Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20090215.htm
THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION Genesis: Explaining The Foundations Of History Part VII: Explaining God's Plan To Bless Men Regardless Of Apostasy EE. Handling Highly Unsettling Injustices By Heeding God's Word (Genesis 42:1-45:15) Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

In recent days, many people have faced unsettling injustices against them, making it hard for them to think and to act well:

(1) Last Wednesday, a local radio talk show host voiced dismay at a health care provision that was stealthily put into Congress' stimulus bill. It would begin to move us toward national health care that, to cut costs, would keep some from getting costly care for being too old!

Callers flooded Washington with complaints, but to no avail.

(2) As for the bill itself, many economists have claimed the government needs to cut taxes versus raising debt as the stimulus bill does! However, those in power have an opposing view, so many see their financial futures hang in the balance of opposing expert opinion!

(3) The editorial, "Hot and Bothered", page A10 of the 2/10/09 issue of Investor's Business Daily, told of a 17-year-old Australian who was put in a psychiatric unit for thinking "if he took a drink, millions of people would die from the drought effects of global warming."

The story took on a dramatic tone when the author noted the American Psychological Association "admitted that it was embarking on a campaign to, in essence, condition the public to unthinkingly believe that human behavior is causing an environmental crisis." In view of its effect on our youth, the editor called such action "an abuse."

(4) Another editorial on the same page, "Head-Count Case", noted Republican Senator Judd Gregg who had been nominated to be Commerce secretary to run the Census Bureau would have counted heads versus "sampling to cook the numbers" as "preferred by the Democrats" where minorities are estimated higher to give them more political clout! Congressional minority groups complained about this, so the White House replied through the Congressional Quarterly that the Census Bureau "'will report directly to the White House and not the secretary of commerce'"! It later tried to modify this claim to say the secretary would "work closely with White House senior management," but by Thursday, Gregg had resigned, citing his differences in views!

(5) One talk show host reported last week that, for solace over hearing of such things, one woman had begun to read Genesis 1 for its comforting word on "light" in view of all the "darkness" in our world!

Thus, we ask, "If facing UNSETTLING INJUSTICES, how may I THINK and ACT effectively?!"

(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "If facing highly unsettling injustices, how can I be able to think and to act productively?!"

1. After God raised Joseph to power in Egypt (Genesis 41:55-57), his brothers who had sold him into slavery came and bowed down to him to buy grain, not realizing that he was Joseph, Genesis 42:1-6!
2. Though it was very difficult for Joseph to interact with his brothers due to their past abuse against him, by following God's Word, he produced an edifying interaction with them (as follows):
1. Joseph's repeat episodes of weeping in relating to his brothers show he was emotionally scarred for life from their having wickedly sold him into slavery, Genesis 42:23-24; 43:29-30; 45:1-2, 14-15; 50:15-17.
2. However, Genesis 42:9a notes that when his ten older brothers first bowed down to him, Joseph recalled God's Genesis 37:5-11 dreams , and aligning with those dreams in God's will GUIDED Joseph into relating to his brothers in a very EDIFYING way (as follows):
1. When he saw his brothers, Joseph realized that their bowing to him in coming to Egypt to buy grain fulfilled his first dream in Genesis 37:5-8 that their sheaves would bow to his sheaf, Genesis 42:6-9.
2. Yet, Joseph recalled the second dream predicted his father and eleven brothers, including Benjamin, would bow to him, 37:9-11!
3. Thus, he knew there had to be a time when all the brothers along WITH his FATHER would COME and bow down to him!
4. However, for that event to occur, Jacob had to learn of his other sons' lie about Joseph's having been slain (Gen. 37:31-35), and, for Jacob to learn the truth about this and still join his other sons in bowing to Joseph, they had to be reconciled to Joseph!
3. For this reason, Joseph's response to meeting his older brothers was aimed at gaining their repentance for having wronged him so a family reconciliation and deliverance from famine might occur as follows:
1. First, Joseph used his power to cause his brothers to fear him and so to tell him of the welfare of his father and Benjamin, 42:7-13.
2. Second, to prod their consciences, Joseph put them all in prison for three days since they had similarly imprisoned him, Gen. 42:14-17.
3. Third, Joseph told his brothers to bring their youngest brother to him and they would live, producing more fear in them, 42:18-20. He kept Simeon in prison to insure they would do this, a fitting act as Simeon had been the oldest brother present and the responsible leader when Joseph had been sold as a slave, Gen. 37:25-30 with Gen. 29:31-33. This test revealed to Joseph that his brothers saw God was using it to expose their sin toward him, Genesis 42:21-25.
4. Fourth, Joseph returned each brother's money for the grain they had bought, putting it in their grain sacks, deepening their sense of guilt that God was exposing their sin against Joseph, Genesis 42:26-28.
5. Fifth, when the brothers had to return to Egypt to buy more grain, and they had scarcely convinced Jacob to let Joseph's younger brother, Benjamin return with them (Gen. 43:1-15), Joseph boosted his test of their consciences: he set a meal for his brothers, seating them according to their birth order, and giving Benjamin five times more food than the rest, Genesis 43:16-34. This act augmented the sense that God was revealing their guilt, and tested to see if they were still jealous of their father's favoritism toward Rachel's sons.
6. Sixth, Joseph finally tested the brothers' relationship to Benjamin to see if they would defend him or let harm come to him as they had let Joseph be harmed: Joseph put his own cup in Benjamin's sack to implicate Benjamin of stealing, Genesis 44:1-12. The brothers not only supported Benjamin, but Judah who had led the group to sell Joseph (Gen. 37:26-27) offered to take Benjamin's place in prison, Gen. 44:13-34. Joseph then knew his brothers had repented, so he revealed himself to them for reconciliation, 45:1-4.
7. Seventh, with this reconciliation, Joseph explained to his brothers that God had used their sin to further His plan to save them, and he urged them to bring his father, Jacob down to Egypt to live in his care in accord with his second dream, Gen. 45:5-15; 37:9-11.

