[00:00:00] Welcome to Gracious Words. Gracious Words is taken from the weekly women's Bible study, taught by Cheryl Brodersen at Calvary Chapel Host a Mesa, California. We'll be home to Lori God in the face of Christ. Just as soon as you are, we'll be in your heart.
[00:00:35] On today's program, we'll see the tension increase as Joseph puts his brothers through yet another test to see their true character. Have they changed? How will they respond? Let's tune in and see. In one, two, three shows, Mrs. Chtole, the way for them.
[00:01:20] She gelted me out of two bikes that bring in my own we used to take bike rides, bring them home, no bikes. And I said, well, I figured we could buy bikes, she sold those out of garage sale.
[00:01:30] Everything that she gelted me out of, she sold it a garage sale. And then she bought something better and they payments on it. I mean, she was still in that really indebted position, and no matter how I tried to help her, she was in debt, always in debt.
[00:01:48] And Brian and I, we paid cash for everything. We, you know, we stayed out of debt. And I remember one day just praying about it. And I can't remember if it was a dream or a vision with the Lord showed me.
[00:02:01] But he showed me this friend in the middle of the deep end of that swimming pool. And I was sitting on the edge of the swimming pool and there were a lot of us sitting there.
[00:02:11] And she was crying out for help, and I started going down and she was about to drown. So I dove in the water to save her but she wouldn't let me save her. Instead she pushed me under so she could stand on top of me
[00:02:25] and stay in the same place. So I had to dive down deeper to get away from her and swim to the side. And again, she started crying out because she was drowning. And again, like an idiot in my vision or dream, I swim out to her
[00:02:41] and she pushed me under and stood on top of me again. And I realized that I could not save her and myself at the same time. And I said, God, I can't save her. I'll only die in the process.
[00:02:55] And I heard the voice of the Lord say exactly. You're going to have to stay on this side just through or the life ring. And if she doesn't take it, that's her responsibility but you cannot save her.
[00:03:09] And that was really hard for me because I realized I had been saving and trying to save her. But I couldn't. This is where Joseph is. He has to make sure that his brothers are safe because if he tries to save them and they're the same brothers,
[00:03:27] they will only pull him down and they'll all die together. Over these last years I watched certain people I know change for the better. I can think of two women when I was young I thought, whoa, those why he needs are not safe.
[00:03:43] I never going to be friends. I will be acquaintances. I will be nice to them. I will say hi. I just knew they weren't safe. I saw it. But you know, I watched both of them change.
[00:03:55] I don't even know if they know each other but I watched them change in the journey. I watched the gentleness of soul, aggression, and a godliness overtake both of them through their circumstances of their lives. These two separate women have become two of my favorite women.
[00:04:17] Two women that I feel safe with, I can fight in, I rejoice over the things that God does in their life. But I'll tell you years ago they were not safe but through the journey, oh what God has done for them.
[00:04:31] Others that I've known of the years have remained exactly the same. Look different. They might look like they've aged. They've been through a journey. But they remain the same. They have not yielded to the trials or testings of their life.
[00:04:49] In fact, they have been resilient against anything that God has sought to work in them. They're even angry at the journey of the things that God has allowed in their life. But others I know have gotten worse from the journey.
[00:05:05] The things that they got away with in their youth are now the practices that they hold tightly to. They use the lie, but now every word that comes out of their mouth is a lie.
[00:05:17] They don't know how to live without the lies. They cheat even more than they did. They used to cheat a little bit. Now they cheat in everything. They're a greater measure. I mean, they always say like the little thing or kind of come into a conversation.
[00:05:33] You'd be like, oral. But now everything they say is slander. Every time their mouth open, it's slander. It's lying. It's trying to deceive. They are still sat on and rich in themselves at the impoverishment of everyone else. They're not safe.
[00:05:52] Joseph devised a plan. So he could test his brothers and know whether they were safe or not. He wanted to test whether his brothers had truly repented if they were remorseful over what they had done.
[00:06:05] If they had sincerely changed so that they would not do the same, were they still liars? Were they still cheaters? Were they still slanderers? Were they still jealous? Joseph's plan. Would reveal their hearts.
