I'm gonna ask you to take your
Bibles and turn with me to the book of Genesis chapter 43. Genesis
43. I've entitled this message this
evening, Bringing God's People Home. This beautiful story of the Lord's
provision for his own through a man of God's choosing, a man
named Joseph. Now, Joseph's daddy's name was
Jacob, the one that God loved. And Jacob's sons have left Canaan. They went to Canaan. the first
time to get some corn. There was a famine in the land. Sore, sore in the land. And they've traveled back. Now they're going back to Canaan
because the food is running low and they're going back to Egypt
to secure, buy some more corn and hopefully have their brother
Simeon released. Joseph kept him, kept him in
prison, kept him there as a surety that they would, they'd come
back. And the boys now have left Canaan. Their daddy has told
them to bring a present, get some, get some balm, gum out
of a tree, sweet smelling, get some spices, get some honey,
Get some nuts, bring them a little gift. And they've taken this
present to give to the man before whom they must stand, Joseph,
their brother that they don't know. But now they have Benjamin
with them. In verse 15, we looked last time
and it says, they took that present, they took double money in their
hand and Benjamin rose up, went down to Egypt and stood before
Now, they've actually, what it means, they've presented themselves
before the face of Joseph. Apparently, without any interaction,
there's no mention that any words were exchanged between them and
Joseph at this time. And the scripture says now, beginning
where we left off in verse 16, when Joseph saw Benjamin with
them, He said to the ruler of his house, bring these men home
and slay and make ready for these men shall dine with me at noon. Now with the revelation of Joseph's
view of his brothers, now he longs to be with them. These
are his family. These are his brothers, and he
knows them, and he loves them, and he wants to feast with them. He tells his ruler, steward. Verse 19 says it was the steward
of Joseph's house. So he's looking out into this
crowd. These people have all gathered, and they've got to
come see Joseph. Joseph is the dispenser of all
the food. Joseph is a beautiful picture
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And Joseph in that mass of people
that's there, you can just imagine if everybody in that part of
the country, everybody in that part of the world, there's only
food in Egypt. If you're gonna get some food,
you gotta come see Joseph. And Joseph's in one spot. He's
a man. But Joseph looks out and he sees
his brothers. He sees Benjamin. I think of the Lord's people. How long do you think that the
Lord Jesus Christ in the mass of humanity, all these people
there in that place, one place, all of them there, they got to
see Joseph, all of them got to see Joseph. So they're all there. But he
sees his brothers in particular. These brothers that must have
been standing out in the midst of many of that day. But let me ask you this. As Joseph
is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, how long do you think
that the Lord Jesus has seen his people? How long do you think
he's seen them? He saw his people eternally chosen
in Him before the foundation of the world. He says of His people, Jeremiah,
He says, I've loved you with an everlasting love. I've always
known you. I've always seen you. He's always
beheld His people being chosen by the Father in Him. He has seen His people in the
fall. He saw them in Adam, in Adam's
loins. We were all found in Adam, and
we fell in Adam, and the Lord Jesus Christ has ever seen his
people. They fell in Adam, but never
from his side of affection, never from him. He's always known us,
saw us in that unregenerate state when we came forth from our mother's
womb. speaking lies. He saw us walking according to
the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of
the air, the spirit, the scripture says, that now worketh in the
children of disobedience, lovingly viewing us right up until that
time of love and our effectual calling. Paul said, when it pleased
the Lord. who separated me from my mother's
womb and called me by his grace to reveal Christ in me. Joseph
looked and he saw in that mass of people that was there to see
him, to buy some corn, he saw his brothers. And he says to
his ruler, ruler of his house, when Joseph saw Benjamin with
them, he said, to the ruler of his house, bring these men home
and slay and make ready for these men shall dine with me at noon. Beloved, rest assured, there's
never been a time that the Lord has not looked upon his people
in affection and love and desire. The scripture says his delights
was with the sons of men. with his people, his beloved
bride. He saw them. Well, this steward
now is instructed to bring Joseph's brothers. That's what he said.
