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

Fruitful

Scripture: Genesis 41:41-57

Video Link: https://youtu.be/VTF9TNsC2-Q

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • What is fruitfulness
  • How to be fruitful
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Today we continue our series in the life of Joseph.

So far it’s been a bit of a roller coaster ride for Joseph. He lost his mother when he was young. Was put on a pedestal by his father. Hated and sold into slavery by his brothers. Promoted to general manager of Potiphar’s household. Falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and thrown into prison, before being brought into Pharaoh’s presence to interpret the king’s dreams.

There’s more twists and turns in this story than a corkscrew. From Genesis chapter 41, verse 41 we pick up the story…

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and men shouted before him, “Make way!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.” Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt. Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt. During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure. Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.” The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food. When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.” When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. And all the countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the world.

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

When you are doing your personal devotions, it’s a good idea to begin by prayerfully reading through a passage of Scripture, asking God to highlight what he wants to say. Read the passage slowly, three or four times, until you sense God’s Spirit drawing your attention to a particular verse or idea.

It’s important not to rush the process. Don’t force it. Don’t try too hard. Let the word of God come to you. Once you have the verse, sit with it for a while. Meditate on it. Make room for the word of God to take root in your mind and grow.

As I was reading through Genesis 41 in this way, earlier in the week, Joseph’s words about God making him fruitful resonated with me. I sensed a certain creative energy stirring within me when I came to verse 52.

With this in view, today’s message explores the idea of God making Joseph fruitful. How does God make Joseph fruitful? And by extension, how can we be fruitful? Before diving into those questions though, we need to ask, what does it mean to be fruitful?

What is fruitfulness:

Well, on one level, fruitfulness has to do with reproducing life. But at a deeper level, fruitfulness also has to do with fulfilling our purpose.

Take wheat for example. A stalk of wheat is fruitful when it produces many heads of grain. The grain is full of life and the DNA of the plant. It can be sown in the ground to reproduce more wheat. Or the grain can be harvested and used for food. 

Wheat is fruitful, then, when it fulfills its life-giving purpose of multiplying itself and feeding God’s creatures.

Joseph is not a stalk of wheat though. Joseph is a human being. So what does it mean for a human person to be fruitful?

Well, our purpose is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. To say it another way, we are fruitful when we reflect God’s image. For example, God is creative and life-giving, therefore we reflect God’s image when we are creative and life-giving. God is love, so it follows that we glorify God when we love our neighbour as we love ourselves.

During the week we had an afternoon tea to remember Alison who passed away last Sunday. As I reflect on Alison’s life, I am mindful of the fruits of the Holy Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.

Alison’s life was fruitful for God’s glory. She reflected God’s image in the way she related with others.

Fruitfulness, for Christians, also has to do with reproducing a life of faith.

We do that, with the help of God’s Spirit, through the process of discipleship. That is, learning to trust and obey Jesus. First Jesus says, ‘come follow me’. Then he says, ‘go make disciples.’ That’s how we reproduce Christian faith.

Returning to Joseph. God’s purpose was to use Joseph to bless the nations. Joseph was fruitful in fulfilling God’s purpose by producing and storing grain in the years of plenty so people would have bread in the years of famine.

In this way, Joseph reflects God’s image as one who provides for people. Lord, give us this day our daily bread. 

To be fruitful then, is to reproduce a life of faith and fulfill our purpose of reflecting God’s image. The next question we might ask is, how can we be fruitful? We get some clues on how to be fruitful by considering how God made Joseph fruitful.

How to be fruitful:

Wheat grows best in warm climates, between 21 and 24 degrees Celsius. Wheat needs a lot of sunshine, especially when the grains are beginning to fill out. Wheat does not thrive when conditions are too damp.

In New Zealand, most wheat is grown in the Canterbury region because Canterbury has cold winters and warm dry summers. You don’t see much (if any) wheat grown in Wellington because the climate is not right.

One thing you need for fruitfulness then, is to plant in the right place at the right time. Keeping in mind God’s purpose to save millions from starvation, Joseph needed to be in the right place at the right time.

If Joseph had stayed in Canaan with his family, he would be in the wrong place to fulfill God’s purpose. Likewise, if Joseph had stayed in the dungeon, he would be in no position to help.

God made Joseph fruitful by getting Joseph into Pharaoh’s palace at just the right time to interpret Pharaoh’s dream. Then God gave Joseph favour in Pharaoh’s eyes, so that Joseph was made Prime Minister of Egypt. God planted Joseph in Egypt and Joseph grew in Egypt.

Where has God planted you? Grow where you are planted. The place you are planted could be the neighbourhood you live in or the faith community you are part of or the organization you work for or the vocation you give your life to.   

The place God plants you might be close to family or a long way from home. It might be easy to find, or it might take years to discover. It might feel like your choice, or it might be forced on you. But in the end, when the time is ripe, the place God plants you is the place you are fruitful.