[00:06:23] So what he sought to do was observe their treatment of Benjamin, the son of Rachel, his true brother, the most beloved of Jacob. What they're out of to, for Benjamin would be when they saw that he was favored by the Prime Minister of Egypt.
[00:06:44] What they would do when he was caught with the divination cup of the Prime Minister. So Joseph, after giving a great feast for his brothers, sent them away with gray and their money in their sacks. On a how-to-serven place, the divination cup in the sack of Benjamin.
[00:07:07] Now, I note about this cup. Did Joseph use divination? No. But every ruler in Egypt had a divination cup. And Joseph decided to use this to his advantage. Remember he's not revealing who he is yet. So he asked this divination cup.
[00:07:24] And he wants to have his brothers think that as an Egyptian, he has these powers of divination. And no doubt, you know, all the Egyptians thought he had the power of the divination.
[00:07:38] After all it was Joseph that foretold the famine, that had the ideas, the concepts of how to keep brain in silos and in these storage areas so that Egypt could be fed during the seven years of famine. Probably all of Egypt considered Joseph to have the vining powers.
[00:08:03] So Joseph uses this reputation to test his brothers. After the brothers lead the city, Joseph sent his servants after them and they overcame the brothers. There they accused the brothers of stealing the divination cup.
[00:08:18] To steal this divination cup would mean that the brothers were trying to use sir, Joseph's power. Again, the divination cup was also a sign of prestige of position in Egypt. So they're saying we want your divining powers. We've taken that so we'll know as much as you know.
[00:08:38] The brothers adamantly deny such a charge. They're not after Joseph's position. They're not after Joseph's power. They are so sure of their innocence that they, a vow that whoever the cup is found with among them, is worthy of death.
[00:08:57] And if the cup is found among them, not only will that brother die but the rest of them, volunteered to become Joseph's servants. Joseph's servants insist that only the one with whom the cup is found will be punished and the others have the opportunity to go free.
[00:09:15] The bags of all the brothers are open and searched for 11. Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground and each opened his sack. The brothers are so sure of their innocence. They are hastily opening their bags. They want to prove their innocence.
[00:09:35] And the search starts with the oldest moving to the youngest. So again, here is the birth order. Here is Joseph's servants knowing who the oldest is going to the youngest. No doubt the brothers not only had relief as the sacks were searched, though the money was found.
[00:09:55] You know, no divination, cup and rubans, sack, no divination, cup and sannyans, no divination, cup and leave. No divination, cup and juda and so it went down. Perhaps the brothers were even becoming more sure of their innocence. Become a more perturbed by this false accusation.
[00:10:14] Until they open the engine and sack. I mean, think about it. They've opened 10 sacks. These brothers are so in the clear they're ready to go back to their father, but here now in the last sack of the youngest brother. There is the divination cup.
[00:10:33] The servants of Joseph are ready to arrest Benjamin and take them back alone. This is where we see the change, the reveal in the brothers. They could easily allow Benjamin alone to be arrested and they would have their grain. They would preserve their own lives.
[00:10:55] They would preserve their reputations and e-juts. They could go free. However, the brothers do know such thing. Instead, they tear their clothes. They visibly are upset of what has happened to their brother. They are feeling the pain.
[00:11:17] They are feeling the angst and they insist on all returning to fight for Benjamin. Not one is saying, well, let me go home with the grain. They're saying, no. We're all in this together. So they returned to Joseph's house and they all fall in the ground before Joseph.
[00:11:36] They are Joseph accused them. What did is this that you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination? What is Joseph doing here? He's inviting repentance. He is saying to the brothers, I know everything about you. You need to complain.
[00:11:56] Judah then steps forward to intercede. He is acting as patriarch to the brothers. He is representing his brothers' interests and his father's best interests. And in this capacity, as patriarch, as intercessor, he does not deny. He does not protest. He does not excuse. He does not justify.
[00:12:20] He does not lie. Instead, he says, what shall we say to my Lord? What shall we speak? How shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants for 16. In other words, he is saying there's no way to clear ourselves. We are guilty of iniquity.
