Sermon preached on Genesis 43 by Rev. W. Reid Hankins during the Morning Worship Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 07/21/2024 in Petaluma, CA.
Sermon Manuscript
Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div.
We continue our series through Genesis picking back up in the life of Joseph and his brothers. Recall that the prophesied seven years of famine had hit all the land. Remember, that Egypt had massive storehouses of grain through the dream God gave Pharoah which Joseph had interpreted by the power of God. The Pharoah had set Joseph over all the land of Egypt, especially to now administer the sale of grain. By God’s grace, Joseph had come a long way since the twenty years before when his brothers had horribly sold him into slavery. So then, last chapter, Joseph’s long estranged brothers arrived in Egypt to buy some grain for the family back in Canaan. They did not recognize Joseph who had now grown up and surely looked very Egyptian. To test them, Joseph accused them of being spies, to see if they had changed. Through the ordeals that Joseph made his brothers face last chapter, we saw them plagued with guilt over their sin against Joseph from twenty years before. Joseph retained Simeon and sent the other brothers back with their purchased grain along with their secretly returned gold they had given to purchase the grain. But Joseph said that in order to return and to free Simeon, they would need to come back with their brother Benajamin as proof that they were honest and not spies. But when they returned home and told their father Israel everything that happened, he would not permit Benjamin to go with them back to Egypt. Since Israel thought Joseph was dead, Benajamin was the only remaining son of his beloved Rachel, and now the clear new favorite son in Joseph’s absence. That is where we left off last time in chapter 42. Let us continue the story today.
So, the first scene today is in verses 1-10, where we find Judah appealing to their father to send Benjamin with them so that they can return to Egypt for more grain. The context here is that some time had passed since the end of last chapter. The famine had continued. Now, the grain they had brought back from Egypt was all finished off. They were going to need to buy more grain from Egypt if they were to survive. Their father, Israel, tells them to go buy more, and that is when Judah speaks up.
Judah respectfully confronts his father and reminds him of the situation. They cannot return to Egypt without Benjamin. Not only does Simeon’s freedom from jail require it, but they weren’t going to be permitted to buy more grain if they don’t come back with Benjamin. There, we find an understandable conversation where Jacob rebukes them for even mentioning that they had another brother, but with them defending themselves saying that they never would have expected that they’d be then required to bring back Benjamin.
Let us appreciate here the leadership position that Judah is taking. While on the one hand, their father Israel is talking to all these ten sons, it is really Judah who is leading the appeal to send Benjamin. Last chapter ended with the oldest son Reuben making an appeal to their father, offering his two sons as collateral. Israel didn’t accept that offer. But now, we find Judah taking the lead in the conversation to try to convince their father to send Benjamin with them.
That is when we come to a wonderful offer by Judah in verse 9. Let me read it again. Judah says to Israel, “I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.” Judah is basically offering a personal guarantee for Benjamin’s safety, and offering his own life and standing as collateral. This language of a pledge is financial language. For Judah to offer himself as a pledge of his safety is to say that he himself will be the surety to guarantee Benjamin’s safe return. A modern example might be like if you post bail when charged with a crime. When you post bail, you are giving them the bail money and promising to return to the court on the day of your trial. If you don’t return, not only will you be subject for arrest, but you will lose you bail money. If you do show up for your trial, you will ultimately get your bail money returned. The bail money is surety to guarantee your pledge to return for your trial. Well, in this case, Judah is pledging Benjamin’s safety, and he’s using his very own life as the surety or guarantee of that. Indeed, next chapter will show Judah put to the test on this pledge, and we’ll see how he responds.
Let us realize that such is a big offer by Judah. No one asked Judah to make such an offer. There is no real reason why of all the people there that Judah had to assume such a deep obligation. Yet, for the promise of saving everyone’s life in the family, Judah steps up to try to save them by offering his very own life as such a surety for the safety of Benjamin. And let us note that Judah’s actions here were very much a picture of Jesus Christ. Jesus, a descendant of Judah according to the flesh, would be the ultimate pledge and surety to save God’s people from their sins. We have become saved by Jesus offering himself as such for our safety.
Let us now turn to our second point to consider verses 11-15. There, we find Israel agreeing to Judah and the brothers’ request. He agrees to send Benjamin with them back to Egypt. But we also see Israel make certain plans for their journey and he also prays for their mission.
