I was thinking as we were singing
that last song, teach me thy way. I want that. And you know, even as I say that
I want that, and I do, I realize these things of learning are
often trying, aren't they? Heard somebody say one time,
you never really learn anything unless you experience it. That's
the truth. That's so true. We've got a hypothesis
about things, but it's just an educated guess. But oh, if God
is pleased to teach us, what a blessing. What a blessing from
above. I thank the Lord for that. I
want you to take your Bibles. and turn with me to Genesis,
Genesis chapter 45. Genesis chapter 45. I wanna actually
look at just one verse of scripture. I'm gonna read to three, but
I want us to just look at verse 24. 24. Here's what Genesis 45,
24 says. So he sent his brethren away,
and they departed. And he said unto them, see that
ye fall not out of the way. I had been planning on preaching
out of this passage of scripture, and I went ahead and tried to
do a little preparation or the rest of the chapter through verse
28. And the more I read, the more
I felt, I think I'll just stop with that verse 24. There's a message there, and
it's for me, and I pray it be for you too. It's a message from
the Lord. Isn't that encouraging? This is God's word. He's got
a word for his people. Now, the last few weeks, we've
been considering this blessed chapter. I've kind of tried to
take my time in this chapter, chapter 45, and we've been able
to consider the preparation that the Lord has had Joseph, his
brethren, Pharaoh, all of the elements, the preparation that's
been made for Joseph and his family to make a trip back home. They're gonna have to go back
to Canaan. They've got some good news when
they get there. They wanna talk to their daddy,
and he's got some good news to tell, but it's gonna take some
time before he's gonna be able to get there. And so here we
see Joseph and his brethren. We ended up last time in verse
22, but I'm just gonna bring us right back up. It said in verse 20, I've looked
at that so many times because I need to look at it so many
times. I need to hear it again and again. And regard not your
stuff, good of all the land of Egypt is yours. Children of Israel did so, and
Joseph gave them wagons according to the commandment of Pharaoh,
and he gave them provision for the way. To all of them he gave
each man changes of raiment, but to Benjamin he gave 300 pieces
of silver, five changes of raiment. And to his father he sent after
this manner, 10 asses laden with the good things of Egypt, 10
she-asses laden with the corn and bread and meat for his father
by the way. So he sent his brethren away
and they departed and he said unto them, see that ye fall not
out of the way. He's made this preparation, made
it for this long trip back to Canaan, everything needful. for
the brothers of Joseph has been provided. Now, just, let's just
look at the heart of this trip that's been prepared. Say, well, back in the old days,
back over there, my brethren, this is right now, everything
that we need, go home. That's what Joseph was
doing. He's gonna bring his family home. Joseph, beautiful picture of
the Lord Jesus Christ. He's gonna bring his people home.
And that's everything that's needful. Everything that was
needful for this trip is gonna be provided. Everything that
we need, the Lord will provide. I will not leave you. I will
not forsake you. All of the family of Joseph had
at the hand of Joseph. Now here's Joseph. He's a picture
of Christ right here for sure. So many times we can see and
we can see different pictures and they're right. You can see
it. You can see the glory of Christ
and it's right. But here we see the family of
Joseph And Joseph has provided these wagons and the provisions
for the way and the money and the raiment, all of the good. Verse 23 says, 10 asses laden
with the good things of Egypt. I told you last week, these good
things that were needed for this journey. Just look at them in
light of the provision of the Lord for our journey to go home. This is the type. What things
do we need? Well, all the things that we
need, he's gonna provide, and they're all good. I didn't say
they'd be all pleasant. I said they're all good. All
the good things. Whatever would be needed. Ten she-asses laden with corn,
bread, meat, for his father by the way. Then I read this a moment
ago, but I'm gonna read the first half of verse 24. So he sent
his brethren away and they departed. He sent them away and they departed. Oh, again, what a beautiful time
and picture has been laid before us. You know, if you come and
you've Come to hear from the Lord and you want to see the
glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Just right now, you that know
Him, this is what you want to see. You show me Christ in this. If I see Him, I'm okay. If I don't see Him, I don't see
anything. because I'm looking for him.
So here's the Lord. He's laying out before our eyes
this journey that we're going to take. We're taking it. You that believe, you're in it
right now. We're on our way. Here we're
being powerfully brought to behold the possessions that
we shall have given us by the Lord. all the good of the Lord,
but while everything that Joseph's brethren physically needed. Now this is where I kind of deviated. I had looked at this passage
and I was planning to go through the rest of 28. But I got to
looking at the second part of that 24th verse. And when I went
back and looked at it, I was arrested, my heart was stopped
there, and I looked at that, and while all the preparation
was being made by Joseph, given to him, these things given to
him by Pharaoh, he said, whatever you need, I'll give it to you,
and Joseph was taking care of all this. And he sent his brethren away,
and they departed, and he said unto them, See that ye fall not
out by the way. Everything that was gonna be
needed. I said Joseph was going to provide. Picture of our Lord, he's gonna
provide. Now don't let your sight be taken off of Joseph being
a picture of Christ right here. Hear these words, Marvin, as the Lord himself speaking. Hear these words, as these words
are none other than the divine word of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here's what Joseph said to his
brethren. Now, when I first read it, I'll
kind of just tell you what I thought. When I first read it, I thought,
don't fall, you know, see that you fall not out, by the way. Stay faithful, and it does mean
that. Be consistent, and it does mean
that. That's true. But that's not exactly
what these words mean. And I want to know exactly what
these words mean. See that ye fall out, not out,
by the way. Here's the exact meaning of these
words. Don't rage, be agitated, get
excited, be perturbed, or disquieted in the journey, in the distance,
or in the past. He was talking to his brothers.
