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Thank you, George Beverly Wentworth.

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Northwest Airlines and its employees are facing a deadline in just a few weeks.

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And if you have tickets for a flight later this month or into September, perhaps you're

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watching the news anxiously wondering if you're going to be able to make the trip.

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You're hoping the two sides will get together.

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They will reconcile their differences.

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It is that theme that we want to look at this morning as we turn in our Bibles to Genesis

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chapter 43, 44, and 45.

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It is the theme of reconciliation.

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Reconciliation is a central theme in all of the Scriptures.

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It is at the core of God's heart for mankind.

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For man's sin brought an alienation between the Creator and His creatures.

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God is about the work of bringing together what sin has divided.

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Reconciliation is based upon the epical and sacrificial death and resurrection of the

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Lord Jesus Christ.

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As we sang this morning in that beautiful hymn by Philip Bliss, my sin, oh the bliss

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of this glorious thought, my sin not in part, but the whole is nailed to His cross and I

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bear it no more.

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Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh my soul.

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God's wrath toward you and me because of our sin was expressed against the Lord Jesus Christ

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as He hung upon the cross and suffered in our place.

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It is because of His work that there can be reconciliation with God.

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The word reconcile comes from a Latin verb meaning to make friendly again.

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In other words, there is an offense that has occurred which has caused separation, but

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something can happen to bring the two sides together again to make them friends.

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In Nelson's Bible Dictionary we read this regarding reconciliation.

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It says in biblical reconciliation both parties are affected.

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Through the sacrifice of Christ, man's sin is atoned and God's wrath is appeased.

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Thus a relationship of hostility and alienation is changed into one of peace and fellowship.

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I think this theme of reconciliation might well be described as a one word summary of

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all of God's will and purpose in human history.

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Paul seems to say that in Ephesians chapter 1 verses 9 and 10 when he tells us that we

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have been enlightened to know the mystery of God's will which he purposed in Christ.

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He says this purpose is going to be effected when the times have reached their fulfillment.

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And then he describes God's purpose as this, to bring all things in heaven and earth together

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under one head, even Christ.

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Today we are going to look at reconciliation in the narrative of Joseph's life, in the

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bringing together of a family that had been fractured by jealousy and hatred.

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Reconciliation folks is a far reaching theme.

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Many who are listening to me right now are touched by the reality of broken relationships.

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Perhaps it is that you still have no relationship with God that is meaningful and saving.

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Or perhaps you have a friendship that has been broken or a family that has come apart

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and you are wondering where to go with it and what to do.

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Or perhaps something in today's message from the life of Joseph will be helpful to you.

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Reconciliation is a good thing.

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It is a worthy effort.

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It is a God honoring goal.

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I think we can say very clearly that reconciliation is the work of the Lord.

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Whether it be horizontal relationships that reconcile or the vertical relationship between

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ourselves and God, reconciliation is the work of the Lord.

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Now we have three chapters to cover this morning.

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I will not be reading the text before I preach.

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We have a lot of work to do and frankly this text is a difficult one for me because I find

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it one of the most moving texts in all of the Bible.

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In fact I could not read it this week in my own study without weeping through parts of

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it.

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I will try to do better than that this morning.

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What I want us to do is to learn from Joseph's experience with his brothers what reconciliation

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entails.

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So following that theme let's notice first of all that reconciliation requires a foundation.

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It has to set on something.

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If sin is what separates then sin is what needs to be honestly and appropriately addressed

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so there can be reconciliation.

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The offense that has created the separation has to be confronted and that is what Joseph

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did.

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And he did it in such a wise way.

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You may recall from the study last week as David preached to us that a famine forced

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the brothers of Joseph to go to Egypt in the search of food.

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And there they encountered Joseph and we are going to look back in chapter 42 for just

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a moment to recapture some of that.

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Joseph saw his brothers come into the court.

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They did not recognize him but he recognized them.

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And in verse 18 it says Joseph said to them on the third day, by the way he put them into

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prison for three days, he had spoken harshly with them, accused them of being spies and

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said if you are not spies then all of you will stay here in prison and one of you can

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go back and bring your little brother and prove that you are not spies.

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After three days in prison he changed the equation a little bit.

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He said all of you can go back but one.

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And that is what we are going to read about here.

