Tawa Baptist

Joseph’s Policy

Scripture: Genesis 47:11-27

Video Link: https://youtu.be/blDEH450NmM

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The best is the enemy of the good
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Voltaire, a French philosopher of the 18th Century, once wrote…

The best is the enemy of the good.

These days you might hear it paraphrased as, ‘perfect is the enemy of good’.

In other words, pursuit of perfection can become an obstacle to getting the job done. Better to do what good you can, than to do nothing for fear it won’t meet some theoretical ideal.   

Imagine, for example, you are with someone in the bush and they break their leg. You wouldn’t say, “It’s a shame I don’t have all the right medical equipment with me. Sorry, but I’m going to have to leave you here to die.”

No. You would do what good you can. You would find some wooden sticks and flax to make a splint and stabilize the leg. It may not be the best modern medicine has to offer, but it is good enough to do the job until you get the injured person to a hospital.

Today we continue our series in the life of Joseph. Last week we heard how Joseph was reunited with his father Jacob and the family were settled in Egypt.

This morning we hear how Joseph managed the food crisis and kept people alive through the famine. Joseph’s economic policy may seem less than ideal to many affluent 21st Century western readers. But we have to remember it was not an ideal situation. Joseph does not let the best become the enemy of the good. Joseph does what he can to save the people. From Genesis 47, verse 11, we read…  

11 So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. 12 Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their children. 13 There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. 14 Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace. 15 When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is all gone.” 16 “Then bring your livestock,” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.”  17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock.  18 When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.” 20 So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, 21 and Joseph reduced the people to servitude, from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land. 23 Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground. 24 But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children.” 25 “You have saved our lives,” they said. “May we find favour in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.” 26 So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt—still in force today—that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh’s. 27 Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

The best is the enemy of the good:

Our message began today with a quote from Voltaire. ‘The best is the enemy of the good.’

Some of you may think it strange to be quoting Voltaire in a sermon. After all, Voltaire was a critic of the church of his day. He used his pen and his wit to satirize the church leadership of France. Among other things he advocated for the separation of church and state and the abolition of slavery.

Some of Voltaire’s wisdom was borrowed from the Bible. Jesus also criticized the religious leaders of his day. Jesus often pointed out how the Pharisees made the best the enemy of the good.

The Pharisees gave a tenth of their spices… but neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness… They strained out a gnat but swallowed a camel. They put heavy loads [of rules and regulations] on people’s backs but did not lift a finger to help them.

One classic example of the religious leaders making the best the enemy of the good was their criticism of Jesus for healing a woman on the Sabbath. In Luke 13 we read…

14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

The Pharisees’ rules around best practice for keeping the Sabbath actually prevented people from doing good. Jesus’ healing of the woman on the Sabbath shows that God’s purpose is to give people the best without sacrificing the good. 

The people of Joseph’s day were bound by famine for seven long years.

A humanitarian disaster threatened. This was not a time to let perfection become the enemy of good.

A famine is an extreme scarcity of food. Depending on what website you go to, around 113 million people are facing acute hunger in the world today. And approximately 9 million people starve to death globally, each year.

Famines can be caused by a variety of factors including drought, disease and war. Corrupt or unstable government only make matters worse.

By God’s grace we have not had a famine in New Zealand in recent decades, but we do have lean times, when we must tighten our belts. Some of you will remember the great depression of the 1930’s and the rationing of World War Two. Others today may be facing job cuts and the financial pressure that brings.

While these lean times are difficult, they are not as bad as the famine described in Genesis 47. Egypt’s famine appears to be naturally occurring and not the consequence of war or bad government. In fact, it is through Joseph’s wise management that many lives are saved. 

Verse 14 says that Joseph collected all the money to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain and brought the money to Pharaoh’s palace.

Some may be thinking, ‘Hmmm, was that the best thing to do? It doesn’t seem fair that Joseph should commandeer grain from people during the years of plenty and then sell it back to them during the years of famine’.

Well, when you pay for something, you tend to value it more. If Joseph gave the grain away, people might take it for granted and be less careful with it. They might also take more than they needed and sell it at a higher price later.

Giving the grain away might seem like the best thing to do, but in this context it risked undermining the good. By requiring payment Joseph was better able to drip feed the supply, so the grain lasted.

Besides, the grain wasn’t Joseph’s to give away. Joseph needed to give account to Pharaoh. Storing and distributing grain comes with overheads. Joseph had to charge something to cover expenses and keep Pharaoh’s palace running.  

Some might accuse Joseph of colluding with the empire. Making the king rich at the expense of the people. What Egypt needs in this crisis though is stable government, not revolution. Joseph’s policies support stable government. 

In any case, selling the grain does more good than hoarding it. Joseph is not like the rich man, in Jesus’ parable, who had a bumper crop one year and decided to keep it all for himself. Joseph stores the grain with a view to feeding the community.

John Goldingay, an Old Testament scholar, says that justice and righteousness is about the faithful exercise of power in community.  

Joseph shows us what justice and righteousness look like. There is no hint of greed or profiteering with Joseph. He does not skim the cream off for himself. He takes all the money to Pharaoh’s palace. Joseph is shown to be a man of integrity.

Rather than criticizing Joseph, because his policies don’t meet some theoretical ideal, we do better to think about how we exercise the power we have. Power comes in many forms. Knowledge, skill, physical strength, money, social standing, relationship capital; these are all examples of power.

So the question is, what power has God given us? And are we exercising our power faithfully at home, at school, at work and in the wider community?

Are we righteous and just in our dealings with others?

When the people ran out of money, Joseph took their livestock in exchange for food. He was doing them a favour really. During a drought too much stock becomes a problem because there isn’t enough feed for them. By taking the animals, Joseph relieved the people of a burden.

