January 13, 2008

Gen. 42:-45
Testing 1,2,3

Twenty long hard years have passed since Joseph came into the land of Egypt. Ch 39-41 have concentrated on His experiences during that time. He had spent 13 years in Potiphar’s house and in prison and 7 years plus as second in command in Egypt.

Meanwhile we really have only one brief foray into what was going on back in Canaan land, the Judah chronicles in Chapter 38, but it appears that during this time the others had been busy marrying and establishing their own homes and families. Benjamin would be about 23 by this time.

Now the brothers have come and Joseph has to face them at long last.

In this series of meetings we see something of the conflict between repentance, forgiveness and justice. We see not an easy “let the past go” attitude here, but something that will, if we stop and see it, enlighten us just a bit more as to our great salvation.

First I want you to note with me the Conscience of sin.

As these brothers approach Joseph, they have no idea who it is they stand before. They probably believe, that Joseph died long ago. Also Joseph has changed much in the past 20 odd years and is not dressed as a Hebrew slave, but as a royal monarch. But while they didn’t recognize him, he most surely recognized these brothers of his.

He had no doubt expected that at some time they would appear to purchase grain, knowing the breadth of this famine, and this is probably a well planned and thought out exercise here not a haphazard capricious action by this man of God. In Joseph’s actions here we may see some of the struggle of human kind with sin.

These brothers have been carrying the weight of a horrible crime for many years. They have lived under the stress of their selfish actions and have not had to be faced with the full consequences of them. They may have thought that it was long past time to expect any payback, but someone has rightly said: “the mills of God grind slowly but they grind exceeding fine.” There is a law of seedtime and harvest and it is true that whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap. These brothers have sown seeds of selfishness and now are beginning to reap.

Notice the import of this as it starts to come about. Verse 21 And they said one to another, We [are] verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

The anguish of their souls brought what event to mind? An event that took place over 20 years ago, think of it. They have not had a carefree life of ease. Getting rid of Joseph did not make their lives easier.

The conscience of sin is strong, and this conviction comes as a gift from God to those he loves. The chastisement of His own is a sure mark of his concern, and he prods with his sharp finger those who err from the path of truth.

Some people try to escape the ravages of the conscience, they go to counsellors who say “it isn’t your fault it is the way you were raised, or it is a result of societal pressure. These ID- iots then attempt to retrain or re-socialize the conscience so the poor tormented soul will not feel its ravages.

Do you know what Hansen’s disease is? A chronic infectious disease known for many centuries, affects an estimated 10 to 15 million people worldwide. It occurs mainly in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions of Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America.

In the early 1990s the United States had 6,000 cases, with 300 new ones diagnosed each year, up 50 percent from a decade ago. Most newly diagnosed victims are recent immigrants from Asia and South America. The Cause of this disease, also called leprosy is The infectious agent, Mycobacterium leprae, is a bacillus in the same family as the one that causes tuberculosis.

(It was discovered in 1874 by a Norwegian physician, Gerhard Hansen, and leprosy is sometimes called Hansen's disease.) The agent is thought to be transmitted by skin-to-skin contact and nasal discharges.

About 95 percent of the persons exposed to the bacterium are immune, however, so leprosy is not considered highly contagious. Because the bacterium is very slow growing the incubation period can range from 1 to 30 years, but the average is about 3 to 5 years.

The organism invades the peripheral nerves, skin, and mucous membranes, damaging the nerves and causing anesthesia. The resulting insensitivity can lead to unnoticed and therefore neglected injuries; this accounts for many of the deformities, such as loss of fingers, that occur in leprosy.

Paralysis may also result; in advanced cases, numbness of the eyes may lead to blindness through trauma or infection.

You have seen the movies and noted cases of horribly disfigured faces, hands and vile lesions of the skin. Those are a result of the anesthesia this vile disease brings.

Think about pain. Think about stepping on a rusty filthy nail and not knowing it because you felt no pain? What would happen?

Listen well, Sin in your life is likened to leprosy . It begins as a small virus, and you allow it in. You might say “Oh, that’s not so bad” God will forgive me. And you take in the virus that begins to anesthetize your conscience and before you know it sin has disfigured your life because that important pain of conscience was gone.

