Genesis 45:1-28

Genesis Study 127

IT WAS NOT YOU, BUT GOD

Genesis 45:1-28
Key verse 45:7
"But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance."

Last week we studied about the change of Judah. Once he sold his brother Joseph as a slave for money. But now he was offering himself as a slave to save his brother Benjamin. He said to Joseph, the governor of Egypt, "Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord's slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers." Judah had been the most notorious sinner. But now he repented. He turned his life direction. He was no more an old Judah. He became a new Judah. This was the very moment Joseph had been longing for last twenty-two years. God has changing power. He can change the worst into the best. How can we receive his changing power? The word of God carries the changing power. Today's word is given to us to change our lives.

Look at verses 1 to 3. At Judah's repentance, Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, "Have everyone leave my presence!" Now only Joseph and his brothers were left. The brothers were wandering why the governor became so emotional. He had been always strict. Sometimes they wondered if this man was cold-blooded. But now he was weeping so loudly that even the people outside could hear him. Have you ever seen any judge weeping like this before the criminals? The brothers were greatly perplexed. Then Joseph said to them, "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?" What was their answer? The Bible says that they were not able to answer him, because they were terrified. They believed Joseph had died long back. So they couldn't believe him still being alive. Furthermore the slave boy becoming the governor of Egypt was beyond their imagination. For a moment they thought, "Is this governor making fun of us? But how does he know our dead brother's name? And now we hear him speaking directly to us in our own language." However they were not convinced. It was too shocking to believe that the governor was their own brother whom they had sold into Egypt. So Joseph had to tell them again and again, "I am Joseph!" (Verse 3) "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!" (Verse 4) "It is really I who am speaking to you." (Verse 12) But if what he is saying is true, if it is true, they can't expect anything less than the capital punishment. Considering their sins, it was too luxurious even to be the slaves of the governor. The sin they had been trying to cover last twenty-two years has been uncovered by the very person they sinned against. This was the most terrifying moment.
We all fear to face such moment. We don't disclose our failures in study except to our closest friends. Some shameful diseases we don't disclose it to anyone except to a medical doctor. But sin we have committed in secret we want to carry it to our tombs. We regret. We shed tears. But we fear to disclose our sins. When Jesus took our sins upon himself, he cried out to God, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me." (Matthew 26:39a) He cried out on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46) This is the weight of sin. Even for the Son of God it is too heavy to carry. But we still carry its burden because we fear to confess it. Can this burden be rolled out from us? What does today's passage tell us?

Look at verses 4 to 6. Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you." Joseph forgave them. When did he forgive them? Was it when Judah repented? No, he forgave them from the beginning. Had he not forgiven them he would not have trained them. While they were still wandering in sins, Joseph loved them from the bottom of his heart. He prayed for them and waited for a chance to help them repent. But the brothers could know his forgiving love only when they repented. They could be free from the burden of their sin only when they repented. When they repented, they were immediately welcomed: "Come close to me," Joseph said. They were immediately comforted: "Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here," Joseph said. They were immediately given great honour to be the brothers of the governor. The famine would last five more years. But from now on they did not need to worry about food. The abundance of Egypt became theirs.
Such is the package God has prepared for all those who repent of their sins. The Bible says, "…God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) God loved us even while we were still wandering in our sins. He forgave us two thousand years ago when Christ Jesus died for us. But we will never know his forgiving love until and unless we confess our sins. God helps us confess our sins not to condemn us but to give us the whole bunch of heavenly gifts. In Genesis 44:16, Judah said, " God has uncovered your servants' guilt." But he did not specify his guilt. When, where, who, what, how, and why he had committed his sin he did not mention. However when he showed a sign of repentance in the previous passage, God revealed everything to him in this passage. Every word from Joseph's mouth penetrated his soul like a sharp surgery knife. He felt acute pain on his soul. But when the surgery was over his soul could fly like a bird. In our Mysore tour last Wednesday we visited a bird sanctuary. We had a nice boating. While boating we saw two kinds of animals—one was crocodiles and the other birds. Crocodiles were swimming showing only their eyes and the top of their backs. But the birds were flying freely and beautifully on their white wings. Without confessing our sins we can live. But we will live like the crocodiles. However when we confess our sins we will fly freely and beautifully on the wings of God's forgiving love. May God help us confess our sins and enjoy his eternal freedom.