The best you can hope for during a drought is to keep your animals alive. But the best is the enemy of the good. Joseph probably had to face the difficult decision of culling some of the stock to save the rest.

The mention of livestock alerts us to the suffering of animals during a famine. God cares about all of His creation, human and non-human.

Eventually, when the people have no money and no animals left, they come to Joseph and offer to trade their land and their labour in exchange for food. The people are basically transferring ownership of their land to the crown and making themselves tenant farmers.

Normally, the best thing to do is not sell your land. But the famine gives the people little choice. They can see the best is the enemy of the good. If they don’t sell their land they will die. And what good would that do?

Note though that it is not Joseph who suggests this arrangement. It is the people themselves who ask for this. Although Egypt at this time was not a democracy, Joseph does the very democratic thing of listening to the voice of the people.

We see Joseph’s justice and righteousness again in verse 24 where he tells the people to give 20% of their crops to Pharaoh as rent for using the land as tenant farmers. They can keep the other 80% for themselves.

The average rate of rent for tenant farmers in the ancient near east was 33% of the produce. This means Joseph is renting the land to the people at a discounted rate.

Given the desperation of the people, Joseph could have haggled and charged more if he wanted to, but he does not take advantage of the situation. Joseph does not oppress the people.     

Perhaps Joseph would have liked to charge an even lower rate, but he walks a fine line as it is. Joseph cannot allow the best to become the enemy of the good. Joseph must keep Pharaoh on side. If Joseph were to require only 10% of the crop, then Pharaoh may become unhappy with that arrangement and replace him with someone who was ruthless and charged more.

Joseph exercises his power faithfully for the well-being of the community and the people appreciate it. The people know Joseph has been kind and fair and they express their gratitude saying, “You have saved our lives. May we find favour in the eyes of our lord.”

Verse 26 indicates that Joseph’s law, of giving 20% of the crops to Pharaoh, remained in force for hundreds of years. Joseph may not have intended his edict to last this long. We see the contrast between Egyptian law and Israelite law here.

God’s law, given through Moses 430 years after Joseph, stipulated that debts must be forgiven and slaves set free every seven years. What’s more, if someone fell on hard times and had to sell the family farm to survive, their land must be returned in the year of Jubilee.

God’s law prohibited the king from owning other people’s land in perpetuity, like Pharaoh did. God’s law is concerned with restoring what is lost and protecting the poor. This shows us the Lord is able to give people the best, without sacrificing the good.       

Verse 22 notes that the priests of Egypt received an allotment of food from Pharaoh and so they did not need to sell their land in order to survive.

Religion, in the ancient world, was usually hijacked for political gain. To control the people, you had to show them you had the gods on your side. And maintaining a priesthood enabled the king to do that. 

Of course, the Egyptian priests facilitated the worship of the Egyptian gods. They did not worship Yahweh, the living God of Israel. Which begs the question, was it the best thing for Joseph to be working for a pagan regime?

Well, Joseph is Prime Minister of Egypt because God put him there. And Joseph does not believe in the Egyptian gods anyway. To him they are no gods. Joseph can see the Egyptian religion is just smoke and mirrors.

Joseph does not compromise his loyalty to the God of Israel. Nor does he let the best become the enemy of the good. Joseph’s faith is spacious enough to trust that the one true God is able to use him to do good, even from within a system that is based on a lie. This all points to the awesome grace of God.

We are reminded of what the apostle Paul says in his letter to the Romans…

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

While the people of Egypt were still worshipping idols, God sent Joseph to save them. God loves the Egyptians.

Today’s reading is book ended with twin comments about Joseph’s family.

While the Egyptians were having to sell their land to survive, the Israelites were acquiring land and flourishing. The message here is that God is faithful through good times and bad.

What was it Jesus said? 31 Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’… 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Jesus is not saying we should be careless and abandon all attempts at planning or budgeting. We still have a responsibility to be good managers of what God has given us. After all, Joseph saved many lives through his wise stewardship.

The point is, trust God and be ready to serve His purpose in the present.

If you are always thinking about tomorrow, you will miss what God is doing today. Don’t worry about the things you can’t control. Don’t let fear rob your joy and perspective. Most of the things we worry about never happen anyway.

Conclusion:

I imagine the majority of you welcome the wisdom of not letting the best undermine the good. But there may be some who struggle with this.

If you have perfectionist tendencies, then the thought of sacrificing the best will cause you to have conniptions.

As one perfectionist to another, let me remind you of the Lord’s words to the apostle Paul, that most famous of perfectionists…

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power in made perfect in weakness.

Don’t let the best become the enemy of God’s good purpose. Embrace your weakness. Make friends with it.

Let us pray…

Gracious God, we thank you for knowing our needs and providing for us. Help us by your Spirit to serve your purpose without fear, day by day. Give us a right perspective that we would not let the best become the enemy of the good. Help us to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with you. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.  

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. What does ‘the best is the enemy of the good’ mean? Can you think of an example from your own life (or from Scripture) where the best undermined the good? What happened?
  3. How do you feel when you consider the worlds hungry?
  4. Discuss / reflect on Joseph’s policy for managing Egypt’s food security. Why does Joseph charge the people for grain and not just give it away?   
  5. What is justice and righteousness, in the Bible? What power has God given you? How do you use your power?
  6. In what ways do we see God’s grace at work in Genesis 47? 
  7. How does Egypt’s law (established by Joseph in verse 26) compare/contrast with God’s law?        
Tawa Baptist

Migration

Scripture: Genesis 46 and 47:9-10

Video Link: https://youtu.be/g5QAMDXeqms

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Over recent years there has been an increase in migration around the world.