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He says, Do this and live for I fear God if you are honest men let one of your brothers

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be confined in your prison but as for the rest of you go carry grain for the famine

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of your households and bring your youngest brother to me.

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So your words may be verified and you will not die.

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And they did so.

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So Joseph tests them on their first visit.

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And Reuben answered them saying, Did I not tell you, do not sin against the boy?

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What in the world has brought this subject up?

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Reuben brings up a matter that is twenty years in the past.

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Did I not tell you, do not sin against the boy and you would not listen?

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Now comes the reckoning for his blood.

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In other words Reuben is saying you guys created this mess.

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It is because of Joseph.

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And he was speaking in the Hebrew tongue.

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He did not know that Joseph understood what he was saying.

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And verse twenty-four says Joseph turned away from them and he wept.

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And then he returned and spoke to them and he took Simeon from them and bound him before

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their eyes.

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And so as the story goes the rest of the brothers returned to their homeland and to their father

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Jacob giving him the news that Simeon was still in Egypt and that they needed to bring

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Benjamin down to Egypt to prove that they were honest men and so that Simeon could be

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released.

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Jacob, shall we say, had a fit.

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He was not about to allow Benjamin, the only other son of Rachel that he knew who was alive,

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to go down to Egypt.

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He was not about to risk his youngest son.

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Notice he would have allowed Simeon to remain in an Egyptian prison for the sake of his

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youngest son Benjamin.

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And so there was a stalemate.

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You cannot take Benjamin, he said.

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And so they ate the food they brought from Egypt and then it was gone.

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And there was still a famine.

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And so they had a renewed conversation with their father Jacob and they said, Dad, we

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need food and we cannot go down to Egypt and buy more food unless we take our little brother

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with us.

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And finally Jacob agrees to it.

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Jacob still in his old age is up to some scheming.

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He puts together a present to give to this ruler down in Egypt hoping to gain some favor

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from him.

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Finally he said, all of these things are against me.

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Don't you love to be around people who see life that way?

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Everything is against me.

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It's all wrong.

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Thank God that we know Christ can say, if God be for me, who can be against me?

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Jacob said, all of these things are against me.

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And then later he said, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

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What he meant by that was, I just give it over to God and whatever happens, happens.

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Basically he was giving up.

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And so the brothers returned to Egypt with Benjamin.

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Verse 16 of chapter 43 tells us that Joseph saw Benjamin with them.

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That's before they had seen him.

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And so he arranged for a lunch with these brothers in his own house.

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They were terrified.

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You see, when they had left Egypt before, Joseph had told his steward to put the brothers'

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money for the food back in their sacks.

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And when they found it, they were frightened, thinking that somehow the Egyptians would

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think they had stolen the money or hadn't paid for the food.

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They didn't know what to think.

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Now they're back in Egypt.

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Joseph invites them to lunch and they're terrified that it's because of that money.

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They're going to be held accountable for it.

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And so they called Joseph's steward aside and they said, here's the situation.

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We didn't steal the grain.

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The money was just in our sacks.

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And now we brought that money back and double it for some more grain.

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And notice the steward says in verse 23, be at ease.

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Do not be afraid.

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Your God and the God of your fathers has given you treasure in your sacks.

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I had your money.

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Now suddenly they knew where it came from.

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And then he brought Simeon out to them.

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Now that is a very curious thing because no announcement has been made yet publicly who

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this other person is in their party, that it's Benjamin.

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But you see, the steward already knew because Joseph had told him.

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And so there's a little clue given to these brothers.

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Simeon is released before they even announce that Benjamin is with them.

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And so there is the lunch.

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They all bow to the ground before him, fulfillment of Joseph's dream.

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And he says in verse 29, is this your youngest brother of whom you spoke to me?

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And he said, may God be gracious to you, my son.

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And Joseph hurried out for he was deeply stirred over his brother and he saw the place to weep.

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And he entered his chamber and wept there.

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Just look at the heart of this man.

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He is so deeply stirred in seeing his little brother that he cannot contain himself.

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And having gotten the cry over with, he washed his face and came back into the lunch and

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he was served separately, which was the custom.

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The Egyptians would not eat with anybody like the Hebrews.

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But there's another hint that is given because the brothers were all seated at their table

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according to their ages.

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And it says in verse 33 that they were astonished.

