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I appreciate Sally preaching last Sunday while I was away, and for Jordan, David, James, and the elders for their work and leadership as well. I did watch the livestream last Sunday, and it made me ever more grateful we are able to make our worship services available online.
I watched our livestream after attending in-person worship at a local church where Tanya and I were visiting. I have attended that church twice now, and only one person spoke to me each time I visited – the minister. I believe the minister ought to set an example of welcoming, but I am much more impressed when I am greeted by members of a congregation, and I absolutely was not greeted on either of my visits to that church, and I went in and out of several different entrances to offer more than one opportunity for a greeting. It is not something I do lightly to level a complaint against another church, but that’s an experience no one should ever have in any church. I don’t think it matters how impressive a church facility might be, how many programs and ministries are offered, how well put together the worship service is, how good the music is, or how up to date the technology might be; if a visitor is not warmly welcomed, it is a big failure. I will speak now to anyone who has ever visited our church and did not receive a warm welcome – I am sorry, and I hope you will give us another chance. To anyone who has ever attended our church and felt unwelcome, we failed you, and I regret that we did, and I apologize.
This morning I begin a new series of messages, the fourth series since the pandemic began earlier this year. The first series was taken from the time of the Hebrew people wandering in the wilderness, as they left behind their bondage in Egypt and made their way to the Promised Land. The second series was taken from the book of Nehemiah, focusing on the rebuilding of life, just as Nehemiah led the returning exiles to rebuild the temple and the city of Jerusalem. The third series focused on what it was that Jesus did, helping us to answer the question of what would Jesus do? I have titled this series A Tough Faith for A Tough Time. In this series, we’ll take a look at various Biblical characters – Joseph, Moses, David, Job, Peter, and Paul – and the challenges they were able to overcome through the strength of their faith. This series of messages will take us to the season of Advent, which is rapidly approaching. These messages will remind us that while we live in very tough times, we have a tough faith that will carry us through.
I begin with the recognition that we have some months of pandemic yet to go, which I am sorry to say. We often express our wish that 2020 would soon be over, assuming that 2021 will automatically be better, but the virus and the pandemic will be with us into next year as well. I don’t say that to be discouraging, but in recognition of the fact that we will need to continue to depend on our faith to be tough as we navigate these tough times. We see the toll that that pandemic has taken on our families, our community, our church, our nation, and our world, and it reminds us of the need for a strong and vibrant faith.
As we continue to move through this very challenging year, I thought it would be a helpful reminder to take a close look at some of these Biblical characters. Studying their lives will remind us that while life can be very challenging, faith can provide the strength we need to overcome those challenges.
The first character we will study is that of Joseph. The story of Joseph is quite fascinating, and his life is one of the most well-known of all the Biblical characters. It is also one of the longest stories in the Bible, covering a span of 14 chapters. The story of Joseph is a fascinating story and could be its own series. Condensing it down to a few minutes this morning is very difficult, but I will attempt to do so, as I offer a very brief overview of the basics of the story and share lessons from the story.
Follow along as I read from Genesis 45:1-11, which is the passage where Joseph reveals himself to his brothers. It is a very touching scene, but for the brothers of Joseph, it is also a very terrifying scene, as they no doubt wondered, why might our brother do to us? Follow along as I read that text –
1Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers.
2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.
3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!
5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.
6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping.
7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance
8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.
9 Now hurry back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay.
10 You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have.
11 I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’
The story of Joseph is truly an amazing story, and with so much to cover, forgive me for mentioning just a few of the basics of the story. Joseph was a fine young man, and became a great man, but he was not without his faults. As the story begins, Joseph announces to his brothers his dream in which they bow down to serve him. Genesis has already informed us of how the brothers hated Joseph because he was their father’s favorite (37:4) and the telling of this dream causes them to hate him even more (37:5). This is really not the best way to endear yourself to your already estranged brothers. Even though Joseph is the favorite of his father, his father rebukes him for sharing this dream with the family (37:10). Joseph, for all of his good qualities, was also capable of a good deal of arrogance.
The next stage of the story is Joseph coming to his brothers in the fields, where they were far away from their father, tending the flocks. When Joseph comes to them, his brothers see their opportunity. Now we have our chance, they think. This brother of ours, who lords our father’s favoritism over us, and who taunts us with his dream of superiority, has come to us, far away from our father, and we can take our revenge upon him. Their first plan is to kill him and then tell their father he was attacked and killed by a wild beast. Reuben, in a very slight display of compassion, comes up with the idea not to kill him but to throw him into a dry well.