Stats New Zealand estimate new arrivals to Aotearoa to be around 239,000 people, which is a 39% increase on the previous year. Departures are up by 31%, with nearly 128,000 people leaving. This equates to a net gain of over 111,000 people coming to live in New Zealand.   

These migration statistics represent a lot of movement. A lot of change.

But they don’t tell the whole story. Often people move countries because the situation in their homeland has become intolerable and they want a better life for their family.

Whatever the reason for migrating, it is not easy to leave loved ones and all that is familiar to establish yourself in a new land, where the language and culture are different. It takes courage and faith. Many of you here know that from your own experience.

Today we continue our series in the life of Joseph. This week, in Genesis 46, we read about the migration of Jacob’s family from the land of Canaan to Egypt. From verse 1 of Genesis 46 we read…

So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!” “Here I am,” he replied.

3 “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.”

5 Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel’s sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt, taking with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan. 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Over the past few months, the Deacons and I have been giving careful thought to the church’s insurance policy. Back in February we received an enormous insurance bill. Tens of thousands of dollars more than we were expecting.

At our church meeting next week, we plan to present a proposal for restructuring our insurance cover to bring the premium cost down.

[If you want to see the proposal before the meeting, then we have left copies on the foyer table or you can ask me and I’ll email you the information.]

On one level this is a financial decision. But at a deeper level, it’s also a spiritual decision. Our enormous insurance bill raises some fundamental questions about where our attachments lie. As a church, where do we place our security? In what (or whom) do we put our trust?

Kiwi culture values land. We like to own a piece of dirt and put a building on it. We don’t like to rent. Ownership of land and buildings make us feel safe, secure.

This being said, the church is not the buildings. The church is the people. The church is the quality of our relationships together, in and through Christ.      

Yes, the church’s buildings are useful. They provide a place to gather for worship and fellowship. And yes, we want to take care of the buildings. We want to be good stewards and manage our risk as best we can.

But if our attachment to the land and buildings becomes greater than our attachment to Jesus and one another, then we have lost our way. As followers of a Messiah who had nowhere to lay his head, our trust and our security needs to be in the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As important as the land of Canaan was to Jacob, he was more attached to God and his family. Jacob’s trust and security was in the Lord of all the earth.

But it had not always been that way. As a young man Jacob coveted the land. He wanted to possess the land so badly that he cheated his twin brother, Esau, out of the birthright and blessing. In the process he destroyed trust with his brother and was forced to flee for his life to Haran, to work for his uncle Laban.

On leaving Canaan the first time, the young Jacob had a dream at Bethel in which he saw angels ascending and descending on a stairway. In the dream God promised to give Jacob and his descendants the land of Canaan. God’s promise gave Jacob hope and enabled him to leave the land he loved knowing he would be back one day with a family of his own.

Some twenty years later, when Jacob returned with wives and children, he wrestled all night with a man at the boundary to the land of Canaan. In the morning the man asked Jacob to let him go but Jacob refused saying, “I will not let you go unless you bless me”.

Jacob did not let go easily. The man said to Jacob, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome”. Then the man blessed Jacob. Afterwards, Jacob realised he had been wrestling with God.

Now, in Genesis 46, a much older Jacob is leaving Canaan again and it is no small thing. So much of Jacob’s life has been wrapped up in the promised land. Now Jacob is needing to let go of the land and letting go is not easy for Jacob. There is risk involved. What if he loses the land?   

Feeling the gravity of the situation, Jacob offers sacrifices at Beersheba, once again near the boundary. He is seeking God’s blessing before he crosses over to Egypt. Is it okay for me to leave?

And God responds with a vision in the night, telling Jacob not to be afraid.

God reassures Jacob of his presence saying, “I will go down to Egypt with you”.

God is not restricted by geography. He is Lord of all the earth.

God goes on to say, “I will make you a great nation there”. Jacob’s family, at this point, is not really a nation. It’s more like the embryo of a nation. It was God’s purpose for the nation of Israel to live and grow in the womb of Egypt for around 430 years, before returning to the promised land.

With the reassurance that God travels with him, Jacob leaves the land of Canaan and goes with his family to Egypt. This is an act of faith on Jacob’s part. It demonstrates that Jacob’s security is in the Lord. As important as the land is to Jacob, he has a greater attachment to God and his family.

God is Jacob’s insurance. Jacob believes God will restore the promised land to his descendants one day.       

Jacob’s experience reminds us of Jesus. In Matthew 2, Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph, had a dream in which an angel of the Lord told him to take Mary and Jesus and go to Egypt to escape king Herod. Like Israel, Jesus lived in Egypt for a while, before returning to Nazareth after Herod had died.  

Jesus knows what it is to be a migrant and a refugee. Jesus knows how it feels to be displaced, forced to leave your homeland. 

The kiwi band, Six60, have a song called, Don’t forget your roots.

It’s about the importance of remembering where you come from and taking care of your family relationships. The chorus reads…

“Don’t forget your roots my friend, don’t forget your family,

Don’t forget your roots my friend, the ones who made you,

The ones who brought you here, don’t forget your roots…”

It is important to remember our roots and to take care of our family relationships because if we don’t, we can lose our sense of identity, we can forget who we are and become lost, adrift from what is true.

Whakapapa is the Maori word for genealogy. In English, it translates to something like, ‘place in layers’ or ‘create a foundation’. A person’s whakapapa links them to their ancestors, to their tribe and to their land.  

Whakapapa or genealogy is important in the Bible. Genesis is peppered with layers of names which create a foundation and make connections. Two of the gospels (Matthew and Luke) give Jesus’ whakapapa, linking our Lord to the tribe of Judah and even further back to Adam and therefore to all of humanity.    