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They couldn't figure out how this seating arrangement could have been arranged.

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Then the food was served and Benjamin got five times as much as anybody else.

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Test number two.

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The first test when he kept Simeon was to see if they would care about their brother

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and return for him.

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The second test that Joseph gives to them as he is seeking to help them see their sin

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and confess it openly was to give Benjamin far more food than he could possibly eat and

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certainly more than any of the rest of them got.

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He wanted to find out if they would be jealous of Benjamin as they had been jealous of him.

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They had lunch.

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The food was given.

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That is the food to carry home, the grain was given.

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But Joseph had his steward put his special cup into the sack of Benjamin.

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And no sooner had the brothers left the city than Joseph sent his steward after them to

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find out who had stolen his cup.

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And the brothers are just astonished that this could happen, that they could be accused

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of it, that they are dishonest.

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And they say, look, if one of us has stolen your cup, let him die and the rest of us will

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be slaves in the house of Joseph.

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So the steward said, well, let it be according to your word.

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With whom I find this cup, he shall be my slave and the rest of you shall be innocent.

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In other words, they were punished but not exactly like you offered it.

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And so they hurried and got the grain sacks down and they began to look in the sacks.

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And notice again, he starts with the oldest and works his way down.

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The clue that these Egyptians know a lot more about this family than the family realizes.

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But it's also for dramatic effect.

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So they start with the first one and then they work their way down.

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Well, you see, it's not here, it's not here.

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The cup isn't with us.

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And they come to Benjamin, oh, Benjamin would never take that cup.

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And sure enough, that's where the cup was.

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And it says they tore their clothes.

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They were so upset.

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And they loaded their donkeys and they returned to the city.

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And this time Judah is the spokesman.

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Judah now emerges as the leader.

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They come to Joseph's house.

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They fall to the ground before him.

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And Joseph says, what is this you've done?

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Judah said, what can we say to my Lord?

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What can we speak?

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Verse 16.

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How can we justify ourselves?

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Notice what he says.

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God has found out the iniquity of your servants.

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He is not talking about that cup.

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He is talking about what happened 20 years before.

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He is talking about what they did to Joseph.

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He says, we are my Lord's slaves.

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Joseph said, far be it from me to do this.

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The man in whose possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave.

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But as for you, go up in peace to your father.

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Test number three.

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Would they be loyal to Benjamin?

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Or would they simply go back home and leave him there defenseless?

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Judah approached Joseph.

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And he gives what is the longest speech that is recorded in the book of Genesis.

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He calls Joseph his Lord.

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He refers to himself as a servant.

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All of the language here indicates his subjection to Joseph.

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We move on down to verse 33 of chapter 44, where he says, now therefore please let your

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servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my Lord.

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And let the lad go up with his brothers.

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For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest I see the evil that

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would overtake my father?

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So you see, Judah here offers himself as a substitute for his brother.

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It reminds us of the one who was born of the tribe of Judah, who offered himself as a substitute

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for all of us on the cross.

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Now the drama has played out, and in chapter 45 it all comes together.

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It says, Joseph could not control himself before all who stood by him.

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And he cried, have everyone go out from me.

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And so all of the Egyptians were sent out of the room.

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And Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

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And it says that he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh

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heard of it.

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And Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph.

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Can you imagine the shock of those words to their hearts?

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I am Joseph.

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The first thing he wants to know is, is Dad still alive?

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The brothers were so afraid, so dismayed by what they were hearing, what was happening,

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they could not even speak.

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And Joseph said, please come closer to me.

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And they came closer and he said, I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.

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And having them come closer, he may have proven to them that he had the mark of the Abrahamic

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covenant in his body, which the Egyptians would not have, evidencing that in fact he

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was one of them.

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And he says, do not be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God

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sent me before you to preserve life.

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Here's my point.

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Reconciliation requires a foundation.

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It cannot take place in a vacuum.

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It is possible only when there is an environment of unguarded openness and confession of sin.

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That is the foundation for reconciliation.

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And Joseph leads his brothers to this point, where they now at least twice have acknowledged

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their sin years before to him.

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The foundation is laid and reconciliation is built upon it.

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Secondly, I notice in this narrative that reconciliation demands forgiveness.

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The offenses that are creating the separation have to be dealt with by forgiveness.