Being planted in the right place at the right time is not enough by itself. Joseph also needed the right tools to be fruitful.  

In verses 41-45, of Genesis 41, we read of all the different tools Pharaoh gave Joseph to get the job done. Pharaoh handed Joseph his signet ring so that Joseph could seal official documents and make things happen.

Pharaoh dressed Joseph in fine clothes, put a gold chain around his neck and had Joseph ride in a chariot with fanfare, to show everyone that Joseph had Pharaoh’s full support.

Pharaoh also gave Joseph an Egyptian name so that other Egyptians would accept him. And Pharaoh arranged for Joseph to marry into a noble Egyptian family, so that he would be well connected.

These things were the tools and gifts Joseph needed to be fruitful for God’s purpose in this situation. And Joseph accepted them.

We are not all given the same tools or the same gifts. This is because we each have a different job to do. So the question becomes, what tools (or gifts) has God given you? Because that’s probably a clue as to what the Lord wants you to do?  

It is not enough to plant in the right place, at the right time. Nor is it enough to have the right tools for the job. To be fruitful you also need to know how to use the tools and grow the crop. You need the right skills to get the most out of the harvest.

God didn’t just take Joseph out of Canaan and plonk him Pharaoh’s palace overnight. No. God gave Joseph the experience he needed to gain the skills to govern Egypt and manage the world’s food security.

More than simply equipping Joseph with the right skills, God developed Joseph’s character. 

Joseph was raised in a complicated, dysfunctional family with all the politics that comes with that. Then Joseph rose through the ranks as a slave in Potiphar’s household, learning the Egyptian culture and some management skills along the way.

Eventually Joseph found himself in charge of a prison, with responsibility for the pastoral care and welfare needs of the inmates. God put Joseph through the school of hard knocks so that Joseph was prepared with the skills and backbone he needed to run the country.

It’s interesting the way Joseph says (in verse 52 of Genesis 41) that God has made me fruitful, in the land of my suffering.

I’m not sure we can be fruitful without suffering. I don’t want to glorify suffering much less try to explain it. Suffering is not ideal, but it is sometimes necessary. Much like pruning a fruit tree or a grape vine is necessary to ensure a good harvest.

Suffering has a way of shaping our character and our perspective, for better or worse. Too much suffering can undermine our character, making us bitter and brittle. Just as too little suffering can make us less resilient and more entitled.

The right amount of suffering though, coupled with the right support, can make you stronger and wiser.

God, in his inscrutable wisdom, deemed it necessary for Joseph to suffer as a slave for about 13 years. This crucible experience not only equipped Joseph with some valuable skills it also formed his character in a good way.

One thing that makes suffering especially hard is that we don’t necessarily know how God is going to use it for good. When you are going through a difficult time, you cannot always see the purpose.

Joseph probably didn’t understand what God was doing during those 13 years of his captivity, but he still trusted in the dream God had given him. Our dream, our hope, is based firmly on the resurrection of Christ. Jesus’ resurrection is what we trust in, through good times and bad.     

Reflecting on your own life. What skills and character-building experiences has God given you? How might you use your skills and experience in service of God’s purpose? 

Returning to our wheat metaphor. To be fruitful you need to clear the ground of rocks and obstacles. It does little good to try and sow seed on hard ground. The soil needs to be receptive to the seed.

Translating that for Joesph (and for us) ‘clearing the ground’ means forgiving the past, letting go of your hurts, accepting yourself. You cannot be very fruitful when you are carrying a chip on your shoulder.   

In verse 51 of Genesis 41, we read how Joseph named his eldest son, Manasseh saying, ‘it is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household’.

It’s not that Joseph literally doesn’t remember what his brothers did to him. It’s more that Joseph has managed, by God’s grace, to let it go.

God has compensated Joseph for the injustice he has suffered, so Joseph is able to stop dwelling on the past and enjoy life in the present.

This letting go of the troubles of his past happens before Joseph talks about God making him fruitful.

What hard ground in your soul does God want to soften? What hurts does the Lord want to heal? What do you need to let go of, from your past?  

The fifth thing required for fruitfulness is doing the work. You can be in the right place at the right time. You can have all the tools and skills you need. You can clear the ground and forgive the past, but if you don’t do the work, there will be no fruit.

In verses 48-49 of Genesis 41, we read how Joseph did the work. During the seven years of plenty he went throughout Egypt gathering grain and storing it.

There was quite a bit of effort and organization in doing this. Joseph would have arranged for silos to be built, grain to be planted and harvested and stored. I expect it was a busy time. But Joseph stuck to the plan. He did the mahi. He did the work. And he did it in a smart way.

Joseph did not put all his eggs (or grain) in one basket, so to speak. Joseph spread the risk by having grain silos throughout the country.

