Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Genesis

Genesis 44 03/09/03

Intro: Charles White, in Leadership Journal tells the followng story.

‘When Michigan played Wisconsin in basketball early in the season in 1989, Michigan's Rumeal Robinson stepped to the foul line for two shots late in the fourth quarter.  His team trailed by one point, so Rumeal could regain the lead for Michigan.
He missed both shots, allowing Wisconsin to upset favored Michigan.
   Rumeal felt awful about costing his team the game, but his sorrow didn't stop at the emotional level.  After each practice for the rest of the season, Rumeal shot one hundred extra foul shots.  Thus, Rumeal was ready when he stepped to the foul line to shoot two shots with three seconds left in overtime in the national-championship game.
   Swish went the first shot, and swish went the second.  Those shots won Michigan the national championship.  Rumeal's repentance had been genuine, and sorrow motivated him to work so that he would never make that mistake again.  As Paul wrote, "Godly sorrow leads to repentance" (2 Cor. 7:10).’
 Rumeal regretted missing the foul shots, he was sorry he let his team down and he repented, he decided to change and do something about it.

 Do you think Judah and his brothers knew the difference between Regret, Remorse and Repentance? Not at once. But they grew to understand as God continued to intervene in their lives to bring them to a right relationship with Him and with each other.

 And God wants the same for us. That’s why Ch 44 of Genesis is so important to us today.  Because the only way that will be in right relationship with God and others is when we acknowledge our sin and then progress from Regret to Remorse and finally to Repentance.

    Repentance is an indispensable part of the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ, yet we don’t like to deal with repentance, not really. But, Jesus wants us to deal with it. Look at LK 24:46-47

 Regret, Remorse, or Repentance? Lets see what Judah and his brothers display before Joseph, one another and most importantly God.

Read: Genesis 44:1-2
 Here Joseph is setting the scene for his final test to see if there had in fact been real change, repentance for that what they had done to him so long ago. Once they had truly repented of their sin, he could reveal himself to them and the family would be united.

Read: Genesis 44:3-5
 When the brothers had left Joseph’s house, they had every reason to be happy. They had escaped jail, Simeon was released from prison, they had a feast the night before, they had more grain than they could carry and Benjamin was safe. It was a time for rejoicing. But their joy was fleeting because it was based on lies. True joy and peace in life can only be found in truth…as they will soon find out.

 Imagine their surprise and fear when Joseph’s steward and guards caught up with them as they journeyed home.

Read: Genesis 44:6-13
 The accusation had been made by the Steward and the brothers all professed innocence.
They tell the Steward that they do not have the cup. They were so confident that they told him should they find it, the one who has it can be killed and the rest taken as slaves in Egypt. This confidence, I believe was an expression of their trust in one another. Yes, they had changed.

 Then, the cup was found, in Benjamin’s sack. The steward rejected their offer to all stay and Benjamin be released. This was their way home, abandon Benjamin and they would be free. Had they not been changed by the mighty hand of God, they would have given Benjamin up to the Steward and gone home, telling their father what had happened.

But, I think they knew God was making them relive their abandonment of Joseph 20 yrs prior. However, something different was taking place in the lives of these men. These were not the same men who had sinned by abandoning Joseph.

They responded to the discovery of the cup by tearing their clothes, loading up their donkeys and returning with the Steward to Joseph’s house, where Joseph meets and confronts them.

Sidebar: I want to take a moment to recap.

While in Joseph’s prison, the brothers feel regret that they had sold Joseph into slavery.  Now, when confronted with the cup in Benjamin’s sack, they all tear their clothes, a sign of deep remorse. Where they sorry that Benjamin had the cup? I don’t think so, it goes much deeper.

I think they believed it was God’s doing. Like the money reappearing in their sacks each time they left Egypt. No, this was much bigger. They were sorry, they had remorse for the unrepented sin of selling Joseph into slavery.

Read: Genesis 44:14-17
 Notice that the brothers don’t just bow to Joseph upon their return, they throw themselves on the ground. They were begging for mercy because they knew they were guilty, not of stealing the cup, but of abandoning Joseph into slavery and then lying all those years to everyone, even themselves, about it.

‘God has uncovered your servants guilt’. Judah realizes and acknowledges that God had found them out and was making them deal with their unrepented sin of the past.

Joseph gives them the opportunity to do to Benjamin what they had done to him. But notice, they are united, they are of one mind, they had repented and they will not leave Benjamin behind.

