But when left with no other choice but starvation, he finally allowed Benjamin to return to Egypt with his brothers. Perhaps there have been times in your life that you’ve had to make (and act upon) undesirable, but necessary, decisions.
II. JOSEPH SEES BENJAMIN (Gen. 43:16-34)
When Joseph saw that the brothers were back with Benjamin, he had them escorted to his house. He had his servants begin to prepare a lunch for them. This seemed strange to the brothers, they reasoned that Joseph was angry with them for having taken the first load of food without paying for it, and they feared the worst. They told Joseph’s steward that they’d brought the payment for the grain from their first trip and swore that they hadn’t withheld it on purpose. The steward wasn’t concerned or upset about it. Instead, he brought Simeon out to them, gave them water to wash their feet, and fed their donkeys. So the brothers anxiously waited for Joseph’s arrival and prepared the gift they’d brought for him.
When Joseph arrived, they brought the gift to him and bowed down in his presence. Joseph asked about their aging father. The brothers responded that he was well and bowed down a second time. Then Joseph asked if this new person with them was their youngest brother Benjamin. He then prayed that God’s grace be upon Benjamin. Moved with emotion, Joseph hurried out of sight and wept. Once he regained his composure, Joseph returned and instructed his servants to serve the meal. Typically Egyptians and Hebrews ate separately. But Joseph chose to eat with his brothers, and they were seated around the table according to their age. Benjamin was given a larger portion than his brothers.
Everything that was happening seemed bizarre. Why would the Prince of Egypt serve a special lunch for these brothers in his own house? Why would he bless Benjamin in God’s name? Why would he personally sit and eat with them seeing that they were Hebrews? How could he possibly know the correct order of their birth? Something was definitely going on… but the brothers didn’t yet know exactly what it was. When things seem peculiar and people are acting in curious ways, it is usually a sign that something is taking place behind the scenes.
III. THE STOLEN CUP (Gen. 44)
Joseph ordered his servants to fill the brothers’ sacks with grain and to give them their money back (again). Furthermore, Joseph told his steward to secretly place his silver cup in Benjamin’s bag. At morning light the 11 brothers left for home. Not long after they’d gone, Joseph sent his steward after them. When the steward caught up, he accused the brothers of stealing Joseph’s cup. They strongly denied the charge and claimed that they were innocent. The steward stated that if any of them had stolen the cup, that individual would become the prince’s slave. They searched their bags and found the silver cup in Benjamin's sack. The brothers were overcome with grief and were brought back to the city.
Joseph began to interrogate the brothers. Judah spoke up as their representative, but was unable to give a defense for their guilt. He suggested that all of them be held as slaves, but Joseph replied that only Benjamin would be kept. Judah approached Joseph and explained that Benjamin was his elderly father’s favorite son - the only son left of his mother. He stated that Jacob would die of sorrow if Benjamin did not return home safely from Egypt. Judah had pledged to protect Benjamin and couldn’t go back to Canaan without him. Out of deep love for his father and youngest brother, Judah volunteered to take Benjamin’s place. This pictures Jesus' substitutionary sacrifice for sinners.
Almost 25 years earlier, it was Judah who had proposed selling Joseph to the Ishmaelites as a slave. Now, as poor Benjamin seemed destined to become a slave also, Judah desperately sought to intervene. Rather than purposely condemning his brother to a life of servitude, he instead acted compassionately to deliver his brother from such a fate. Clearly Judah had changed. It has been said that the best indicator of true repentance occurs when a person chooses to act righteously while facing the same situation or circumstances that formally led them to sin.
CONCLUSION
In closing, let’s briefly review a few of the lessons we’ve brought out in today’s message.
First, sometimes in life we have to do things that we don’t want to do in order to get what we need. For example, there are days we don’t want to go to work and would rather stay in bed, but we need that paycheck and don’t want to get fired. So we get up and go…
Second, when people are acting strangely and things seem out of place, it is likely that something is going on. People do and say things for a reason. Motivations drive actions. We should be sensitive enough to recognize and question curious and peculiar conduct.
Third, true repentance can be defined as a change of mind that results in a change of behavior. Everyone sins, even Christians. That said, those who are truly sorry and repentant will not continue to repeat the same sins over and over again habitually.