06.07.2009 Joseph pt. 2, the Crisis of Betrayal

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Good morning! Welcome! Last week I started a short, two-week series on the life of Joseph. I want to tell you – I probably could have done 5 weeks on this – there is so much material here – but – Mike wouldn’t let me do five weeks! And I know that you are all looking forward to having him back next week. As we looked at the life of Joseph, we saw – he clung to the promises of God – that is how God took him through those difficult times. As a servant, in the house of Potiphar - it was clear that God was with him and he was put in charge of the captain of the bodyguard’s house – until he was wrongfully accused and thrown into prison. But even in prison, it was evident to those in charge that God was with him and he was put in charge of the prison. How could he do that? Joseph must have kept a positive attitude because he clung to the promises of God. You might remember how I encouraged you to write out a promise of God and if you are on Facebook – to write out a promise as your status…
I just wanted to show you some of the promises that were put on Facebook this week – and how encouraging it is…

I presume that, if someone puts it up on the World Wide Web for everyone to see – it is okay to put up here!
Rosie: Jeremiah 29: "'For I know the plans I have for you,'" declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.
And then people comment on it!

Hannah Yackley "...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" Philippians 1:6

Abby: Abby M Yackley "Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be as not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is." ~1 John 3:2

Alycia Blough Promises from Proverbs 2:7-8. "God gives helpful advice to everyone who obeys him and protects all of those who live as they should. God sees that justice is done, and he watches over everyone who is faithful to him."

This is a friend from high school, Debbie Whetstone Mackey…
This is encouraging – I’ve had a lot of friends from high school watch the sermons online and make encouraging comments – which is really encouraging, because I’m not really sure what people thought of me in high school :) (Laughter)

Debbie Whetstone Mackey
As for God, His way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection. (Psalm 18:30)

I also wanted to share a miracle that Debbie’s church saw – this is her status from Sunday night.
“Seeing miracles happen! We were praying in Sunday School and Church for a member who was having emergency surgery due to internal bleeding - she was critical.....a phone call was received at the end of the service. When the doctors went to operate they couldn't explain it, but the source of the bleeding was no longer there, her blood pressure was back to normal and she was stable.”

Hey – Jeff Yackley – I thought I should practice what I preach…
Tuesday at 10:06 I posted: Ran 3 yesterday and 3 today - felt good! Phil. 4:19 And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus.
An hour later, Lisa Rohrig (who used to attend Grace Summit before moving to Columbus) posted the exact same verse – Phil 4:19. I asked if she had seen my status and she said that she hadn’t – how cool is that?! Then, later in the week – she got the same verse in one of her devotionals.

WHAT AN ENCOURAGING week it has been as people have claimed God’s promises and God has worked in our lives. It is my prayer, as we look at the rest of the life of Joseph today, that each of us would see how he responded in each of these circumstances and that we would respond in like manner and claim God’s promises.

Let’s pray…
Pastor Mike, and Matt, and I have been going through a series – Never Waste a Good Crisis – this week’s subtitle is – the Crisis of Betrayal.
We have all been in circumstances where someone we admired has let us down – or we have felt betrayed. It wouldn’t be a betrayal if it weren’t someone close.

So, when last we left, our hero was stuck in the prison.
Well, it happens that the cupbearer and baker for the king offend their lord and are thrown in jail and put under Joseph’s supervision. They are in jail for a period of time when they both have similar dreams on the same night. The next morning, Joseph walks in and notices that they are downcast – and asks, "Why are your faces so sad today?" 8 Then they said to him, "We have had a dream and there is no one to interpret it." Then Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell it to me, please."

Notice two things about this – first, Joseph is in tune with their feelings – he notices how they are feeling and respectfully asks about it. I don’t want to get into gender differences here – but this is something that my wife would notice long before I would. Let me just say, for all of us, this is probably something we can improve in.

Secondly, Joseph is quick to acknowledge that the interpretations come from God and not from himself.

Well, the cupbearer relates his dream to Joseph:
12 Then Joseph said to him, "This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days; 13 within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you will put Pharaoh's cup into his hand according to your former custom when you were his cupbearer. 14 "Only keep me in mind when it goes well with you, and please do me a kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. 15 "For I was in fact kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should have put me into the dungeon."

D.A. Carson (For the Love of God – daily devotional) points out that – while Joseph acknowledges that his circumstances have been dictated by God – he doesn’t passively accept what’s been given to him – he pleads his case to the cupbearer and indicates – he did not have to sell himself into slavery, but was rather kidnapped – and also indicates his innocence: “even here I have done nothing that they should have put me into the dungeon." When it is in our power to improve our position, we need to take that opportunity.