Verse 16, when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler
of his house, bring these men home. This steward had some preparation
that was going to have to be made before these men could be
brought home. Joseph instructed him, you bring
these men to my house. You bring them to me. You slay
and you make ready everything that is required for these men
to stand before me and dine with me. He gave that steward the
responsibility preparing a meal for bringing him home. Sacrifice
was gonna have to take place. Everything was gonna have to
be made ready for Joseph to dine with his family at that appointed
time. Do you know, we're on a destination. We're going somewhere. Where
are people going? Where is God's people going?
They're going home. They're going to Joseph's house,
the heavenly Joseph. They're going to the abode of
the Lord Jesus Christ. He said in John 17 line, 1724,
Father, I will, that those that you've given me be with me where
I am, that they might behold my glory. So this steward, Verse
17 says, and the man did as Joseph bade, and the man brought the
men into Joseph's house. Now, looking past the historical
events, with an eye of faith, let's look upon these things
and behold them as the glorious work of the Father of God, the
glorious work of God, Father, Son, and Spirit, one God. powerfully
directing the lives of His people by His Spirit. Those that are
led by the Spirit, they're the sons of God. This steward right
here is a picture of the Holy Spirit. He's been given the responsibility. You bring these men home. You bring these, my brothers,
you bring my family, you bring my family to me. And here's the
Spirit of God found in type in that steward. Everything needful
for peace and acceptance with God ordained by the Father in
electing grace. All things that were finished
by the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in redeeming grace and
all that would be applied to the people of God in regenerating
grace. God Almighty, it is God that
worketh in you to will and to do of His good pleasure. Why? We're going to be at a feast. Remember that parable about that
there was a father and he made a feast for his son and they
saw one there that didn't have on a wedding garment. You know
that story. We're going to dine. at the marriage
supper of the Lamb. You bring these men to my house.
You bring them to my home. Slay. All that is going to be
required is going to have to be a sacrifice made. The Lord
Jesus Christ is going to have to lay down His life. And God,
the Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God is the Spirit
of Christ. And he's direct and he's ordering
all things, everything in this world, for one purpose, for the
redemption, salvation, and eternal glory with him of his people. You bring my people home. Now here's Joseph again. Beautiful
picture of the Lord Jesus and his brothers, types of his family,
his sheep, And this steward, again, type of the Spirit of
God who renders effectually the whole of God's purpose of redemption
in the hearts of his people. And this steward, missioned by
Joseph to bring a particular group to him, ordering their
steps. Isn't it amazing how you see
how Joseph was, he'd tell his They didn't know it. How's your
daddy doing? Is your daddy well? You got another
brother? Yeah, we do. He just having the power and
the ability to order their steps. He told them, he said, now see,
he knew they're gonna have to come back and get some more food.
He said, now don't come back without your brother. Oh, in
the following chapters, we're gonna see how he gonna bring
his daddy. bring all of them to him, gonna put them in the
land of Goshen, best part of the Egyptian empire, right there
in Goshen. But here he is, he tells this
steward, you bring these men, you bring these men, bring these
men home and slay, make ready to make these men, these men
are gonna dine with me. Oh, how beautifully are the words
of our Lord in John 6, 37. I've quoted this so many times,
I'm gonna just look at it, John 6, 37. You bring these men home, that's
what he said. And the Lord said in John 6,
37, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. And him
that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Let me ask you
this. You think all of these things that had been done to
Joseph by his brother, by his brothers, He sold him out. Sold him out. Cast him into a
pit. Wanted to kill him, but Rueben
stood up and said, don't kill him. We'll sell him. Let's just
sell him. Sold a potter for all he went
through. Put in jail, prison for years.
Forgotten by that baker. And here they are. Here he is. Here's his brothers.