[00:12:41] Here we are all of us together. Not just the one with whom the cup was found. We are all guilty for 16. Judah then asked to address Joseph. This is verse 18. Could not read my own notes. Judah's appeal is not for himself. His appeal is for his father.
[00:13:04] This is a huge change. Before when the brothers were young, they did not consider the feelings or emotions of their father. They did not have any respect for their father's will when he wanted Joseph to be the patriarch. They were conscious only of their own feelings.
[00:13:21] They were out for their best interest, no matter how affected their family. Their father, their brother, their relationship with God or God's word or will. Now Judah speaks about his father. He says my father is old. My father is suffered emotionally from the death of his beloved son.
[00:13:44] My father loves this son, Benjamin. If this leg does not return with us, my father will die. I promise my father that I would keep the leg safe. My father only released him because we were on the brink of starvation.
[00:14:03] My father's life is bound up with Benjamin's life. Whatever happens to Benjamin will directly affect my father. Judah then volunteered to sacrifice his own life for Benjamin. Now therefore, please let your servant remain.
[00:14:22] Instead of the loud as a slave to my Lord and let the loud go up with his brothers for 33. He volunteered because he cannot stand. He could not stand to see the evil that would come upon my father. If Benjamin did not return to him.
[00:14:41] Judah cannot stand to hurt his father anymore than he had been hurt. Judah's heart is now for his father's best interest. His father's welfare, his father's emotional state. His father's physical, mental and emotional health.
[00:15:00] Though the father is old, though the death of Jacob would make Judah the instant Patriarch of the family. Judah does not want his father to die. He wants his father to live. He is not ambitious for the position of Patriarch.
[00:15:21] In Genesis 45, there are greater revelations and revelations behind the revelations. Joseph is revealed to his brothers. The brother's sin is revealed to their father and the truth about Joseph's life is revealed to Jacob. However, behind the surface, the greater revelation is of God's great plans.
[00:15:44] God's great provision, God's great protection, God's great providence and God's great promises that he has kept. Joseph, the first reveal, is Joseph's emotions. He's unable to restrain himself any longer.
[00:16:05] Having heard about his father, and I think hearing about his father's love, how his father is never ever been able to recover from his death, his disappearance. Joseph hearing about the remorse of his brothers. Joseph's sin, his brother's angst, and agony.
[00:16:28] Looking at Benjamin, he cannot hide his emotions. He must reveal, they come out whether he wants it or not. Joseph then reveals his vulnerability to his brothers. He sends out or dismisses all his servants, all his protection, the body guards are ordered out of the room.
[00:16:53] And now it is just Joseph, among those who betray, soul and hated him. Joseph is vulnerable with his emotions. He openly and loudly weeps, be for them. I mean, this is something else. I know growing up with my father. He just never liked to cry.
[00:17:14] And when I cried, he would say, Sheryl, I can't understand tears. I don't know tears. My father just was so uncomfortable with crying. My mom would always get excited when my dad cried, like, oh, you do have emotions. And that's something that we as women do.
[00:17:31] We love to see men cry. But man, don't like to cry. But here is Joseph. He's wailing. He cannot hold it in. He is open. Joseph then reveals his identity. He tells them who he is. I am Joseph, your brother whom you sold into Egypt, first for.
[00:17:56] Joseph then reveals to his brothers, God's plan. But do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here. For God sent me before you to preserve life. Joseph revealed to his brothers the nature of the family.
[00:18:13] There are still five years that will not allow for plowing or harvesting. Joseph revealed God's plan and preservation to them for seven. God sent me to preserve apostarity for you in the earth. God sent me to save your lives by a great deliverance for seven.
[00:18:34] In verse 8, Joseph revealed how God had been working in his life, placing him in the position so that he could save them. So that it was not you who sent me here but God.
[00:18:45] He has made me a father to Pharaoh, Lord of all Egypt, a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. He orders his brothers to reveal all of this to Jacob. He's an and go up to my father and say to him,
[00:19:04] that says your son, Joseph, God has made me Lord of all Egypt come down to me. Do not carry. Joseph revealed the plans that he had for his brothers verses 10 through 11 to dwell in the land of Goshen, to be near to Joseph, families and livestock.
