God’s Timeline – Part 50
Joseph’s
Brothers Return Home from Egypt
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House
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SERMON TIMELINE (2021 A.D. = 5781 Jewish
Calendar Year)
- Creation Week (Approximately 3700 - 4000 B.C.)
o Adam, Eve, and the Fall
-
Cain and Abel
o Evil Fills the World
-
Noah Did All God Commanded
Him
o The Flood (2348 B.C.)
o God’s Covenant with Noah
o Noah’s Sons and Ham’s Sin
o Nations of Noah’s Sons
-
Tower of Babel (Approximately 2200 B.C.)
- God calls Abram (1921 B.C. 75 years old)
o Abram and Lot part ways (1915
B.C.)
o Rescue of Lot (1914 B.C.)
-
The Lord’s Covenant with Abram for Isaac
o Hagar and Ishmael Born (1910 B.C.) Abram 86 years old
o Sarai and Isaac
o The Three Visitors
o Abraham Pleads for Sodom
-
Birth of Isaac (1897 B.C. Abraham 99 years old Sarah 90-Hagar and Ishmael sent away)
o The Lord tests Abraham (1876 B.C.)
o Sarah Dies 127 years old (1860 B.C. Abraham is 136)
-
Isaac marries Rebekah (1857 B.C.
Isaac was 40 when he married Rebekah)
- Jacob and Esau are born (1837 B.C. Isaac was 60 Abraham 159)
o Abraham dies at 175 (1822 B.C. Isaac was 75)
o Isaac receives the Birthright and his father’s
blessing
o Esau marries two Hittites at 40 (1857 B.C.)
o Esau marries a daughter of Ishmael
o Jacob travels to his grandfather’s family to
find a wife (1819 B.C.)
o Jacob’s Dream at Bethel
o Jacob marries Leah then Rachel
§ Levi is born (1749 B.C.)
§ Joseph is born (1741 B.C.)
§ Benjamin is born (1731 B.C.)
o Jacob fled Laban and is pursued
o Jacob Prepares to meet Esau
o Jacob Wrestles with God & Becomes Israel
o Jacob Meets with Esau after 20 Years
o Jacob’s Daughter Raped by Shechem
o Jacob Returns to Bethel
o The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac (1716 B.C. Isaac
was 180 years old)
-
Joseph’s Dreams (Joseph
is seventeen at the time)
o Joseph Sold by His Brothers (1724 B.C.)
o Joseph Imprisoned
o Joseph interprets dreams while in prison
o Joseph Interprets the Pharaoh’s Dream
o Joseph enters the service of Pharaoh (1711 B.C. 7 years
abundance begins)
o Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt (Approx. 1704 B.C.
begins 7-year famine)
o Joseph’s Brothers Return Home from Egypt
INTRODUCTION
After meeting with Joseph
for food during the worldwide famine, not recognizing Joseph, they were
questioned by Joseph and accused of being spies.
After spending three days
in prison, Joseph gives them the food they ask for and tells them to return
with Benjamin to “prove they are telling the truth, and not spies”.
Before they left Egypt,
Joseph had his men return their silver secretly into their packs of food before
their journey home.
SCRIPTURE READING
Genesis 42:35-38; Genesis 43
35 As they were emptying
their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his pouch of silver! When they
and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened. 36 Their
father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no
more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take
Benjamin. Everything is against me!”
37 Then Reuben said to his
father, “You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to
you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back.”
38 But Jacob said, “My son
will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only
one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will
bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow.”
I.
THE
BROTHERS RETURN HOME TO THEIR FATHER JACOB
a. The brothers discover the silver pouches had
been returned to their grain bags
i.
The silver is there
because God was leading Joseph through the Holy Spirit on how to handle this
situation
ii.
Joseph had spiritual
gifts, as we saw with the dreams where he displayed Discernment, Knowledge, and
Wisdom
iii.
The wisdom of God led
Joseph to handle this situation correctly
iv.
God was blessing
Josephs family by returning their silver, however, because of the brother’s sin
20 years earlier, they viewed all that God did as setting them up for
punishment
1.
When Joseph told them
they could leave but one must stay, and when they return bring Benjamin, Genesis 42:21 reveals they thought because of their guilt, they
were being punished because of their sin.
2.
It is the same today,
we need to understand the difference between condemnation and conviction, both
of which can feel like guilt
a.