Notice what the brothers do next. After casting Joseph into the well, they sit down to eat a meal (37:25). How cold-hearted is this? They throw their brother into a hole in the ground and then casually eat a meal, as though nothing has happened. Could they hear his shouts and pleas for rescue while they casually ate their meal? Did they laugh at his predicament? Could he hear their further plotting and scheming about what to do with him? Was he injured, and begging for help? To be dropped into a well could have been quite a distance, and in the fall Joseph could easily have been injured.
Abandoning him to this hole in the ground is bad enough, but his brother Judah has an idea that makes matters worse. A caravan was passing nearby and Judah decides they should at least profit from Joseph, so they sell him for twenty shekels of silver to this caravan making its way to Egypt. A shekel contained a range of about 7 to 15 grams of silver. The price of silver closed on Friday at a little under $25.00 an ounce. Amounting to as much as 300 grams of silver, at the current price of about $25.00 an ounce, it would come in at a range of $3,500.00 to $7,500.00 today’s value, depending on the silver content in the shekels. When that amount was divided between the ten brothers it mean they each pocketed between $350.00 and $750.00 each. This is the price they would put on the life of their brother? No price, certainly, would be acceptable for selling another human being, but it underscores the coldness of Joseph’s brothers in their actions. This was their own brother! What kind of family has this level of dysfunction?
Have you ever wondered what life was like for Joseph’s brothers after they sold him into slavery? Have you ever wondered how that money was spent? I wonder what went through the minds of those brothers when they spent the money. I wonder if they enjoyed the things purchased with the money. It was blood money, and every single day over the years they must have wondered what happened to their brother Joseph. What became of him? Was he still alive?
Reuben, the oldest, was absent when the others sold Joseph, and he is beside himself when he returns and finds Joseph missing. He leads his brothers in crafting the lie that a wild beast killed Joseph. The brothers must then live for years with the knowledge they had sold their own flesh and blood into slavery and then lied to their father, allowing him to live with the agonizing belief that his son was dead. Reuben had to live with the truth that if he had not been absent for a time, perhaps he could have spared Joseph from being sold. And Judah; Judah must face the terrible reality that it was his idea to sell Joseph, condemning him to slavery.
So what kind of people commit would commit such an act? Not enemies – a family. Do you think your family has problems? If so, Joseph’s family should make you feel a whole lot better. But it is also a family that demonstrates what people are capable of doing to one another. People can be cruel and heartless, and that includes “righteous” people. This is not just any family – this is a family of one of the four great patriarchs of the Hebrew people. This is a family that knew better than to engage in such atrocious behavior.
Lesson #1. We must hear the cries of those who suffer.
I take this lesson from the cries of Joseph while he was in that pit. Joseph’s brothers ignored his cries from that pit and they ignored his cries as he was carried off by the caravan to Egypt where he would be a slave. Joseph was not without his faults – arrogance being one of them – but he did not deserve his fate. There are countless people who suffer in our world, and it is not through any fault of their own. Sometimes, there is no one to blame; it’s the reality of our world. But there are plenty of times when it is someone’s fault. There are times when the actions of others – government policies, the actions of individuals, a company that cares more about its profits than its people – put people in their own holes, where they shout but are not heard.
As much as people were suffering before, many are now suffering more since the onset of the pandemic. The needs have become overwhelming. We wonder where to begin, and we wonder what we can do in the face of so much suffering. But we can begin with the resources that we have. What can I do with what God has given me? Perhaps it doesn’t seem like much, but to those who receive help, it is a lot.
One of the core tenets of the gospel is to hear the cries of those who suffer. A passage that keeps me up at night is that latter part of Matthew 25. In that passage, Jesus says, 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
At the Last Supper Jesus told his disciples to love one another(John 13:45). Love one another. Jesus didn’t mean to love only those within their group, but to love all people. It takes a tough faith to move into the lives of those in need. It is difficult, it is heartbreaking, and it is tough; very tough. But having a tough faith means we do not only think about ourselves and our difficulties and our suffering; a tough faith means we will think about and act upon the difficulties and the suffering of others. What can I do with my time, what can I do with my resources, and what can I do with what God has given me in order to help others?
Once in Egypt, through a combination of circumstances, Joseph rises to the position of the second most powerful person in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself. And then one day his brothers show up in Egypt looking to buy grain. The drought that Joseph had predicted when he interpreted Pharaoh’s dream had indeed come to pass and devastated the food supply. Joseph’s brothers, hearing there was food available in Egypt, came to buy food. When they arrive in Egypt Joseph recognizes them, but they do not recognize him. Imagine all that must have entered into Joseph’s mind. Here were his brothers – his family – standing in front of him. Imagine the questions that he must have had. What about his father? Was he still alive? Joseph didn’t know if his father was still living. This is one of the difficulties of the pandemic. How many families must wonder about their loved ones? Anyone who has a family member in a nursing home or assisted living center has been unable to visit them in person for most of this year. When you have a loved one in the hospital it is not permissible to be with them. When my stepfather passed away in May, my mom was unable to be with him. She called an ambulance the morning he collapsed from an aneurysm but could not go to the hospital and had no idea what was happening until she received a call from the hospital to tell her that he was gone.
