Together . . . At Last!

He briefly in just a few words refers to his father's and their pilgrimage line now have a pilgrim with Jacob could've stumbled all over his feet trying to say something that would impress the Pharaoh immediately started bragging on his son at all. The big Joseph what I get for just a few brief moments. He stands before Pharaoh and acknowledges the sovereignty of God. God has led me in this pilgrimage, and in effect, I am following in the line of those after an extended time apart that can be a really precious time in the Bible, we have an account of such a ring. Jacob had not seen his son Joseph in many years. In fact, Joseph's brothers had convinced Jacob that Joseph was dead. Now, at long last, though see each other what must've been flooding through Jacob's mind as he rode to meet his son for the first time in years, excitement, gratitude in this message Stephen Davey leads us to witness that incredible reunion in the pages of Scripture. This message is called together at last Capt. Howard Rutledge was a POW for 13 years.

Vietnam War, the Los Angeles Times, February 19, 1973 carried the story of his return home after 13 years of being away. There's a book in my study that I probably read two or three times its rather dogeared. Now it's the story of Howard Rutledge as he became a believer there in what they called the Hanoi Hilton as he trusted Christ and how God kept him over 13 years and the story in much more detail in this book tells of how Howard Rutledge sent word that he was coming home and his wife and the children were ready by that time he did not, but he was a grandfather.

One of his three daughters and married and had a son he also didn't know that his son had had an accident was confined to a wheelchair so everyone was expected of his return. And soon enough he departed where he was staying. I believe somewhere on the West Coast headed for just a brief jaunt to LA and all of the media was there. There were thousands of people you may have heard or read or even seen clippings of this reunion that showed the men disembarking from that plane and an announcer would tell the name of the man who was finally home.

And finally, the announcer said Capt. Howard E. Rutledge and the camera scanned the audience and a lady broke free and ran into the arms of Rutledge and they embraced. You can only imagine. Of course then as he was reunited with his family, his son, as he observed him in a wheelchair.

His son undoubtedly anticipating his father's response. How would he handle the fact that now I am confined to the chair and his father there as he was reunited with his son, knelt beside the wheelchair. They gathered each other up in their arm and they hugged and wept. There is something in our hearts that loves a story about a reunion. There's something in our hearts that loves going home. There is something about roots. Perhaps it's because I've been studying this passage that when I was in Virginia preaching a missionary covers this last week I decided to go back home where I was raised and had been back for 13 years had seen the house and decided to go and my brother want to come along with me. He was available at the time and so we drove back home to 4713 Regal Ct. and everything is changed course trees were gone different things that occurred and we went up and knocked on the door and a gal answered it and that she had a baby on her hip and I said my name is Stephen Davey. I was raised in this house and that she said for real and I said yeah for real and she thought I was out on a limb probably. I said, would you mind if we just came through and looked at the house.

She said come on in and so she went upstairs got her dad he came down and we begin going through the home.

Evidently this family purchased it for my parents.

They had moved when I was a college student and we went all through that house looking at all the little Nixon looks at corners and next to we put them there and everything from the laundry chute that we stop her little brother into the little basement where we would hide all through that place and finally upstairs to the little cubbyhole that finally was my bedroom after my brother went away to college and it was there is a 18-year-old that I can remember kneeling in the giving my life to Jesus Christ and after 13 years being back. It was really an interesting experience for something about going back.

The moment we began studying Joseph's life.

We all were waiting to get to this chapter and if we didn't have so much to learn in the process we would've gone directly here. As finally he is reunited with his father. Let's take a closer look. You remember if you've been studying with us that the brothers of come to Egypt, and Joseph has finally announced in the Hebrew dialect audio safe, I am Joseph and they were terrified.

Their legs trembled and they were afraid that now would be the accident till he was very compassionate and he told his brothers to go home and tell dad tell Jacob that I'm alive and I have an open invitation for you to come back to live with me. That's what we pick up the story again as he is saying goodbye to the brother sending them home to get Jacob. You will note in verse 17 of chapter 45 the favor that Pharaoh has given these brothers because in verse 17 it says save your brothers Joseph do this, load your beasts and go to the land of Canaan, take your father in your household income to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land we don't know why. Perhaps the hike sauce dynasty. We think was a shepherding dynasty, and so they were a little bit more sympathetic to the shepherds or the shepherd family. But then the Pharaoh says do this, verse 19 take wagons from the land in Egypt for your little ones and your wives and bring your father and come that when we read a verse like that. We immediately think that he's talking about some wooden rickety old cards with wheels about the falloff take these all rickety cards with some don't. He's pulling them and go get your family. If we were to go back in time. Culturally, cards were an unheard-of thing because everyone walked or rode a feast, but the Pharaoh he had in a sense of the automobiles. He had the transportation he had carts in these cards work covered with jewels. They were pulled by handsome animals and they were attended by the finest of Pharaoh's court and you just didn't write a car unless you were somebody you can imagine this entourage of gold covered cards pulling into a famished area like Canaan or they never seen anything like that. He said, in effect, go in style. Go back and get your family and what today would be a limousine service, go get all of your beloved and bring them back in as was probably the talk of Canaan for decades. So the sons of Israel did just that in verse 22 tells us the Joseph gave the more changes of garments, but the Benjamin he gave 300 pieces of silver and five changes of garments and then he sent them to his father. Verse 24. He said his brothers away and as they departed, he said to them, do not quarrel on the journey.

