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Some Thoughts to Ponder

SOME THOUGHTS TO PONDER
MIKE CUNNINGHAM
FEBRUARY 17, 2013
Grandpas_picture
In appreciation to the folks who let me know how sorry they were that last week’s sermon had to end when it did and that they were eagerly looking forward to hearing its continuation, I’ll start right now. I hope that each of you took my suggestion and studied the online version during the week.

 

Genesis 43:1-34 (MSG) 1 The famine got worse. 2 When they had eaten all the food they had brought back from Egypt, their father said, “Go back and get some more food.” 3 But Judah said, “The man warned us most emphatically, ‘You won’t so much as see my face if you don’t have your brother with you.’ 4 If you’re ready to release our brother to go with us, we’ll go down and get you food. 5 But if you’re not ready, we aren’t going. What would be the use? The man told us, ‘You won’t so much as see my face if you don’t have your brother with you.’ ” 6 Israel said, “Why are you making my life so difficult! Why did you ever tell the man you had another brother?” 7 They said, “The man pressed us hard, asking pointed questions about our family: ‘Is your father alive? Do you have another brother?’ So we answered his questions. How did we know that he’d say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”

 

8 Judah pushed his father Israel. “Let the boy go; I’ll take charge of him. Let us go and be on our way—if we don’t get going, we’re all going to starve to death—we and you and our children too! 9 I’ll take full responsibility for his safety; it’s my life on the line for his. If I don’t bring him back safe and sound, I’m the guilty one; I’ll take all the blame. 10 If we had gone ahead in the first place instead of procrastinating like this, we could have been there and back twice over.” 11 Their father Israel gave in. “If it has to be, it has to be. But do this: stuff your packs with the finest products from the land you can find and take them to the man as gifts—some balm and honey, some spices and perfumes, some pistachios and almonds. 12 And take plenty of money—pay back double what was returned to your sacks; that might have been a mistake.

 

13 Take your brother and get going. Go back to the man. 14 And may The Strong God give you grace in that man’s eyes so that he’ll send back your other brother along with Benjamin. For me, nothing’s left; I’ve lost everything.” 15 The men took the gifts, double the money, and Benjamin. They lost no time in getting to Egypt and meeting Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw that they had Benjamin with them, he told his house steward, “Take these men into the house and make them at home. Butcher an animal and prepare a meal; these men are going to eat with me at noon.”

 

17 The steward did what Joseph had said and took them inside. 18 But they became anxious when they were brought into Joseph’s home, thinking, “It’s the money; he thinks we ran off with the money on our first trip down here. And now he’s got us where he wants us—he’s going to turn us into slaves and confiscate our donkeys.” 19 So they went up to Joseph’s house steward and talked to him in the doorway. 20 They said, “Listen, master. We came down here one other time to buy food. 21 On our way home, the first night out we opened our bags and found our money at the mouth of the bag—the exact amount we’d paid. We’ve brought it all back 22 and have plenty more to buy more food with. We have no idea who put the money in our bags.”

 

23 The steward said, “Everything’s in order. Don’t worry. Your God and the God of your father must have given you a bonus. I was paid in full.” And with that, he presented Simeon to them. 24 He then took them inside Joseph’s house and made them comfortable—gave them water to wash their feet and saw to the feeding of their donkeys. 25 The brothers spread out their gifts as they waited for Joseph to show up at noon—they had been told that they were to have dinner with him. 26 When Joseph got home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought and bowed respectfully before him. 27 Joseph welcomed them and said, “And your old father whom you mentioned to me, how is he? Is he still alive?” 28 They said, “Yes—your servant our father is quite well, very much alive.” And they again bowed respectfully before him.

 

29 Then Joseph picked out his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son. He asked, “And is this your youngest brother that you told me about?” Then he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Deeply moved on seeing his brother and about to burst into tears, Joseph hurried out into another room and had a good cry. 31 Then he washed his face, got a grip on himself, and said, “Let’s eat.” 32 Joseph was served at his private table, the brothers off by themselves and the Egyptians off by themselves (Egyptians won’t eat at the same table with Hebrews; it’s repulsive to them). 33 The brothers were seated facing Joseph, arranged in order of their age, from the oldest to the youngest. They looked at one another wide-eyed, wondering what would happen next. 34 When the brothers’ plates were served from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s plate came piled high, far more so than his brothers. And so the brothers feasted with Joseph, drinking freely.

 

Here are some thoughts to refresh your memory of how we got to that point in the story. Potiphar was ‘captain of the guard.’ In other words, he was the ‘Chief of the executioners.’ Serving in that capacity he was in charge of the Kings prison which was connected to his home (Gen. 40:3). In order for the king’s prisoners to be confined a royal warrant had to be issued first. But Potiphar wouldn’t have to obtain anybody’s permission to put a slave such as Joseph in it. Death would have been the punishment for attempting to rape Potiphar’s wife. Does that kind of punishment seen excessive to you? It does to me. In his classic Exposition of the Holy Scriptures, Alexander Maclaren believed that the most probable reason is that Potiphar didn’t believe his wife’s story, and thought it was best to put Joseph in the prison to hush up a scandal. Had that thought ever occurred to you? It never entered my mind. Transferring Joseph from Potiphar’s home to the adjourning prison would have been quietly managed, and then nothing else would have to have been said about the incident.