Read: Genesis 44:18-34
 Judah is now the spokesman for the family. After all it was he who had pledged to secure Benjamin’s safe return to Jacob…and it was he who had suggested they sell Joseph into slavery. Judah, speaking for his brothers, said they would rather stay a slave in Egypt than return to Canaan free men and watch their father die of grief over the loss of Joseph and now Benjamin.

 Judah’s plea before Joseph showed a deep concern for Benjamin and Jacob. Something he had lacked before. It was indeed a changed Judah who stood before Joseph. He was a man whom Joseph could now trust, and so were his brothers.
It was clear that the brothers would not do to Benjamin what they had done so easily to Joseph. Then Judah offers himself as a substitute for Benjamin. And this is the central point of the text. And it surely touched Joseph’s heart as he did not accept his offer. But Joseph knew it was time to reveal his identity to his brothers. And we will examine that next week.

Conclusion
Let me recap once again.

1. Judah and the brothers, while in prison, regret selling Joseph into slavery.
2. Judah and his brothers tear their clothes as a act of great sorrow and remorse over their sin.
3. Judah and his brothers will not return without Benjamin and Judah offers to be his substitute.
   They would not do to him like they had to Joseph. This is true repentance.

The moment of truth for Judah and his brothers came when Judah offered his life as a substitute for Benjamins. Forgiveness and reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers came only after the offer to be a substitute was made, even though  Joseph didn’t accept Judah’s offer…

Forgiveness and reconciliation with God, can not happen until there is repentance on our part. BUT, none of that would matter had Jesus Christ not offered to be our substitute, to take upon himself the punishment for our sin.

Like Judah who loved his brother Benjamin and his father Jacob, Jesus love us and God His Father. Jesus, in eternity past, told His Father in Heaven ‘I will take their place. I will give a life of perfection and obedience for their lives of sin and rebellion. I will be punished for their sin against you Father…if you will let them be your children.’ Unlike Joseph, God accepted Jesus’s offer. He said ‘I will accept your sacrifice. You will be cursed for them. My wrath will fall upon you rather then on them. On the basis of your sacrifice, I will deal mercifully with them.’

    Through repentance you can be at peace with God, forgiven and made his beloved child. But repentance requires brokenness, a deep sorry for your sin against God.

I am not naive. I realize it is possible to find the Gospel and Christianity attractive for many different and compelling reasons.

1. Because of the promise of forgiveness for sin.
2. Because of the promise of life after death.
3. Because of the promise of blessings and peace in this life.
4. Because of the promise of a new family, new friends in church.
5. Because of the promise of help for God in times of trouble.

There are many benefits and blessing to being a Christian. That’s what we are looking at in our Adult SS Class.

But listen. If you wanted to be a  Christian for any of these reasons, and you never really dealt with your sin, then not only are you  missing the point, you are not a Christian. Why? Because Christianity is not a really good club to belong to, it is a new life in Christ. For that to happen there has been no repentance.

 There are some people who want the benefits of being a Christian without the desire to turn from their sin and live a life honoring to God.
 
 There are some people who want the benefits of Christianity without having to make any changes.

 There are some people who want joy in their lives without Christ in their hearts.

    Is this troubling to you? Are you perhaps disappointed? Becoming a Christian, a friend of God who is forgiven demands repentance of sin. And repentance demands change.

Change from when you sin you love it  to when you sin you loath it.
Change from self control to Spirit control.
Change from self centered to God centered.
Change from a life of sin against God to a life of obedience to God.

 Understand you are not being asked to make those changes on your own. They will come by the power of the Holy Spirit living and working in you. BUT, first, before any change is possible, you must start the ball rolling..by acknowledging and truly repenting of your sin… not to me, but to God.

Has true repentance escaped you? Do you want the assurance of forgiveness and peace with God? Then arise and go to the cross.
 
Tell Jesus the truth.
Tell him you have made a mess of your life. Tell Him that you have sinned against Him.
Tell Him that you realize you don’t deserve anything from Him.
Then tell him, you are placing you trust in Him by giving over your sins to Him.

Ask Him to be your substitute.
    To take your sin and guilt on His shoulders.
    To take the punishment you deserve.
Ask Him to forgive to set you free from your sin.
Do it now. Sir Thomas Fuller once said
    ‘You cannot repent too soon, because you do not know how soon it may be too late.

If you have done that, listen closely and hear Jesus say
    I have taken your sin on me.
    I have paid the price of your freedom.
    You are forgiven, you are loved, you are mine.
    I am giving you my Spirit to live in you.
    To guide, convict, teach  and fill you with all power and love.

Live for me as I live in you…now and forever.