But Joseph must also have thought about the opportunity before him. Here was a chance to exact revenge upon them for what they had done to him. There was no real system of justice in Egypt. With all the power at his disposal, Joseph was the law, and could have done whatever he wanted to do to his brothers. What Joseph does is, he toys with his brothers, accusing them of being spies. He agrees to sell them food but puts their money into the bags of grain. He also keeps his brother Simeon in custody and commands the others to go home and to bring back their brother Benjamin. Right away the brothers recognize they are facing justice for what they did to Joseph (42:22). Reuben even turns on his brothers to say did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood. Obviously, what they had done to Joseph was still very much on their minds and consciences.
The brothers return home and tell their father what happened and they also discover their money in the bags of grain, which causes them great distress. It is then that Reuben makes his father a promise that he will protect his now favorite and youngest son, Benjamin. Reuben tells his father that he can put to death his own two sons if he does not bring Benjamin safely home (42:37). The story becomes an increasingly tangled web of complications, all stemming from the terrible decision the brothers made in regard to Joseph. Jacob refuses to let Benjamin go, so the brothers do not return to Egypt, allowing Simeon to sit in prison, wondering about his fate and if he would ever be freed. Now the brothers have condemned another of their own to a terrible fate.
But the food eventually runs out and the brothers recognize they must return to Egypt and take Benjamin with them. This time, Judah, the one who had the idea to sell Joseph into slavery, offers himself as surety for Benjamin’s safe return.
The brothers buy more food, and this time Joseph not only places his brothers’ money in their bags of grain but has his cup added to the bag of Benjamin. After the brothers leave, Joseph sends his men after them and finds the cup in Benjamin’s bag and he is accused as a thief. Then Judah steps forward and offers to be kept as a slave in the place of Benjamin. Isn’t this an amazing piece of irony? Judah, the one who urged his brothers to sell Joseph into slavery now must offer himself as a slave to his brother Joseph.
Joseph toys with his brothers for a while, perhaps in an effort to make them think about what they had done, perhaps as a way of exacting a bit of revenge. When we are hurt, it’s hard to avoid payback, isn’t it?
Lesson #2. Do not let bitterness capture your heart.
Especially in tough times, do not let bitterness capture your heart.
Joseph had a lot of time to think about the potential of once again meeting his brothers. Years had passed, and through all of his ups and downs – and there were plenty of both – Joseph must have thought about what he would do if he once again came into contact with his brothers. Even though Joseph had risen to a position of great power and wealth, he had lost much and suffered much in the process, and he could have been understandably bitter. Joseph could have listed several good reasons for taking vengeance upon his brothers, but he did not. He did not allow bitterness to capture his heart and control his actions.
It’s a tough time right now. To say that this has not been an easy year would be more than a bit of understatement. It has been a tough, tough year, and there are many people who not only have become bitter, but understandably so. But bitterness, as understandable as it might be, is poison to the soul.
The pandemic – and all the other challenges of the year – have put everyone on edge. Many days we can feel it in a very visceral way. There are days when I feel it in my own life. There are days when I feel as though my patience is gone – and I did not have much patience to begin with. Some days I feel angry and I want to vent on someone or something. I want to be angry about all that is going on and want someone to hear about it.
So what do we do? Well, one of the things we do is we go on social media and vent and take out our frustrations on one another. Some days, as I scan through social media feeds, I am greatly troubled by what I read. I sometimes read family and friends arguing with one another, calling each other names, and using harsh language to describe the other. I see people I know and love, lashing out at one another, unable to have conversations without expressing anger and frustration. It is very disheartening to see, especially when I realize this is not the normal behavior for those individuals. Our current circumstances seem to have become a cacophony of bitterness that is like a giant, fingernail-scraping on the chalkboard of life.
I don’t know what all was in Joseph’s heart, as he toyed with his brothers. Maybe he was teaching them a lesson. Maybe he was setting them up for a punishment. Joseph was certainly in a position to exact whatever vengeance he desired. Maybe he was torn about what to do, and his actions were a back and forth as he decided what he would ultimately do. But Joseph did not give in to bitterness. It is a remarkable act of grace and redemption when he reveals himself to his brothers and forgives them.
