The Mercy of Sovereignty
Notes
Transcript
God’s Mercy Reigns Over Meteorology (1-2)
God’s Mercy Reigns Over Meteorology (1-2)
Now the famine was severe in the land. And when they had eaten the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little food.”
A famine drove the story
A famine drove the story
God told Abraham that "sojourning servanthood” would come
God told Abraham that "sojourning servanthood” would come
Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years.
God sent His Famine to Secure His Family
God sent His Famine to Secure His Family
The produce the boys brought back from Egypt had run out
There were few options and death was the least desirable one
Behind the scenes, God was at work
First, famine produced the need for a rescue
Joseph became the means for rescue
Egypt became the unlikely place of refuge
Joseph became the means by which God displayed his salvation
Later, Egyptian captivity ensured a need for rescue
Rescue insured a need for a rescuer
The rescuer (Moses) exposed the glory of the God of Salvation (El Yeshuati—Joshua—Jesus)
God’s Ordained Will Was Rescue & Promise
God’s Ordained Will Was Rescue & Promise
For Jacob (Israel) and his sons
Rescue from death during a famine
Promise of blessing for the world
For the Nation of Israel
Rescue from slavery
Promise of a Land and Prosperity
For Believers
Rescue from slavery to sin and death (separation) from God (life)
Promise of a peace with God and resurrection with Christ (new life)
God Is Always Working on Behalf of His People
God Is Always Working on Behalf of His People
When famine hits, God is bringing about His purpose
When oppression looms, God is bringing about His purpose
You see, everything does indeed happen for a purpose
In fact, God says through the Apostle Paul,
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Even now
While hurricanes ravage the Gulf
While Wildfires rage in Colorado and California
While the Climate Debate Rages On
Our Sovereign God is at Work
Listen, Our Sovereign God’s mercy for His people is at work even when you and I cannot see it.
There is Mercy in God’s Sovereignty
God’s Mercy Reigns Over Methodology
God’s Mercy Reigns Over Methodology
The Rise of Judah
The Rise of Judah
But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. But if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’ ” Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?” They replied, “The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ What we told him was in answer to these questions. Could we in any way know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?” And Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. If we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice.” Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry a present down to the man, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. Take double the money with you. Carry back with you the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight. Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man. May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.” So the men took this present, and they took double the money with them, and Benjamin. They arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
Judah Was the Fourth Born Son
Normally Judah Would Not Be in the Lead
But Circumstances Made This Father of Kings the Lead Son in Jacob’s House
Judah Was the Leader Because His Brothers Chose Other Methods to Deal With Their Father’s Favoritism
Reuben thought that defiling Rachel’s handmaid would end the tyranny
Simeon and Levi Thought that slaughtering their sister’s enemy would alleviate their anger
All three were wrong and all three had given up their place in the family line
Judah Lead Differently Than His Brothers
Judah told Jacob the Facts
“The man told us not to come back without our youngest brother.”
“We merely answered benign questions”
Judah takes responsibility
Unlike Reuben’s ghastly gesture, Judah made himself the pledge
Judah also reminded Jacob of their costly loss of time
Judah took responsibility for the welfare of the entire clan
The Leadership of Judah (8-10)
The Leadership of Judah (8-10)
He was the new leader
From this moment onward, Judah was the leader among the brothers
This is incredible! Judah was already becoming the father of a kingly tribe that produced David and Solomon
You see, God was at work even while the brothers, and Judah in particular, were fearful of the famine and of the ruler in Egypt
Fear cannot compare to God’s Merciful Sovereignty
Jacob, Judah, and Judah’s Brothers All Used Different Methods to Obtain Their Desired Outcome
Jacob lied about his wife and wondered why the boys told the truth to Pharaoh
Reuben slept with Rebecca’s handmaid and brashly offered his son’s lives as collateral for Benjamine
Simeon and Levi slaughtered Dinah’s abusers
Judah was diplomatic with his dad
Incredibly, God was at work in every decision and every outcome
God was accomplishing His purposes in the sinful and the sanctified acts of His people
And guess what, He had work in your life the same way
God Is At Work In And Through His People
God Is At Work In And Through His People
In the middle of a Pandemic
While Iran threatens nuclear build up
While China continues to threaten
While the presidential election looms over us
While the anti-God culture continues to rail against the church
God is still at work bringing about his purpose of redemption for His people
God is at Work not because of our methods, but often times, despite them.
