Genesis 42:29-38
READING
29 When they came
to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had
happened to them. They said, 30 “The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us
as though we were spying on the land. 31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies. 32 We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One
is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.’
33 “Then the man
who is lord over the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are
honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your
starving households and go. 34 But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not
spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can
trade[a] in the land.’”
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.”
BOARD –
What is your CONFIDENCE in God?
CIRCUMSTANCE
CONFUSION
CRY
CONCLUSION
RECALL last week – and the meeting of all but
Benjamin with Joseph in Egypt to buy grain. Note that our last verse they
spoke to God’s work in the silver (money) being in their pack
CIRCUMSTANCE
29 – The sons return to tell the story to Jacob
who is in the land of Canaan
RETELL WHAT CANAAN is about/is not
30 – Specifically they said he spoke harshly –
remember that they had the grain and the money – they were missing Simeon – DID
JOSEPH, IN FACT, TREAT THEM AS IF THEY WERE SPIES IN THE LAND? Or did He give them their grain for FREE?
31- They again recant to another person that they
are honest although they had been dishonest to Jacob about his son already –
THEY ATTEMPT TO CONCEAL their honesty issue as they didn’t know who they
were talking to
32 – They recount what they said to Joseph including
that they told him that one of the brothers was not with them and that they
numbered 12. Note the number of disciples, the number of
tribes – fun study to do around the numbers of disciples and tribes
· 1 JOHN 1:8, 10 – We lie if we say we don’t have/do not sin
· What is YOUR circumstance?
· Are you attempting to conceal your Sin from God or from others?
· What would happen if you opened up about your sin to others and to
God?
CONFUSION
33 – They tell of Joseph taking Simeon but
allowing them to go and have food for the starving households
34 – The test of the spies issue was to bring
back the younger brother – promise was to give Simeon back once they show that
they have 12 brothers
35 – One of them (verse 27 and 28) had already
opened the sack and found the money – obviously the rest had not done this
yet. They were frightened – why were they frightened? They didn’t
know the person that had given them this. They didn’t know why he had
given this back to them. If he had given them all the money back obviously
it was a planned and on purpose event
· Their former sin has put them on their heels regarding their brothers
· Their finding of the silver should have produced an understanding of
blessing but they were afraid instead
· What have you been given even though you are a sinner? Are you afraid of it?
· Are we afraid of Christ or do we run to Him?
· When we are given or others are given what story do we tell?
·
Matthew 5:45
King James Version (KJV)
45 That ye may be
the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise
on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
CRY (Calamity)
36 – Two of Jacobs sons were currently lost –
because they didn’t TRUST God – There is a cry by Jacob that everything is
against him – how can this be? Wasn’t he renamed already? Didn’t he
wrestle with God? Hadn’t he seen God work already? How can he
possibly think everything is against him?
· Jacob doesn’t trust the sons and now blames them for the imprisonment
of another
· Notice his faith is waining on what God would do or want? Why is this?
· Jacob doesn’t even mention God.
His crying out is about the circumstances and confusion over what is
happening to him and his family. But
again, he does not cry out to God.
· When have you cried out but not to God – just in confusion regarding
the circumstance?
· Psalm 57:1-2 - Who do we go to
when calamity comes our way
CONCLUSION (one more is lost – cannot trust the family)
37 – Reuben tries to get Simeon back by taking
Benjamin to Joseph and gives the oath of putting his own sons to death if he
doesn’t bring back Benjamin. His reputation had been ruined
earlier. He had not been able to save Joseph.
38 – So Jacob shows his love again as well as a
distrust of the boys. Simeon is hostage and yet Jacob will not allow
Benjamin to go to get him back as he doesn’t trust Reuben or others.
· Are the relationship issues, the money issues, other issues to be
against you?
· What is your purpose? Is it to
have the the easiest life possible with all the circumstances around you or is
it to glorify God and watch Him work?