I have to stop and ask the question why would these brothers quarrel I thought. Now everything was patched up. If you're taking notes. Let me give you two reasons why think it's possible that they would break in the Corley number one because of sudden wealth you didn't have silver, you didn't have hard cold cash where they came from.

He traded in goats milk and wall you live close to the earth and these men were now given an incredible amount of money and well as you and I should know does not tend to unify intends to separate it tends to cause problems and perhaps it's the sudden wealth that would bring about the problem but I think as well. There is the hidden subtle temptation that Benjamin is given more Benjamin is given garments five times more and as I studied and restudied the passage I thought we could principal Isaac this way repentance as they have done from their sins of dishonesty, repentance doesn't alleviate future temptation. Just because the brothers had repented of their dishonesty.

Living a lie.

They were in a sense, still having to handle the temptation of dishonesty.

They could've as they did the Joseph bump him off, get what he had and go back to Canaan with another story.

Live wealthy lives, but I think the second thing is perhaps more significant, and I think they be closer to the truth and that is there was the knowledge of serious confrontation. See they were going back to Canaan and they were going to have to tell their father that they can live they were going to have to tell the story of what happened. They couldn't just walk up and all the text relates is that they walked up and said your son is alive.

Joseph is alive.

No dad would say no, wait a second, 25 years ago you brought me a bloodstained tunic. What happened what really happened and they knew that there would be confrontation involved. They would have to fess up. They would have to admit everything to Jacob.

I say this repentance doesn't erase future consequences.

Repentance doesn't erase future consequences. They had to go to dad until dad that they had lied. Perhaps you had brothers and sisters having three brothers. I can well remember many times doing something that was wrong led astray by one of my brothers.

I can still remember one day getting in trouble at school. The older brother and I and from the bus stop. The school bus stop two blocks to our house.

We argued the whole way as to what the story would be Willis say this not all that does not say let's say this, and we constantly bickered to let me take you know you let me handle it well. What we have here with 11 brothers who are having to go back to their father and tell them what happened and I just hear it now. I can hear Ruben look, you need to make sure when we tell him the story that you leave me out of it because I wasn't there.

Remember that I can hear Judah say, well, don't forget that it was my idea to sell it to the Midianites and I killed Benjamin say well what is that you guys on the part of this. I wasn't even there.

All will you think you are you goody-goody you know where you tell everything we wanted to, I can see 11 brothers by the time the end or three week journey at each other's throats and I think that's the reason why Joseph comes along. In verse 24 and he says listen dog quarrel on the journey. He knows his brothers and when they're heading back with money that they never had with garments. These are rough men.

Men of the earth pieces no bigger start trading your outfits dog quarrel about what you have told Benjamin to get upset because he's been given so much more.

And whatever you do don't begin to argue about the story go tell Jacob our dad just go back and tell them of alive. I wish we could been in the car to listen to their stories as they return home, but they did and they came to Jacob and they said verse 26. Joseph is still alive and indeed he is the ruler over all the land of Egypt, but Jacob was stunned, literally his heart went numb and he couldn't believe them. Verse 27 when they told of all the words of Joseph that he had spoken to them, and when he saw the wagons. That is when he saw the gold covered carts when he saw the jewelry when he saw other garments. He knew the Joseph must indeed be alive in the spirit of his father Jacob revived now. We had studied the life of Jacob, but we need to pause and focus on him for just a moment. Because of this is the old Jacob.

Jacob will load up the baggage pack the suitcases that any further ado, he is headed for Egypt but Egypt. You remember is worn down by the prophets. Egypt was the place where Jacob remembers Abraham. My grandfather lied and got away from the Lord. Isaac he was warned not to follow in his father's footsteps and going to Egypt.

I can go to Egypt if I'm to be obedient to God and all of a sudden Jacob is faced with a tremendous tension with a struggle. He decides to do something uncharacteristic of Jacob.