 

Joseph was flung down in a moment by a lie from an adulterous woman from the height of which he had been slowly climbing. He had lost the confidence of his master and suffered because of the hatred of an evil woman. Joseph had freely chosen to wreck his advancing career because of his godliness. Joseph loved God! I wonder how many posts would be on Facebook and Twitter calling Joseph a fool. What do you think? Joseph trusted God and he certainly wasn’t a fool, was he? Through His workings of providence the Sovereign Creator had so arranged every one of Joseph’s circumstances, both the good and the bad for Joseph’s eventual good. Do any of you folks believe that a true follower of Jesus can expect to be treated differently?

 

Another thing that it behooves us to remember is that right is right and sin is sin, and, unless it’s been forgiven by the precious blood of the Savior, the wages of sin will be eternal death. Consequences didn’t deter Joseph from doing what God wanted him to do nor should they prevent any of Christ’s followers. It’s better to have a clear conscience and sit in a prison than to sit at a king’s table. Remember that the Lord was with Joseph and He is with every one of His children. Even the dungeon was bright and the chains didn’t chafe Joseph when God wrapped His love around them.

 

Many a prisoner for God since Joseph’s time has had his experience repeated, and received tender tokens of love from God in a dungeon than they ever had before. Paul the prisoner, the exiled John in Patmos, Bunyan in Bedford Jail, George Fox in Lancaster Castle, Rutherford in Aberdeen, and many more have found the Lord with them and showing them His kindness. Although I have never experienced the extent of suffering that those men have endured, I have been trapped in various circumstances in which I have been able to sense His loving arms wrapped around me and I know that some of you folks can say the same, can’t you?

 

God often allows true followers of Christ to experience a myriad of painful ordeals. He or she can take comfort in believing the fact that each of their difficulties will work together and cause them to powerfully sense God’s presence and His approval of him or her. In Joseph’s case, a prison became a palace and a gate leading into heaven.

 

Joseph’s relationship with the jailer and his fellow-prisoners was excellent and we can learn a lot from it. The keeper of the prison was evidently Potiphar’s deputy. Of course, Potiphar had an underling to do the work. Do any of you folks think the jailer was chosen for that position because he was a kind, loving, patient and understanding man? I sure don’t think so. In those days the jailer was free to run the prison as he saw fit. Quite often he was a prisoner himself. Those men were usually lazy. Although they were on intimate terms with their fellow prisoners, they were ready to torture or execute any one of them at a moments notice. When he sized Joseph up he would have very glad to shift his duties on to Joseph’s capable hands and take all the credit for a job well done.

 

Joseph won the hearts of many people because it was obvious to everyone that God was with him and blessing the work of his hands. The jailer’s occupation didn’t bring him in contact with many truly good god-fearing holy people. Joseph would flash like a jewel in the dark dungeon all the more brightly because and the dark background of the criminals. At seventeen years of age Joseph was sold as a slave and at the age of thirty he was the Prime Minister of Egypt (Genesis 37:2; 41:46).

 

Another thing that stands out in the story is the faithfulness of God, and of His sovereign orchestrating   of all events both the good and the bad. With the exception of Joseph all the people in the story were clueless of the fact that they were instruments in God’s hands. Joseph’s hate-filled brothers, the unconcerned slave-dealers, Potiphar and his wife, Joseph’s fellow prisoners and Pharaoh himself; each of them were important links in a chain of divinely ordained events. However, they were also men and women with the freedom to choose to do right or wrong. People unknowingly carry out God’s plans for His children without any idea as to what they are accomplishing.

 

Joseph’s thirteen years of heart breaking trials were eventually crowned with sudden prosperity. His experience teaches us a lesson in patience. Many of us have to fight our way through difficulties at the beginning of our life and the temptation is to become angry, disheartened, discouraged and depressed and finally give up. Every obstacle is a road-block and has been placed there by God. God puts them in our way in order to help us. If one of Joseph’s painful misfortunes had been omitted, his good fortune wouldn’t have come.

 

Think about it. I have and found it to be true in my life. I know some of you folks well enough that you can each echo that sentiment. If Joseph’s brothers hadn’t hated him, if he had not been sold, if he had not been imprisoned, Joseph would never have ruled Egypt. Not one thread in the tapestry could have been omitted without spoiling the pattern. We cannot afford to lose a single one of our sorrows or trials. There wouldn’t be a summer unless winter had gone before. There is a bud or a fruit for every snowflake, and a bird’s song for every howl of the storm.

