The Revelation

Joseph's brothers were afraid for their lives. They had been told that someone important one to talk to them and now is there standing in the presence of the Prime Minister who she dressed in Egyptian clothes cloaked with Egyptian insignias and symbols of authority Goodman speaking in the Egyptian language all this time, he suddenly speaks to them in Hebrew, Joseph and the coat of many colors is a familiar story is full of intrigue and betrayal in like an adventure novel, God's purpose in telling the story goes much deeper than a fascinating read today of Renewing Your Mind, Dr. RC Sproul returns to his series on the life of Joseph, the shows that in reality this story gives us a picture of the gospel. We have just looked at the passion plea that Judah gave to Joseph in behalf of his brother Benjamin. This has to be one of the most eloquent pleas for mercy ever recorded so often in the movies and on television. We see dramatic responses to the pleas of the defense attorney in the courtroom, and so on.

But life rarely corresponds to those kinds of situations. But the question we face today is what happened after Judah promised to be a surety for his brother Benjamin in order not only to save Benjamin but to save his father Jacob from more grief. Chapter 45 of Genesis gives us the answer to that question is reread in the first verse. These were then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him and he cried out.

Make everyone go out from the now remember that Joseph has been playing this game. He has been trying to lead his brothers to a deeper awareness of the seriousness of their sin and we went through all of these machinations about the hiding of money in the Saxon. Now the hiding of his silver cup in the sack of Benjamin and through all of this game. Joseph has been pretending he is been pretending righteous indignation against his brothers alleged theft of grain and of money and so and sometimes it's hard for a person to carry on a charade of that sort without letting the cat out of the bag not numbing to be planning here about letting that cop out of the bag but but without revealing that it is a matter of pretense, but we here at the beginning of chapter 45 that Joseph reached the end of his self restraint after he hears this plaintive cry from Judah, and the offer of being a surety Joseph is moved to such an deep level, they can't contain himself anymore. Judah, who brings the game to the end by his heroic offer to be a substitute for his brother and so Joseph cries out make everybody go out from the all of his servants.

All of the staff. The part so no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers and he wept aloud and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard someone he's moved in this passion. He cries out everybody leave me to his staff and obviously with the authority of the Prime Minister that he had, they would obey him instantly and so they scurry out of his presence, leaving Joseph alone with his brother and Joseph breaks down in weeping and wailing and groaning and sobbing to such a loud degree that those Egyptians who were departed from his presence and were no longer in the room could hear his crying and his weeping not remember tried to conceive of that try to conceive of White House staff personnel being dismissed by the president of the United States and as they leave the Oval Office and they go out into the halls and the other rooms, the White House, they can hear the wailing of their president. That's what's going on because functionally, Joseph is the president of Egypt and there wondering what in the world is going on, but he wants them out of his way as he loses his restraint and makes himself known to his brother. Verse three of chapter 45. Obviously is one of the most dramatic statements in this whole episode and certainly one of the most dramatic statements ever heard by the brothers of Joseph in their lives. We read in verse three. These words then Joseph said to his brothers.

I am Joseph Mel notice that earlier in all of the meetings that Joseph had with his brothers.

He communicated with his brothers through an interpreter, and Joseph's name in the Egyptian land was the name, is that mass Pontiac, but Joseph doesn't say to his brothers here I am satnav Paideia, but speaking in his native tongue, he reveals himself by his eye and Joseph not just think of the emotions that are boiling inside the brothers there already in the midst of terror having been caught with his business of the hidden cup there already emotionally drained as they listen to the plea of Judah to let him be a substitute for his brother Benjamin, and now is there standing in the presence of the Prime Minister who she dressed in Egyptian clothes cloaked with Egyptian insignias and symbols of authority Goodman speaking in the Egyptian language all this time, he suddenly speaks to them in Hebrew and he said I Joseph, but he doesn't finish with that.