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Now I believe that Joseph had already forgiven his brothers long before they arrived in Egypt.

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We talked before about his firstborn son being named Manasseh, which means forgotten, or

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some say forgiven, as he reflected upon his brothers and what had happened to him.

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Genesis 41 verse 51.

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Forgiven, says Joseph, perhaps he dealt in anguish with the events with his brothers

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for years, but there came a point when he was able to say forgiven, forgiven.

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And that caused him to frame the cruelty and rejection of his brothers with a divine perspective,

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as we have just read here, three times he will say now, God sent me before you.

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So that Joseph's theology dominated his feelings, his emotions.

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Folks, that is an important principle, because too often our feelings dominate our theology.

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Joseph arrived at the theologically correct perspective, and that took care of the feelings

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that he had regarding his brothers, forgiveness.

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Now forgiveness has to be properly understood, doesn't it?

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Neil Anderson gives, I think, a fine summary of forgiveness in his work that is entitled

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Steps to Freedom in Christ.

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Let me just review with you very quickly some of the language that he uses to describe forgiveness.

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First of all, forgiveness is not forgetting, it is releasing.

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Forgetting may be the result of forgiveness, but it's not the cause, it's not the means.

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Forgiveness means that you release the other person who's offended you from what he's

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done and that you will not hold a grudge against him.

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Secondly, forgiveness is a choice.

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That is, God requires us to forgive, so we can do it, but it takes a choice to forgive.

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It is a choice not to hold the offender accountable.

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It is a choice to relinquish any retribution to God, for God will deal justly.

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Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.

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Third, forgiveness is agreeing to live with the consequences of another's offense.

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It's agreeing to live with the consequences of what the other person did.

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The fact is that you're going to do that whether you choose to or not.

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And so your choice is really whether to accept those consequences in the freedom of forgiveness

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or in the bondage of bitterness.

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When we forgive, we are willing to pay the price of the pain that is caused by the offense.

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And finally, forgiveness is not dependent upon the other person.

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He does not need to repent first.

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Because you see, forgiveness is commanded of us.

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We cannot be held hostage by what another person does or doesn't do.

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And if that other person happens to be dead, how do we get repentance from that person?

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You see, forgiveness is an act that we take, irrespective of the other person.

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Ultimately, forgiveness is for our sake and not for the other person's sake.

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It's to release ourselves from the bondage of bitterness.

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Forgiveness is not an option for the person who wants to experience spiritual freedom.

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Beloved, before you can be reconciled with that other person, you must forgive him.

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You must forgive her.

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Now that doesn't guarantee that there will be reconciliation because that requires both

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parties to be involved.

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It doesn't guarantee reconciliation, but forgiveness does allow for it.

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Reconciliation demands forgiveness.

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Thirdly, I notice in our narrative regarding reconciliation that reconciliation releases

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feelings.

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Oh man, Joseph's feelings are all over the place here.

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Several times we read in the narrative about Joseph weeping.

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The popular image in our culture today is that a strong person is stoic, that he or

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she doesn't express emotions.

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That is simply not true.

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When reconciliation takes place, there is a release of emotion.

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The father of the returning prodigal felt compassion for him and ran and embraced him

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and kissed him.

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Jesus said that similarly there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one

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sinner who repents.

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You see, feelings are a part of God's image in you.

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So reconciliation will release feelings.

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Do not be afraid of them.

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Joseph's feelings were there all along, but he was able, at least temporarily, to hide

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them for the sake of the process of reconciliation.

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Joseph might have been bitter.

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He might have nursed his grudges against his brothers, but God's grace was at work in Joseph's

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life.

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He had forgiven them.

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And so when it came time for reconciliation, his emotions were very sensitive.

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There was no hardened heart here.

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He speaks to them in chapter 45.

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And in verse 14, when he is done talking, it says, he fell on his brother Benjamin's

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neck and wept.

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And Benjamin wept on his neck, and Joseph kissed all his brothers and wept on them.

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You see the release of emotion here?

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Some of us are so afraid that our emotions are going to get out of control, but that

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emotions aren't proper, that we need to be strong.

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Because here is a man of God who is portrayed to us in the image of Jesus Christ in the

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book of Genesis.

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And he is a man whose heart is tender, and he is not afraid to let his emotions out.

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In fact, he needed to, and so do you.