 

There are additional lessons for us to learn. God wanted Joseph to eagerly perform whatever work Divine Providence assigned to him regardless of the circumstances. He didn’t want Joseph to be moaning and groaning about his crummy job; nor does God want you and me to.

 

God was preparing Joseph to become the administrator of a vast kingdom by his oversight of Potiphar’s house and of the king’s prison. Joseph’s character was matured by his trials every bit as much as ours are by the divinely ordained difficulties God planned for us to endure at particular points in our life. Joseph dreamed of becoming a ruler with people bowing down to him. But he had to serve an apprenticeship first.

 

I can relate to Joseph and I know that some of you folks can also. For instance, some non-Christians have spit their furious venom in my face, lied to me, deceived me, screamed at me and threatened to kill me. Among other things I have also been cheated, lied to, deceived, and stabbed in the back by gossips and slanderers and had lies told about me. And would you believe, I was subjected to all this by people who claimed to be followers of Jesus?

 

Of course, you do. In fact, some of you have been treated much worse by folks who claim to be Christians. For instance, there are believers who have married a person who claimed to be a Christian only to find out years later that he or she wasn’t. I know Christian’s who have believed those three little words, “I love you” as they were softly whispered into their ear by a professed follower of Jesus only to find out later that nothing could be further from the truth. I could provide additional examples, and so can you, but it isn’t necessary, is it?

 

Did you notice how Joseph threw all of his energy into his job as Prime Minister of Egypt as soon as he ‘went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt?’ Joseph didn’t let any grass grow under his feet. No way! He personally oversaw everything for seven long years. He had to make sure that there would be no wasteful consumption of the abundant crops. Storehouses had to be built and records had to be kept. The people who could not look as far as seven years ahead, and wanted to enjoy, or make some easy bucks out of the good harvests had to be watched closely. The dignity that Pharaoh bestowed on Joseph meant lots of hard work for him to perform. Like all real men, Joseph thought more of his duty than he did of his honors. Another thing we can be certain of is that Joseph wouldn’t be all decked out in his fancy clothes riding in the second chariot when he raced throughout Egypt. I believe that he would have been attired in working man’s clothes similar to those worn by the folks who shouted, “Bravo Joseph, Bravo.”

 

God let Joseph “out of prison to reign,” and, as we all find out, if we are God’s children, to rein means to serve. The higher our position the more difficult is the task. Joseph’s long years of patiently waiting had nourished powers within him which the seven years of busy toil tested. With the help of God, you and I must make ourselves ready, especially those who are young; to do whatever God has planned for us to do later on in life.  If we understand what life is really all about we will be more desirous of emulating Jesus selfless service than being in places of dignity. Whatever task Divine Providence has assigned to us; tasks such as praying, serving, sacrificial giving, encouraging, flipping burgers, driving a bus; let’s do it as Joseph did his. Now let’s return to the story.

Genesis 44:1-34 (TLB) 1 When his brothers were ready to leave, Joseph ordered his household manager to fill each of their sacks with as much grain as they could carry—and to put into the mouth of each man’s sack the money he had paid! 2 He was also told to put Joseph’s own silver cup at the top of Benjamin’s sack, along with the grain money. So the household manager did as he was told. 3 The brothers were up at dawn and on their way with their loaded donkeys. 4 But when they were barely out of the city, Joseph said to his household manager, “Chase after them and stop them and ask them why they are acting like this when their benefactor has been so kind to them? 5 Ask them, ’What do you mean by stealing my lord’s personal silver drinking cup, which he uses for fortune telling? What a wicked thing you have done!’ 6 So he caught up with them and spoke to them along the lines he had been instructed.

 

7 “What in the world are you talking about?” they demanded. “What kind of people do you think we are, that you accuse us of such a terrible thing as that? 8 Didn’t we bring back the money we found in the mouth of our sacks? Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? 9 If you find his cup with any one of us, let that one die. And all the rest of us will be slaves forever to your master.” 10 “Fair enough,” the man replied, “except that only the one who stole it will be a slave, and the rest of you can go free.” 11 They quickly took down their sacks from the backs of their donkeys and opened them. 12 He began searching the oldest brother’s sack, going on down the line to the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s!

 

13 They ripped their clothing in despair, loaded the donkeys again, and returned to the city. 14 Joseph was still home when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him. 15 “What were you trying to do?” Joseph demanded. “Didn’t you know such a man as I would know who stole it?” 16 And Judah said, “Oh, what shall we say to my lord? How can we plead? How can we prove our innocence? God is punishing us for our sins. Sir, we have all returned to be your slaves, both we and he in whose sack the cup was found.” 17 “No,” Joseph said. “Only the man who stole the cup, he shall be my slave. The rest of you can go on home to your father.”

 

I’m sorry, but I’ve done it again. We’ve run out of time. I have to end the story here. As far as today goes, it’s been my prayerful hope that I’ve given each of you folks Some Thoughts to Ponder.

 

Lord willing, next week ….

 

 

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February 24, 2013 Posted by Categories: Uncategorized Tagged with:
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