I love that hymn. Everybody remember
Andy this morning, he's preaching in Olive Branch, Mississippi,
and I pray that the Lord will help him to preach the gospel
in that place. And tonight I'm going to be bringing
a message entitled The who, what, and why of grace. And I believe this to be a very
important message that I want everyone to hear. The who, what,
and why of grace. Now, they're all important. So
I don't know why I would say this is, I just feel very strongly
about this message, but I hope I do about all of them. Turn
back to Genesis 45. I have entitled this message,
I am Joseph, your brother. I am Joseph, your brother. Now let's begin in verse one. When Joseph could not refrain
himself. Now he had been refraining himself
for a long time. When they first came down to
Egypt, his brothers, to buy food and bowed themselves before him,
they didn't know he was their brother Joseph, but he knew them. He had been betrayed by his brethren. and sold as a slave some 20 years
before. And now he sees them and he knows
them. They are his brethren and he
loves them. He had already forgiven them. And we know from reading this
passage of scripture, he understood how that everything happened,
happened according to God's decree. and God's purpose to bring them
to this place. Look in verse five, he says to
these men, now, therefore, be not grieved nor angry with yourselves
that you sold me hither, for God did send me before you to
preserve life. He knew God had sent him. He
didn't blame his brothers. For these two years hath the
famine been in the land, and yet there are five years in the
which there shall neither be earing nor harvest, and God sent
me before you. to preserve you a posterity in
the earth and to save your lives by great deliverance. So now
it was not you that sent me hither when you betrayed me, when you
sold me as a slave, when you acted in such a wicked manner
toward me. It was not you that sent me hither,
but God." Isn't that amazing? God did this. Not God allowed
this to happen. God did it. And he may have made me a father
to Pharaoh and Lord of all his house and a ruler throughout
all the land of Egypt. Now he had an understanding of
God given understanding that God is God and that he is the
one doing everything for the salvation of his people. He understood
that. He knew exactly what he was saying. Now, he had been speaking roughly
to his brothers, the scripture says, and actually he was speaking
through a translator. He was speaking in the Egyptian
language. Somebody was translating to them. They had no idea that
this was their brother, but something took place that moved Joseph
so much that he could no longer refrain himself. Look in verse
27 of chapter 44. This is Judah speaking as the
surety. of Benjamin, verse 27. And thy
servant, my father, said unto us, you know that my wife bear
two sons, and the one went out from me, and I said, surely he's
torn in pieces, and I saw him not since. Joseph knew this was
talking about him while he was listening to this. And if you
take this also from me, and mischief befall him, you shall bring down
my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. Now, therefore, when
I come to thy servant, my father, and the lad be not with us, seeing
that his life is bound up in the lad's life, it shall come
to pass when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he'll
die. And thy servant shall bring down
the gray hairs of thy servant, our father, with sorrow to the
grave." Remember, they didn't know that Joseph knew they were
talking about his father too. Verse 32, for thy servant, became
surety for the lad unto my father, saying, if I bring him not unto
thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father forever. Look back
in chapter 43 verse 8. And Judah said unto Israel, his
father, send the lad with me and I'll rise and go that we
may live and not die, both we and thou and also our little
ones, I will be surety for him. Of my hand shalt thou require
him, if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee,
let me bear the blame forever." And this is what he's doing at
this time, acting as Benjamin's surety. Verse 32, for thy servant
became surety for the lad, and to my father, saying, if I bring
him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father
forever. Now therefore I pray thee, Let thy servant abide instead
of thy lad a bondman to my Lord, and let the lad go up with his
brethren. There we have the substitutionary
work of Christ in behalf of his people. For how shall I go up
to my father, and the lad be not with me, lest peradventure
I see the evil that shall come upon my father? Then Joseph could
refrain himself no longer. He was moved by this. He loved these men, his brethren,
his heart yearned for them, even though they had been so bad to
him, he loved them. So Joseph could not refrain himself
before all them that stood by, And he cried, cause every man
to go out from me. And there stood no man with him
while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren." I love to
think about this. All of a sudden he starts speaking
in the Hebrew tongue. He'd been speaking in the Egyptian
tongue through a translator. And now he speaks in the Hebrew
tongue. I'm sure they were shocked when
they heard that come out of his mouth. And he begins to make
himself known to his brethren. Verse two, and he wept aloud.
