When Dreams Come True
Living The Dream • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 7 viewsLead Pastor Wes Terry preaches on Jospeh’s reunion with his father in the land of Egypt and Judah’s role in taking responsibility for the actions from the past. This sermon is entitled “When Dreams Come True” and was preached out of Genesis 44-45. The sermon was preached on November 3, 2024.
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION:
INTRODUCTION:
This past Thursday Audra came home after being gone for two weeks due to a mission trip in Brazil.
I’ve got to be honest, the first few days of her absence were somewhat enjoyable. Mom took the kids the first weekend and I got a ton of work done.
Friday night was fantastic. Built a fire. Wrestled with my sheep.
Saturday night was lonely but not bad. Distracted by upcoming sermon but didn’t enjoy sleeping alone.
Sunday afternoon the kids came home and I got a fuller taste of being a single dad. Fall festival, kid costumes and my normal day job as a pastor collided like a comet.
From that point on the tension grew and grew. I was missing Audra. The kids were missing Audra. The dog was missing Audra. We even got two new cats while she was away and they were crying “when is mom coming home!?”
So when I say I was happy to see her that Thursday when she pulled up into our driveway I’m not joking. It was SUCH a sight for sore eyes.
And sleeping in the same bed, adult conversation, it was such a release of joy and contentment it made me never want her to leave town again.
Such is the case when we are finally reunited with the ones we love the most.
Our passage this morning details a similar kind of experience. Except in this case the reunion was between a Father and his child. A child that from his perspective had died long long ago.
Our deepest yearnings are ultimately a longing to be at home in the love of God.
The word yearning means an intense desire or longing for something or someone.
That’s what my heart was feeling when my wife was out of town.
That was what motivated the crying kids and the grumpy cats.
I could sense in in the dog, the animals and even the messy house. Come home! Come home!
That same dynamic is at play in the story of Jospeh. We see it with his father, his brothers and even his own life.
Setting the Table
Setting the Table
Jospeh was the favored son of Jacob (named Israel). He along with his other eleven brothers would come to establish the twelve tribes of Israel.
Jospeh had a dream that one day his brothers and family would bow down before him.
Because of that and Jacob’s favoritism towards Jospeh his brothers despised him. They threw him into a pit and sold him into slavery.
While enslaved in Egypt he went from
the top man in Potiphar’s house
to the top man in Pharoah prison
to the top man in Egypt’s government.
Through injustice and betrayal by family, friend and foe the Lord was “with Jospeh” and made him successful in everything.
When we last left Jospeh, he was saving the world through the stewardship of grain in the midst of a famine.
When we last his brothers, they were enjoying a meal in Jospeh’s palace completely unaware that he was their brother.
God had been using Jospeh to test his brothers to see if they’d changed from their former sinful ways.
Thankfully, not only had God changed their hearts he was also orchestrating events towards a big family reunion.
But before that could happen, a few other things had to fall in place.
The same is true when it comes to the love of God. The invitation is open but narrowly restricted to those who are willing to come.
PREPARING TO COME HOME
PREPARING TO COME HOME
Chapter 44 opens with a final test of Jospeh’s brothers to see if they were ready for their big family reunion.
Remember God had eradicated comforts forcing them to Egypt. Inflicted a little chaos to motivate change.
Through acts conviction and compassion God was shaping the circumstances to extend an invitation to the thing they needed most.
For this last test Jospeh was going to plant evidence of a crime into the bag of his youngest brother Benjamin.
We’re not sure of all of his motives but the test was that of a false accusation of wrongdoing.
1 Joseph commanded his steward, “Fill the men’s bags with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver at the top of his bag. 2 Put my cup, the silver one, at the top of the youngest one’s bag, along with the silver for his grain.” So he did as Joseph told him.
3 At morning light, the men were sent off with their donkeys. 4 They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, “Get up. Pursue the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? 5 Isn’t this the cup that my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wrong!’ ”
6 When he overtook them, he said these words to them. 7 They said to him, “Why does my lord say these things? Your servants could not possibly do such a thing. 8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found at the top of our bags. How could we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? 9 If it is found with one of us, your servants, he must die, and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.”