And he loves them. He loves him. He wants to be
with him. Oh, the beauty of Christ's love. I will never, never, never leave
you. I'm not gonna forsake you. When
we forsake him, he never forsakes us. Well, here's the story that's
been told, and he's brought them, brought all of them. How many
is there? He's got 10 of them, got 10 of
them. He's 11 and Simeon, his brother's
12. They're all getting ready to
get together, even though they don't know him. They don't know
who he is, but all 12 of them's together. That's the will of
the Lord. John chapter six, the scripture
says in verse 38 to 40, For I came down from heaven not
to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And
this is the Father's will, which has sent me, that of all which
he has given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it
up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that
sent me, that everyone that seeth the Son and believeth on him
may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last
day." So here they are. They're all together. They don't
recognize him. They don't recognize him just
yet. But they're all together. That's his will. And the scripture
says that after they, verse 17, the man did as Joseph bade, and
the man brought the men into Joseph's house. But then it says,
and the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph's
house. And they said, because of the
money that was returned in our sacks at the first time we brought
in, that he may seek occasion against us, fall upon us, take
us for bondmen, and our ashes. These men are, they're scared.
They're fearful. These men, they're men. They're
men. Men who bear the marks of the
fall. They feel some guilt. They remember,
it's what they said right here. I know why we're here. First time we came and bought
some corn, we all got back and the money, all of our money was
in our sacks. That's why he's gonna find occasion
against us. They remembered that the money
for the corn that they had bought and paid. They paid it. And from that first purchase,
they remembered how harshly Joseph spoke to them. Now what must
they expect? I mean, he talked hard to us,
rough to us the first time, and we'd paid for it then. Now what's
gonna happen? Now we're here in his house.
And we found the money. Oh, the offense was not against
somebody in Egypt that was just a nobody. It wasn't against somebody
that was obscure in importance, but rather this offense was against
the one who had power and had authority to do as he would with
them, and they knew it. This, this, we're not, we're
not just coming up to a pauper on the street. We're going to
have to face that man that has been given all authority by Pharaoh. Picture of the power that had
been given of the God-man mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ, over all
flesh. That's who we're going to have
to stand before. And these men were, they were fearful. He, he, What is He going to do
to us? They were ignorant. They were
ignorant of the money being there when they left Egypt. But the
offense was still there. What does the Spirit of God do
when He's going to show mercy? What does the Spirit of God do
when He's going to show mercy to a vessel of God's compassion
and love? What does He do? He convinces
them of sin. He shows them what they are.
But she said, but these men, they were innocent. No, no, they
weren't innocent. I want you to turn with me to
Leviticus 5. Leviticus chapter 5. And I want you to behold something
that was amazing. One of the sacrifices, one of
the offerings that had to be offered in the Old Testament,
in the tabernacle, in the wilderness, was a trespass offering. And
you know what that trespass offering was for? The sin of ignorance. Ignorance. Who in this congregation this
morning, or tonight, feels as though that they're quite aware
of every offense that they've committed against God today?
You're quite aware of every one of them. Be careful. We don't know the
sin of commission, but how about the sin of omission? That which
I should have done and I didn't do. Leviticus chapter five and
verses 14 to 16, Leviticus 5, 14, and the Lord spake unto Moses
saying, if a soul commit a trespass, a sin, and sin through ignorance
in the holy things of the Lord. And he shall bring for his trespass
unto the Lord a ram without blemish out of the flocks with thy estimation
by shekels of silver after the shekel of the sanctuary for a
trespass offering. And he shall make amends for
the harm that he hath done in the holy thing." The amends of
the thing that he's done? Yeah. What did he do? He didn't
even know. He didn't know he did. But the
scripture says he's gonna make amends for the harm that he hath
done in the holy thing and shall add fifth part thereto and give
it unto the priest and the priest shall make an atonement for him
with the ram of the trespass offering and it shall be forgiven
him. Beloved, we're guilty of not only what we know we did,
but we're guilty of what we didn't know we did. We don't realize
what we've done. We don't realize the sin. And
the Spirit of God convinces of that. And here this steward has
brought these men into the house of Joseph and they're afraid. Tell him, we didn't know we did
it. And they start confessing that.