· The refuge and conclusion for those that are confused about their
circumstances is regularly to hunker down and wait. This is what they did.
· These guys did not know who they were dealing with or why it was
happening.
· For believers it is hard sometimes with the circumstances we are given
to understand the promise and how our concerns are being used and guided by God
Romans – pruning the
grapes for even more fruit – John 15:1-5
· If we think about what is DUE to us and what grace we have been given
we won’t get DISCOURAGED which leads to seeking refuge in circumstanced but
rather will have us become DETERMINED to serve him as Joseph did.
· NEXT WEEK WE WILL DISCOVER IN 43 –how the concealing will be revealed,
the conviction of Joseph brought the appropriate response, and the corrections
needed along the way to bring reconciliation and ultimately even the Hebrews to
Egypt for captivity and release.
Final Questions – How convicted are we to Grow in helping
those in confusion, chaos, and crying out for God?
CIRCUMSTANCE:
·
Ps. 24:1-2,
Ps. 19:2, Prov. 1:20; Mark 8:35 – It is all His
anyway – give it up!
·
Ps. 1:6,
Luke 12:49-51, Ps. 92:9 – He is
separating not unifying all people
CONFUSION:
· Even the Disciples not so faithful – John 6:5-9
CRY:
· Romans 3:3 – Even if some are unfaithful
· He is faithful – 2 Tim 2:13 – even when we are not
· Romans 8:26 – Even when we don’t know what to pray the Spirit
intercedes
CONCLUSION:
· Ultimately we cannot be taken – regardless of what happens on this
side of heaven – John 10:29
Deuteronomy 4:31
For the LORD your God is a merciful
God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your
forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath.
Deuteronomy 7:9
Know therefore that the LORD your
God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand
generations of those who love him and keep his commands.
Deuteronomy 32:4
He is the Rock, his works are
perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright
and just is he.
Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that he should
lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then
not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
1 Kings 8:56
Praise be to the LORD, who has
given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of
all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses.
Psalm 9:10
Those who know your name will trust in you, for
you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 36:5
Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your
faithfulness to the skies.
Psalm 40:10
I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I
speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your
truth from the great assembly.
Psalm 89:2, 8
I will declare that your love
stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself...
O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD, and your
faithfulness surrounds you.
Psalm 89:33
but I will not take my love from him, nor will
I ever betray my faithfulness.
Psalm 92:1-2
It is good to praise the LORD and make music to
your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your
faithfulness at night,
Psalm 105:8
He remembers his covenant forever, the word he
commanded, for a thousand generations
Psalms 111:5
He provides food for those who fear
him; he remembers his covenant forever.
Psalm 117
Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him,
all you peoples. For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the
LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD.
Psalm 119:89-90
Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it
stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all
generations; you established the earth, and it endures.
Psalm 119:160
All your words are true; all your
righteous laws are eternal.
Psalm 143:1
O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for
mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.
Isaiah 25:1
O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and
praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things,
things planned long ago.
Isaiah 46:11b
What I have said, that will I bring
about; what I have planned, that will I do.
Isaiah 49:7
This is what the LORD says— the Redeemer and
Holy One of Israel— to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the
servant of rulers: "Kings will see you and rise up, princes will see and
bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has
chosen you."
Isaiah 54:10
Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be
removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of
peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
Lamentations 3:22-24
Because of the LORD's great love we
are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my
portion;
therefore I will wait for him."
Romans 3:3-4
What if some did not have faith?
Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be
true, and every man a liar. As it is written: "So that you may be proved
right when you speak and prevail when you judge."
1 Corinthians 1:9
God, who has called you into
fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except
what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted
beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way
out so that you can stand up under it.
2 Corinthians 1:20
For no matter how many promises God
has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the
"Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.
I Thessalonians 5:23-24
May God himself, the God of peace,
sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept
blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is
faithful and he will do it.
Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold unswervingly to the
hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
I John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Revelation 19:11
I saw heaven standing open and
there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.
With justice he judges and makes war.
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