Joseph had a lot of tough times, but he also had a tough faith, and that faith allowed him to overcome any bitterness that sought to take up space in his heart and mind. We are living in tough times, and it is important that we do not allow bitterness to reside in our hearts and minds. A core element of faith is that of grace. It is not a pointed finger of judgment, but the open and inviting hand of grace. Do not let bitterness capture your heart.
When we come to chapter 45 of Genesis, the whole charade of Joseph hiding who he really is comes to an end. Joseph can no longer hide his identity from his brothers and there is this tremendous reunion between the brothers. It’s really a beautiful, but also somewhat unsettling scene, this reunion of estranged brothers. The scene has a degree of pathos, as we can feel the angst and the fear of the brothers of Joseph.
Let me read a couple of those verses again, because they are quite amazing. And let me also add that if anyone ever says the Bible is boring, I don’t know what they have read. Anyone who thinks the Bible is boring certainly hasn’t read the story of Joseph!
3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.
This verse tells us that Joseph’s brothers were terrified when they discovered that their brother was not only alive but was now the second most powerful person in all the land! I imagine they were quite terrified. Interestingly, Joseph’s first question was, is my father still alive? After all those years, Joseph wanted to know if his father was still living. Imagine what it must have been like for Joseph, living for years without any knowledge of his father. He didn’t even know if his father was alive. What torture that must have been!
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! What a moment that must have been! The words come close to memust have created a great deal of anxiety in Joseph’s brothers! Come close to me; I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt. Come close to me. Let me look closely at you, and as I do, understand that I can do whatever I want to you. I am the second most powerful person in this entire kingdom, and you are at my mercy. My goodness, what a moment it must have been!
And then Joseph does something beautiful. The pride and arrogance of his younger years, which had so angered his brothers, is gone. In its place is a spirit of forgiveness and redemption that reunites this family that for years has been broken asunder.
Joseph not only forgives them, but even finds God’s hand in all of these events. He tells his brothers not to be grieved or angry with themselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life…Now therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt (45:5, 8). Those were welcome words to his brothers, I imagine! Funny you should say that Joseph! We were just talking about that – how it wasn’t us who sent you here, but God. That’s right; we had nothing whatsoever to do with you coming to Egypt. That was all God’s doing!
Isn’t it amazing, after all that Joseph had experienced, that he would forgive his brothers? And think about his brothers – all the years of guilt and wondering what had become of Joseph – now they are reunited and offered a hand of forgiveness. Joseph had a lot of years to think about his brothers and to think about forgiveness, and perhaps it took all those years for Joseph to arrive at that point. We don’t always come to the point of forgiveness and grace overnight.
Joseph tells his brothers to bring their families and they will live under his protection and under his provision. Isn’t it amazing that in spite of what they had done to Joseph, Joseph gives them so much? They sold their brother into slavery, and this is what they receive in return. What a moment!
Lesson #3. Redemption.
The story of Joseph is really a story of redemption – redemption for a family torn apart by conflict and hatred. As I said, it did not become a story of redemption overnight; it took some years to get to that point. And as Joseph began to feel his heart softening and being open to redemption, perhaps he fought that fledgling feeling of redemption. When Joseph had the first stirrings of grace, maybe he wasn’t ready to fully embrace those feelings but instead nurtured his bitterness. Gradually, however, Joseph began to see how God could use those events to take care of his family.
Now, I am not able to interpret dreams like Joseph, so I can’t interpret from any dream about what the future holds for us. In fact, last night I had a dream about zombies, so I’m not sure I want to interpret that dream, except to think that maybe the sight of everyone walking around in masks reminds me of zombies! But I do know this – life is too short, and families and friends too precious, to live in estrangement and brokenness. Perhaps you have estrangement somewhere in your life. Perhaps you have brokenness. Perhaps you have bitterness. God healed the family of Joseph, and he can heal any brokenness and bitterness in your life as well.
When this pandemic is over, there will be a story of redemption to be told. It won’t mean that all the pain and suffering and loss will be forgotten – or should be forgotten – but there is a story of redemption to come out of this time. Maybe the redemption will be related to bitterness that has taken hold of us in this time. Maybe the redemption will be related to our call to hear the cries of those who suffer.
Joseph lived through some tough times. He was able to live through those tough times because he had a faith that was tougher than those tough times. And I am convinced that as tough are the times in which we live that God has given us an even tougher faith. A faith that is tougher than our circumstances. A faith that is able to overcome our circumstances. A faith that is able to see us through our circumstances.
Amen, and amen!
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