This was wise stewardship. If you put all the grain in one centralized place, then you make that city a target for attack. Spreading the silos also made distribution easier later on. 

Of course, the work did not stop when the seven years of plenty ended. When the famine started to bite, Joseph then had the tricky job of managing demand and supply.

Some of you may be thinking, ‘I can see how saving the excess of the good years was a helpful thing. But why does Joseph then sell it back to the same people in the years of famine? That doesn’t seem fair. Shouldn’t he have given it to them, without charging, since he took it without paying?’

Well, Joseph not only had to stockpile enough food for the famine, he also needed to make sure it lasted. Putting a price on the food enabled Joseph to control the supply in an equitable way.

Just as a bottleneck enables you to pour liquid in a controlled way.

The Reserve Bank do a similar thing to control inflation. If inflation rises, then the Reserve Bank creates a bottleneck on the flow of money by putting interest rates up.

Putting a price on the food made people more honest and realistic about their need. If Joseph gave the grain away for free, he would have no way of knowing whether some people were cheating the system by taking more than they needed.

Charging people not only made the system fairer, it also made the food last longer. Fairness and good stewardship go hand in hand with Joseph’s brand of fruitfulness.

Conclusion:

In talking about how we can be fruitful we must not miss the most important fact that it is God who made Joseph fruitful, just as it is God who makes us fruitful.

It is God who plants us in the right place at the right time to do his will.

It is God who provides the right tools together with the skills, experience and character we need to fulfil his purpose.

It is God who gives us the grace to forgive the past and the strength to complete the work.

Without God we cannot be fruitful. Therefore, it is essential that we take special care of our relationship with God, through Christ. 

In John 15, Jesus says…

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing…

Let us pray…

Gracious God, help us to remain in Christ and be fruitful for your glory. Through Jesus we ask. 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?

  • How has God used you to reflect his image? How has God used you to reproduce a life of faith? (You might want to ask someone who knows you to help you answer these questions.)
  • Where has God planted you?
  • Why does God give us different tools? What tools has God given you? What is it God wants you to do? 
  • What skills and character-building experiences has God given you? How might you use your skills and experience in service of God’s purpose? 
  • What hard ground in your soul does God want to soften? What hurts does the Lord want to heal? What do you need to let go of, from your past? 
  • Why is it important that we take care of our relationship with God? How are you doing this?
Tawa Baptist

God’s Control & Compassion

Scripture: Genesis 41:1-40

Video Link: https://youtu.be/BkeLVZRDzN0

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Genesis 41:1-8
  • Genesis 41:9-16
  • Genesis 41:25-32
  • Genesis 41:33-40
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Many of you will know the story of king Canute. Canute the Great was king of England about a thousand years ago. He was a good ruler and the country enjoyed peace and prosperity during his reign.

One day king Canute decided to demonstrate to his flattering courtiers that there were some things outside of his control. To do this he set up his throne on the seashore and commanded the incoming tide to halt.

The tide continued to rise, of course, washing over his legs.

Then the king stood up and said, ‘Let all men know how empty and worthless is the power of kings, for there is none worthy of the name, but He whom heaven, earth and sea obey by eternal laws’.

King Canute then hung his crown on a crucifix and never wore it again to honour God the Almighty King. 

Today we continue our sermon series in the life of Joseph by focusing on Genesis 41, verse 1-40. In this passage, we see that God is in control and God is compassionate. God’s control and his compassion go together.

From verses 1-8 of Genesis 41 we read…

Genesis 41:1-8

1 When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile, 2 when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. 3 After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. 4 And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. 5 He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. 6 After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—thin and scorched by the east wind. 7 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream. 8 In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.

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

In Roald Dahl’s book, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, five children win golden tickets for a guided tour through Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Four of the five kids are used to always getting what they want and because of this they come to a sticky end.

Charlie is the only child who knows what it is to not get what he wants, and he is the only one to make it out unscathed.

You see, the problem with always getting what we want is that it creates the illusion that we are in control when, in reality, we are not.

Yes, we do have choices and we can control ourselves if we put our mind to it. But ultimately, we are limited in what we can do.

There are forces at work in the world more powerful than us which we must submit to. Trying to maintain the illusion that we are in control creates a great deal of stress and anxiety. Ultimately, we function better when we trust our lives to God.   

Unfortunately, Pharaoh is used to having his own way. He is the dictator of the Egyptian empire. He can have whatever he wants whenever he wants. This only serves to strengthen the illusion that he is in control.

For Pharaoh’s own good, God dismantles the illusion by giving Pharaoh a dream. God needed to disturb Pharaoh to get his attention. As king of the land, Pharaoh was not used to being disturbed. A man in his position had assistants who filtered out much of the riff raff and bad news.

But there is no filter for our dreams. We cannot control the great ocean of the unconscious.