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Today I notice in the narrative that reconciliation brings fruit.

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Reconciliation has some wonderful fruit.

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The first piece of fruit that I see is found in the last part of verse 15 where it says,

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And afterward his brothers talked with him.

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Communication.

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When there is separation, there is no communication.

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Reconciliation means there is communication.

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To compare this to chapter 37 verse 4 where it says, They hated Joseph so much that they

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could not speak a kind word to him.

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But now there is reconciliation and they are talking among themselves.

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Fellowship is restored.

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The second piece of fruit is found in verses 5 through 11, this whole text where it talks

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about the hope that was brought to the family of Jacob.

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You see they are living in Canaan where there is no food.

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There is no future for this family.

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But as you read down through these verses, you see how Joseph now is going to take care

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of them.

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And later you see how Pharaoh himself heard about all of this and offered them the very

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best of the land of Egypt.

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They had hope.

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There is a future for this family because of reconciliation.

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When there is separation, there is no hope.

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Reconciliation means hope.

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The third thing is generosity.

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The fruit of generosity.

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We see as I said Pharaoh saying to them, Look, you can go and eat of the fat of the land.

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The best of the land of Egypt is yours.

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There is generosity here.

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An abundance of provision for them.

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That's the fruit of reconciliation.

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And finally in verse 24 it says, So Joseph sent his brothers away and as they departed

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he said to them, Do not quarrel on the journey.

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Don't you like that?

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Alright, fellas, it's time to go back now.

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You bring my father down here and don't fight along the way.

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The fourth fruit of reconciliation is peace.

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There's no need for them any longer to blame one another or to picket one another with

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accusations over the past.

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All of that is behind them now.

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Their conscience can be clear.

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They have acknowledged their sin.

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They have been reconciled to Joseph.

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No need for quarreling any longer.

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When there is separation, there is hostility.

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But reconciliation brings peace.

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Now I have a question for you.

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Does that remind you of anything?

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As you look at this fruit, does this remind you of anything?

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It ought to.

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Because this is exactly the fruit that our reconciliation to God brings.

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We were separated from God.

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There was no fellowship with God.

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But being reconciled to God, we have fellowship with Him.

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00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:02,840
We had no hope being separated from Christ.

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00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:09,400
But now we are reconciled and there is the hope of glory.

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00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:14,920
When we were separated from God, we were living in the famine of sin.

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00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:20,680
But now in Jesus Christ, having been reconciled, there is the generosity of the grace of God

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that says that through eternity to come, He's going to keep doing kind things for us.

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All things are ours in Christ.

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Before in our sin, we were hostile toward God.

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But now being reconciled, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our

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Lord Jesus Christ.

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Friend, reconciliation is God's work toward you in Jesus Christ.

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He has laid the foundation for it in His Son and His death on the cross.

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And now in Jesus Christ, having been reconciled to God, if you're a Christian, He calls you

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to seek reconciliation with others.

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In light of what reconciliation has seemed to me in the life of Joseph, are you willing

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00:35:33,300 --> 00:35:43,800
to face up to the offense that is creating a separation, the one you're thinking about?

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Are you willing to ask God for wisdom to approach that other person in the right way so that

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00:35:49,720 --> 00:36:01,400
the sin can be surfaced in a manner that would allow both of you to deal with it?

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Will you seek to do so with an unguarded openness in your own heart and be ready to deal honestly

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with your own contribution to the separation?

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00:36:16,320 --> 00:36:20,760
Will you choose to forgive that one who's offended you?

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You say, no, I can't do that.

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I just don't know how I could deal with my feelings.

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Well, I hope that you've seen this morning that reconciliation releases feelings.

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It's a healthy thing.

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Let God be the Lord of your feelings as well.

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Do what He calls you to do to reconcile.

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And in doing so, follow the lead that He has already given us.

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00:36:48,640 --> 00:36:54,200
Charles Swindoll tells the story of a young man whom he calls Aaron.

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00:36:54,200 --> 00:37:01,540
He met Aaron one time as he was interviewing students for a possible internship.

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00:37:01,540 --> 00:37:07,160
And although he did not choose Aaron, he was so touched by Aaron's story that he recorded

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00:37:07,160 --> 00:37:10,240
it in one of his books.