He was talking to these men that he knew. He had veiled his identity
for a long time, and he knew them. They didn't know him, and
the Lord had used him to, you know, take care of his brothers. And now he's revealed himself.
He couldn't stand it any longer. His heart burned within him to
reveal who he was. I'm Joseph, I'm your brother.
And now he's telling them all the provisions that's been made
for him. He gives them this word of encouragement,
but the words actually were words that were more pointed than I
first thought that they would be. Don't be agitated at each
other. enraged, excited, perturbed,
disquieted in the journey. Oh, what a sweet word of encouragement
that we need. It's given to us by the Spirit
of God through the word of Joseph to his brothers, a word that
we all need to hear, especially me. I'm talking to me. mad at each other. That's why
he said, don't be mad at each other. Don't be mad at each other. Now, why would Joseph say something
like that? Well, it's because we're all prone
to be mad at each other, agitated. The Spirit of God moved upon
Moses to write these words. God Almighty is talking to us.
We are frail creatures of dust. And we're prone to defend ourselves,
justify ourselves. And these brothers, they've been
going through some tough times, and they need some direction
and some encouragement and some mercy and some forgiveness. And they've had a lot of trouble
in their lives. They've been back and forth,
came into Egypt, back again, back again, back again. Don't
come back unless you bring your brother. These brothers have
been through it. But it's the Lord that has been
teaching them. And now here, Joseph has revealed
himself to them. He said, I'm your brother. I'm
your brother. Don't be mad at each other. Don't
be mad at each other. Years before Joseph related his
dreams, he was hated. He was hated of
his brothers. Because they had given him a
dream that he gave them a dream that he had. He said, I had a
dream and my sheaf was taller than yours. And they knew what
he was saying. He was saying that the Lord had
revealed that the Lord was going to bless him exceedingly, bless
him over them. And they hated him. They said, let's kill him. Let's
kill him. Rupert said, no, no, let's don't
kill him. Let's just, you know, we'll do,
we'll hide him. We'll do something. No, don't
kill him. You remember the story. And now here's Joseph. He'd been
lied on. He'd been forgotten when he was,
in prison, and here where mercy should have been shown to him,
kindness and compassion and love for what he had done, where he
had stood, he was despised. But as a picture of our Lord,
turn to Isaiah 53, Isaiah chapter 53. Isaiah 53, verse four. Surely
he borne our griefs, carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem
him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded
for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.
chastisement of our peace was upon him with his stripes were
healed. All we like sheep gone astray,
we've turned everyone to his own way. The Lord has laid on
him the iniquity of us all. All my brethren, Joseph was hated,
but hated as a picture of our precious Lord. His brothers, as I said a moment
ago, sold him out. lied on him, refused to show mercy and compassion. Was that not our Lord? Is that
not the way we treated him? Is that not our attitude? There's an old man in me, you've
heard me say it before, you know it's the truth. There's an old
man in me that's the same as it's always been. An old man that despises God. That's what the Apostle Paul
said. Oh, wretched man that I am. I see in me that is in my flesh. There dwelleth no good thing. Beloved, whenever the Spirit
of God moved upon Moses to pen the words of Joseph when he said
in that verse, verse 24, see that ye fall not out by the way,
don't be mad, don't be mad at each other, don't hate each other,
don't be agitated, don't be mean, don't do that. That was the last
words he told his brothers before they left. these words of wisdom
that they needed. I want you to turn with me to John
chapter 8. John chapter 8. John chapter
8. You know, we're all guilty. We're
all guilty of what Joseph told his brothers to avoid. We're
all guilty of that. Don't be mad. Don't be agitated. Don't be mean. Don't be, don't
be, don't be. Listen to this. You've seen this
scripture so many times. It's about the woman taken in
adultery. I'm gonna just read this. John
8, John 8, verses 1 to 11. Jesus went unto the Mount of
Olives, Early in the morning, he came
again to the temple. All the people came unto him,
and he sat down and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees
brought unto him a woman taken in adultery. When they had set
her in the midst, they say unto him, Master, this woman was taken
in adultery, the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded
us that we should Stone her, but what sayest thou? This they
said, tempting him that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with
his finger rode on the ground as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking
him, he lifted up himself and said unto them, He that is without
sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. beginning
down, wrote on the ground. They which heard it, being convicted
by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at
the eldest, even unto the last. And Jesus was left alone and
the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself
and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are
those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? And she said, No man, Lord. And
Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin
no more. Brethren, if we have ever seen
a more beautiful type of the mercy shown to the bride of Christ,
I don't know where it would be. Here was a woman. What was her
character? Well, according to these scriptures,
she was an adulteress. But was she really guilty? Obviously, she was caught in
the very act. Was she worthy of being accused? Absolutely, absolutely. The law forbid that. That's what
the Pharisee says. Moses said in the law, we ought
to stone her. What do you say? What'd the Lord
say? He said, well, the one that's
among you without sin, you throw the first rock. You
let her have it first. You that's perfect, You that
knows nothing of sin, while you're ready to accuse this woman, let
it be the one that has nothing to be accused of. You go ahead
and throw the first rock. Scripture says, being convicted
in their hearts, they began to walk out one by one. The Lord was left alone with
this woman. All I'm telling you is I looked at that scripture
a while ago and I thought about the precious bride of the Lord
Jesus Christ in herself. Was she guilty? No doubt. Had she been caught? No doubt. Did the Lord know it? No doubt. But was God pleased to show mercy?