In Genesis 46, verses 8-25, we are given the list of names of those descended from Jacob, who left Canaan and settled in Egypt for a while. This Hebrew whakapapa provides a kind of foundation for the nation of Israel.

It helps Jacob’s descendants to remember who they are and where they come from. It strengthens their sense identity, so they don’t forget their roots or become lost in a foreign land.

Now you may be relieved to know that I don’t plan to read out all the names. You can do that later, at your leisure. But I will make a couple of observations.

Firstly, there are no illegitimate children in this list. All of Jacob’s children are named and given a place of honour. Those of you who know your Bibles will remember that Jacob fathered children to four women. He had two wives, Leah and Rachel. And they each had two handmaids who, at Rachel & Leah’s insistence, also had children by Jacob.     

The children of the handmaids are not treated as less, in any way. They are valued members of Jacob’s family and of God’s people. With God, there is no such thing as an illegitimate child.  

Now it needs to be acknowledged that Jacob practiced polygamy and

polygamy is not ideal. Just because some of the Bible’s heroes had more than one wife, at the same time, it does not follow that the Bible recommends it.

More often the Bible portrays polygamy as a cautionary tale, something to be avoided. Nevertheless, God in his grace accommodated it for a time. God worked with the choices human beings made to create the nation of Israel.

Verse 27 tells us that 70 members of Jacob’s family went down to Egypt. Seventy, in ancient Hebrew thought, is the ideal number symbolizing completeness. The nation of Israel, in miniature, is represented here as ideal.

When we look back at the dysfunction in Jacob’s family. The lies, the hatred, the envy and rivalry, we may wonder how the Bible can represent this messed up family as ideal.

Well, it seems the text is making a point. Despite a less than ideal past, a profound healing has taken place within the family so that they can be reunited again. Not just geographically reunited but restored in their relationships.

We might think of Jacob’s family as a patchwork quilt. Before the quilt is sewn together it looks like a bunch of random rags destined for the scrap bin. But when God brings all the different shapes and sizes and colours of human fabric together, it becomes a thing of beauty and usefulness.   

We catch a glimpse of the healing, restoring work of God in verses 28-30 of Genesis 46, when Jacob is reunited with his son Joseph…

28 Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. 

As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his fatherand wept for a long time. 30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”

Although Jacob says he is ready to die, he actually goes on living for a number of years. Jacob is basically saying he is satisfied with his life. He has received his son back from the dead and it is well with his soul.

Joseph does not say anything at first. He weeps, for a long time. Joseph’s tears communicate more powerfully than words. Joseph’s tears speak to the depth of his suffering and love. Joseph has not forgotten his roots. He is at home in the arms of his father, even if they are in a strange land.

It’s interesting that the first thing Joseph attends to here is his emotions.

He has a good cry. After (and only after) he has attended to his emotions, does Joseph attend to the practical task of settling his family in Egypt and giving them security in Goshen.

Most men, in the time and culture I was raised in, did not give priority to their emotions. Feelings were this annoying thing that got in the way of being a man. The problem is, if we treat our feelings with contempt, they often return with a vengeance, in the form of anger. And so what you get is a lot of angry young men. Things are different these days, but there was a time when anger was the only acceptable feeling for a Kiwi bloke.   

In Joseph though we are given a different model, a better example. In Joseph we see a powerful and successful man who manages his emotions well. Joseph gets things done by wisdom and patience, not violence or force.

Joseph reminds us of Jesus. Jesus also gave priority to taking care of his feelings. Before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, he wept. Only after Jesus had faced his feelings did he get on with the practical task of bringing Lazarus back to life. We do well to remember that tears often precede new beginnings.

After attending to his emotions, Joseph makes arrangements for his family to settle in Goshen. Shepherding was the family business and Goshen was a region in Egypt that was suitable for shepherding. There is more than enough change migrating to a new country. Best (if possible) to keep some things familiar, like the work you do. Stick to the knitting, as they say. 

Joseph is careful to do everything above board. There is no deceit with Joseph. He doesn’t sneak his family into Egypt. He gets Pharaoh’s permission, instructing his brothers to be honest with Pharaoh about what they do for a living. Then Pharaoh will allow them to settle in Goshen.

Joseph’s approach is very different from that of his great-grandfather, Abraham. When Abraham went to Egypt, he lied to Pharaoh because he was afraid. Joseph has learned from Abraham’s mistake. Joseph is respectful of Pharaoh and his authority. He speaks the truth and trusts the outcome to God.   

The note, in verse 34, that all shepherds are detestable to Egyptians suits Israel well. It means the Egyptians will keep some distance between themselves and Jacob’s family. This will enable God’s people to preserve their identity and not be assimilated into Egyptian culture.   

It is similar with the followers of Jesus. We are to be in the world but not of it. We are to preserve our distinctive identity in Christ and not be assimilated by the prevailing culture. We are to keep our saltiness.

In Genesis 47, Joseph introduces his father to Pharaoh and Jacob blesses Pharaoh, twice it appears.

We are reminded here of God’s promise to bless the nations through Abraham and his descendants. God does, quite literally, bless Pharaoh and all of Egypt through Jacob and Joseph, the direct descendants of Abraham. 

Conclusion:

This morning we have heard how Jacob and his family migrated to Egypt. While the promised land of Canaan was important to him, ultimately Jacob’s security was in the Lord. Jacob was more attached to God and his family than he was to the land. 

But in migrating to Egypt, Jacob and his family did not forget their roots. They remembered who they were as God’s covenant people. By preserving their identity and staying true to God’s purpose for them, they blessed the people of Egypt.