He says I am Joseph does my father still laugh. You know the man we been talking about. The man inquired about the man Judah you just said would surely go down to his grave if you don't go home with Benjamin.

How I know that you're not lying to me about that how I know that he has already died. Judah checks does my father still live but his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence.

This was such a stunning shock to their systems. Joseph please Joseph R brother Joseph. He just said he was Joseph and he asked if his father, he asked us if his father father is still they couldn't even answer will.

Words came to the mouth. There's absolutely stunned and speechless before him. I might also add that couldn't be anything else but terrified. Sometimes terror gives us lockjaw.

We are so frightened we are scared to use the expression stiff scared, speechless, and that's the situation here. He is the Prime Minister wailing cry stops crying for second that I don't know why he's crying. They don't know why he sobbing and all of a sudden he stopped there stimulus truths. Joseph and so Joseph said to his brothers. Please come near to me and so they came near again.

There we have that understatement doesn't command them to come invites them to come there speechless there, terrified to sit please compare. I suspect it was something in his voice and the tone of his voice that assured them that it was safe. In any case, they came near, and then he said I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt, but now do not therefore be grieved, or angry with yourselves because you sold me here for God sent me before you to preserve life for these two years. The famine has been in the land and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting, and God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you and the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God and he has made me as a father to Pharaoh and Lord of all his house and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt, I am Joseph, your brother, I am Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt, I am Joseph, whom God has sent before you to be in earthly terms your Savior.

I have been sent here to save your lives, you who wanted to take my life and you who sold my life for a few pieces of silver have been placed here for this moment in history to be your salvation and the providence of God will expound on that later.

When that subject comes up again between Joseph and his brothers verse nine.

Hurry and go up to my father and say to him not. Thus says the Prime Minister of Egypt thus says your son Joseph. God has made me Lord of all Egypt come down to me.

Do not Terry you shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me. You and your children, your children's children, your flocks and your herds and all that you have in there. I will provide for you, lest you and your household and all that you have come to poverty for there are still five years of famine and behold your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you so you shall tell my father of all my glory and Egypt and of all that you have seen, and you shall hurry and bring my father down here twice. He tells them how area I played this game long enough.

I can't stand it anymore when you guys go home and get father bring them here as fast as you possibly can go home and tell him that I'm alive that I'm well and that I am the Lord of all of Egypt. Then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept and Benjamin wept on his neck.

Moreover, he kissed all his brothers, and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with my find that touching. First, he goes and he kisses Benjamin and he weeps and then he goes around and he kisses every one of them doesn't say no, Simeon, Mike, kiss you and then they have this little talk among themselves. Another report of it was heard in Pharaoh's house saying Joseph's brothers have come so it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well that's an interesting statement of the word of this reunion. Everybody in the palaces talking they hear the Prime Minister mirrors screaming and crying and weeping. What's going on there. Fearing the worst, and the word gets passed quickly among them. Hey, it's good news he's crying for joy are Prime Minister's brothers have come now. I can only assume at this point that some time in the relationship that Joseph had with Pharaoh and with the staff of Pharaoh's house that the story of Joseph's past have been related. They all knew that Joseph came from prison and when he was brought into the court from prison and was exalted over the rest of the Egyptian administrators in the land I everybody was asking his pedigree. Everybody was asking about his background. They knew he was a Hebrew, how that he come to be, in part, a first house in the first so sure that those who were intimately associated with Joseph had some idea of this past estrangement with his brothers how their buzzing. Joseph's brothers are here. That's what all this emotion is about, and it pleased Pharaoh and his servants in one of the most beautiful things that we can witness his genuine reconciliation between the strange people, not just a garden truce.

But when there is real reconciliation. We all delight in that when love triumphs over hatred, Pharaoh said to Joseph, Savior, brothers do this, load your animals in the park, go to the land of Canaan. Bring your father and your households and come to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt. You will eat the fat of the land. Now you are commanded to this, take carts out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives bring your father and come and do not be concerned about your goods for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.