Then the Baker – having seen how it went well for the cupbearer, relates his dream to Joseph…

If doesn’t go so well for the baker. For time’s sake, you can read about that on your own. Let’s just say that the Hebrews like some wordplay – and Joseph tells him something similar to the baker – that his head would be lifted up before Pharaoh – but it is rather the opposite of what happened to the baker. If Matt were preaching this morning, he would go into all the gory details...

So – The cupbearer is released and restored to his position, and of course, he immediately tells Pharaoh of the young Hebrew and his amazing ability to interpret dreams. Ummm. No. Actually – I believe this to be one of the saddest verses in the Bible:
Gen. 40: 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Ouch.
So thus far, Joseph has spent 11 (of his 28) years of his life as either Potiphar’s servant or in jail. It looked like Joseph had an advocate on the outside…but the cupbearer forgot him. For two years. Forgotten. From the age of 28-30.

I don’t claim to understand the timing of God. However – for two MORE years, Joseph continued to do what he was supposed to do – He continued to
1) do the right thing, even when it was difficult.
2) Be a servant
3) Trust God in the difficulties by claiming and clinging to His promises.

At the end of two more years…
Pharaoh has a dream and needs an interpreter. NOW the cupbearer remembers Joseph.
Gen. 41: 14 Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it." 16 Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."

Once again – Joseph is quick to point out that it is not him interpreting, but God.

So Pharaoh describes the dream to Joseph -
Are you familiar with the story? Seven good cows come out of the Nile – then seven lean and ugly cows come out of the Nile and devour the seven good cows – then Pharaoh had another dream very similar, but with ears of corn:

25 Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh's dreams are one [and the same;] God has told to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 26 "The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one [and the same.] 27 "And the seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind shall be seven years of famine. 28 "It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do.

So Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of the program – and makes him second in command – vice president.

Genesis 42: 3 Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, "I am afraid that harm may befall him."

Do you see what is happening here?
Benjamin has taken the place of Joseph as the favored son. Not only that – but his father Jacob is obviously hesitant to let Benjamin go with them – for fear that something might happen to him. But the real question is: Have the brothers learned their lesson? How will they respond if the opportunity to sell out Benjamin arrives?

So the brothers journey to Egypt to buy grain – and who do you think is there waiting for them? They bow down low to the man who is second in command of all of Egypt. Joseph recognizes them – but they don’t recognize him. So Joseph continues to disguise himself from them and speaks to them through an interpreter – and he speaks harshly with his brothers – in this short instance – he devises a plan: Joseph accuses the brothers of being spies.

42:10 Then they said to him, "No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food….
13 But they said, "Your servants are twelve brothers [in all,] the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more." 14 And Joseph said to them, "It is as I said to you, you are spies; 15 by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here! 16 "Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies." 17 So he put them all together in prison for three days.

So the guys are in prison for 3 days. You would think by the second day, they could have come up with a plan –

18 Now Joseph said to them on the third day, "Do this and live, for I fear God: 19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in your prison; but as for [the rest of] you, go, carry grain for the famine of your households, 20 and bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be verified, and you will not die. " And they agreed to this. 21 Then they said to one another, "Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us." 22 And Reuben answered them, saying, "Did I not tell you, 'Do not sin against the boy'; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood." 23 They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them. 24 And he turned away from them and wept. But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and to restore every man's money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. And thus it was done for them. 26 So they loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed from there. 27 And as one [of them] opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money; and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. 28 Then he said to his brothers, "My money has been returned, and behold, it is even in my sack." And their hearts sank, and they [turned] trembling to one another, saying, "What is this that God has done to us?"

Can you imagine the guilt these brothers were feeling? It had been 20 years – and now twice in a day – something bad happens to them and they think – we are being punished for what we did – “now comes the reckoning for his blood.”
They had no concept of mercy and grace and forgiveness. Can you imagine living life like that? Maybe it is easier to imagine than I think. How often in your life – if something bad happens – do you feel like you are being punished for your sins? If you feel that way, then you, like the brothers, do not understand grace and mercy and forgiveness.

So now, the 9 brothers have to go back and tell their father that his youngest (favorite) son has to go to Egypt or they can’t get any more food.

42: 36 And their father Jacob said to them, "You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me."

This is the first indication in Scripture that Jacob indicates that he suspects that the brothers had something to do with Joseph’s “no more-ness”

37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him [back] to you; put him in my care, and I will return him to you." 38 But Jacob said, "My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left.
Imagine how that must have made the brothers feel – probably about the same as they felt about Joseph…
If harm should befall him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow."
So Jacob says no. Let Simeon rot for now…

So eventually, they run out of food again – and Jacob says, Go to Egypt to get us some food – but Judah explains to Dad again that Benjamin has to be with them. Judah tells Jacob that he will be a surety – a guarantee – that they will bring Benjamin home safely. So he finally convinces Jacob to let Benjamin go to Egypt with them.