10 The steward replied, “What you have said is right, but only the one who is found to have it will be my slave, and the rest of you will be blameless.”
11 So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12 The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they tore their clothes, and each one loaded his donkey and returned to the city.
14 When Judah and his brothers reached Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell to the ground before him. 15 “What have you done?” Joseph said to them. “Didn’t you know that a man like me could uncover the truth by divination?”
16 “What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed your servants’ iniquity. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one in whose possession the cup was found.”
Ownership of Sin (44:1-16)
Ownership of Sin (44:1-16)
Judah confess his guilt for a crime he didn’t commit. Not only that, he presents himself as a slave along with his other brothers so that the youngest might have his life spared.
He doesn’t point the finger. He doesn’t make excuses. He takes personal responsibility for his sin before God.
If they didn’t commit this crime, what does Judah mean when he says “God has exposed your servants’ iniquity.” (Gen 44:16)
He’s not talking about the sin they “didn’t commit” (stealing the silver cup.) He’s talking about the sin they DID commit (selling their brother into slavery.)
Coming Home requires you to own up to your guilt before God.
That’s what makes this confession of sin such a powerful illustration of godly sorrow and genuine repentance.
There are some people who just refuse to acknowledge their guilt.
They’ll blame somebody else.
They’ll elevate the good things to cover up the bad things.
They’ll redefine the standard so the bad things aren’t that bad.
There are some people who acknowledge their sin to manage their situation.
They’ll express remorse they got caught.
They’ll make promises to do better and even temporarily change.
They’ll even manipulate/gaslight to turn it around in their favor.
Some will even take personal responsibility for their sin but not before God.
They’ll admit what they did in this case was wrong.
But they’ll limit their culpability to the individual and the specific.
Genuine repentance is deeper and wider than either of these things. There’s a deep awareness that
the most offended party is always the Lord. (not just relational/circumstantial)
the sin goes deeper than the accusation assigns.
the sin is symptomatic of a deeper sickness in the heart.
excuses that might work on others aren’t warranted when it come to God.
Humility & Godly Sorrow
Humility & Godly Sorrow
God’s Spirit enables a humble sorrow over sin.
Jesus began his greatest sermon with this central truth. Blessed are the “poor in Spirit for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven… Blessed are those who mourn (their sin) for they shall be comforted.”
The thing every human wants more than anything else is to be truly known and deeply loved.
But we’re afraid to be truly known by people so we hide the things that bring us shame. We even foolishly try and hide things from God by pretending they don’t exist or that he’s unaware of the truth.
They had a similar opportunity. They were falsely accused! How easy it is to point to where we’re doing good so we don’t have to deal with other areas of moral compromise.
You’ll never rest in the arms of God’s love if you don’t allow his love to address the source of your greatest shame.
There’s a great freedom in taking responsibility for your sin and grieving that before a holy God.
Offering of a Life (44:17-34)
Offering of a Life (44:17-34)
Having confessed his sin, Joseph gives Judah and his brothers one more opportunity to save themselves by sacrificing Benjamin.
17 Then Joseph said, “I swear that I will not do this. The man in whose possession the cup was found will be my slave. The rest of you can go in peace to your father.”
In other words, “Okay, I hear you. Benjamin doesn’t have to die but he does have to stay here and serve as my slave.”
Judah’s old man would’ve taken the bait but Judah is a new man.
Instead, he offers up HIMSELF instead of Benjamin because he had made a promise to his Father that he would not lost the child.
Verses 18-29 give the backstory. In verses 30-34, Judah offers himself as a substitute.
30 “So if I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us—his life is wrapped up with the boy’s life—31 when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hairs of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. 32 Your servant became accountable to my father for the boy, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will always bear the guilt for sinning against you, my father.’ 33 Now please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave, in place of the boy. Let him go back with his brothers. 34 For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the grief that would overwhelm my father.”
There are so many incredible parallels between this story and the story of Jesus in the Gospels.
Following the poor in spirit and those who mourn Jesus also said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Meekness is “the submission of self to the will of another.” (think horse with bridle)
Judah didn’t have to offer up himself as a substitute for Benjamin but he knew that’s the only way our mission can succeed.
