Post by poetsunshine on May 26, 2010 11:12:22 GMT -6
Joseph reconciled to Brothers.
Hebrews 4:9, “There remains a rest to the people of God.”
Joseph and His brothers. Gen. Chapter 37-50.
In these chapters–Joseph serves as a type of Christ. His older brothers hated him because of his integrity, so when they met some traders headed to Egypt they sold Joseph into slavery.
After many hard trials and years of suffering, Joseph rose to become Pharaoh’s right hand man. He was given a vision of a seven -year, worldwide famine, and he advised Pharaoh to begin storing up mountains of corn. Pharaoh did this during the good years, and then the famine struck.
As food became scarce, Joseph’s father, Jacob, sent his ten sons to Egypt to buy corn from Pharaoh.
What follows is a familiar story of intrigue; Joseph recognized his brothers, but they didn’t recognize him. During their interactions, Joseph over heard them confess their sin, but they didn’t think he understood them. It is clear as the story unfolds that Joseph was reconciled in his heart to his brothers. Though they had wronged him terribly. Joseph yearned to reveal himself to his kinsmen, to fall on their necks, kiss them and reconcile them to himself.
This reflects God’s heart toward us, according to Paul. He
writes, “When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.” Romans 5:10.
2 Cor.. 5:18...” God has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ.” While we were sinners, God removed every barrier that kept us from being reconciled to him, through the sacrifice of his Son at the cross. Like Joseph he yearns to reveal his heart to his beloved ones. Finally, Joseph could no longer restrain his love for his brothers. Joseph’s love for his brothers had little to do with their confession. It wasn’t the result of their prayers, or fasting, or any good works, or heartfelt promises to be his servants. It was all a matter of unearned love.
The same is true of us with God. He loved us when we were yet sinners—before we repented, before we experienced godly sorrow, before we even believed in him. I ask you; how much more does God love us now that we have embraced his love and received his mercy?
This great love was expressed in the way Joseph treated his family once they were reconciled to him. He fed and nourished the very brothers who had turned on him, supplying them with wagon load after wagon load of Egypt’s greatest delicacies. Yet even then, these men still lived in fear of Joseph. Seventeen years later, when their father died, Joseph and his brothers carried Jacob’s body back to Canaan, where they buried him with great fanfare. While there, Joseph’s brothers began whispering among themselves; “Joseph will hate us, and will pay back the evil which we did to him. Gen. 50:15,”
So they went to their brother, fell on their faces, and pled with him in fear and told them,”Before our father died, he commanded us to come to you, confess our sin and ask you to forgive us, and ask for mercy. We beg you to forgive us, Joseph and we will be your servants. You hold our lives in your hands. Gen. 59:19. How did Joseph react to this? Through tears of grief, he spoke kindly to his brothers, assuring them that he was in this place for God and that they didn’t have anything to fear. I believe Joseph’s tears tell us how wounded he was. His brother’ lingering fear had hurt him deeply, think of what he must have thought; “I forgave my brothers seventeen years ago. Yet all this time they’ve been living in fear. They never knew my heart toward them. They never accepted my love.
Joseph’s brothers didn’t have any reason to fear him. Yet think of their mind-set for all those years; they enjoyed Joseph’s provision, his gifts, his resources, his kindness and love. As a result, they were never at ease, never able to enjoy life, but instead always thought about their past sins–and always misjudged their brother’s heart.
Joseph had delighted in them, demonstrating his love with hugs, kisses and tears of joy. He rejoiced that he could bless them and boasted over them to the worldly Egyptians.
Though all of these things, Joseph was telling them, “We are reconciled. I’m not interested in what you did in the past. I only want to show you my heart toward you.”
Yet the brothers went year after year never trusting him. And so they were constantly anxious, joyless, burdened down. They thought their every trial was God’s way of paying them back for their sins.
Sadly, the same is true of many of God’s people today. Like Joseph, God grieves over the sorrow and pain we bring upon ourselves by not resting in his love. Hebrews tells us that “Christ in glory is touched with the feelings of our infirmities.” (Heb. 4:15). He has fellow feeling with us, sympathy pains, and hurts when we hurt .
I believe Joseph’s tears which is like a old hymn, “Oh, what
peace we often forfeit, oh, what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”
If Joseph truly loved his brothers—if he genuinely delighted in them—we can know he was grieved by the needless pain they bore all those years.
He thought of the debilitating fears they’s endured, the peace and joy they’d endured, the peace and joy they’d missed, all the gilt and condemnation, the years of being bound by chains, I believe Joseph wept because they hadn’t come to him to work it out long before then. He had opened his door to them, but they never took access.
CONCLUSION
According to John, when our love is aligned with God’s Word— when we embrace his love and care for us, and we love one another unconditionally– only then will we live without fear.
We will have boldness on the day of judgment.
And we’ll be able to live in the here-and-now as Christ lived; without fear.