Application: If we have been dealt highly unsettling injustices that leave us unable in ourselves to think and to act productively, may we (1) trust in Christ as Savior for salvation to become a child of God, John 1:11-12. (2) Then, (a) relying on the indwelling Holy Spirit for thought and behavior control (Galatians 5:16-23), (b) may we FOLLOW GOD'S WORD in how to THINK and to ACT in the whole matter, and GOD will cause us to function in an EDIFYING WAY in keeping with HIS WILL in our lives!

Lesson: In response to the unsettling injustice of having been abusively enslaved by his brothers and separated from his beloved father, Joseph HANDLED it and his MEETING these brothers WELL by FOLLOWING God's REVELATION to THINK and ACT in accord with GOD'S WILL.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

(1) By way of application, here are some Biblical directives to follow to handle the unsettling injustices described in our introduction:

(a) First, if Congress' final "stimulus bill" includes a provision on health care that will lead to some patients going without costly care due to their age, we can be edified by two passages: first, Revelation 1:17-18 reveals Christ controls the keys of Hades and of death, so we can rest in the fact that only He controls who dies, when, and where their souls go at death! Also, Romans 13:1-4 explains that no government power exists except in God's permissive will, a comforting assertion.

(b) To handle concern over the effect of the stimulus bill on our financial future, we know from Philippians 4:19 KJV that " . . . my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." That promise applies as we heed the Lord.

(c) On the issue of global warming, God promised in Genesis 8:22 that, as long as the earth existed, "seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." As long as the globe remains, there will be four seasons with conditions for sowing and reaping, implying sufficient water for crops, so the earth will continue to be habitable for mankind! We can relax about the global warming issue no matter what is said to cause fear!

(d) On the issue of the "cooking" of the numbers in the census taking in order to shift political power, we know Romans 13:1-4 promises no entity comes to power apart from God's permissive will! Besides, Matthew 16:18 claims Christ will build His Church regardless even what evil spiritual powers try to counter it!

(2) Another way to apply this sermon is to give an encouraging illustration. We were sent one last Tuesday: the pastor from the Middle East who e-mailed us the week before e-mailed us again last week. He asked for prayer "because here is too much need to preach the people that Jesus Christ is our Savior." Now, this servant of God lives in one of the most troubled places of the globe where Christians are severely unjustly persecuted, and he serves as a great example on heeding God's Word to respond well to very unsettling injustices!

May we FOLLOW GOD'S WORD in handling unsettling injustices that leave us wondering how to think and act. In doing so, GOD will make us a blessing just as He did Joseph!