He decides to stop and pray look at verse one of chapter 46 so Israel set out all that he had, but when he came to Beersheba where Sheba is the southernmost tip of Canaan.

It's right before you cross the border and when he gets to that southernmost tip before he takes a step into the desert that will lead them to Egypt. He stopped and offered sacrifices.

Probably the same place where Abraham and Isaac at Beersheba to the God of his father Isaac, and I don't know what his prayer was, but it must've been something like God. You know that my son is there. You know that food is there. You know that the promises that we will multiply and it makes sense that I go to Egypt I should even try.

I can't help with applying this directly to you and me if we were given the same conditions more money closer to family members. A better situation all around able to provide so much more by leaving pulling up roots would we even think that God couldn't be Jacob stops and he says, Lord, in effect, what should I do, and God spoke to Israel. Note the use of the word Israel Prince of God and the vision he said, Jacob. Here I am. Jacob responds God says I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt in the margin. Your text want your right to work the first of the universe.

Three. The word expansion. These are self-contained prophecies in the book of Genesis, that is, we will see them prophesied in a later book, we will see them fulfill one of the greatest proofs of inspiration expansion you go to Egypt. I will make you a great nation. There about 70 people. That's how many people were heading to Egypt before that Abraham and been given the promise of a great nation 70 people. Isaac had been given the promise of a great nation 70 people. Jacob had been reiterated by God that same covenant promise I will make you a great nation and still three generations later. All he could count was 70 people and yet will learn in Exodus chapter 15 that when they leave Egypt on the Exodus.

After staying there for many years.

Nearly 4 million people will leave Egypt 70 people multiplied to 4 million. Verse four is the second word right of the universe for Exodus know how we promises Jacob and Exodus. I will go down with you to Egypt. Don't worry, I'm with you, but I will also bring you back. That is, although you're going to Egypt which is not part of the promise I will bring you back to cane into the promised land. Don't be afraid. This is my way of multiplying this tribe into a nation in the Valley or the region of Goshen, which is very fertile. The best that Egypt had to offer.

So Jacob stops in the praise of God gives them confidence and encouragement that he should go and now the reunion verse 27 of chapter 46 and the sons of Joseph who were born to him. All of them total over 70 now Jacob send Judah before him to Joseph to point out the way before him to Goshen and they came into the land of Goshen and Joseph got the news from a messenger to soon as he did. Joseph prepared his chariot. I have the idea Joseph went by himself unattended. He prepared his own chariot, and he went up by himself to Goshen to meet his father Israel, and as soon as he appeared before him. He fell on his neck and he wept on his neck a long time. It's hard for you and for myself to identify with this kind of reunion. All we can do. Not even from our own personal lives that we probably experience something like this is go back 25 years when dad and son were torn apart by the jealousy of brothers.

They hadn't seen each other in 23 to 25 years and now Jacob. Finally he sees that chariot coming in the dimness of his eyesight. He looks and he sees this Egyptian monarch writing toward him, writing in a chariot, a chariot of gold pulled by prancing steeds, and he sees them coming and I imagine this thought is that I can't be Joseph. And yet Joseph with his address worn by the Egyptian royalty clean-shaven, unlike a Hebrew press with all of the guard finally rains in his horses and he stepped down off the chariot, and he walks over to his dad and perhaps it then that his father looked closely, and he recognized yes this is just we don't know of any words that were said all they did was embrace and weep for a long time and finally through the sobbing of Jacob, he lifts his voice and he says in verse 30 now let me die. This is the fulfillment of my life my son that I thought was taken from me is back if I'm going to die happy. Let me die now all he could utter what a reunion that must've been.

He said the Joseph. Finally, verse 30 element die since I've seen your face if you are still alive. What happens next is a further indication of Joseph's character.

I want to give you two things two important elements of a Joseph's life. That should be characterized in our lives as well. Let me give them to you rapidly number one. He had a sense of family responsibility, regardless of how painful the past. He had every right to stick his brothers over in some corner and elevate his father Jacob, his beloved father to forgive his brothers to send them away and yet he continues evidencing forgiveness because look at chapter 47 verses 11 and 12, Joseph settled his father and circle that and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt in the past of the land, regardless of how painful the abandonment was how crawl they had been as he pleaded that they not send him away with the Midianites. They refused to hear. They stopped up their ears, now 25 years later Joseph gives his brothers, the rest of. I wonder if we can have that sense of forgiveness in our hearts for those in our past. He also had a sense of family pride, regardless of how humble the origin. This is beautiful. His dad's a humble Shepherd dress roughly perhaps even a little untruth is used to living out in a 10 close to the earth fingernails dirty, unshaven, I can imagine once they are reunited. Joseph talking with his dad and his dad saying I Joseph tell me about your work. I'd like to go see it sometime mad dad, you want to get her on the court of Egypt that's really not the place for you. See Joseph but I had an attitude of cover-up of embarrassment to keep his father away.