Look what happens in verse 19 to 22. They're talking among
themselves in verse 18. Verses 19 to 22, listen to this. They came near to the steward
of Joseph's house and they communed with him at the door of the house. They didn't even go in. We're
gonna go ahead and get, let's get this thing out in the open
right now. They ain't even stepped foot yet into the house, into
the interior. We're gonna go ahead and let's
get it out. Scripture says they came near
to the steward, Joseph's house, they communed with him at the
door of the house and said, oh sir, we came indeed down the
first time to buy food. It came to pass when we came
to the inn that we opened our sacks and behold, every man's
money was in the mouth of his sack, our money full weight.
We brought it again in our hand and other money we have brought
down in our hands to buy food. We cannot tell who put the money
in our sacks. Do you know what a blessing it
is that a sinner made so by the grace of God to know what he
is would be honest and confess, confess what he's done and confess
what he didn't know he's done. That's what David said in Psalm
51. Have mercy upon me, O God, against thee and thee only have
I sinned. in thy sight. Oh, to be made
honest before God. Here's what they were saying
to the steward. And here's a picture of us praying,
being helped. Here was this steward, picture
of God's Spirit, quite aware. These men need some help. Scripture says the Spirit helpeth
thine firmness, because we don't know what to pray for. Here's
what they were saying. We don't know how this happened.
We're just being honest with you. We don't know how this happened. We never intentionally meant
to deceive you or your master. We didn't mean to steal from
you. We've got the money that we paid
last time. We brought it back and we've
got more money to pay for the new purchase. Oh, how thankful
we ought to be. that the Lord gives any of us
a heart to confess what we are. Scripture says in 1 John 1, 1
John 1, is it needful that we confess our sins? The debt of
our sins has been paid in full by the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ. There's no condemnation to them that be in Christ Jesus.
But sin, the presence of it, is with us. The debt of it's
been paid. But I'm telling you, it's with
us. It's gonna be with us. That old man, that body of debt.
And we constantly need to confess, confess. 1 John 1, 8 and 9. If we say that we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess
our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Beloved, be honest with God. He knows. We're not hiding anything. Well, maybe if I just don't bring
that up, maybe he won't think about it. He knows. He knows.
Bear your heart. Bear your heart to him. These
men were scared and they needed assurance, and they need some
comfort. They need some comfort. And that steward was the one
to comfort them. We need comfort, don't we? I
want you to turn to Romans 8, Romans chapter 8. Romans 8, 14 to 16. As many are as led by the Spirit of God, they're
the sons of God. For ye have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear, They were afraid. But you've
received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father,
the spirit itself, bear witness with our spirit that we are the
children of God. These men just laid their heart
out, confessed. We're ignorant, we didn't know
what happened. We didn't mean to, we know it happened and we're
sorry. Scripture says in Genesis 43,
23, and he said that he is the steward. Peace be to you. Fear not. Your God, the God of
your father, has given you treasure in your sacks. I had your money,
and he brought Simeon out unto them. Needy sinners, we need and half, by the grace
of God, consolation with the Lord. John 14, John 14, verse
15 to 17. John 15. I'm sorry, John 14,
I'm sorry. John 14, verse 15. The Lord said, if you love me,
keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and
He shall give you another Comforter. And He may abide with you forever,
even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because
it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him. But you know Him, for He
dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. And look at verse
26, 27. But the Comforter, which is the
Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach
you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever
I've said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace
I give you, give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give
I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled.