God’s Mercy Reigns Over Monstrousness (16-25)
God’s Mercy Reigns Over Monstrousness (16-25)
When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make ready, for the men are to dine with me at noon.” The man did as Joseph told him and brought the men to Joseph’s house. And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house, and they said, “It is because of the money, which was replaced in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may assault us and fall upon us to make us servants and seize our donkeys.” So they went up to the steward of Joseph’s house and spoke with him at the door of the house, and said, “Oh, my lord, we came down the first time to buy food. And when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was each man’s money in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it again with us, and we have brought other money down with us to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.” He replied, “Peace to you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. And when the man had brought the men into Joseph’s house and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder, they prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.
The Brother’s Thought They Were Discovered as Thieves
The Brother’s Thought They Were Discovered as Thieves
Think about it, these men were taken to the vice-regent's house!
It was common knowledge that Egyptian rulers often had private dungeons in their homes
These men though they were in trouble
Fear lead the brothers to confess without any accusation
Look, we got home and this money was in our sacks, but we know we paid
Perhaps the brothers though confession would lesson the crime
Surprise comes in Joseph’s steward’s reply
First, the steward attributes the “blessing” of the money to Elohim, the true God
Second, the steward tells the brothers that he is the one who took their money the first time
God is still working during Monstrous Situations
God is still working during Monstrous Situations
Look, we all have moments of fear
The brothers did not know it, but God was working to save his people while they cowered before the Powerful potentate of Egypt
Get it? God was at work while the brothers feared
But, when we realize that God is at work, fear fades
Covid-19 is less alarming when we believe God is at work
The economy is less fear inducing when we believe God is at work
God’s Sovereign Mercy Works Despite Our Fear
God’s Sovereign Mercy Works Despite Our Fear
Fear is really unbelief in God’s sovereign plan
Incredibly, God still works even though we fall into patterns of fear
God’s Mercy Reigns Over Majesty
God’s Mercy Reigns Over Majesty
26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground. 27 And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28 They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves. 29 And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!” 30 Then Joseph hurried out, for his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out. And controlling himself he said, “Serve the food.” 32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. 33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement. 34 Portions were taken to them from Joseph’s table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him.
The Brothers Bow
The Brothers Bow
It was customary for the lessor to bow before the greater
It was customary for the lessor to bow before the greater
In this case, the brothers were frightened by what the Egyptian official might do and their need to feed their family
In this case, the brothers were frightened by what the Egyptian official might do and their need to feed their family
Joseph also Bowed
Joseph also Bowed
Joseph wept because of his compassion for his brothers and the now 30 yr old Benjamin
Joseph wept because God had brought his family back to him
Benjamin’s Portion Was Larger
Benjamin’s Portion Was Larger
Of course this was true
Infant Benjamin had nothing to do with the betrayal
Joseph and Benjamin were children of the favored Rachel
Now Joseph gets to be with his only full brother
There is More To This Moment Though
There is More To This Moment Though
You see, God was the one to whom Joseph bowed
The most powerful man in all of Egypt bowed to something greater
This is evident in the steward’s statement that God had provided for the brothers
Joseph bowed to God because he saw God as the driving force behind his whole life (more about this in the next several weeks)
What about you and me?
What about you and me?
When you and me remember God’s Sovereign mercy, we bow to Him above all else
That reminds me of a little thing that happens on Tuesday
The election of a Republican or a Democrat is nothing of much less concern when we bow to God alone
That does not mean that we do not care about what happens
It does mean that we care about God a whole lot more
One of the speakers at the MBC said, “our churches are producing more Republicans or Democrats than Disciples.”
My prayer is that you and I would not succumb to that kind of thinking
Instead, let us bow to God in Christ Jesus
God’s Sovereign Mercy is Always at Work
God’s Sovereign Mercy is Always at Work
Meteorology—Bows Before God
Meteorology—Bows Before God
Methodology—Bows Before God
Methodology—Bows Before God
Monstrousness—Bows Before God
Monstrousness—Bows Before God
Majesty—Bows Before God
Majesty—Bows Before God
Invitation