White to think of how humble his origin was in now his position as Prime Minister of Egypt. But you know what he does he arranges for a personal introduction percent. Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and presented him. That is, as he would a dignitary as he would someone of great prestige someone of diplomatic relationship he does the same thing to his all the hundred and 30-year-old father stooped shoulders or shuffles in Joseph probably says Pharaoh I want you to meet my father.

I imagine the courtroom buzzed with people. Joseph's wife certainly he was groomed for years for this position, he must've come from well this Shepherd.

We know that shepherds were law, the sum to the Egyptians, Joseph probably sticking his chest out says to all court. This is my dad.

How often a young man or woman will rise to prominence in the process forget their orange I think of Marion Anderson of famous black contralto who had won a number of awards was among other things, that the United States delegate to the United Nations she had given private concerts for presidents, families, and the king and queen of England she'd been presented with a presidential medal of freedom she had written an autobiography and it was immediately a bestseller and once that the press cornered her and said Marion what is the greatest moment of your life. She said without even blinking. She said the greatest moment was when I went back to the tenement house to my mama and I told her she won't have to taken washing anymore. Of all the times in Joseph's life to be embarrassed or ashamed of where you'd come from. Instead, he introduces his father with great respect and pride to the Pharaoh.

I love what Jacob said the Pharaoh.

He said in verse nine, the years of my sojourning are 130 few and unpleasant have been the years of my life nor they attain the years that my fathers lived during the days of their pilgrimage, and Jacob last Pharaoh and went out from his presence. There are a couple of things as I briefly mentioned before, but this is really a testimony that we miss in our translations in our cultural distances. What Jacob was really doing as he stood before the Pharaoh is mustering up his faith in God and twice he references a pilgrimage to the man who took that culture was the embodiment of the sun God Ray who would live forever, and Jacob.

In effect, says we will die. I've lived 130 years in my pilgrimage, and in effect saying you are on a pilgrimage to all great Pharaoh and you will die. It was a tremendous declaration of life's brevity to a man who was worshiped as God.

But it was also a testimonial of God's sovereignty. He briefly in just a few words refers to his father's and their pilgrimage and I am lying now have a pilgrim with them. I Jacob could have stumbled all over his feet trying to say something that would impress the Pharaoh immediately started bragging on his son and all he had done to make Joseph what you ended up being in debt for just a few brief moments. He stands before Pharaoh and acknowledges the sovereignty of God. God has led me in this pilgrimage, and in effect, I am following in the line of those who follow God, but you'll know twice. He does something to Pharaoh. Was he do he blesses him we can understand that but here he is in the court of a pagan idolatrous king, and he blesses him. We happen to think in America what he do say good morning and then have a good afternoon know this was a spiritual. This was in effect, the bestowing of an acknowledgment of the God who blesses we don't know what he said all we know is that Jacob held that his trembling old hands and he blessed Pharaoh, and then he left. I can't help but think as I view this reunion of what it signifies to you and me, Joseph, being a type of Jesus Christ with many illustrations of that which is foreshadowed. That would be fulfilled in the life of Christ. One thing that strikes me is in the message you gave to his brothers and that message I want to leave with you, Joseph basically told his brothers to do three things.

He said I want you to go back go back to your family. Go back to your friends go back to the relatives go back to the tribe and do what tell them number one that I am alive. Secondly, tell them that I am exalted.

I am the Lord of all of Egypt.

And thirdly, tell them there is an open invitation for them to come and live with me.

You see, Jesus Christ has come in given us his brethren a message go back to where you have had roots go back to your family. Go back to your tribe go into the neighborhood where you are and tell them everything. Jesus Christ is alive, tell them he is exalted. Tell them there's an open invitation to come to live with what a reunion that one day will be when my Jesus, I shall sing when I look into his face, the one who saved me by his grace takes me by the hand and leads me to the promised land but a date. Thanks for joining us today here on wisdom for the hard this is the Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey Stephen is the pastor of the shepherd's church in Cary, North Carolina. I encourage you to install our app to your phone so that you can quickly and easily access all of our Bible-based resources. That app contains the audio and the transcript of each of these daily Bible messages. We also make available the archive of Stephen's Bible teaching ministry with full-length sermons arranged by book of the Bible.

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