Pharaoh’s dreams were frightening. It cannot be pleasant watching a scrawny cow eating a fat cow. Cows are supposed to eat grass, not each other. Same thing with grain. Both dreams depicted something outside of Pharaoh’s control and he did not know how to interpret them.  

Pharaoh was probably also disturbed by the fact that the River Nile featured in his dream. The ancient Egyptians believed the River Nile, and its annual flooding, were the source of life, fertility and prosperity.

Unlike Palestine, which relied on rainfall for successful crops, Egypt relied on the Nile. As long as the Nile watered everything, the people were happy and Pharaoh’s throne was secure. Any threat to the Nile was a threat to Pharaoh’s power.

Pharaoh’s magicians and wise men cannot figure out Pharaoh’s dream either, which only exacerbates Pharaoh’s anxiety. And this is where Joseph comes in. From verse 9 we read…

Genesis 41:9-16

9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. 10 Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. 11 Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. 12 Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. 13 And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.” 14 So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh. 15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”

16 “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”

Joseph in Pharaoh’s court reminds us, a little, of Charlie in the Chocolate Factory. When Charlie won his golden ticket, things changed for him, and quite quickly. He was lifted out of poverty and his dreams came true. It was similar for Joseph.

Joseph’s sudden rise from the dungeon to the palace sounds a note of hope for us. Sometimes when we are in the pit, we can feel like we have no future, with nothing good to look forward to. The truth is none of us knows what’s around the corner. God can change things for the better very quickly, so don’t give up.

When we feel down and out, we do well to remember the words of Jesus, the first shall be last and the last shall be first. 

Joseph did not abandon his hope in God. Joseph remained close to the Lord in prison. Then, when his opportunity came, he was ready.      

Standing before Pharaoh, Joseph was under no illusion as to the limits of his power and control. Joseph understands he can no more interpret Pharaoh’s dreams than hold back the tide. Joseph is quick to credit God as the one with the answer Pharaoh desires.

What we notice here, in verse 16, is Joseph’s complete confidence in God. Despite everything he has been through, Joseph is totally convinced that God is in control, not Pharaoh or anyone else. More than this, Joseph also believes God is compassionate.

Joseph listens carefully while the king retells his dreams…

Genesis 41:25-32

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. 27 The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine. 28 “It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, 30 but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. 31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. 32 The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.

Have you ever looked at a puzzle or a problem and not been able to make sense of it? Then someone comes along with the insight you need which unlocks the answer for you. All at once everything makes sense. In hindsight it seems so obvious.

This is what God does for Pharaoh through Joseph. God unlocks the meaning of the dream. Pharaoh does not question or doubt the interpretation. It all makes sense the moment it is explained.

What is perhaps less obvious is the way Joseph repeatedly underlines the fact that God is in control and God is compassionate.

In verse 16, Joseph says God will give the answer.

Then in verses 25 & 28, Joseph says that God has revealed what he is going to do.

And in verse 32 we read that, God has decided the matter, it will happen soon. 

Joseph is speaking truth to power in these verses and the message is clear: ‘Pharaoh, you are not in control of this. You have no say in the matter. But don’t worry. God is in control and God is compassionate.’

That is a brave statement for Joseph to make. Especially to a man who could take his head off.

The idea that God is in control is not difficult to grasp; we see this in the way Joseph says, God will do it soon, the matter is firmly decided.

It’s a little harder, though, to see how God’s compassion comes into it. After all, the seven good years are followed by seven years of famine, so severe that the good years are forgotten. 

Well, we see God’s compassion in the warning he gives. God is not angry with Egypt. There is no call to repentance here. The seven years of famine are not a judgement or a punishment. They are simply bad weather.

God has revealed to Pharaoh what’s going to happen,so Pharaoh can take action ahead of time to save lives. God, in his compassion, gives a long-range weather forecast so the king can avoid a humanitarian crisis.

There was a problem with one of the air forces’ planes during the week which meant our Prime Minister was late to some important meetings in Australia. I kept thinking, how good it was that our air force personnel were on to it and detected the fault before the plane took off.

The flight might have ended badly if the plane had taken off with faulty landing gear. To my mind, God’s control of the situation and his compassion were at work through the care and initiative of the air force crew.     

For some people, the story of Pharaoh’s dream raises a philosophical question. Is the future fixed or flexible? Is the future closed or open? Is the course of history set in stone or more fluid, like a braided river?

Well, I don’t think we can draw any firm conclusions based solely on Pharaoh’s dream and Joseph’s interpretation. It would appear, from a broader reading of Scripture, that God does determine some things in advance but not everything.

The fact that God, in his inscrutable wisdom, predetermined seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine, in Genesis 41, does not negate human initiative.

As Walter Brueggemann points out, the fixed purpose of God is no occasion for human abdication. God’s purpose is not the end of human planning but the ground for it.  