Today is Pentecost, a special Sunday in the church calendar when we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church. When Jesus’ disciples received the Holy Spirit 2000 years ago, they were mobilised to migrate from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, blessing the nations as they took the message about Jesus with them.   

By the power of God’s Spirit, a new nation was born and has grown around the world. This nation of people, who are known as Christians, is not bound to a particular piece of land or to a particular ethnic genealogy.

Whether we were born here or moved here, as the people of God, we are all pilgrims (or migrants) in this world, connected across time and space by the Spirit of Christ. 

Let me finish now with a blessing for you. This prayer was written by Gustavo Santos, of Vancouver…

The Lord of the Nations has brought you here and he has protected you through many challenges. Even though you might be invisible to those around you, remember that the Creator sees you. And even though you might not be able to express yourself in a new language, remember that the Creator hears you. As you go into the world, extend his love through the work you do. Welcome those who don’t look like you. Serve those who may persecute you. Seek justice wherever God takes you. Keep your head high and your heart soft, knowing that you belong regardless of where you are. Because in God’s kingdom, nobody is a stranger. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. Have you ever migrated from one country to another? (Or from one city to another, within the same country?) How did you feel? What was helpful to you in the process of migration?
  3. How do you imagine Jacob felt when he was leaving Canaan? How did Jacob deal with his migration?
  4. Discuss / reflect on God’s words to Jacob in Genesis 46:2-4. What do you need / want God to say to you?
  5. Why does Genesis contain genealogies?  What is significant about the genealogy of Jacob’s family in Genesis 46? What is significant about Jesus’ genealogy in Matthew & Luke?
  6. Why does Joseph weep when he is reunited with his dad? What happens if we don’t take care of our feelings? What practical things can we do to look after our emotions?
  7. What was the long-term consequence of the gift of the Spirit at Pentecost?       Why does Jesus send his Spirit upon people today?
Tawa Baptist

Release

Scripture: Genesis 45

Video Link: https://youtu.be/4dUdkpcGHH8

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Release
  • Renewal
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Paul Tournier, the Christian physician, once said…

“Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets.”

A secret prevents us from getting close to people. A secret makes parts of ourselves invisible to others so that we are misunderstood, not fully known, not fully loved or accepted. A secret opens our mind to fear and closes our heart to intimacy. Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets.

Today we continue our series in the life of Joseph, focusing on Genesis 45. Joseph’s brothers have been living with a secret for 22 years and the sense of loneliness and alienation has taken its toll. Joseph also has a secret, the weight of which has now become too heavy to bear. From Genesis 45, verse 1, we read…

1 Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.  3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence. 4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!  5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.  8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. 9 Now hurry back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay. 10 You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. 11 I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’ 12 “You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. 13 Tell my father about all the honour accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.”  14 Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us. 

Release:

You have probably heard of the movie The Truman Show, about a man trapped inside a reality TV series in which he is the star, only he doesn’t know it. All the people in his life are actors, playing a part, keeping the secret, keeping Truman in the dark.

When the creator of the show is challenged about the morality of lying to Truman and keeping him captive on the show, he replies…

“[Truman] could leave at any time. If his was more than just a vague ambition, if he was absolutely determined to discover the truth, there’s no way we could prevent him… ultimately Truman prefers his cell.” 

We human beings often have a difficult relationship with truth. On the one hand, we don’t always want the truth to get out or maybe we prefer not to face the truth because it is too difficult.

On the other hand, we have a deep yearning for the truth and the freedom it brings. There is a part of us that longs to know and be known. We were made for intimacy.

One day, when Truman begins to suspect that his whole world is fake, he becomes absolutely determined to discover the truth. He can’t go along with the lie anymore and plans his escape. His desire for a life that is real and relationships that are true is stronger even than his fear of death.

Last week we heard how Joseph had his steward plant a silver cup in Benjamin’s sack. Joseph did this because he wanted to know if he could trust his brothers. He wanted a relationship with his brothers that was real and true.

The brothers passed Joseph’s test with flying colours. When Benjamin was found to have the cup, the brothers did not trade Benjamin for their own freedom. They stood in solidarity with him. In fact, Judah offered himself as a slave in Benjamin’s place.

When Joseph saw that his brothers had changed, he could no longer contain himself. The truth set Joseph free to take off his mask and reveal himself to his brothers saying, “I am Joseph”.   

The brothers are speechless. They can’t take it in. This is not what they were expecting. Not only was Joseph alive, when they thought he was dead. He has also become the Prime Minister of Egypt. Seeing Joseph was like seeing a ghost. They were terrified.  

The brothers here remind us of Jesus’ disciples, caught between hope and terror, when the risen Jesus appeared to them after his crucifixion and burial. 

Joseph invites his brothers to take a closer look. Then he proves his identity saying, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt”.

This was a secret only Joseph could have known. Not even Benjamin was aware of what his other ten brothers had done.

Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets. The brothers’ secret had forced them to lie to their father Jacob and probably also to their wives and children. They were not free to be honest with those closest to them. The brothers’ secret was like weed killer on their relationships. It kept them on the defensive and isolated them.

By letting his brothers know that he was alive and doing well, Joseph set his brothers free. After 22 years of secrets and lies, they no longer needed to pretend. They no longer needed to fear the worst. Now the brothers could draw close to those who loved them.

Joseph reminds us of Jesus here. The Spirit of Jesus is a Spirit of grace and truth. Joseph communicates the truth with a generous measure of grace. Joseph wants his brothers to know he holds nothing against them.

He wants to set them free, so he lets them in on a theological truth…

7 …God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.

Three times in verses 5-8 of Genesis 45, Joseph says to his brothers that it was God who sent him to Egypt.