Jacob is pretty smart though – he sends a double portion of money, returning the money that was put in their sacks, along with some balms and spices – he knew the principle in
“Proverbs 18:16 A man's gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men” even before it was written!

Genesis 43:26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which was in their hand and bowed to the ground before him. 27 Then he asked them about their welfare, and said, "Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?" 28 And they said, "Your servant our father is well; he is still alive." And they bowed down in homage. 29 As he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, he said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?" And he said, "May God be gracious to you, my son." 30 And Joseph hurried [out] for he was deeply stirred over his brother, and he sought [a place] to weep; and he entered his chamber and wept there. 31 Then he washed his face, and came out; and he controlled himself and said, "Serve the meal."

The brothers are astounded when they sit down for the feast and they are seated in their birth-order, from oldest to youngest.

One of them (probably Levi, from whom Matthew, the Tax collector was named –you see, tax collectors were believed to be good at math…) could have estimated that the odds that Joseph would seat them in the proper order were 1 in 39,916,800. AND he heaps 5 times the portion onto his brother Benjamin’s plate.

I think Joseph was looking to see whether the brothers would be jealous of Benjamin if he were given special treatment…

As I read this story, I think – well – Go ahead Joseph – time to reveal yourself…
But Joseph has one more test in store for the brothers.

The brothers are sent off – and he tells his steward to put his silver cup into Benjamin’s sack. In other words, he frames Benjamin, to see how the brothers would react.
Would they let Benjamin go to prison, or would they sell him off into slavery like they did to Joseph 20 years earlier…

18 Then Judah approached him, and said, "Oh my lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord's ears, and do not be angry with your servant; for you are equal to Pharaoh. 19 "My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Have you a father or a brother?' 20 "And we said to my lord, 'We have an old father and a little child of [his] old age. Now his brother is dead, so he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.' 21 "Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.' 22 "But we said to my lord, 'The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.' 23 "You said to your servants, however, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.' 24 "Thus it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25 "And our father said, 'Go back, buy us a little food.' 26 "But we said, 'We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.' 27 "And your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons; 28 and the one went out from me, and I said, "Surely he is torn in pieces," and I have not seen him since. 29 'And if you take this one also from me, and harm befalls him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.' 30 "Now, therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad's life, 31 it will come about when he sees that the lad is not [with us], that he will die. Thus your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. 32 "For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him [back] to you, then let me bear the blame before my father forever.' 33 "Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. 34 "For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest I see the evil that would overtake my father?"

Gen 45:1 Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried, "Have everyone go out from me." So there was no man with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard [it], and the household of Pharaoh heard [of it]. 3 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. 4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come closer to me." And they came closer. And he said, "I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 "And now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 "For the famine [has been] in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 "And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. 8 "Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.”

So what?
The application today affirms last week’s application –
1) God has a plan, and there is nothing that can be done to stop it. Obviously, we need to take the opportunities God gives us – Like Joseph to the Cupbearer – but when we run into difficult circumstances, we need to trust God to use them in our lives. God’s plan is best – when you say NO to sin – you are affirming that God’s plan in your life. When you give in to that temptation, you are saying, in effect, I believe I have a better plan. So that is something to consider.
2) We need to allow ourselves to be forgiven. I don’t think the brothers believed that Joseph had truly forgiven them – in fact, after Jacob dies, they come up with a scheme to try to trick Joseph - they make up a deathbed wish of their father – but the ruse is unnecessary – Joseph reaffirms his forgiveness and tender mercies toward them. If you are a believer and you believe that bad things happen to you as punishment for your sin – you need to allow yourself to be forgiven. When we truly understand the grace of God – Mike has shared this with me many times as I have talked with him about areas that I’ve struggled in - “Jeff, when you understand the grace of God, you will get victory over this sin.” And praise God, I am learning more about the grace of God and getting more victory all the time – I haven’t arrived yet, but I am growing. Do you struggle with the same sin over and over again? Think about this: maybe it is because you don’t understand your forgiveness.

3) We need to forgive others when they wrong us and have the same unwavering trust in God that Joseph had. We all know the scripture – you will be forgiven as you forgive others.

Let’s pray – Father, God, we do want to thank You for this amazing story of Joseph. Thank You for his example – how he chose to do the right thing even when it was hard – how he recognized your sovereignty in his life – how he forgave the brothers – how he claimed your promises. May we claim your promises – that we would see Your mighty hand do great things. Give us an understanding of your grace – this isn’t about sin management – it is about a deep and true relationship with the God of the universe who loved us and gave Himself for us. Help us to not only understand Your grace – but to proclaim it – that others could come into a relationship with You. Thank You that Your promises are true – we pray these things in the power of the most holy name of Jesus. Amen.