Knowing what God has planned is no excuse for throwing our hands in the air and saying, there’s nothing we can do anyway. To the contrary, knowing God’s purpose for the future gives clarity about how to proceed in the present. The choices we make matter.

This is certainly how Joseph sees it. Joseph is confident in God. He does not wait to hear if Pharaoh agrees with his interpretation. Joseph sees himself primarily as a servant of Yahweh, more than a servant of Pharaoh.

With this in view, Joseph offers a prudent response, a plan of action to save Egypt. From verse 33 Joseph says…

Genesis 41:33-40

33 “And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. 36 This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.”

One thing that churches throughout the country are wrestling with currently is the ever-increasing cost of insurance. If we knew when disaster was going to strike, we could prepare for it.

But, unlike Pharaoh and Joseph, we don’t know what the future holds. We live by faith. Thankfully, the life of the church and our salvation are not based on our insurance policy. The future of the church depends on God. And Jesus has said, ‘I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it’.

Bearing that in mind, it is still prudent to have insurance if you can afford it. Joseph’s plan is to insure against the coming years of famine by putting aside the overflow of the good years.      

37 The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. 38 So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?”  39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”

Pharaoh, a man who up till that point in his life had trusted in a river, found faith to publicly acknowledge that the ‘spirit of God’ is in Joseph.

And while it is not clear what Pharaoh meant by the ‘spirit of God’, it is clear that Pharaoh trusted Joseph in a very real way. For Pharaoh made Joseph second in command of the entire Egyptian empire.  

Throughout today’s reading we have seen Joseph’s confidence in God. Now we observe Pharaoh’s confidence in Joseph and his faith in God.

Pharaoh is like king Canute in the way he recognizes the limits of his power and control. Pharaoh understands he can no more prevent the coming famine than he can hold back the tide.

By handing Joseph the keys of his kingdom, Pharaoh acknowledges that God is in control and God is compassionate.

Conclusion:

When we look at the world we live in today, a world scarred by war, hunger, injustice, climate change and a whole catalogue of evils, it may be difficult to swallow this belief that God is in control and God is compassionate. If that is true, if God is in control and God is compassionate, then why is there so much suffering in the world?

God has not given us an explanation for suffering. Instead, God has given us his Son, Jesus, who shares in the suffering of the world.

When you are in the thick of it, you don’t need an explanation. What you need is to know that you are not alone and the suffering will not last. The best is yet to come. Jesus’ death and resurrection communicate divine presence and hope in ways that words cannot.

God sent Jesus to establish the kingdom of heaven on earth. Whether we can see it or not, the Spirit of Jesus is at work in the world to bring an end to the chaos and violence. Jesus came to make all things new.

Herod could not prevent the birth of Jesus and Pilate could not prevent the death of Jesus. For God had already decided that Jesus would be born human, die on a cross and raised to eternal life. 

It may not be in our power to stop the crisis in Gaza or the war in Ukraine or domestic violence in New Zealand. But it is in our power to put our faith and hope in Jesus. And so that is what we do.    

May God open our eyes to see his control and compassion at work in the world around us. 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?

  • What sorts of things are outside of our control? What, in your life, can you control? What strategies do you have for dealing with the things you cannot control?
  • Can you think of a time when God lifted you out of a pit? What happened? How does that experience strengthen you to face the future? 
  • Why does Joseph tell Pharaoh that he cannot interpret dreams, but God will give Pharaoh the answer?  
  • In what ways do we see God’s control and God’s compassion at work in Genesis 41? In what ways can you see God’s control and God’s compassion at work in the world today?
  • Why does God reveal the future to Pharaoh? What plans do you have for the future? How do your plans fit with what you know of God’s plans? 
  • Discuss/reflect on the ways Jesus embodies/works out God’s control and compassion. 
Tawa Baptist

Abram in Egypt

Scripture: Genesis 12:10-20

 

Title: Abram in Egypt

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Famine
  • Fear
  • Freedom
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

When a toddler is learning to walk, they fall over a little bit

–         No one criticises the toddler because she is just learning and needs encouragement

 

Likewise, when a child is learning to ride a bike, they fall off sometimes but no one punishes the child for this – a scraped knee is punishment enough

–         Instead we give the child confidence to pick themselves up and carry on

 

Or when a young person is learning to drive

–         They might stall a few times as they get used to the clutch but the instructor is patient with them because they are still getting the hang of it

 

Learning to trust God is a bit like learning to walk or ride a bike or drive a car

–         We make mistakes – we fall, we scrape our knees and we stall

–         But God isn’t there with a big stick ready to hit us if we get it wrong

–         He understands and gives us the grace we need to carry on learning

 

This morning we continue our series on the life of Abram

–         Last week we heard how God called Abram to leave his country, his people and his father’s house

–         Abram responded by obeying God’s call in stages

–         First he left his country and then, some years later, he left his father’s household

 