And the Egyptians in the house of Pharaoh heard, I'm sure they're
thinking, what in the world is going on? And Joseph said unto
his brethren, I Am Joseph. Doth my father yet live? You see, your father is my father. And I'm asking about him. Does
my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer
him, for they were troubled at his presence. They were paralyzed
with fear. They were terrified. This is
Joseph. And they remembered that event
that happened 20 years before this, when they had sold him
into slavery. And now here he is, the head
man in the world, the only one you could get food from. They
couldn't speak. Have you ever been so afraid
you couldn't speak, paralyzed in fear? These men thought, I'm
in trouble. We're in trouble. They were paralyzed
for fear. They now see they're in the hands
of the most powerful man alive, the ones whom they had previously
betrayed. And here he is again. Verse four,
and Joseph said to his brethren, come near to me, I pray. Not get out. Not go away. Come near. I pray you. I am Joseph, your brother. He didn't say I'm Joseph, your
Lord, although he was. He didn't say, I'm Joseph, the
one that can send you into eternity right now because of what you've
done to me. He didn't say anything like that. He said, I'm Joseph,
your brother. I'm Joseph, your brother. He speaks of a relationship. that he had within that could
not be dissolved or changed. Now, he didn't forget about what
they'd done. Look what it says, and Joseph said unto his brethren,
come near to me, I pray you, and they came near. And he said,
I'm Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. He hadn't
forgot that. You know, if you don't really
forgive somebody unless you forget it, I don't know whether any
of us are gonna be forgiving anybody. He remembered exactly
what they had done, but he had already forgiven them. You see, there was a relationship
here that could not be dissolved. I am Joseph, your brother. Verse five, now therefore, be
not grieved nor angry with yourselves, At this point, they had not spoken. They were paralyzed in fear.
They didn't know what was going to happen to them. All they could
remember that they had sold this man into bondage. How wickedly they had treated
him. How great was the guilt they
brought upon themselves. How could I do this? Now therefore
be not grieved nor angry with yourselves that you sold me hither."
He doesn't say, you didn't do this. He said, you did it. For
God did send me before you to preserve life. I know that you
wickedly sold me into slavery with malintent. Wasn't any justification
for your action. There's no way you can vindicate
yourself. It was wrong. But God sent me before you to
preserve life. You see, he understood that God
was completely sovereign over the free and uncoerced actions
of men. And you know, everybody that
knows God has some understanding of that. We don't have complete
understanding of it. I realize that. But everybody
that knows God knows he's God and that he controls everybody
and everything. And he controls the free and
uncoerced actions of men. Every wicked thing you do, you
did it because you wanted to. God's in control of all things. I think the strongest statement
regarding this is the fall of Adam. In the day you eat thereof,
not if you eat, in the day you do, this was a part of God's
decree and a part of God's purpose. In the day you eat thereof, you
shall surely die. Now, Joseph understood this.
He understood that God is God and he was controlling the actions
of everybody and everything. For these two years, hath the
famine been in the land? Verse six, yet there are five
years in which there shall neither be yearning nor harvest. There's
gonna be another five years of famine when there's no food.
And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity. The
children of Israel are going to be preserved in the earth
and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now, it was not
you that sent me hither, but God. And he has made me a father
to Pharaoh and Lord of all his house and a ruler throughout
all the land of Egypt. Now it's God's purpose that you
sell me. It was God's purpose that I'm
thrown into prison unjustly accused. It's God's decree that I come
out and tell Pharaoh about the famine. It's God's purpose. that I become Lord of all the
land. And he did this all that you
might be saved. Verse nine, haste ye and go up
to my father and say unto him, thus saith thy son Joseph, God
has made me Lord of all Egypt. Now that's our message. Jesus
Christ is Lord. Come down unto me, tarry not,
don't wait for anything. And thou shalt dwell in the land
of Goshen, the best part of Egypt. And thou shalt be near unto me,
thou and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy
flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast. And there will
I nourish thee. For yet there are five years
of famine, lest thou and thy household and all that thou hast
come to poverty. And behold, your eyes shall see
in the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it's my mouth that speaketh
unto you. And you shall tell my father of all my glory in
Egypt. Isn't that what the preaching of the gospel is? Telling sinners
of the glory of God, the glory of Jesus Christ. And of all that
you've seen, and you shall hasten and bring down my father hither.
And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and
Benjamin wept upon his neck. Moreover, he kissed him with
all his brethren and wept upon them. And after that, his brethren
talked with him. Not until then, they saw his acceptance of him.
And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's
brethren are come. And it pleased Pharaoh well in
his servants. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren,
This do ye, lay your beasts, and go get you into the land
of Canaan, and take your father and your households, and come
unto me, and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt,
and you shall eat the fat of the land, now thou art commanded. This do ye, take your wagons
out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your
wives and bring your father and come and regard not your stuff.