Paul mentions that the adversary’s branding iron does this to a conscience in 1 Tim 4 :1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

Ro 1:28* And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Eph 4:19* Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Now Joseph’s brothers have come to another point in their life, a point of realization that Uh Oh God did not forget and we will note not only the conscience of sin, but also the consequence of sin.
Pr 14:12 Pr 16:25 both say There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.

In Nu 32:23 Moses is giving instruction to the tribes who will not take their inheritance in Canaan land proper.

He says that if they take land on this side they still have to go and fight for their brethren, and then he says this:But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

From the first God laid down this principle. When Cain was refused remember what God told Him?

Genesis 4:6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou angry? and why is your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? and if you don’t do well, sin lies at the door. And unto thee [shall be] his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

Or how about this from Psalm 139:7-12 Where shall I go from your spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou [art] there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou [art there]. [If] I take the wings of the morning, [and] dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light [are] both alike [to thee].

Listen! Sin has its consequences. Ps 140:11 Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow [him].

Pr 13:21 says Evil pursueth sinners:

Isa 3:11 Woe unto the wicked! [it shall be] ill [with him]: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

1Co 4:5* Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts:

There is coming a time, here or there when the hidden things will come to light. You may think or I may think we can continue harboring wrong thoughts, dallying with evil fantasies,living dishonestly, and that no one will know, but it ALWAYS comes out at some point.

There is a horrible con-sequence of sin..the ultimate one is found in Ro 6:23 For the wages of sin [is] death; one of the saddest, but most profound truths of the world. Sin is a master of his servant and pays wages. Wages never affected by inflation. Now the brothers are beginning to realize this and the fear begins to creep in on them.

Now they are faced with a very important time in their lives and what is a very important time in every life at some time or other. They are faced not only by the conscience of sin, the consequence of sin, but thirdly the crisis of sin,

Pr 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh [them] shall have mercy.

It is at this point that change can happen. Here , when sin is pointed out and it’s consequences are understood decisions are made that affect the future. Human sinful nature reflects a desire to shift the blame elsewhere. Look at our first parents when they were confronted with the very first sin:

Ge 3:12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest [to be] with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. Ge 3:13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What [is] this [that] thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

Humanity begins quickly passing the buck to someone else. That is a wrong action as we saw in Proverbs 28:13. the correct action is confess, admit it you did it it was wrong in God’s eyes, and STOP!

Cain followed in the elusive pattern of his folks. Remember his now famous words as he was confronted with his sin?

Ge 4:9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where [is] Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: [Am] I my brother's keeper?

Now look at Israel’s first king in 1 Sam 15 when He is confronted with his own sin: 1 -26 (read please)

It is urgent that we have a proper preparation for this moment of Crisis. If Saul had decided to obey God then all would have been well, but he decided to take his own course of action and blame the people, we are not guiltless by the way.

Discouraging, this first king huh? Let’s see how another king handled HIS moment of Crisis.

In second Samuel 11-12 we see the account of king David as he allows himself to be seduced by Bathsheeba. His lust is fulfilled and ,as you recall he has Uriah , her husband, killed in battle to attempt to hide his sin.

Look in chapter 11: 26 -27 -14 (Read Please)

David’s reaction is expanded for us in Psalm 51:1-21

How do you handle your crisis of sin? Do you sit on your ivory seat“ and look down your nose at those other sinners or do you, like David, confess and forsake it?

Now in this crisis, after all is done the voice of Judah speaks: 44:33-34, Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad [be] not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.

Confessing and forsaking. A true heart at the point of the crisis of sin.

There is one more thought I want to show here:

We’ve noted the conscience of sin, the consequence of sin, the crisis of sin, and finally we look to our hope: the conqueror of sin.

The brothers in Egypt were looking to reap what they had sown. But can I tell you something? They reaped something else ultimately didn’t they?

We know that when the testing was done, when the long dark night of the soul was past, these brothers got ..well listen to what they got: He made him to be sin for us...

45: 1 -13
And in chapter 50 after Jacob had died again the old fear of judgment is reviewed and again here is what happens.

50: 1-21
You see there is some bad news beloved the wages of sin is death...but ...but the good news is that Jesus the conqueror of sin offers life. The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

And like Joseph of Old he takes us in and forgives our sin, sin for which he suffered and nourishes us and cares for us. And that sin conqueror is standing today calling out to each of you...come home...ye who are weary come home.