Now, in saying that it was God who sent Joseph to Egypt, we must be clear. God did not want or need the brothers to sell Joseph into slavery. God could have arranged for Joseph to get to Egypt some other way.

The point is: it was always God’s purpose to send Joseph to Egypt and nothing can defeat God’s purpose. We human beings make our choices, sometimes good, sometimes bad. And God, in his wisdom, works with the choices we make to achieve his sovereign goal.      

Walter Brueggemann puts it this way, “The freedom of the creature and the gracious sovereignty of God are not in conflict, nor are they to be equated. God makes use of all human action and is not domesticated or limited by human choice.”  

Knowing this sets us free to let God be God. It releases us from fear so we can trust God more.

Now when it comes to bursting the bubble of our secrets and revealing the truth we need to exercise thoughtfulness and discretion. We don’t just reveal our truth to any random person.

When Joseph realized some significant truths were about to be revealed and they were truths that would be frightening if not embarrassing for his brothers, he ordered all his attendants to leave.

Joseph does not want to shame his brothers publicly. He wants to foster trust with his brothers and keep them safe.  

The point of application for us is, be wise about how you share your truth. We don’t need to publicly confess our deepest darkest secrets before the whole congregation or to everyone on Tik Tok or Facebook. That would do more harm than good.

Ask yourself, what is going to set people free and foster trust in this situation? Don’t put your pearls before swine. Share your truth with people you know you can trust. And don’t share information that is not yours to share. Don’t gossip, in other words, because that won’t set people free or foster trust.

The brothers were not the only ones to be set free by the truth. Joseph also finds release from his isolation. Now he can drop the pretense and be himself. Now he can finally let go of all his pent-up emotions. Over 20 years’ worth. 

Joseph weeps as he embraces Benjamin. And then he weeps over each of his other brothers in turn. It’s not just the brothers who have received Joseph back from the dead. Joseph received his family back from the dead as well.

Joseph’s tears reveal the depth of his suffering and love. Joseph’s tears show his brothers that they are released from blame and accepted. For it is only after Joseph has wept on each one of his brothers that they are able to talk to him.

By God’s grace and Joseph’s wisdom all the brothers finally experience the release they had longed for. But what are they being released into? From verse 16 we continue the story…

Renewal:

16 When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come, Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased. 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan, 18 and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land.’ 19 “You are also directed to tell them, ‘Do this: Take some carts from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. 20 Never mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours.’ ” 21 So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts, as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey. 22 To each of them he gave new clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothes. 23 And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey. 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, “Don’t quarrel on the way!”  25 So they went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. 26 They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.” Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “I’m convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

C.S. Lewis once wrote…

“It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must hatch or go bad.”

Change may be uncomfortable and unwanted, but it is inevitable if we are to make progress in our life and relationship with God. There comes a point when we must all embrace the change God intends for us if we are to fly.

Truman needed to leave the safety of the TV studio, and venture into the unknown world outside, for the wellbeing of his soul. Likewise, Joseph’s family needed to change also. For their own survival and growth, they needed to leave Canaan and settle in Egypt for a while.

More than simply changing countries though, they needed a fresh start in their relationships. They needed to renew their thinking. Renewal is something God does. Yes, we need to participate in our own renewal, but renewal only happens at God’s initiative.    

We see one clear sign of renewal in verse 22, where Joseph gives new clothing to each of his brothers. The brothers had (in their envy and hatred) stripped Joseph of his special cloak. Now Joseph repays evil with good by giving all his brothers new clothes.

The new clothes are an outward symbol of the brothers’ inner renewal. They have been through the crucible of conversion and emerged as new people. Previously, the brothers had clothed themselves in shame. Now Joseph clothes them in righteousness. Just as Jesus clothes us in His righteousness when we are baptized.

However, when we read that Joseph gave far more to his brother Benjamin than to any of the others, we may start to feel a bit nervous. Is this repeating the mistakes of the past? 

Well, probably not. The brothers have proven their loyalty to Benjamin.

Joseph may be challenging the culture of his time. Normally the eldest son was given preferential treatment, but Benjamin is the youngest.

By giving Ben 300 shekels of silver & five sets of clothes, Joseph is turning the tradition upside down.

Like Jesus said, the first shall be last and the last shall be first. This is a sign of gospel renewal.

The mention of Joseph sending his brothers off with 20 donkeys all laden with provisions is an interesting touch. Previously the brothers had worried that Joseph wanted to steal their donkeys. Now Joseph corrects that kind of catastrophic thinking through his generosity.

Joseph’s parting word about not quarrelling on the way home would be better translated as, “Don’t get worked up or agitated. Don’t get carried away or over excited. Stay calm.” Renewed mind, renewed emotions.

Perhaps the most significant sign of renewal is seen in the closing verses of Genesis 45. When the brothers return to Canaan and tell their father Jacob the good news that Joseph is still alive and that he is the ruler of Egypt, Jacob has difficulty believing it at first. It sounds too good to be true.

But as his sons tell the story and as he sees the royal carts provided for their transport, Jacob believes the truth and his spirit is revived. Jacob is finally released from the pattern of grief that he has been trapped in all this time and his soul is renewed.    

There was a time, in Jacob’s youth, when he grasped for wealth and was willing to deceive his brother and father to steal the birthright and the blessing. But now we see a very different Jacob.

The thing that revives Jacob, the thing that renews his life, is not the wealth sent by Joseph, but rather believing the good news that his son is alive and well.

Conclusion:

Last Thursday was Ascension Day. Ascension is a day in the church calendar when we celebrate the risen Jesus’ exaltation to the right hand of God in heaven. It is a special time to bask in the light of the good news that Jesus is alive and well, interceding for us with the Father.

