Living the beautiful life in a world of death

Life is Beautiful

(Genesis 46:28-34, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, September 27, 2015)

[28] He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way before him in Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. [29] Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while. [30] Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.”

(28-30) Jacob and Joseph are reunited [See also 45:9]

Life had not been entirely beautiful for Jacob. In particular, he had understood for many years that his son was dead. Now his other sons had given him the word that Joseph was alive. Joseph had told his brothers exactly how to give this message to their father. “Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry.” His brothers followed his instructions: “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.”

Jacob found it hard to believe what his ears heard. Eventually he found the strength to have this reaction: “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.” And now in 46:29 his eyes see the one he longed for. His arms embrace Joseph. He hears his sons cries and feels his grateful tears. Jacob reiterates his willingness to die: “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.” [Jesus died for you. Will you live for Him?]

[31] Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father's household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. [32] And the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ [33] When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ [34] you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

(31-34) Joseph gives wise instructions for the next chapter in Israel's life [See also 45:10]

No one in the family was going to die that day, even Jacob. They would live and prosper in Egypt. To do this well, they needed some instructions that would: 1- insure their separate life in Goshen while 2- avoiding unnecessary offense against Pharaoh and the Egyptians. [Illustration of the father's translation of German guard's speech in 1997 movie Life is Beautiful, and Application to our lives in our current “Egypt,” particularly for my friend Joe in Concord.]

To do this with heaven's power we must cultivate a longing for the face of the Son of God. Jesus, who has all power and authority, knows more about living the Christian life in every era than we do. We need to listen to Him and follow His Word. [See 1 Peter 1:1-2, 8-15a] Life is beautiful...

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 134:1-3

[1] Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD,
who stand by night in the house of the LORD!
[2] Lift up your hands to the holy place
and bless the LORD!
[3] May the LORD bless you from Zion,
he who made heaven and earth!

Gospel Reading—Matthew 26:6-13 – Jesus anointed at Bethany

On the Way to Zion... Egypt

Life Forevermore

(Genesis 46:1-27, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, September 20, 2015)

[46:1] So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. [2] And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” [3] Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. [4] I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph's hand shall close your eyes.”

(1-4) The Lord reassured Jacob concerning the future.

[5] Then Jacob set out from Beersheba. The sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. [6] They also took their livestock and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him, [7] his sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters. All his offspring he brought with him into Egypt.
[8] Now these are the names of the descendants of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons. Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, [9] and the sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. [10] The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. [11] The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. [12] The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan); and the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. [13] The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Yob, and Shimron. [14] The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. [15] These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, together with his daughter Dinah; altogether his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three.
[16] The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. [17] The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, with Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. [18] These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob—sixteen persons.
[19] The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife: Joseph and Benjamin. [20] And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, bore to him. [21] And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. [22] These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob—fourteen persons in all.
[23] The son of Dan: Hushim. [24] The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. [25] These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob—seven persons in all.
[26] All the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt, who were his own descendants, not including Jacob's sons' wives, were sixty-six persons in all. [27] And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two. All the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy.

(5-27) So all Israel went into Egypt, trusting God, and knowing the Lord would bring Israel out of Egypt, and even more importantly, that He would bring all of His people to a better land (Hebrews 11:10).

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 133:1-3

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.

Gospel Reading—Matthew 26:1-5 – The plot to kill Jesus

(1-4) The Lord reassured Jacob concerning the future.

Jacob traveled through Beersheba on his way to see Joseph in Egypt. That city was a place where his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham had lived. It was at Beersheba that God had given strong encouragement to Isaac which would now be repeated again to Jacob. In this place of holy remembrance, God's care for those who have gone before Jacob was remembered, and His sure promises for future generations were heard and believed.

Here the Lord identified Himself as the God of Jacob's fathers (Abraham and Isaac). He reassured Jacob that leaving the Promised Land and going to Egypt was not a mistake. God would make Israel into a great nation there. The Lord would be with him, and He would bring him back to Canaan at the right time. Jacob would die in the presence of his beloved son Joseph. His body would be buried in Canaan, but more than that, at just the right time his progeny would take possession of the land that God had promised to them.