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00:37:10,240 --> 00:37:15,960
Late one spring, Aaron was praying about what he would do the summer following his graduation.

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He was looking for a position in some Christian organization or a church staff, but nothing

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00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:22,540
happened.

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00:37:22,540 --> 00:37:28,680
Summer came, and though he prayed and sought opportunities, none turned up.

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00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:33,960
Finally, Aaron faced the reality that he had to have a job somewhere, and so he checked

437
00:37:33,960 --> 00:37:34,960
the newspaper.

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And the only thing that he could find was the possibility of driving a bus in the south

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side of Chicago, which wasn't a particularly happy thing to do.

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But at least it would earn him some money and help him to pay his tuition in the fall.

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So after learning the route, he was put out on his own, just a rookie driver in a very

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dangerous part of Chicago.

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There was a small but very tough gang of kids that spotted this young driver.

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They decided to take advantage of him, and so for several mornings in a row, they got

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on his bus and walked right by him without paying the fare.

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They rode until they wanted to get off, and they got off, all the while making smart remarks

447
00:38:25,120 --> 00:38:28,680
regarding him and also others on the bus.

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00:38:28,680 --> 00:38:33,440
And so one day he decided he had had enough.

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00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:38,280
The next morning when the gang got on, as usual, he saw a policeman on the next corner

450
00:38:38,280 --> 00:38:43,520
and pulled up and reported the offense.

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So the policeman got on the bus, and he told the gang, either pay up or get off.

452
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Well, guess what they did?

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00:38:50,720 --> 00:38:57,320
They paid up, and they stayed on the bus when he got off.

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00:38:57,320 --> 00:39:04,400
And about two corners further on the route, they attacked young Aaron, the bus driver.

455
00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:11,280
When he came to, he had blood all over his clothes, two teeth were missing, his eyes

456
00:39:11,280 --> 00:39:18,400
were swollen, his money was gone, and the bus was empty.

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00:39:18,400 --> 00:39:24,800
After returning to his terminal, he was given the weekend off, and then he went to his apartment

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00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:28,480
and sank into depression.

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Lying upon his bed in confusion and anger, he looked at the ceiling and he prayed, how

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00:39:35,280 --> 00:39:37,880
can this be?

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00:39:37,880 --> 00:39:40,600
Where is God in all of this?

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00:39:40,600 --> 00:39:42,040
I wanted to serve him.

463
00:39:42,040 --> 00:39:43,320
I prayed for ministry.

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00:39:43,320 --> 00:39:50,840
I was willing to go anywhere, do anything, and this is the thanks that I get.

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On Monday morning after the weekend, he decided to press charges against the gang.

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00:39:56,400 --> 00:40:02,360
And it didn't take long for them to find witnesses who had been on the bus and to round up the

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00:40:02,360 --> 00:40:07,000
gang, and a court hearing was arranged.

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Aaron walked in with his attorney, and the angry gang members glared at him.

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And suddenly, his heart was seized with a whole new series of thoughts.

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Instead of having bitter thoughts toward these young men, he was seized with compassionate

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thoughts.

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His heart went out to these men who had attacked him.

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So under the Spirit's control, he no longer hated them.

474
00:40:32,680 --> 00:40:34,640
He had pity for them.

475
00:40:34,640 --> 00:40:38,000
He saw them as men who needed help.

476
00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:42,600
So after there had been a guilty plea, he suddenly, to the surprise of his own attorney,

477
00:40:42,600 --> 00:40:49,320
rose in the courtroom and he said, Your Honor, I would like you to total up the days of punishment

478
00:40:49,320 --> 00:40:53,920
against these men, all the time sentenced against them, and I request that you allow

479
00:40:53,920 --> 00:40:58,960
me to go to jail in their place.

480
00:40:58,960 --> 00:41:04,160
The judge didn't know whether to spit or wind his watch, says Swindoll.

481
00:41:04,160 --> 00:41:09,920
Obviously, both of the attorneys were stunned.

482
00:41:09,920 --> 00:41:17,080
Aaron looked over at the gang and they were all long-faced, their mouths hanging open.

483
00:41:17,080 --> 00:41:21,360
Finally the judge was able to collect himself and he said, Young man, you're out of order.

484
00:41:21,360 --> 00:41:25,080
This sort of thing has never been done before.

485
00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:29,240
To which the young man said, Oh, yes it has, Your Honor, yes it has.