This is kind of long but a good message
.Hebrews 4:9, “There remains a rest to the people of God.”
Joseph and His brothers. Gen. Chapter 37-50.
In these chapters–Joseph serves as a type of Christ. His older brothers hated him because of his integrity, so when they met some traders headed to Egypt they sold Joseph into slavery.
After many hard trials and years of suffering, Joseph rose to become Pharaoh’s right hand man. He was given a vision of a seven -year, worldwide famine, and he advised Pharaoh to begin storing up mountains of corn. Pharaoh did this during the good years, and then the famine struck.
As food became scarce, Joseph’s father, Jacob, sent his ten sons to Egypt to buy corn from Pharaoh.
What follows is a familiar story of intrigue; Joseph recognized his brothers, but they didn’t recognize him. During their interactions, Joseph over heard them confess their sin, but they didn’t think he understood them. It is clear as the story unfolds that Joseph was reconciled in his heart to his brothers. Though they had wronged him terribly. Joseph yearned to reveal himself to his kinsmen, to fall on their necks, kiss them and reconcile them to himself.
This reflects God’s heart toward us, according to Paul. He
writes, “When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.” Romans 5:10.
2 Cor.. 5:18...” God has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ.” While we were sinners, God removed every barrier that kept us from being reconciled to him, through the sacrifice of his Son at the cross. Like Joseph he yearns to reveal his heart to his beloved ones. Finally, Joseph could no longer restrain his love for his brothers. Joseph’s love for his brothers had little to do with their confession. It wasn’t the result of their prayers, or fasting, or any good works, or heartfelt promises to be his servants. It was all a matter of unearned love.
The same is true of us with God. He loved us when we were yet sinners—before we repented, before we experienced godly sorrow, before we even believed in him. I ask you; how much more does God love us now that we have embraced his love and received his mercy?
This great love was expressed in the way Joseph treated his family once they were reconciled to him. He fed and nourished the very brothers who had turned on him, supplying them with wagon load after wagon load of Egypt’s greatest delicacies. Yet even then, these men still lived in fear of Joseph. Seventeen years later, when their father died, Joseph and his brothers carried Jacob’s body back to Canaan, where they buried him with great fanfare. While there, Joseph’s brothers began whispering among themselves; “Joseph will hate us, and will pay back the evil which we did to him. Gen. 50:15,”
So they went to their brother, fell on their faces, and pled with him in fear and told them,”Before our father died, he commanded us to come to you, confess our sin and ask you to forgive us, and ask for mercy. We beg you to forgive us, Joseph and we will be your servants. You hold our lives in your hands. Gen. 59:19. How did Joseph react to this? Through tears of grief, he spoke kindly to his brothers, assuring them that he was in this place for God and that they didn’t have anything to fear. I believe Joseph’s tears tell us how wounded he was. His brother’ lingering fear had hurt him deeply, think of what he must have thought; “I forgave my brothers seventeen years ago. Yet all this time they’ve been living in fear. They never knew my heart toward them. They never accepted my love.
Joseph’s brothers didn’t have any reason to fear him. Yet think of their mind-set for all those years; they enjoyed Joseph’s provision, his gifts, his resources, his kindness and love. As a result, they were never at ease, never able to enjoy life, but instead always thought about their past sins–and always misjudged their brother’s heart.
Joseph had delighted in them, demonstrating his love with hugs, kisses and tears of joy. He rejoiced that he could bless them and boasted over them to the worldly Egyptians.
Though all of these things, Joseph was telling them, “We are reconciled. I’m not interested in what you did in the past. I only want to show you my heart toward you.”
Yet the brothers went year after year never trusting him. And so they were constantly anxious, joyless, burdened down. They thought their every trial was God’s way of paying them back for their sins.
Sadly, the same is true of many of God’s people today. Like Joseph, God grieves over the sorrow and pain we bring upon ourselves by not resting in his love. Hebrews tells us that “Christ in glory is touched with the feelings of our infirmities.” (Heb. 4:15). He has fellow feeling with us, sympathy pains, and hurts when we hurt .
I believe Joseph’s tears which is like a old hymn, “Oh, what
peace we often forfeit, oh, what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”
If Joseph truly loved his brothers—if he genuinely delighted in them—we can know he was grieved by the needless pain they bore all those years.
He thought of the debilitating fears they’s endured, the peace and joy they’d endured, the peace and joy they’d missed, all the gilt and condemnation, the years of being bound by chains, I believe Joseph wept because they hadn’t come to him to work it out long before then. He had opened his door to them, but they never took access.
CONCLUSION
According to John, when our love is aligned with God’s Word— when we embrace his love and care for us, and we love one another unconditionally– only then will we live without fear.
We will have boldness on the day of judgment.
And we’ll be able to live in the here-and-now as Christ lived; without fear.
This is kind of long but a good message