We can read again the ancient words spoken to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3, we can remember the covenant Word of the Lord in Genesis 15:13-14, and we can believe with Jacob that the Lord will bring to pass all of His holy will.

(5-27) So all Israel went into Egypt, trusting God, and knowing the Lord would bring Israel out of Egypt, and even more importantly, that He would bring all of His people to a better land (Hebrews 11:10).

With this confidence Jacob set out for Egypt according to the Word of the Lord. He took with him everyone and everything.

What does the New Testament tell us about the faith of Jacob. Like Abraham and Isaac, “he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.”

Our future eternal blessings have been secured for us by the coming of a King who has all power and authority in heaven and on earth.

Jacob went to Egypt as a man without a country. One of his descendants would one day come to earth in order to suffer and die, and then to lead captivity captive into the land of life. Through His righteous life, His death on the cross, and His resurrection, Jesus would take His place as the true King of an everlasting kingdom.

All of the family of God will one day be with Jesus in the fullest expression of His kingdom. Until then, we may suffer for a little while, as exiles in “Egypt.” But God has not forgotten His promises. He has commanded the blessing: a homeland, and “life forevermore.” (Psalm 133:3)

One suffering Christian writes from prison, “The narrow way that I am passing through I see as a cup my Beloved has given me, and I will drink it to the end, whatever that end might be. What really matters is that I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine. This possibly is the sweetest truth of my life that I am His and He is mine.” (Rev. Dave Furman, Tabletalk, August, 2015, 19)

As the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, “[16] So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. [17] For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, [18] as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

What is our great God doing?

You Shall Know the Truth

(Genesis 45:1-28, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, September 13, 2015)

[45:1] Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. [2] And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. [3] And 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] So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. [5] And now do not be distressed 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 yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. [7] And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. [8] So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. [9] Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. [10] You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. [11] There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.’ [12] And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. [13] You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” [14] Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. [15] And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.

(1-15) With great love, Joseph told his brothers the truth.

[16] When the report was heard in Pharaoh's house, “Joseph's brothers have come,” it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. [17] And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, [18] and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.’ [19] And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. [20] Have no concern for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”
[21] The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. [22] To each and all of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five changes of clothes. [23] To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. [24] Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.”
[25] So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. [26] And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. [27] But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. [28] And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

(16-28) Joseph sent the good word to his father, using his brothers as ambassadors of life.

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 132:18 – His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on him his crown will shine.

Gospel Reading—Matthew 25:31-46 – The final judgment

(1-15) With great love, Joseph told his brothers the truth.

Joseph “could not control himself.” He was overcome with the emotion of the moment, so he cried, and even though he had instructed all of his servants to leave, they heard him wailing, and the sound even reached the household of Pharaoh. Then Joseph, at long last, told his brothers the truth. “I am Joseph!”

Joseph's brothers did not know what to say. He had to take steps in order to convince them that he was bringing this revelation to them not for their condemnation, but in great love. “Come near to me, please.” He did not ignore their heinous sin. “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.” But he added this good news regarding the purposes of God: “Do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.” And again, “It was not you who sent me here, but God.”

(16-28) Joseph sent the good word to his father, using his brothers as ambassadors of life.

In this great revelation of the truth, Joseph had a message not only for his brothers. He was sending them to his father. With all the provisions of Egypt at his disposal, Joseph sent his brothers back to Jacob with the great report. The message they were called to deliver was far more important than their own struggles. Joseph instructed them not to be distracted by anything that might lead them away from their mission. “Do not quarrel along the way.”

When the brothers reached their yet-grieving father, they brought a heart-stopping message of astounding glory. “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” Dream fulfilled. Truth revealed. Life from the dead.

Jacob found it hard to believe. Eventually as he saw with his eyes evidence of the truth of their account, “the spirit of their father Jacob revived.” It had been a long time coming. But now he was able to receive the good word and respond in faith. “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

God has given us the most important truth in the universe, and has entrusted us, who once stood against Him, to be His ambassadors of life to the world.