486
00:41:29,240 --> 00:41:36,320
It happened over 19 centuries ago when a man from Galilee paid the penalty that all mankind

487
00:41:36,320 --> 00:41:37,320
deserves.

488
00:41:37,320 --> 00:41:41,600
Then he took the next three or four minutes to share the gospel with this whole courtroom.

489
00:41:41,600 --> 00:41:43,600
It was astonished.

490
00:41:43,600 --> 00:41:48,480
He was not granted the request.

491
00:41:48,480 --> 00:41:56,120
The young gang members were sentenced to jail, but he visited them in jail and led most of

492
00:41:56,120 --> 00:41:59,960
them to faith in Jesus Christ.

493
00:41:59,960 --> 00:42:07,200
And then through them, he began a significant ministry in the south side of Chicago.

494
00:42:07,200 --> 00:42:10,360
God is ministry.

495
00:42:10,360 --> 00:42:19,200
Could it be that the purpose of God in your life is just waiting for you to reconcile,

496
00:42:19,200 --> 00:42:27,440
to get beyond this separation, this offense that has consumed your life?

497
00:42:27,440 --> 00:42:35,240
And once you have done that, then things will begin to fall in place and God's purpose

498
00:42:35,240 --> 00:42:36,240
will be clear.

499
00:42:36,240 --> 00:42:39,200
That's what happened to Joseph.

500
00:42:39,200 --> 00:42:46,840
He said to his brothers, you intended it for evil, but God meant it for good.

501
00:42:46,840 --> 00:42:53,760
Let's pray.

502
00:42:53,760 --> 00:43:01,520
Where's the separation that God has put His finger on in your life?

503
00:43:01,520 --> 00:43:04,280
Is there one?

504
00:43:04,280 --> 00:43:11,720
If so, will you today determine before God that you will seek reconciliation, that you

505
00:43:11,720 --> 00:43:17,120
will put into practice what we've studied today from Joseph's life and seek by God's

506
00:43:17,120 --> 00:43:25,080
grace to make peace with that one who has separated from you?

507
00:43:25,080 --> 00:43:34,040
Father, help us today, I pray, to see Joseph's life as an example for us to follow.

508
00:43:34,040 --> 00:43:40,160
And may the Holy Spirit not allow us to rest in peace until we have determined in our hearts

509
00:43:40,160 --> 00:43:53,040
to obey you, to forgive and to be reconciled with that one that is apart from us.

510
00:43:53,040 --> 00:43:58,600
And through that I pray that you will bring forth fruit in our lives and in the life of

511
00:43:58,600 --> 00:44:06,480
the other person and release us to that purpose that you have in the experience that has created

512
00:44:06,480 --> 00:44:07,480
the offense.

513
00:44:07,480 --> 00:44:14,560
With our heads bowed and just before I close in prayer, I wonder if you would by the uplifted

514
00:44:14,560 --> 00:44:21,880
hands say, Pastor, I am aware of a separation that needs to be healed.

515
00:44:21,880 --> 00:44:32,320
And I lift my hand to say that I am going to respond by God's grace and seek that healing.

516
00:44:32,320 --> 00:44:34,760
God bless you.

517
00:44:34,760 --> 00:44:35,760
Yes.

518
00:44:35,760 --> 00:44:39,520
A number of hands.

519
00:44:39,520 --> 00:44:41,120
Anyone else just before I close?

520
00:44:41,120 --> 00:44:42,120
Thank you.

521
00:44:42,120 --> 00:44:45,120
God bless you.

522
00:44:45,120 --> 00:44:49,440
Now Father, would you please strengthen by your spirit these several who have made that

523
00:44:49,440 --> 00:44:57,960
commitment and show them the way and dismiss us all, I pray, with the blessing of the joy

524
00:44:57,960 --> 00:45:04,700
of knowing what our reconciliation to you has brought us in Christ.

525
00:45:04,700 --> 00:45:11,120
May we live that out in all of our relationships this week.

526
00:45:11,120 --> 00:45:15,640
In Christ's name I pray, amen.

527
00:45:15,640 --> 00:45:16,640
God bless you.

528
00:45:16,640 --> 00:45:17,640
You are dismissed.

529
00:45:17,640 --> 00:45:19,640
Amen.