No doubt. The Lord had shown mercy. Where
are your accusers? I can tell you this, that woman's
guilt was put away because the Lord didn't condemn her. You
say, well, he was guilty. Yeah, I am too,
and you are too. What she's done was worthy of
being stoned. I'm worthy too. What did Joseph tell his brethren? What was the last word that he
told his brethren? These words that they needed
to hear before they departed. And he said unto them, see that
you fall not out. By the way, don't be mad at each
other. Don't be upset with each other. Joseph knew the propensity of
his brothers. He knew the propensity to sin.
He was just like them. He knew the propensity of his
brothers to justify themselves, because we're just like them.
That's us. He knew that if they let their
father know what they had done, that he would be upset And he
knew that once they got away from where they were, now this
is just us, y'all. This is just the way we are.
Once they got off by themselves and they're on that journey,
they're going back. Up until now, they didn't know who Joseph
was. Now, they know that he knows,
that they know him. And they know that he knows what
they've done. And what is the natural inclination
of us by nature? What's the natural inclination?
All these brothers, all of them, and on their way back, and the
words of Joseph in their ears, all not out by the way. Don't
be mad at each other. Don't rage at each other. Why,
what would they do? say to Simeon, well, I don't
know, I'll tell you one thing, I was the one that didn't want
to kill them. I'm just gonna tell you right now. I was the
one. Well, yeah, but I, hey, I'm the
one that got thrown into jail and had to stay in there until
y'all came back out. Yeah, but, yeah, but you were
the one that... Fall not out, by the way. Don't
be mad at each other. We're all guilty. We're all prone,
this is all of us, we're all prone to throw each other under
the bus. You're going under. I'm not gonna take this rap myself. Oh, we will, we will, we will. Brethren, we're all guilty. And if the Lord, according to
his infinite mercy, has forgiven us, is there not forgiveness? on our part toward each other.
We're brethren. We're brethren. Are we guilty? Come on. You got reason to be mad at each
other? Sure. Do we have a right to do it? No. Turn with me to Ephesians 4,
and I'm gonna try to wrap this up. Ephesians chapter 4. Verses
one to six. Oh, I read this again today and
I thought, Lord, help me here. Ephesians chapter four, one to
six. I, therefore, the prisoner of
the Lord. Oh, isn't that a good place to
be? I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that
you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you're called with
all lowliness. Hmm. And meekness and long suffering
for bearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity
of the spirit in the bond of peace at one body and one spirit,
even as you're called one hope, your calling one Lord, one faith,
one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all and
through all and in you all. I thought to myself, if the Lord
had been pleased to show mercy to his people, been pleased to
show mercy to me, He's been pleased to robe me
in his righteousness. When I stumble, the Lord has forgiven me. Would you? The Lord has forgiven you that believe.
Should I not forgive you too? Is there any reason to be mad
at each other? Any reason to be mad at each
other? No, fall not out of the way. Don't raise, don't be mad at
each other. We ought to forgive each other,
bearing each other's burdens. God, for Christ's sake, had borne
ours. We're his body, we're his sheep. Let us be, by the grace of God,
examples to those around us. Last verse, Romans 14, 13. Romans 14, 13. Let us not therefore judge one
another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling
block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. You know,
there's just a sweet sound of brethren being brethren and loving
one another. When I first read that passage
of scripture, like I said, I originally planned to go to the end of the
chapter. And I read that, and when I got to that verse, see
that you fall not. out of the way. And they looked
it up. Don't be mad at each other. Don't be mad at each other. We've
just got a few more setting suns. I guarantee it. We've just got
a few more setting suns. While the Lord's pleased to draw
us together in this world, let's love one another. Encourage one
another. Be brethren to one another. For
Christ's sake. Amen.