In our lives, the touch of the fall may sometimes seem so cruel, that all we can see is death. At that moment our self-reliance is damaged. We cannot fix the world. We cannot repair our own lives. When the apostle Paul faced profound disappointment, he found that when all hope was lost, his heart turned more to God, “who raises the dead.”

He believed in the promises of God. “On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.” This is what the church believes. Not only did Jesus die for us, but he is the Messiah that Isaiah prophesied of so long ago who will “take you by the hand and lead you.” The King of Glory is coming, and while there is evidence of his reign already, one day you will see more proof.

We believe this, and we bring the message of this good news to those who will hear. Like Joseph's brothers, we understand the truth that our sin was a great offense against the Lord. But now we not only hear the good word of the death and resurrection of Jesus, we even are granted the privilege of bringing His word of life to the world. Jesus draws us near and tells us of God.

One day this King of Glory will return. We do not know when that will happen, but we know that we will see Him in all the glory of heaven. Go send word, and bring joy to your Father!

He Traded His Life for Ours

Judah Shines
(Genesis 44, Preaching: Pastor Nathan Snyder, September 6, 2015)

Joseph has set up the grand test for his brothers.  After wining and dining them, he sends them on their way with sacks full of grain.  Once again he has his steward put their money in their sacks.  But this time he goes further.  The steward is to put Joseph’s own silver cup in Benjamin’s sack.  The brothers begin their journey back to their father.  Everything is going well now, or so it seems.  They have the grain they need to last a while longer in the famine.  The Egyptian official [Joseph] has ceased accusing them of being spies and instead has shown them great hospitality.  Simeon is free to return home with them after his time in custody.  And, to everyone’s relief, no harm has come to Benjamin.  They will bring him home to his anxiously waiting father.  Yet they do not get very far on their journey before Joseph’s steward catches up with them.  He accuses them of theft.  What is this?  They assure him they would not do such a thing!  The steward begins searching their eleven sacks.  Whoever possesses the cup will become a slave in Egypt, he declares.  I’m sure everyone is a little nervous when they see their money in their sacks again.  But the steward pays no attention.  He is looking for the silver cup.  For dramatic effect, he waits to search Benjamin’s sack last.  And then, there in Benjamin’s sack is the silver cup!  The brothers tear their clothes.  They all trek back to the city together.  Joseph is waiting.

Now what will the older brothers do?  Will they let Benjamin be taken as a slave and leave?  Their selling of Joseph as a slave so many years ago might indicate that this is the kind of thing they would do.  Save themselves and leave their brother.  But this is not what they do.  These men truly have changed.  Joseph’s test reveals who they have become.  They all offer themselves to be his slaves.  Joseph declares that this would be unjust.  Only Benjamin must become a slave, for he has stolen the cup.  At this, Judah steps forward and pleads on behalf of Benjamin.  Indeed, he pleads on behalf of their father.  If Benjamin is lost, their father will not survive his sorrow.  Judah will not stand for this.  He declares that he has made himself a pledge of safety for Benjamin.  Thus he begs Joseph that he be taken as a slave in Benjamin’s place.

O, Judah, what noble protection of your younger brother.  What self-giving love for your father.  How you have changed, Judah.  You who once advised your brothers to sell Joseph as a slave, with callous indifference to both Joseph and your father.  How God has humbled you over two decades of watching your father’s grief.  He has never been the same since your crime.  And you are not the same.  God has wrought compassion in your heart.  You are learning to think less of yourself and more of others.  Yet you do not realize the full significance of the heroic words you now speak.  The God of your father is giving us in you a glimpse of his own Son who will one day become a man, one of your own descendents.  He will give his life in the place of sinners who are truly guilty of crime.  Benjamin didn’t really steal the cup.  But we have all robbed and stolen from God.  Jesus will give his own life unto death that we might all go free, yourself included.  God is forming you, Judah, into the likeness of Jesus.  He intends to do the same with us.

Put the Word to Work: Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, who gave himself up for our crimes that we might go free, and let us learn from him not to put ourselves first but to give ourselves up for others.

Memory Verse from the Psalms of Ascents: Psalm 132:17 – There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 25:14-30 – The parable of the talents