Look at verses 7 and 8. "But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt." If we saw the great change of Judah in the previous passage, here we see a great change in Joseph's life. In Genesis 37:2 we read about him as follows, "Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them." Joseph was a righteous man. He could not tolerate wrong. Anything incorrect must be corrected immediately and by any means. We know it is very difficult to make a friendship with such person. He is an alien to everyone. But God changed Joseph too. Now Joseph did not argue with his brothers. He did not report his father about what they had done to him. He did not use his power to punish them. When he revealed the truth to them he let all his attendants vacate the room. He forgave their sins and covered their guilt. He was ready to serve them and save their lives. Pointing out their fault was no more his business. His only concern was to help them live before God.
How could Joseph be so changed? We find the answer from his words, "It was not you who sent me here, but God." First this thought freed him from all anger, hatred, and despair. Second this thought led him to a new question, "Why has God sent me here?" For the people in ancient slavery was the end of their lives. There was no hope or meaning. But Joseph believed there was a divine purpose and meaning even in his slavery life because it was God who sent him there. He believed God would never let his sufferings go in vain. When he was falsely imprisoned he said to himself, "It was not Mrs. Potiphar who sent me here, but God." The dungeon was dark and cold. But his heart was bright and warm because he knew it was God who sent him there. When he was released from the dungeon and became the governor of Egypt, he did not become proud. He said to himself, "It was not Pharaoh who rescued me from the dungeon, but God for his own purpose." Finally he realized why he had to suffer so much and then suddenly become the governor of the land. It was to save all nations from the seven years of famine. And it was to help his brothers repent of their sins and become the sources of blessing for mankind. Then he began to prepare to meet God's purpose.
When something goes wrong, we tend to say, "It was you who put me in this trouble." The more we think like that the more we gain our enemies. But when we start thinking, "It was not you who put me in this situation, but God," we can see a different world. We will stop grinding our teeth. Instead we will humbly pray to know God's will. God never allows his people to suffer without any purpose. In fact in all things he works for the good of his people. So even in the darkest moment we can see God's bright hope. Instead of gaining people to hate we will gain more and more people to love. "It was not you, but God"—this one word changed Joseph into a great man of God. Without this one word Joseph's brothers experienced hell in the Promised Land. But with this one word Joseph experienced heaven in the land of slavery. May God plant this one word deep in our hearts so that we too may live like Joseph.

In verses 9 to 15, Joseph invites his father's household to Egypt. If they refused his invitation they would perish in the famine. When we humbly accept God's invitation to Jesus we shall not perish but have eternal life. Joseph kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him. They became one in love.
In verses 16 to 24, we see Pharaoh's favour on Joseph's brothers. When the news reached Pharaoh's palace that Joseph's brothers had come, Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased. Pharaoh promised to give them the best of the land of Egypt. He said to them, "Never mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours." Recently I saw an advertisement: "Bring your second hand scooter. We will give you two thousand rupees more than the market value." But I am still hesitating because I have to pay more than thirty thousand rupees for the exchange offer. I wish they say to me like Pharaoh, "Never mind about your old scooter, because the best scooter of our company will be yours free of cost." God has already arranged new and wonderful lives for us. They are all free. Why then should we still live old and miserable lives? God says to us, "Never mind about your old life, because the best life of heaven will be yours. Never mind about your worldly friends, because the best spiritual friends will be yours."
In verses 25 to 28 Jacob hears the news about Joseph. At first he couldn't believe. But when he heard Joseph's message and saw the carts Joseph had sent, he was convinced. When we carefully listen to God's message and see the lives changed by God, we will be convinced.
We have fear to confess our sins. We have fear to face troubles. We have fear to give up earthly belongings. May today's word give us courage--courage to confess our sins and enjoy God's forgiving love, courage to face troubles in God and gain more people to love, and courage to give up earthly belongings and take heavenly treasures.