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!