Jesus’ ascension is good news indeed because it means Jesus is in charge of the universe. It means we are released from our guilt and shame and clothed in righteousness. By the grace and power of the risen and exalted Christ, we will be transformed and renewed. We will soar on wings like eagles.   

May the grace and truth of our Lord Jesus Christ set us free to walk in freedom and righteousness. Amen. 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Can you keep a secret? What affect do secrets have on our soul and our relationships? What affect does truth have on our soul and relationships?
  • Discuss / reflect on the theological significance (and practical implications) of Joseph’s belief that God sent him to Egypt?
  • Can you think of a time in your own experience when God used something bad to serve His good purpose? What happened?
  • Why do we need to hold grace and truth together? How does Joseph manage to do this with his brothers?
  • What signs of renewal do we see in Genesis 45? What signs of renewal are you conscious of in your own life?
  • What connections do you see between Genesis 45 and the work of Jesus?     
Tawa Baptist

Second Chances

Scripture: Genesis 44

Video Link: https://youtu.be/fZVV72MlMpM

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • A second chance
  • A substitute
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Many of you will remember, from childhood, the nursery rhyme about Humpty Dumpty.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the king’s horses and all the king’s men

couldn’t put Humpty together again.

It’s such a sad nursery rhyme. Why would you say that to a child? For years I have wondered what the point of it is. Humpty Dumpty raises so many questions.  

Is the nursey rhyme a kind of health and safety warning, before health & safety became a thing, teaching kids to be careful how high they climb? Or is it saying that people who are indecisive and sit on the fence (aka the wall) end up worse off than those who pick a side?

Who is Humpty Dumpty anyway and what does he (or she) represent? Did Humpty fall by accident, or was he pushed? And if he was pushed, who pushed him and why? (Robyn says I tend to overthink things. She may be right.)  

Whatever the answers to these important questions, I just wish the consequences for poor old Humpty Dumpty were not so fatal and final.

I wish Humpty Dumpty was given a second chance.

Today we continue our series in the life of Joseph. Joseph’s brothers certainly needed a second chance. They pushed their father Jacob off the wall by selling Joseph into slavery and lying about it. And they cannot undo what they have done.

But through Joseph, God gives them a second chance to make things right and put Jacob together again. From Genesis 44, verse 1, we read…

1 Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack. 2 Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” And he did as Joseph said. 3 As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. 4 They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, “Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil? 5 Isn’t this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.’ ”  6 When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. 7 But they said to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that! 8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?  9 If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.” 10 “Very well, then,” he said, “let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame.” 11 Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12 Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

A second chance:

When Thomas Edison and his staff were developing the incandescent light bulb, it took hundreds of hours to produce the first one. After finishing the bulb, Edison handed it to a young errand boy and asked him to take it upstairs to the testing room.

As the boy turned and started up the stairs, he stumbled and fell. The bulb shattered on the steps. The boy felt terrible. He knew how much work had gone into it and he felt the disappointment of everyone in the room.

He turned to face the famous inventor. But instead of tearing strips off the boy, Edison reassured him. And then told his staff to start working on another bulb.

When the second bulb was completed several days later, Edison did something unexpected. He walked over to the boy, handed him the bulb and said, “Please take this up to the testing room”.

Thomas Edison knew it was a risk, both to himself and to his staff. But he also knew the boy needed another chance. He needed the opportunity to redeem himself. And the boy did just that, delivering the second bulb without incident.

You may remember, from a few weeks ago, that Joseph needed to test his brothers to determine whether they were trustworthy. Well, so far, they have been passing the tests. When Simeon was held hostage, the brothers returned with Benjamin and Simeon was released. Also, they were honest about the silver found in their sacks.

However, these tests didn’t really prove whether Joseph’s brothers had changed. It was in the brothers’ interests to bring Benjamin to Egypt and return the silver. They would have starved if they hadn’t.

Joseph needed a test that replicated the situation (as close as possible) from 22 years earlier, when his brothers had sold him into slavery.

Benjamin, the youngest son and the only other child born to Rachel, was now Jacob’s favourite. What would the brothers do if they had to choose between saving Benjamin and saving themselves?

There was risk in Joseph’s test, to be sure. Just as there was risk in trusting the errand boy with the light bulb a second time. But, like the errand boy, Joseph’s brothers needed a second chance, a chance to redeem themselves.   

Joseph set Benjamin up to look guilty by instructing his steward to place a special silver cup in the mouth of Benjamin’s sack. Then, when Benjamin was found out, the steward gave the brothers a choice.

They could trade Benjamin for their own freedom. They could go home if they gave Benjamin up as a slave.

This was a similar scenario to the one 22 years earlier when they gave Joseph up to slave traders. Only now the stakes are higher.

When the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack the brothers tore their clothes as a sign of grief. It rips them up on the inside to think that harm might come to him.

To their credit all the brothers stand in solidarity with Benjamin, even though he appears guilty. The brothers’ calloused hearts have softened.  

The brothers would rather go into slavery with Benjamin than return home to Canaan without him. This was a pretty big call. The brothers didn’t know if they would ever see their wives and children again.

A substitute:

So what happens next? From verse 14 of Genesis 44, we read…

14 Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him. 15 Joseph said to them, “What is this you have done? Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?”  16 “What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants’ guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves—we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup.” 17 But Joseph said, “Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you, go back to your father in peace.” 18 Then Judah went up to him and said: “Please, my lord, let your servant speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. 19 My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’  20 And we answered, ‘We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’  21 “Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.’ 22 And we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.’ 23 But you told your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’  24 When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said.  25 “Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy a little more food.’ 26 But we said, ‘We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27 “Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 One of them went away from me, and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since. 29 If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in misery.’ 30 “So now, 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, 31 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. 32 Your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father. I said, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!’  33 “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. 34 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.”