When Abram finally did make it to Canaan (the Promised Land) the Lord appeared to him and said, “To your offspring I will give this land”

–         Following this wonderful spiritual experience there is a famine in the land and Abram migrates to Egypt to avoid starvation

–         While in Egypt his faith falters – Abram’s fear & anxiety gets the better of him and he trips up

–         But the Lord isn’t waiting with a big stick to punish Abram

–         Rather God is patient and gracious as Abram learns to walk by faith

 

We pick up Abram & Sarai’s story from Genesis chapter 12, verse 10…

 

10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. 11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”

14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman. 15 And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

17 But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai. 18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” 20 Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

Today’s Scripture passage conveniently divides into 3 parts…

–         Famine, fear and freedom

–         Famine in the land, fear in Abram’s heart and freedom by the Lord’s hand. First let us consider famine in the land…

 

Famine:

I remember when I was about 13 or 14 going to an Anglican youth group camp

–         To teach us what the journey of faith is like they had us all line up one behind the other and then told us to take two steps forward and one step back, two steps forward, one step back and so on

–         It was frustrating in a way but it was also effective in teaching the point

–         This is often how it is in our journey of faith

–         Things are going along fine, we feel close to God, and then we go through a famine experience

–         We might sustain some kind of loss – perhaps the death of a loved one or the loss of a job or the breakdown of a marriage

–         Or maybe we experience some kind of disappointment – either with another person or with God

–         Or our prayer life becomes stale and dry

–         Or we might suffer a famine of meaning, where we struggle to find purpose in life – somehow the things we once valued no longer seem so important

–         Whatever form or shape the famine comes in, it feels like we are taking a step backwards and it tests our faith

 

After making two steps forward (leaving his country and his father’s house to enter the Promised Land), Abram now takes one step back as he faces a literal famine in the form of a severe food shortage

–         God had promised to give the land of Canaan to Abram’s offspring and then, sometime after he gets there, Abram discovers the land is not a reliable food source

–         It’s sort of like being given a car with no petrol in the tank

–         Or a cell phone with no battery

–         Or a pair of shoes with a hole in them

–         The famine calls God’s faithfulness into question

 

On the wall here is a diagram of what to do if you are caught in a rip tide at the beach

–         A rip is a current of water on a surf beach which is moving out to sea

–         You can identify a rip by the relative calmness of the water – ironically the rip is where the water is flat (that is, where the waves aren’t)

–         If you are caught in a rip and feel yourself being taken out to sea you basically have three options:

–         Wave out to a life guard to come to your rescue

–         Or, try swimming against the current

–         Or, go with the current and swim sideways till you come out of the rip

–         Once you are out of the rip you can swim back to shore

 

Swimming against the current is probably the worst thing you can do – it will simply make you exhausted and you’ll get nowhere for your efforts

–         Waving for help and swimming to the side are better options

 

A famine is sort of like a rip tide – it’s one of those circumstances you don’t have control over

–         Abram was caught in a severe famine and he had three options:

–         He could call out to God for help

–         Or, he could try and swim against the famine by staying in the land

–         Or, he could let the current of the famine carry him to Egypt, where the food was, and then swim out the side later

 

As far as we know Abram did not call on the Lord for help or ask his advice

–         Instead he thought he would take care of it himself

–         Maybe he didn’t realise that the fulfilment of God’s promise depended more on God than it did on him

–         In any case Abram doesn’t try to swim against the famine (he doesn’t stay in the land) but rather he lets the current carry him to Egypt with a view to returning to Canaan once the famine has finished

 

Interestingly God is silent – he doesn’t say anything to try and stop Abram

–         The Lord let’s Abram make his choices and then works with the choices Abram gives him

 

Fear:

Okay, so that’s the first point, famine in the land

–         Now let’s consider our second point: Abram’s fear

 

About 6 months ago we bought a new car – a 2008 Nissan Tiida

–         The car we traded in was a 1995 Mitsubishi Lancer, so the Tiida is about 13 years newer than the Lancer

–         Consequently the Tiida has a lot more technology built into it

–         One of the things with the Tiida is that talks to you

–         There is literally a voice which says ‘konichiwa’ when you turn it on

–         Not only that but the car is covered in sensors so whenever you get a bit close to something it beeps at you to warn you to stop

–         Or, if you leave your lights on, it beeps at you when you open the door to remind you to turn your lights off

–         It even has a little display estimating how many more km’s before you run out of petrol

–         The point is the new car has all this warning technology built in to it

–         You can turn the volume down though and drive old school if you want

 

Fear is a bit like warning technology built into our brain and nervous system

–         A little bit of fear can be a good thing – it warns us when danger is imminent so we can take corrective action to protect ourselves

–         Sometimes though the volume of our fear is turned up too high so that the warnings our fear gives us is all we can hear and we end up over-reacting