It was also this act of substitutionary sacrifice that moved Joseph to tell his brothers the truth.
Coming home requires you to offer up your life to God.
You’ve got to own up to your sin and offer up your life.
But our life isn’t sufficient to reconcile us to God. Like Judah, we’re guilty and spiritually compromised.
We need someone to be OUR substitute and that man is Jesus: the sinless son of God who makes atonement for sinful man.
The only way somebody can pay for YOUR crime is if they don’t have their own crimes requiring payment as well.
In that way, Judah is pointing us to JESUS.
Like Benjamin he was the beloved son of his Father.
Like Judah he was willing to offer up himself in our place.
Like each of them he suffered the consequences for a crime he did not commit.
Genesis once again is pointing us to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
As the old hymn said, “love so amazing, so divine. Demands my soul my life my all.”
If you want to come home to God and rest in the Father’s love you need to accept God’s grace in having Jesus stand in your place for you sin so that you could be forgiven and covered by his perfect life.
Because Jesus became OUR substitute we should offer up ourselves as a living sacrifice as well.
God’s Spirit enables a willing heart of submission.
For many people, when they hear this news they struggle to believe it. That’s where the story goes next.
Open Up Your Eyes to See (45:1-17)
Open Up Your Eyes to See (45:1-17)
Upon seeing this transformation in Judah’s heart Jospeh couldn’t keep his secret any longer. He’s bursting at the seams.
1 Joseph could no longer keep his composure in front of all his attendants, so he called out, “Send everyone away from me!” No one was with him when he revealed his identity to his brothers. 2 But he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and also Pharaoh’s household heard it. 3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But they could not answer him because they were terrified in his presence.
That Jospeh’s brothers were terrified is such a honest admission. For all they knew, this guy had already been treating them very weird. Maybe they thought he was crazy.
Now he’s professing himself to be the brother they sold into Egyptian slavery! No way, Jose!
This guy had the authority to kill them. He already had plans to enslave their younger brother. He’s asking them again if his dad was still living. What were they going to say?
Seeing their fearful state I Joseph ties to put their minds at ease.
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please, come near me,” and they came near. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt.
I can’t know this for sure but some make the argument that Jospeh proved his identity by showing them his circumcision. Remember, that was a covenant sign for the children of Abraham that they were worshippers of Yahweh.
I don’t know what else might’ve proven it but whatever it was they had to come close to see.
It’s one more reminder of what coming home requires.
Coming home to God requires you to open up your eyes to see God.
There would’ve been plenty of reasons to not want to look. If Jospeh was truly alive that would’ve turned their lives upside down.
It’s the same reason people refuse taking a close look at Jesus. It’s just easier to dismiss him. If they looked too close and the evidence was compelling it would turn their world upside down.
Spiritual Sight
Spiritual Sight
Evidentially Jospeh’s brothers saw enough to believe because their immediate reactions was one of anger and grief.
Probably anger at first because they had been played by their brother. But then grief after that because of their sin and it’s cover up.
It’s the same response people have when God confronts them in Christ. They get angry because they disagree with God’s methods or demands.
But anger turns to sadness when they understand the horror of their sin. When you realize that your sin put Jesus upon the cross and without his atoning sacrifice you would be hopelessly lost. It hurts.
Jospeh acknowledges their grief and anger but points them towards something else.
5 And now don’t be grieved or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. 7 God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. 8 Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
God’s Spirit enables spiritual sight for the blind.
Sovereign Plan
Sovereign Plan
Joseph is saying, “I know you might be mad. I know you might be tempted to look at and get depressed.”
But stop looking back. Stop looking at horror of what was and look to the glory of what IS!
God used your plan to sell me into slavery to save an entire country and our family as well!
You think the famine is bad now? We’ve got FIVE more years of this family and people have no idea how bad it’s going to get.
But the LORD
First it enables you to see the wisdom of God’s sovereign plan.
But he doesn’t stop there. After celebrating God’s sovereign wisdom he points forward to God’s sustaining grace.