We find the plans in verses 11-13. First, we notice that he tells them to bring a gift to give to this man in charge there in Egypt (we know it is Joseph, but they don’t.) He has them take some of the choicest produce that they still had from their land of Canaan. If I were to use fancy language, I would say that part one of Israel’s plan is to propitiate the Egyptian ruler. The most specific idea of propitiation is the idea of giving an offering to someone to make them pleased with you, instead of angry with you. That is the design behind this gift that Israel will have the sons bring.
The second part of the plan is there in verse 12. They are to take double the money with them. In other words, they are to take money to buy new grain, but they are also going to bring back the money that got mysteriously returned to them. They don’t know how that money ended up back in their sacks. Israel is thinking it was probably a mistake, so he instructs them to bring twice the money so they can try to pay back to the Egyptian ruler this returned money. It I were to use fancy language, I would say that this part of Israel’s plan is that of expiation. Expiation is when you do someone to atone for the guilt of something. If you did something wrong, you can expiate your guilt by making a proper restitution. Israel says if there is anyway in which the Egyptians think they stole that money, they would expiate their guilt by proactively returning the money.
So then, we could say that Israel’s plan involves both propitiation and expiation. That, along with returning with Benjamin, will hopefully allow the sons to be received favorably by this Egyptian ruler, i.e. Joseph, who had so treated them with suspicion before.
And then Israel prays. It’s there in verse 14. It’s a short prayer, but an important one. He prays, “May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin.” Poor Simeon is referenced but not named, but it’s actually God’s name that should especially draw our attention. This name of God Almighty is El Shaddai in the Hebrew. You might recall, we’ve mentioned earlier in Genesis that this was particularly the name that God revealed and emphasized to the patriarchs. For God to so emphasize to them his omnipotence was so fitting. It was thematic for their lives and the promises he repeatedly affirmed to them. God’s promises to the patriarchs have repeatedly been something impossible for man to accomplish themselves. Yet, their God has repeatedly done the impossible. What was true for their past, was yet true in this whole ordeal. Why did Joseph end up sold off to slavery but eventually rising to power in Egypt? For such a time as this. Ultimately, this thing was all of God Almighty, to save his chosen family from this devasting famine through this whole extended ordeal. Joseph will later tell his brothers that exact point.
So then, that is how Irael here prayers. He prays to his God Almighty knowing that he is more than able to deliver them in this hour of need. After he prays that pray, his final words there in verse 14 are to accept then whatever comes to pass. One might interpret those words in a few different ways, but I want to find in them at least some expression of trust. He prays to God Almighty, and then leaves the matter in God’s hands.
So too, whenever troubles come, we all need to call out to God Almighty. As Christians, we have joined this family of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, through the greater son of Judah, our Lord Jesus Christ. We have the privilege to call out to God Almighty. This our God ultimately demonstrates his power to do the impossible when he saves us from our sins by rising Jesus from the dead.
Let us turn now to our third point for today and consider verses 16 through the end of the chapter. There, we see how Joseph receives his brothers as they return with Benjamin to Egypt. In short, Joseph receives them well, with great hospitality. As the brothers draw near, and Joseph observes that they brought Benjamin with them, he orders his steward to arrange things for them. Joseph doesn’t receive them as spies or enemies, and not even as just customers there to purchase grain. No, Joseph receives them into his own home to dine with them in a big feast. Look at all the marks of hospitality he shows them as well. He has an animal slaughtered for them. Water is brought so they can wash their feet. Their donkeys are fed. The final description in verse 34 of eating and drinking and being merry describes not just a meal but a feast. And let’s not also miss, that he restores Simeon to them from prison to join in these festivities too.
Let us also notice Joseph’s love and concern that he shows them here. Clearly, Josephs shows favor to Benjamin. The text clearly brings out how Benjamin was noticed by Joseph, and given special attention. He receives a blessing in verse 29. He receives five-fold portions of food compared to the other brothers. And, of course, the sight of him even moved Joseph to tears, which he hid from their eyes. Joseph also shows love and concern for their father. In verses 27, Joseph makes detailed inquiry about him and his wellbeing. And even though it is not as clearly stated, surely Joseph also is showing love and concern for the rest of his brothers too. I mean, you could easily have thought he would have done otherwise. After their great evil against him twenty years before, I don’t think we should take for granted that he would be kind to them, let alone show them such grace. I mean, it’s not like he needed to have returned their money to them last time, an agent of God putting treasure in their sacks, and allowing them to keep it here when they try to return it. Yes, we will see next chapter that Joseph has one final big test in store for them to test their character. But that doesn’t change the fact that he shows them such love and reception here in a warm welcome and feasting together with them. Surely, Joseph doesn’t do this for all the people who come to buy grain from Egypt.
