As Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, we see the changes in their hearts as well as the incredible faith shown by Joseph. Even in immensely difficult life circumstances, Joseph looks to God for purpose in his suffering.

Transcript:

Scripture this morning is taken from Genesis 43, 15 to 18. So the men took the gifts and doubled the amount of silver and Benjamin also. They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare a meal that they are to eat with me at noon.

The men did as Joseph told him and took the men in Joseph's, to Joseph's house. Then the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought we were brought here because, because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys.

Some healing. requires cutting. It is a reality that defies our intuitions. Everything in our natures would shrink away from any blade that would cut our flesh. But as any of you know, who have suffered some cancer, some illness of your heart, some deterioration of your body, It is sometimes necessary for our bodies to be cut open for us to be made well.

We experience both fear and pain in the process. But correctly done, we are ultimately made well through gifted surgeons. Life, personally, historically, universally, life is like surgery. Life is like surgery as long as there's a kind hand behind the blade. If there is no God, then life's suffering has no rhyme or reason.

Unlike surgery, this suffering could not be working to any good end. If there is no God, there is only pain without purpose. I want to say that again because it's so important for you to remember that as we face pain and we deal with doubts. If there is no God, there is only pain without purpose.

Random, chaotic, brutish. But God does exist. His purposes for us are good, and his hand is sure. And so life is like surgery, painful, yes, but under God's hand working towards the healing and redemption of those who will belong to him. Joseph's story is marked by pain. He has been betrayed, falsely accused.

The blade is cut deep, but now the healing has begun. He has been made second in command of Egypt, enjoying great splendor. He is serving in a great mission, administrating supplies of food in a time of starvation. He has a wife and two sons. And now, when he least expected it, the brothers who sold him into slavery have come back into his life, unbeknownst to them.

They've come bowing before him, as God foretold Joseph in a dream many years earlier. He has now waited two years for what would come next. Two years wondering if they would return to reclaim their brother, Simeon, whom he imprisoned in order to test them. Waiting two years to see if they would bring with them his brother Benjamin.

Now the moment has arrived that every tragedy and triumph has been building towards. Their reunion in the next chapter for the family of Israel. So we continue in Genesis 43. And as Ernie read in verses 15 through 18, the brothers appear once again before Joseph. And when they appear before him, they brought gifts.

They brought gifts in order to smooth things over. To make sure everything was alright, because they had received their silver back in their sacks, and they were worried that this was some accident, but an accident for which they would be blamed. They brought gifts because they were afraid, and didn't want anything to befall their beloved brother Benjamin, their father's beloved son, Benjamin.

Joseph, when he sees them, invites them over to his house. He's going to host a dinner for them. A meal, at noon. And, as soon as this invitation is given, and they're being led to his house, they're totally suspicious. They think this guy's got designs on us. He's going to make us into slaves. He's trying to steal our donkeys.

Which is kind of funny. I mean, when you're second in command of Egypt, you have better things to do than to steal some guy's donkeys, you'd think. But, they're just on edge. They're paranoid. This guy's up to no good. And so, just to make sure that, you know, everything's all right between they and him, they go up to Joseph's steward.

Verse 19, it says, So they went up to Joseph's steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. We beg your pardon, our lord, they said. We came down here the first time to buy food. At the place where we stopped for the night, we opened our sacks, and each of us found his silver, the exact weight in the mouth of his sack.

So we have brought it back with us. We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don't know who put our silver in our sacks. So they were like, listen, we don't know if you're trying to do something with us because of what happened, but it was totally a mistake, we brought all the silver here, we're all good, right?

It's just so funny the way that the steward, how the steward replies, putting them at complete ease. Verse 23, it says, It's all right, he said, don't be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks. I received your silver.

Then he brought Simeon out to them. The steward took the men to Joseph's house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided fodder for their donkeys. They prepared their gifts for Joseph's arrival at noon, because they had heard that they were to eat there. It's so interesting to see how the steward reinterprets their circumstances, because if you'll remember last week, the brothers were really down about everything that was happening.

They were like, we're under a curse because of how we betrayed our brother Joseph. Jacob is feeling cursed because he believes his son is dead and his other son Simeon's imprisoned. Here, from the mouth of the steward, we hear some correction. You're not cursed. You're blessed. Now obviously, the silver didn't just appear in their sacks, it was because Joseph had it put back there.

But we see how the page is turning here, where they have to understand what God is doing, the grace that he is showing towards them. So, they're in Joseph's home, waiting for him, and he appears. Verse 26, it says, When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house and they bowed down before him to the ground.

He asked them how they were and then he said, How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living? They replied, Your servant, our father, is still alive and well. And they bowed down, prostrating themselves before him. Verse 29 says, As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother's son, he asked, Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?

And he said, God be gracious to you, my son. Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there. After he had washed his face, he came out and controlled himself, controlling himself, saying, Serve the food.

As Joseph is in his home with his brothers, we see how his love towards them continues to bubble up to the surface. He inquires about how his father's doing. And then he sees his, his younger brother Benjamin. And the reason why he asks whether this is his brother Benjamin, is because, while he suspects he is, it's been a very long time since he saw him.

Remember when Joseph was betrayed and sold into slavery. He was 17 years old. Benjamin is younger than him. Benjamin was just a kid. At this point in the story we can estimate that Benjamin was probably around 30, maybe in his 30s thereabouts. He's a man now. And Joseph has just moved to tears. This guy's like an emotional wreck.

He's having to run out of the room just to cry it out, so he doesn't give it away. He has, he has some more things he needs to do before he discloses his identity.

The next thing he does really gets the wheels turning in his brother's head. Verse 32. It says, They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to the Egyptians. The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest, and they looked at each other in astonishment.

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. So the brothers are wondering, what in the world? Because, it's like, how did he know to put us seated in our birth order? It's really freaking them out.

And then, Joseph gives five times as much food to Benjamin. And you wonder, could the guy even eat all that food? In any case, he gets a lot more food than the rest of them. And you might wonder, you know, why is Joseph doing this? Well, he does love Benjamin. We just saw that. He was moved to tears seeing him again.

But we might also think that Joseph is doing a little bit of a test here...