[00:19:23] That he would provide for all of them. Joseph further revealed his forgiveness and affection for them. In verses 14 and 15, he embraced and wept with Benjamin. He kissed and wept over all his brothers. He talked with all of his brothers freely.
[00:19:42] Then the family origins of Joseph are revealed to Pharaoh. Pharaoh is told that Joseph has brothers and that they are with Joseph. They are starving in Canaan. So Pharaoh gives instructions to Joseph to bless his family.
[00:20:01] With the provision of a placement in Egypt, provision in Egypt and passage to Egypt by way of carts. Joseph then reveals his wealth and provision, providing his brothers with the carts, their provisions for the journey, the changes of clothing, one for each brother, five for Benjamin,
[00:20:24] along with 500 pieces of silver to Benjamin. You must remember that clothes were a luxury at that time and in that culture. I mean, a man had like one two-knit, one robe. That was it. So getting a change of clothes was great.
[00:20:40] They probably needed it to after carrying their clothes over the grief of Benjamin's arrest. Then he gives them 10 mil and 10 female donkeys loaded with grain, bread and food.
[00:20:52] I find this so ironic because we read in Genesis 43, 18 that the brothers were so afraid that Joseph was going to take their donkeys. I just find this ironic that he says, I never wanted your donkeys.
[00:21:07] In fact, I'll give you 20 donkeys to take home that are loaded down with provisions for the journey. Jacob had sought to give the prime minister the best of Canaan. But now it's revealed the best of Egypt and given to the brothers and to Jacob. Joseph reveals their fears.
[00:21:33] He tells them not to be controlled along the way. He already knows that this is a possibility, so he reveals what could possibly happen on the way home. He's saying don't second guess what God is up to.
[00:21:46] Don't give way to fear, guilt, shame, or as Blinda shared with me yesterday, don't blame one another because that would be so easy to do on the journey. This is your fault. Keep on task. Finally, when the brothers reach Jacob, the true welfare of Joseph and his identity.
[00:22:12] Our revealed. Joseph is still alive. Joseph is the governor of all the land of Egypt. Now think about this because obviously Jacob was going to ask at some point, wait a second. How is it that there was blood on his coat? You know what's the story?
[00:22:37] And these brothers also have to reveal to Jacob the lie, the deception, all of the lies that they've lived in. But the clearing of their souls in second print in seven Paul talks about Godly Sara, which produces repentance, is not to be avoided.
[00:22:58] He talked about how it brings this clearing in your heart and how it brings this viemannance, or great desire to follow God and not give in to yourself again. This is what has taken place and what will continue to take place with the brothers.
[00:23:23] The one that Jacob, how to soon presume was that is alive. The one that he has been grieving for 20 years is the prime minister of Egypt.
[00:23:38] That which Jacob considered the worst, the place of death, the worst thing that had ever happened to him, was instead a place of life and actually the greatest thing that had ever happened to him.
[00:23:57] Furthermore, the one that he thought was dead was in actuality, the greatest known ruler in the world and the source of all the grain. He was the one who had required Benjamin to go to Egypt.
[00:24:16] The one that he had feared is actually the one that he is safe to split. Even though the brothers had been set up in wrong, they came back to Egypt in humility. They didn't demand justice but rather stood with Benjamin and pleaded for mercy,
[00:24:32] Judas selflessly offered to lay down his life for Benjamin. These men had changed. They were not the same men who sold Joseph off and had no concern for Benjamin or their father.
[00:24:44] Through this story we see how God uses trials and testings to produce repentance and change our hearts. The same is true for us. If we turn to God, the trials and testings that we are facing today will help produce repentance and lasting change within our hearts.
[00:25:02] We hope you have been blessed by today's Bible study. For more information about the Gracious Words Radio Program and the Teaching Ministry of Cheryl Broderson, please visit our website at GraciousWords.com. Coming up next in on the Gracious Words Program will look at a true family reunion
[00:25:19] as we continue our series, our great creator, in the book of Genesis with Cheryl Broderson. We do hope you make plans to join us. Again, for more information, please visit our website at GraciousWords.com. This program is sponsored by Calvary Chapel Coast and Mesa, California.
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