Now for the brother’s part here, let us see how they attempt to implement their father’s plan to appease and find favor with Joseph. We see their own continued great concern and fear in verses 18-19. We remember again last chapter how haunted and plagued they were over their sin against Joseph from so many years before, seeing their troubles as divine retribution for their past sin. Something of that same spirit appears again here, when they are brought to Joseph’s home. They think it must be because of the returned money, that they think they stole it, and are going to enslave them because of it. Such fears might be a little understandable, but are surely especially there because they still are feeling overwhelmed by their guilt.
So, then they try to execute their plans. They first try to expiate any perceived guilt by proactively trying to return the returned money. Yet, the steward, probably on instructions from Joseph, say that he had received the money so it must be treasure from God. Then they prepare the special gift and present it to Joseph as soon as he arrives, in effort to propitiate him. Notice that they also are repeatedly described as bowing down to Joseph, showing him honor, as well as continuing to fulfill those childhood dreams that Joseph had received.
So stepping back, let us observe what we have on the surface in this third point. It appears that after such a long time, and with all their history, Joseph and his brothers have found a form of reconciliation. Joseph’s love and concern for his family is seen, especially in how he warmly receives his brothers here. His brothers’ efforts to make things right with him through their acts of expiation and reconciliation are commendable. The end result is the chapter concludes with them being merry together. Enemies don’t do such a meal together. This is a picture of brothers reconciled.
And yet, we know that this was really only a partial and veiled reconciliation. For Joseph’s brothers do not know it is Joseph. They have not tried to expiate and propitiate Joseph over their past sin against Joseph. They have thought they were only trying to curry favor and be reconciled with a prominent ruler in Egypt. Their reconciliation is only partial and veiled. They haven’t really been fully reunited in truth with their brother.
Indeed, this can be seen by the interesting notes about the seating arrangements. In verse 32, we see that the Egyptians were seated at a table separated from the Hebrew brothers because that would have been considered abominable by their standards. But you notice that Joseph also sat on his own table away from both the Egyptians and the Hebrews. If this reconciliation wasn’t so veiled and partial, then surely Joseph and his brothers would all be seated together at the same table. Similarly, we see the brothers’ amazement when in verse 33, Joseph has them seated in order of their age. They are only amazed, because they don’t recognize Joseph. If they had known it was Joseph, they wouldn’t be surprised. So, these little details only further illustrate that the reconciliation and fellowship seen in this passage is only partial and veiled.
Today’s chapter ends in this veil, but next chapter we’ll see a final test before Joseph reveals himself to the brothers. Then, we’ll see a more genuine and unveiled reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers. But for today, we end the passage with them only having a beginning of reconciliation being enjoyed.
And so then, Trinity Presbyterian Church, this tension in how this passage ends, points us forward to the reconciliation we have with God through Jesus Christ. Each of us have sinned against God in a great and many ways. He would not be wrong to fall upon us in judgment and enslave us for an eternity of hell and fire. But our Heavenly Father’s love and concern for us is that he sent Jesus Christ, greater son of Judah, and the beloved Son of God, to reconcile us to himself. Jesus, the righteous one, on the cross, offered himself as a propitiatory sacrifice to God, to expiate our guilt, and to turn away God’s wrath. He who knew no sin, became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God. This God did in Christ to reconcile us to himself. That we would be restored not just partially but fully. That we would be restored not in some veiled way but in great clarity and sight, that ultimately we will dwell with our God together in the new creation in the age to come.
Indeed, we all look forward to that great Marriage Supper of the Lamb where we will feast and be merry with our Lord in the coming kingdom. We must have patience to have the full unveiled sight of that fellowship. But until then, he gives us of his Holy Spirit as a guarantee of that future. And indeed, every time we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we enjoy a foretaste as well.
This reconciliation with God is the heritage for all who have turned in faith from their sins unto Christ Jesus. For all who look to him for forgiveness and grace, we have now been fully reconciled to God. We now hold this message of reconciliation out to the world, that all the world might find what we have find, a true peace with God.
Amen.
Copyright © 2024 Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div.
All Rights Reserved.