There’s a story from Japan about a man called Hamaguchi. Hamaguchi was a highly respected leader of a fishing village.

One day, as Hamaguchi looked out from his house on the top of the hill, he saw the tide receding quickly. The villagers below were running to the beach to look at what was happening.

Hamaguchi realized it was a tsunami. There wasn’t time for him to run down the hill to warn the people of the village, so he set his own crops on fire. When the people saw the smoke, they ran up the hill to help Hamaguchi put out the fire.

They were too late to save Hamaguchi’s crops but, by showing solidarity and coming to his aid, they saved themselves, for the entire village was devastated by the incoming tidal wave. Hamaguchi’s sacrifice brought people together and saved many lives.

Joseph is secretly pleased to see his brothers standing together in solidarity and not abandoning Benjamin. But he doesn’t show this, for the final test is not yet complete.

Joseph says to his brothers, What is this you have done? Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?”

Some ancients believed they could reveal secrets and predict the future by pouring oil into water and watching the pattern it makes. Kind of like some people today think they can reveal mysteries by looking at tea leaves or reading horoscopes or tarot cards.

The Bible forbids divination. But Joseph doesn’t practice divination in any case. He is just saying this to disguise his true purpose. In a way though, Joseph is using the cup to find out the truth.

Judah takes the lead and responds to Joseph. But it is a different Judah to the one that Joseph once knew. For this Judah, has been through the crucible of conversion. This Judah has lost his wife and two sons. He has humiliated himself with Tamar and been bullied by regret at what he did to Joseph and Jacob 22 years earlier.

This Judah doesn’t try to force his own way and he doesn’t try to deceive Joseph. Instead, he acknowledges God’s justice in their situation saying…

“What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants’ guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves….”

Judah is making a confession. Even though Benjamin was the one found with the cup, Judah remembers his own sins and stands in solidarity with Ben.   

To which Joseph replies…

“Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you go back to your father in peace.”

Joseph is letting the brothers off the hook. It’s like Joseph is saying,‘Go on – you don’t need to stay. No one would blame you for leaving’.

This is the second time the brothers are tempted to abandon Benjamin. But they won’t budge. They stay loyal to Ben at great risk to themselves.

Judah takes the lead again. Calling himself a servant, Judah intercedes for Benjamin with a speech, the longest speech recorded in Genesis. Much of the speech is a retelling of the plot so far.

What we notice though, in Judah’s speech, is the three things that God requires of people. To do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly.

Judah does not beg for leniency from Joseph. He doesn’t ask to avoid punishment. He accepts that justice must be done and offers himself as a slave in Benjamin’s place. As a true leader, Judah takes responsibility.

At the same time, Judah performs mercy for his brother Benjamin. The Hebrew word often translated as mercy is hesed. You may remember that hesed is a life-saving action done for someone you know who cannot otherwise help themselves.

Judah is doing hesed for Benjamin and his father. Judah is preserving Benjamin’s freedom and saving Jacob from further grief.

Thirdly, Judah walks humbly. He approaches Joseph with utmost respect, naming himself in a lower position as Joseph’s servant. Judah is honest, without being rude, and he does not presume upon any entitlement.         

The other thing we notice in Judah’s speech is his affection for his father, Jacob. Fourteen times in these verses, Judah mentions his father.

Judah is motivated by deep compassion for his dad. Judah is willing to sacrifice himself not just for the sake of Benjamin, but also for Jacob.

Judah, the same brother who once convinced the others to sell Joseph into slavery, now offers to become a slave himself, in Benjamin’s place. The transformation in Judah is miraculous. Only God can bring about that sort of change.

By God’s grace (and Joseph’s wisdom) Judah gets a second chance and he makes good on the opportunity for redemption.  

As Bruce Waltke observes, Judah is the first person in Scripture to willingly offer his own life [as a substitute] for another. His [self-giving] love, to save his brother for the sake of his father, prefigures the vicarious atonement of Christ, who by his voluntary sufferings heals the breach between God and human beings.  

Or to put it more simply, Judah points to Jesus by being willing to sacrifice himself to save his family.

Except, Jesus did something far greater than Judah. Jesus actually went through with the sacrifice, even unto death on a cross. And the Lord did it to save not just his family and friends but also his enemies, those who hated him.

Conclusion:

Have you ever done something you regret? I’m not talking about getting a bad haircut or ordering the wrong thing off the menu. I’m talking about serious regret. Regret that haunts you for decades.

Have you ever pushed Humpty Dumpty off the wall and not been able to put him back together again? Have you ever wished you could have a second chance and do things right this time?

Jesus came to show us the way of forgiveness, to release us from our regret and self-hatred.

Have you ever felt like Humpty Dumpty after his fall? Your life, your family, the things that really matter to you, all in pieces, perhaps through no fault of your own.

Jesus came to put our Humpty Dumpty lives and this Humpty Dumpty world back together again. Jesus came to make all things new.

May the Spirit of Jesus give us eyes to see the second chances God provides and the faith to put things right. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. What thoughts and feelings does the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme put you in touch with?
  3. Why did Joseph frame Benjamin by putting a silver cup in his sack?
  4. What stands out for you in reading Judah’s speech of intercession for Benjamin?  
  5. Have you ever done something you seriously regretted? What happened? Did you experience God’s redemption in this situation? If so, how?
  6. In what ways does Judah remind us of Jesus?
  7. How might we recognise when God is giving us a second chance?