Condemnation is from the devil and makes us want to run away
from God and hide like Adam and eve did.
b.
Conviction is from the Holy Spirit and makes us want to run to
God and seek forgiveness
3.
Everything Joseph has
done with his brothers is led by the Holy Spirit to bring them into a confession
of their sin
b. They explained to Jacob what took place in Egypt
i.
From the way they
speak in verses 29-35, it seems they have grown in 20 years, and matured
somewhat, though they had further to go.
ii.
There is another
foreshadowing about to take place
c. Jacob feels everything is against him
i.
Jacob thinks Joseph is
dead | Israel will think Jesus is dead (and deny He rose)
ii.
Verses
36-38 speak of Jacob’s Great
Sorrow
iii.
The Great Tribulation
period is called “the time of Jacob’s trouble”
iv.
But then it says, “but
he shall be saved out of it.” (Jeremiah
30:7) Just like Jacob will be
saved out of this sorrow!
II.
THE
DEBATE TO RETURN TO EGYPT WITH BENJAMIN
a. Jacob refused to send Benjamin
i.
Genesis
43:1 “Now the famine was still
severe in the land.”
1. Just as it will be during Tribulation, the worldwide
famine of the Holy Spirit
ii.
Jacob still resisted
sending Benjamin
b. There was no other way to get more food from
Egypt
i.
Judah spoke up in Verse 8 promising to protect Benjamin and return him
1.
Reuben, the firstborn,
should have taken the lead in all matters, however, it was Judah who stepped up.
2.
Allegorically
speaking, Judah stands in the position of leadership, because Jesus will come
from the tribe of Judah.
c. Judah promises Jacob that Benjamin will be safe
and return
i.
In verse 6 we saw Jacob once again referred to as Israel, and
every time you see this, you know Jacob is acting out of Faith
ii.
Jacob didn’t want to
send Benjamin, however, the Holy Spirit prompted him to do so, God pushing through
famine and drought, it MUST be done if Jacob’s people were to eat and live.
1.
This was God’s Will,
that Benjamin goes to Joseph
III.
THE
BROTHERS RETURN TO EGYPT WITH BENJAMIN
a. They bring twice as much silver and other gifts
for Joseph
i.
Why? Because they
wanted to prove they were honest men.
ii.
They had grown in 20
years.
iii.
The men took the best
fruits of the land, balm, honey, spices, myrrh, nuts, and almonds, as well as
double the silver.
b. After arriving Joseph sends them to his house
for a meal
i.
Joseph sees them far
off with Benjamin and calls for them to be taken to his house for a great meal.
1.
Remember, because of
their guilt and sin which has yet to be confessed, they thought everything
taking place was a trap.
2.
Sin, unconfessed and
held secret in our hearts, slowly eats us and distorts our worldview.
a. Psalm 32:3 “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through
my groaning all day long.”
b.
David's sins had
robbed him of joy and gladness. The phrase "joy and gladness" implies
a deep joy. Pardon restores the joy that sin steals. David's sin had affected
him emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and even physically. He felt that the
conviction God had brought upon him had a bone-crushing effect. He longed for
relief from his pain. His contrite confession would bring him relief and deep
joy.
c.
The return of the
prodigal son to the father illustrates what happens when a prodigal believer
returns to his heavenly Father and confesses his waywardness. The father in the
Luke 15 story welcomed his penitent son with open arms, outfitted him with a
new robe, put a ring on his finger, and gave him new shoes. But he did even
more. He hosted a glad celebration for his son.
c. They were seated from the firstborn to the
youngest
i.
Seated according to
their age, beginning with Reuben
ii.
It must have
confounded the brothers. How did this leader in Egypt know their birth order?
CONCLUSION –
When portions were served
to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as anyone else’s. So they
feasted and drank freely with him.
The number 5 is the
number of the Grace of God.
The name Benjamin means “my
strong right hand”, which is a reference to Christ sitting at the throne.
Joseph, a type of Christ,
about to reveal himself after “Jacob’s trouble”
This is a picture of the
Jews (the brothers) coming back to Christ (Joseph) and the Grace of God will be
given to them.
The dreams of Joseph
fulfilled in his lifetime, as well as a prophetic picture of the coming
tribulation, and the reconciliation of the Lord and Israel.
Next week we will read about a silver cup placed within a sack
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