9 “Return quickly 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 without delay. 10 You can settle in the land of Goshen and be near me—you, your children, and your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and all you have. 11 There I will sustain you, for there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you, your household, and everything you have will become destitute.” ’ 12 Look! Your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin can see that I’m the one speaking to you. 13 Tell my father about all my glory in Egypt and about all you have seen. And bring my father here quickly.”
14 Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept on his shoulder. 15 Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept, and afterward his brothers talked with him.
Sustaining Grace
Sustaining Grace
Not only does God’s Spirit enable you to see the wisdom of God’s sovereign plan.
It also enables you to see the glory of God’s sustaining grace.
Jospeh is pleading with his brothers to see the potential of what a family reunion could be.
He’s saying, “if you keep doing what you’re doing it leads to desolation. And not just you but your dad and all of your children and grandchildren.”
It’s the same thing that the LORD is saying to many of you this morning. If you keep doing what you’re doing it’s going to lead to desolation. You’re in the middle of the famine.
God has acted in Christ to give you EVERYTHING you need. Forgiveness of sin, meaning and purpose, a hope and a future.
Jospeh is telling his brothers, “If you come to Egypt then I can sustain you because God has given me GREAT GLORY in this place. I am Lord over all.”
The Lord Jesus is telling the world, “If you come to the cross I can sustain you with my grace because all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. I’m Lord of all.”
If you are in the good graces of someone who all authority there’s nothing off limits!
The same is true of God’s grace in Jesus Christ.
Sufficient Provision
Sufficient Provision
The Spirit of God enables sight for the spiritually blind. He enables us to see...
the wisdom of God’s sovereign plan.
the sufficiency of God’s sustaining grace.
But there’s one more thing Jospeh’s brothers needed eyes to see.
16 When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” Pharaoh and his servants were pleased. 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and go on back to the land of Canaan. 18 Get your father and your families, and come back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you can eat from the richness of the land.’ 19 You are also commanded to tell them, ‘Do this: Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your dependents and your wives and bring your father here. 20 Do not be concerned about your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”
21 The sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had commanded, and he gave them provisions for the journey. 22 He gave each of the brothers changes of clothes, but he gave Benjamin three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothes. 23 He sent his father the following: ten donkeys carrying the best products of Egypt and ten female donkeys carrying grain, food, and provisions for his father on the journey. 24 So Joseph sent his brothers on their way, and as they were leaving, he said to them, “Don’t argue on the way.”
Did you pick up on that phrase, “Don’t argue on the way?” (Gen 45:24) There’s a footnote in the CSB that gives the literal translation: “don’t be anxious.” The idea is getting worked up because you think you don’t have enough.
He says something similar in verse 20, “Don’t be concerned about your belongings for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.” (Gen 45:20)
The idea is that this family reunion was going to solve ALL of their problems in terms of material and physical needs. They would have the best of the best of the best.
Just because one person recieved more than the other person didn’t mean that each person wouldn’t always have exactly what they needed. They would always have MORE than enough because of the Jospeh’s love and exalted position.
God’s spirit enables us to see the assurance of God’s sufficient provision.
Notice that this provision was given even as the rest of the world was reeling under the reality of a famine.
For five more years the famine would devastate the land but provision of God would keep them whole through it all.
It’s a beautiful picture of God’s seal of protection and provision for the people that he loves.
Nothing will be able to separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
Do you not want that kind of assurance and provision? I know I do.
Review
Review
Coming Home requires us to own up to our guilt before God, offer up our life to God and open up our eyes to see God.
Because of that God’s Spirit enables a humble sorrow over sin and joyful submission of self and spiritual sight to see.
We can see the wisdom of God’s sovereign plan.
We can see the glory of God’s sustaining grace.
We can see the assurance of God’s sufficient provision.
But the chapter doesn’t end there. Now that Jospeh’s brothers have eyes to see the potential of this family reunion. They now must convince their father of the same.
Open Up Your Heart to Receive God (45:18-28)
Open Up Your Heart to Receive God (45:18-28)
The chapter closes with their attempt to do just that. Genesis 45:25-28
25 So they went up from Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. 26 They said, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned, for he did not believe them.
The phrase translated “Jacob was stunned” is literally translated, “Jacob’s heart was numb.”
What a powerful description of a hopeless heart.
He had lost he one true love, Rachel.