I'm not getting an invitation. Pharaoh said this is a command bring the whole family, not just your father but all the children and the grandchildren, the livestock and everything and don't tell me that there's not enough land for you.

I'm giving you the best parcel and that all of Egypt I were to give you the land of Goshen and only that. Don't tell me that the journey is going to be too arduous and are not to be able to bring the things that are precious to you take with you all kinds of cards all the carts that you need to transport everything that you want down here. What an offer by Pharaoh, then the sons of Israel did so, and Joseph gave them carts. According to the commander Pharaoh and he gave them provisions for the journey he gave to all of them to each man. Changes of garments with the Benjamin he gave 300 pieces of silver and five changes of garments given fortunes what he gave, and he sent to his father's these things 10 donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt. 10 female donkeys loaded with grain bread and food for his father for the journey. So he sent his brothers away and they departed, he said to them see that you do not become troubled along the way. Another translation is see that you don't argue with each other along the way.

We just had peace. We just had reconciliation. I can't wait to see my father and the rest of the family here of guys on the way home. Don't blow it. I would wisdom. Can you imagine these brothers walking out of there stunned in disbelief. The going home. They have good news to tell Jacob they can't wait to tell Jacob your son is alive. He's Prime Minister. There also afraid when he mean he's alive how to get the Egypt. I thought you guys that he was killed by an animal, there's some truth that's going to come out in this meeting and Joseph is thinking on the way home. This Kaiser level to kill each other. They can hear Simeon arguing with Ruben and Ruben are image I told you not to do this or this was all your idea and they can they can destroy each other before they ever got back to the homestead. The tell Jacob the goodness and so they went up out of Egypt came to the land of Canaan to Jacob the father and they told him, saying, Joseph is still alive and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.

Listen, this in Jacob's heart stood still because he did not believe that Huck is hard to anything else. How could he be possibly more strained to believe a report about anything in the believe about this, afraid to believe it and the expression is used his heart stood still couldn't take it in and what follows from that moment is even greater, as now Jacob has to wrestle with his own faith before God about the news that he is just who says the Bible is boring is one of the great stories that we read in Scripture that's Dr. RC Sproul of the message from his series the life of Joseph. I hope you'll stay with us here on Renewing Your Mind because RC will have a final thought force.

In a moment, for Joseph's brothers. The news that he was still alive was almost more than they could handle, but there wonder was mixed with fear.

What if Joseph would take revenge. What would they say to their father. Tell the story continues and will find out what happens next Saturday if you missed any of the series along the way were making all the messages available to you 20 it all.

Just contact us today with a donation of any about the series the life of Joseph is part of a bundle of teaching series we call the RC Sproul teaching collection. You'll receive a complete teaching series, including the parables of Jesus knowing Scripture. Ecclesiastes Galatians and knowing Christ. You can reach us with your gift when you call us at 800-435-4343 can also find us online at Renewing Your Mind.work well we don't want to leave Joseph story just yet.

Let's listen to a final thought from RC in the Old Testament the most precious vessel in the tabernacle, and in the temple was the ark of the covenant in the ark was contained. Of course, Aaron's rod pot of manna and most significantly the tablets of stone with Dave, the 10 Commandments and the ark was covered with a heavy lid and it represented the throne of God, but the throne of God and its covering was also called the mercy seat and what the Greek translation of that word for mercy seat is the word he lost every which has a close link to another Greek word which is the work caught hello day. The New Testament word for reconciliation because the drama of redemption on the day of atonement for Israel was all about reconciliation the reconciliation of human beings who would become estranged from God.

That's what the Bible is all about reconciliation. That's what the gospel is all about reconciliation and here were seeing reconciliation at a human level made incarnate when the brothers of Joseph come to peace and will continue this beautiful story of reconciliation next Saturday.

We hope you'll join us for Renewing Your Mind