Let it not be afraid. What did that steward say to
him in verse 23? Peace be to you, don't be afraid. Fear not, your God, God of your
father, covenant God, God of all grace, Peace be unto you. He hath given you treasure in
your sacks. Oh, do we see all things being
made ready. He's preparing that. He's gonna have to prepare a
sacrifice. He's gonna set forth that the peace that has been
established by God's people is through the blood, shed blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ. He told them, he said, he said,
I had your money. I gave it back to you. What did
he just say? You don't owe anything to dine
with Joseph. You can't pay. He's paid it. Joseph paid this. Joseph paid
for this. Joseph has provided all for you. Peace be unto you. I had your
money. Peace with God is bought without
money, without price. By grace are you
saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It's the gift
of God. The steward testified of Joseph's
kindness. This steward, he was the steward
of Joseph's house. And whatever Joseph said, that's
what the steward did. Whatever Joseph commandment,
that was the order of the steward. That was his direction. That
was his order. And he was not speaking on his
own. Peace was found toward those
men loved because of Joseph's revelation of that. He was Joseph's
steward. So he testified. of kindness toward them. Look
at John 15, 26. Should've just had you just stay right there
in John 15. John 15, 26. The Lord says, John 15, 26, when
the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father,
even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he
shall testify of me. Those weren't the words of the
steward. If Joseph was wroth with those men, the steward would
be in agreement with Joseph, whatever Joseph said. If peace
was spoken to these men, it's because Joseph spoke peace to
those men. These brothers, they heard of
distinguishing mercy. Joseph is going to dine with
you. What about all those other people out there? Joseph was
going to dine with you. Joseph told me to bring you to
his house. So here they beheld the distinguishing
grace that was shown to them by Joseph, a picture of the Lord
Jesus Christ. And they also beheld the surety
of relief from the bondage of prison, a picture of sin itself
when Simeon was brought out. And they were taught, they were
taught, are we not taught by the Spirit of God, Spirit of
God concerning God's mercy in Christ. John 16, 13 says, how
be it when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he gonna guide
you into all truth. Do you realize the joy of that
steward to relate to these brothers? Joseph's pleasure to them. Let
me tell you, let me tell you, Joseph's gonna eat with you today.
Joseph's gonna dine with you today. In verse 24 back, and
I'll stop in this verse. And the man brought the men into
Joseph's house, gave them water, and they washed their feet. And
he made their asses provender. These brothers did not as yet
realize the fullness of the mercy that had been shown. They didn't
realize the fullness of it. If they would have realized at
this point right here, who they were standing before, getting
ready to stand before. If they would have realized how
much they had truly offended him or acted in an offensive
way toward him, if they would have realized who he was, they
would have probably realized a whole lot more the mercy that
has been shown them. But do we not see through a glass
darkly now? Do we realize the fullness of
the mercy that Almighty God has shown us? No, sir. No, sir. No, sir. How much do we owe? Oh, how much we owe. How much
mercy. They didn't realize who he was
or what had been done for them. But the scripture says that they
were provided some water, washed their feet, Even in their ignorance,
water was brought to them. I thought about that water to
wash their feet, provisions for those animals, but oh, what a
beautiful type of the daily cleansing. Last scripture right here, Ephesians
chapter five. What a wonderful, wonderful provision
of God's mercy has been given unto us. Ephesians 5.20. 26,
526. I'm going to read verse 25. Husbands, love your wives even
as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it that
he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water
by the word. Do you realize what's taking
place right now as we hear these scriptures, as we behold the
glory of the Lord Jesus Christ to unworthy sinners? such as
we. How the word of God is providentially
blessed to the hearts of God's people and the sin that we've
committed and the ignorance of that which we didn't realize
we committed that he washes us, washes us. Mercy, mercy. I've shown mercy unto you. I've
shown grace unto you. As I said a moment ago, no condemnation
to you. Oh, the blessing of these men,
and they didn't even know him yet. I can't hardly wait to get
to that part when he tells them, he says, I'm your brother. I'm
your brother. I pray God blesses to our hearts
for Christ's sake.