–         Other times our fear malfunctions – it starts beeping when it’s not supposed to, warning us of imminent danger when none exists, so that we end up anxious over nothing

 

A little bit of fear is a healthy thing but when fear has too much influence in our lives it distorts our thinking

–         It makes us forget the bigger picture and deceives us so that we feel like we have no other options than the one presented by our fear

–         Too much fear is like a cruel tyrant living in our head – it bullies us and makes us do things we don’t want to do

 

Turning the volume of fear down, in our brains, is more difficult than turning it down in a car. Verses 11-13 describe how fear affected Abram

 

11 As Abram was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”

 

The first thing to say here is that Abram’s fear was not unfounded – his fear did have some basis in reality

–         Pharaoh was a dictator with a reputation for taking whatever he wanted and disposing of whoever got in his way

–         So Abram was being sensible in heeding the warning his fear gave him

–         Unfortunately the volume of Abram’s fear was turned up too high and that prevented him from thinking clearly

–         With fear calling the shots in Abram’s mind it seemed that deceiving Pharaoh was his best option, perhaps his only option

–         Apparently it didn’t occur to Abram to enquire of the Lord

–         Just as he had left Canaan without asking God for help or advice he now also excludes God in dealing with Pharaoh

–         It’s like Abram thinks the fulfilment of the promise depends on him rather than God

–         Fear has temporarily disabled Abram’s faith in God’s promises

 

A couple of other minor technical points that this passage raises…

–         We know from other parts of Scripture that Sarai was 10 years younger than Abram and that Abram was 75 when he left Harran to go to Canaan

–         This means Sarai must have been at least 65 when she entered Egypt

–         If the genealogies in Genesis are to be accepted at face value then it appears that people 4000 years ago lived longer than we do today

–         In other words they might have aged more slowly – so their 65 may have been more like our 35 [1] (which would make sense in light of Abram’s concern about Pharaoh wanting Sarai because of her beauty)

 

The other minor point to be aware of is that Sarai was Abram’s half sister

–         We know from Genesis 20:12 that Sarai & Abram had the same father but different mothers

–         So by today’s standards their marriage would be considered incestuous,

–         But in that time and culture marrying your half-sister was acceptable – in fact it may have even given more status to the marriage [2]

 

We shouldn’t get hung up though on Sarai’s age and relationship to Abram, they are minor curiosities in the context

–         The main point is that on this occasion Abram acted out of fear, not faith

–         Fear can be a ruthless dictator – not unlike Pharaoh

–         It can distort our thinking and cause us to do things we wouldn’t ordinarily do

–         Fear turned Abram into a con man and it made him use his wife, Sarai, as a shield to protect and enrich himself

 

Now on the one hand we don’t want to condemn Abram for his actions, he was in a difficult situation

–         But on the other hand we can’t condone what he did either

–         We human beings are a mixture – capable of both fearful deceit and faithful courage

–         Abram is not perfect at this point – he is still learning to walk by faith and part of learning to walk by faith is learning to manage our fear

 

Fear and anxiety plays a big part in our lives these days – more than it did 20 or 30 years ago

–         I don’t think shame or guilt over our fearful responses is helpful

–         Learning to manage our fear, learning to walk by faith, is like learning to ride a bike or drive a car

–         There is no shame in falling over or in stalling – it’s part of the learning process

–         God is not standing over us with the big stick waiting to wallop us the moment we make a mistake

–         He is standing alongside us, encouraging us, helping us to find our feet

–         If you suffer from anxiety or fear then take heart by Abram’s example

–         Abram was overcome by fear at times too and yet God used him to bless many

 

As I said before, Abram’s fears were not unfounded

–         Pharaoh did in fact hear of Sarai’s beauty and took her into his harem, treating Abram well for her sake

–         Sarai and Abram didn’t get a choice in the matter – Pharaoh was a dictator. What Pharaoh wants, Pharaoh gets

–         The text doesn’t say whether Pharaoh actually slept with Sarai or not

–         We the reader are left hoping he didn’t, for Sarai’s sake at least

 

This is a picture of men behaving badly

–         Not only did Abram act out of fear to save himself

–         Pharaoh acted out of his lust to have Sarai

–         And so God intervened to set Sarai & Abram free

 

Freedom:

Jesus said, “The truth will set you free”

–         In the context Jesus was talking about holding to the truth of his teaching

–         The principle is, when we believe what is true our minds are set free

–         But when we believe what is false our minds are bound in fear

–         It appears Abram believed that God couldn’t help him with the famine or with Pharaoh and that false belief created a fear which led him to deceive Pharaoh and that deceit resulted in Sarai becoming a captive in Pharaoh’s harem

–         Consequently God intervened to set her free, not by force but by revealing the truth

 

Verse 17 tells us the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh because he had taken Abram’s wife

–         We might look at this situation and think – that doesn’t seem fair, Abram tells a porky (a big fat lie) and Pharaoh gets punished for it

–         Well, I don’t think the Lord is punishing Pharaoh, so much as trying to communicate with him

–         The message was, ‘Pharaoh, your attitude to women is sick and your whole regime is diseased. Your behaviour Pharaoh is as repulsive to me as this illness is to you’

 

I’m not sure whether Pharaoh interpreted his sickness in this way but he certainly realised something was wrong and after investigating what it might be he learned the truth, that Sarai was actually married to Abram

–         We are not told exactly how he learned this but that doesn’t matter

–         The main point is that Sarai was set free when Pharaoh learned the truth

 

When Pharaoh learns the truth he confronts Abram, saying, ‘What have you done to me?’