After that he had lost his beloved son, Joseph.
Though his other sons and daughters would try to console him he refused to be comforted. (Gen 37:35)
His mind is fixed on death and hell. “I’ll go down to Sheol mourning my son.” (Gen 37:35) He made the same statement about the potential loss of Benjamin. (Gen 42:38)
Judah knew that Benjamin was the only reason Jacob even had any will left to live. (Gen 44:21) He knew the grief of losing Benjamin would overwhelm his dad. (Gen 44:34)
So it’s not surprising to hear that Jacob’s heart was numb.
But when he hears about the words that Joseph spoke and seeds the wagons that Joseph sent, his heart is revived.
27 But when they told Jacob all that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.
28 Then Israel said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go to see him before I die.”
Coming Home to God requires you to orient your heart to trust God.
Jacob’s spirit is completely changed.
Jacob’s resolve is strong. That he says “enough” indicates that his depression and apathy were coming to an end.
Out of his hardened, parched and unbelieving heart was planted a new seed of faith to pursue the son he thought he lost.
So He leaves Canaan and sets out to Beersheba.
1 Israel set out with all that he had and came to Beer-sheba, and he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 That night God spoke to Israel in a vision: “Jacob, Jacob!” he said.
And Jacob replied, “Here I am.”
3 God said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you back. Joseph will close your eyes when you die.”
I had to include these verses because it address the reality that many of us face when it comes to believing God.
Even though Jacob desired more than anything else to see his son Joseph once again, the reality is there many obstacles in the way.
He was a really old man. He had a BUNCH of people who were going along with him. It’s a VERY long journey.
It’s not surprising that only a few days out he stops at Beer-sheeba (a spiritually significant location both for his dad and grandad. Abraham/Isaac)
He offers a sacrifice to God but was clearly struggling with fear. The fear of the unknown keeps so many people from opening up their hearts and believing God by faith.
It’s because of that fear that the Lord speaks to Abraham and addresses his fears specifically and directly.
Don’t be afraid.
I’m going to make you a great nation down there.
I’m going to be with you all the way there.
I’m going to eventually bring you back.
And I promise you’ll see Jospeh before you die.
Jacob already knew from the stories he had heart from his dad and grandfather that when God makes a speicific promise he can be relied on to keep it!
Jacob had enough details to trust God with the unknowns and overcome his fears.
God’s spirit enables steadfast endurance.
The rest of the chapter records Jacob’s arrival into Egypt along with all of his sons and grandchilden as well.
The chapter closes with a beautiful reunion between father and son. Genesis 46:28-30
28 Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to prepare for his arrival at Goshen. When they came to the land of Goshen, 29 Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, threw his arms around him, and wept for a long time.
30 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I’m ready to die now because I have seen your face and you are still alive!”
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
Now that he was finally at home in the arms of love he says to Jospeh, “I’m ready to die.”
That’s what happens when you come to God and finally rest in his loving arms of grace.
As usual, this story in Genesis is ultimately pointing us to the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus we’ve been given an invitation from our heavenly Father to come home to his arms of love.
Like Joseph’s brothers and his Father we must
Own up to our sin.
Offer up our life.
Open up our eyes and
Orient our heart.
The reality is, in Christ, Jesus really did become our substitute.
Joseph let Judah go but Jesus ended up paying the full price for our sin.
He absorbed the wrath of God on our behalf and made himself a servant in order to atone for our sin debt.
When you look to the cross you can see the sovereign plan of God at work to be both just and justifier of those who believe.
You will see the sustaining grace of God not just because of Jesus’ commitment to endure the cross but also his commitment to provide us for our needs as well. If he did not spare his own son how will he not also with him graciously give us all things.
He is our full assurance. The Holy Spirit enables us to repent of our sin against God. The Spirit enables us to see God’s wisdom and grace at the cross of Christ.
As the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see the truth of the Gospel he invites us to deny our fears and exercise faith in Jesus Christ.
Some of us, like Jacob might have hearts that’ve grown numb but I’m convinced as this Gospel has been presented that the Spirit has been convicting and persuading.
If you sense God calling you to come back home, today might be the day to finally accept the call. Will you do that, today?
