I hope people aren't sick of hearing OT stories in sermons. All I know is that ‘m really enjoying re-reading and re-telling these stories that have given much to God's people for thousands of years. I would really encourage you to get our your Bibles and re-read the whole of these stories for yourselves, not just for enjoyment, but keeping your ears open for what the story is saying to your life. And all these stories have important messages to give. Today, the focus is on Joseph and how he deals with his brothers who years before had almost killed him but instead sold him into slavery. And in our modern world where people face lots of differences of opinion, arguments and disputes, this is an important story

So let me set the scene for those who weren't here last week. Today, Jacob's family with 12 sons and four wives, with Dad not hiding his favouritism for his number 11 son, Joseph, with Joseph being an arrogant pain in the neck and with the 10 older sons not bothering to hide their hatred for Joseph, considering murder but deciding on selling him into slavery as the solution, today, this family would be described as dysfunctional. But the end result is, Joseph finds himself in Egypt, the brothers discover what it's like to live with guilt and Jacob the father, lives with grief and loss.

The trouble is that our text comes near the end of the story. This means we've got six chapters of story to condense into five minutes.

Joseph, who must have had lots of time to consider his mistakes and work on his relationship skills, quickly becomes his new Egyptian master's personal assistant. He's so successful he catches the eye of his master's wife. When he refuses her advances, she misuse the sexual harassment laws of the day to get him thrown into prison. But after a successful stint at dream interpretation, which culminates in his saving Egypt from a disastrous sevens years of drought, Joseph climbs back up the ladder of success, and power to reach, Prime Minister status.

Then the real fun begins. His brothers, who'd rejected Joseph and his interest in dreams, were also suffering from the drought and, it seems were getting ready to lie down and die when Father Jacob ... let me just quote from the story, "When Jacob found out there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, 'Why are you just sitting here, staring at one another? I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Now go and buy some, so we won't starve to death.'" (42:1f)

And guess who happens to be in charge of selling grain to foreigners. Well, they don't know it's Joseph, but Joseph recognizes them straight away. However he chooses not to reveal himself then and there. Maybe he's afraid they're still out to get him, maybe he wants to pay them back and punish them for what they did to him, but my bet is on that he wants to get to know them again, test them out and see if they've learnt their lessons as well as he had. Joseph accuses them of being spies.

Of course they object and tell Joseph about their background. Joseph listens and then announces that he'll let them go only if one stays behind as hostage and they promise to return with their youngest brother Benjamin (remember he's Joseph's only true brother).

I love this bit, Reuben speaks to his brothers listen, "didn't I tell you not to harm the boy, But you wouldn't listen, and now we have to pay the price for killing him. They didn't know that Joseph could understand them, since he was speaking through an interpreter. Joseph turned away from them and cried." Well Simeon is tied up and taken away and the other brothers return home, not only with their grain, but with their money refunded by Joseph hidden in the sacks.

Listen to the insights we're given into this very human family. They get back home and we're told, When the brothers started emptying their sacks of grain, they found their moneybags in them. They were frightened, and so was their father Jacob, who said, 'You have already taken my sons Joseph and Simeon from me And now you want to take away Benjamin! Everything is against me.
Rueben spoke up, 'Father, if I don't bring Benjamin back, you can kill both of my sons. Trust me with him, and I will bring him back.' But Jacob said, 'I won't let my son Benjamin go down to Egypt with the rest of you. His brother is already dead, and he is the only son I have left. I am an old man, and if anything happens to him on the way, I'll die from sorrow, and all of you will be to blame.' (42:35f)

Jacob get's all that off his chest, but the famine continues the grain again runs out, Jacob is forced to ask his sons to return to Egypt. They remind him that Benjamin has to go as well, and you can hear Jacob's depression, "When you go in to see the governor, I pray that God All-Powerful will be good to you and that the governor will let your older brother and Benjamin come back home with you. If I must lose my children, I suppose I must."

This time Joseph turns on a feast for them. And allows them all to leave with their grain. But he sneakily hides his own special silver cup in Benjamin's sack. They only get a little way down the road when Joseph's servant demands to search the sacks for the missing cup announcing that the one who took it will become Joseph's slave. When it's discovered in Benjamin's sack the brothers tear their clothes in grief and return to argue with Joseph the governor. All their 'But we didn't do it, we're innocent' pleas fall on deaf ears. Then Judah steps forward and says, 'All right, the evidence is stacked against Benjamin, but, and he tells Joseph the whole sad story as to why they simply can't return home without Benjamin. Our Father lost his favourite son some time ago, if he loses his next favourite he'll die. Besides, I've promised to bring him back safely. So there is no question, I will be your slave, Benjamin must return home, 'I couldn't bear to see my father in such sorrow.'

And then our text begins,
Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, "Have everyone leave my presence!" So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh's household heard about it.
Joseph said to his brothers, 'I am Joseph! Is my father still living?' But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.
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.
For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. 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.
Now hurry back to my father and say to him, 'This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don't delay. You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me--you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.'
'You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. Tell my father about all the honour accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.'
Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him. (Genesis 45:1-15 NIV)

What remarkable words, '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.' ..... 'God has made me lord of all Egypt.' Isn't that remarkable, not you lot sold me as a slave, but 'God has made me lord of all Egypt.'

Now let's be honest. Someone very close to us does the dirty on us. "Hate" can be used to describe the feelings experienced. Years later we met up. Who's going to say, 'Don't worry, don't fret, and especially don't be angry with yourselves over what you did to me, let's not focus on what you did, let's focus on what God has done in my life.'

It's quite remarkable. But this attitude has preserved Joseph's love for his family and protected him from becoming a sad, bitter, and twisted old man.

While it wouldn't be accurate to say that God caused those brothers to sell Joseph, that all this happened because it was God's will, it's clear that our loving God can use anything we do to bring his blessings into our lives. Paul says in Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. But with Joseph's story, the author challenges us, You believe God is at work for good in your life when things are going well, but do you still live that belief when things go wrong? Can you still see God at work in your life when confronted by the most damaging evil, or must you just concentrate on being bitter about the evil?

It's this same sort of faith that amazes Jesus in the Gospel for today. The Canaanite woman is told she can't expect much from the God of Israel, but she proclaims that she's not going to therefore give up and expect nothing. Somehow she knows that God is not only a God of love in the good times, but remains true to his promises even or perhaps especially when things aren't going as well as we would like.

For some reason we human beings love to dwell on the lost opportunities and find relief in blaming and accusing others. Joseph points us to a God of grace, who works in our lives not because of the quality of what's happening in our lives or brains, but purely because of his amazing giving, loving, saving nature. You see, God's grace can even hold our human relationships togther.

© Copyright Rev. K.W. Stiller.