–         Apparently Pharaoh wants to blame Abram for his predicament

–         Now while it’s true that Abram did deceive Pharaoh, the Egyptian king is missing the point

–         Abram didn’t do this to Pharaoh – Pharaoh brought this on himself

–         It’s not okay for the king to take women against their will to use as objects for his own pleasure

–         Pharaoh has been abusing his power for quite some time it seems

–         He clearly has a Harvey Weinstein reputation, otherwise Abram wouldn’t have felt he needed to deceive Pharaoh in the first place

 

God is love – he doesn’t just love Abram & Sarai, he loves Pharaoh and the Egyptians (and Harvey Weinstein) too, even if he hates their behaviour

–         I believe the sickness God sent on Pharaoh’s household was a message of truth intended to set Pharaoh free from his own sin

–         Unfortunately the Egyptian king didn’t want to face the truth about himself – otherwise he would have said, ‘What have I done?’ rather than ‘What have you done?’

–         He repented in part (by returning Sarai to Abram) but it appears he didn’t go far enough – what about all the other women he had used?

 

The dictator is reaping what he has sown – now it’s Pharaoh’s turn to be afraid and he manages his fear by sending Abram and Sarai away

 

In many ways, God’s deliverance of Abram & Sarai from Egypt foreshadows Israel’s exodus experience

–         Just as Abram & Sarai were forced to migrate to Egypt due to a famine, so too Abram’s grandson, Jacob, moved his family to Egypt because of famine

–         Just as Sarai was oppressed by the Pharaoh of her day, so too the people of Israel were oppressed by the Egyptians some centuries later

–         And just as God intervened with diseases so Pharaoh would set Abram & Sarai free, so too the Lord sent plagues on Egypt so another Pharaoh would let the nation of Israel go free

 

Conclusion:

There are parallels here between Abram and Jesus too

–         After the joy of Jesus’ birth, Joseph and Mary are forced to flee Israel to find refuge in Egypt because Herod is out to kill the new born Messiah

–         Unlike Abram though, Joseph makes the journey to Egypt, not out of fear but in faith, because an angel of the Lord instructed him in a dream

 

Another connection between Abram & Jesus…

–         After his baptism in the River Jordan, God said to Jesus – ‘This is my beloved Son with whom I’m pleased’

–         And then, straight after that wonderful (two steps forward) spiritual experience, the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness (one step back) to be tested by Satan

–         And what’s the first temptation?

–         Famine, hunger. ‘If you are God’s Son, turn these stones into bread’

–         Forget God and rely on yourself

–         Unlike Abram, Jesus passed the test

 

Where you are at in your journey of faith at the moment?

–         Is this is a two steps forward or a one step back stage for you?

–         Are you walking confidently in faith or ducking & diving under that cruel dictator we call ‘Fear’?

–         Either way, the Lord Jesus is faithful to his promises

–         He does not promise us an easy ride – we all face a famine of sorts at some point

–         What Jesus does promise is to never leave us or forsake us

–         And when our journey on this earth has finished he promises heaven

–         Those two things, his presence and heaven

 

Reflection / discussion questions:

 

1.)    What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon?

 

2.)    Can you identify with your journey of faith being two steps forward, one step back?

–         If yes, what have the forward and backwards steps looked like for you?

–         If no, how would you describe your journey of faith?

 

3.)    What is your best option if you get caught in a rip at the beach?

–         If being caught in a famine is like being caught in a rip, what option did Abram go with?

 

4.)    How did Abram’s fear of Pharaoh affect him – what did his fear make him do?

–         How does fear affect you?

–         When is fear a good thing?

–         How might we know when fear is having too much influence in our life?

 

5.)    How does God set Abram & Sarai free?

 

6.)    How does Abram & Sarai’s sojourn in Egypt foreshadow Israel’s exodus experience?

 

7.)    Reflect on /discuss the parallels Genesis 12:10-20 raises between Abram & Jesus

 

8.)    What does Jesus promise us?

–         What does he not promise?

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/22-oct-2017-abram-in-egypt

 

 

[1] Derek Kidner, Genesis, pages 116-117

[2] Ibid