Don't try to bring anything back with you for the good of all
the land of Egypt is yours. And the children of Israel did
so. And Joseph gave them wagons according to the commandment
of Pharaoh and gave them provision for the way. To all of them,
he gave each man change of raiment, but to Benjamin, he gave 300
pieces of silver and five changes of raiment. And to his father,
he sent after this manor, 10 asses laden with the good things
of Egypt and 10 she-asses laden with corn and bread and meat
for his father, by the way. So he sent his brethren away
and they departed and said unto them, see that you fall not out.
By the way, he knew they would have a tendency to do that. See
that you don't quarrel on the way, trying to figure out whose
fault this is. Verse 25, and they went up out
of Egypt and came into the land of Canaan and Jacob their father
and told him, saying Joseph is yet alive. I kind of think they
didn't tell him about the details of how come he's still alive.
I don't think they told him about how they sold him. They kept
that underneath right now. He'll find out sometime. All
they're saying right now is Joseph is alive. How did he respond? Joseph is yet alive, and he is
governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted,
for he believed them not. He just couldn't believe. And
they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto
them. And when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry
him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived. And Israel said,
it's enough. It's enough. Joseph, my son,
is yet alive. I'll go and see him before I
die. Now, the first thing I'd like
to consider is how Joseph completely forgave his brethren. And this was without them asking
for forgiveness. Somebody asked me this week,
do we have to forgive somebody if they don't ask for our forgiveness?
Well, the answer is yes, because I'm to forgive the way God forgave
me. I'm not forgiven because I asked
for forgiveness, although I have. And you won't be forgiven without
asking forgiveness. I'm sure of that. But I'm not
forgiven because I asked for forgiveness. I'm not forgiven
because of how sorry I am and how I'll promise never to do
that again. I'm forgiven for Christ's sake. Ephesians 4 verse
32, Be ye kind, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even in
the same manner as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Now, these men had horribly wronged
Joseph, yet he forgave them all. before they asked for forgiveness. Now, if you and I have been forgiven
by God, we will forgive. Now, let me repeat that. If you
and I have been forgiven of our sins by God, for Christ's sake,
we will forgive. You see, when you're forgiven,
you understand that forgiveness has nothing to do with you doing
anything to get it. Forgiveness does not come at
the end of the equation where you fill in the blank, whatever
it might be. You were sorry You asked for
forgiveness. You humbled yourself. You feel
terrible about your sin. You promise you won't commit
it anymore. You know how real that is. It's
not real. It's not real. You're not forgiven
because of any of that. You're forgiven for one singular
reason. For Christ's sake. Not because
of anything that you do or think or intend to do or intend to
stop doing. You're forgiven for one singular
reason. For Christ's sake. Even as God,
for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. Now, if you've seen how
you have been forgiven, for Christ's sake, you will forgive. And if you refuse, if I refuse
to forgive from our heart, it's because we have not been forgiven. All who have been forgiven, forgive. And Joseph certainly did that. You see, here's something comforting
to remember. The one you need to forgive,
God moved them to do what they did so you could learn to forgive
them. God did it. I don't care what
it is. God did it. He's the first cause behind it.
He was the first cause of those fellas selling Joseph. Can you imagine how crushing
that was to him when his brothers did this to him? But who did
it? God did. God did it. Not he allowed it to happen.
He did it. Oh, may God give me the grace
to trust him that whatever he does is best, is great, is glorious. It's him acting. God did this. He is allowing you to do the
most God-like thing you can ever do, forgive somebody. from your heart, forgive somebody,
even as God for Christ's sake forgave you. You know, if we
really believe Romans 8, 28, we really do, but most of the
time we act like we don't. But Romans 28, we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are called according to his purpose. When we believe that,
I'm afraid most of the time we don't, but when we do, we're
not bitter. We're not angry. We know that
everything is just right. And what a beautiful picture
we have, not only of forgiveness. I love to think of Joseph, how
wrong he was done, yet he forgave these men even before they asked
for it. He looked at him and said, I'm
your brother. I'm your brother." He looked at that relationship
that could not be dissolved. I also love to see God's sovereignty
in this story. I've already touched on it, but
God really is God. He is the first cause of everything. I know all kinds of people make
all kinds of objections. Were you saying God's the author
of evil? Are you saying that God is the cause of sin? God's God. God's God. You don't have any business.
Well, I don't think this is right. Well, God's God. Whatever he does is
right. It's right because he does it
and he doesn't answer to me or you. And as far as that goes,
if there was no sin, we'd never know anything about the character
of God, his grace, his kindness, his forgiveness, his mercy. God
reveals himself. And that's what his purpose is,
is to make himself known. I'm sorry for saying shut up,
but I know that's not polite and shouldn't do it. But I tell
you, when people say, are you saying God's the author of sin? Shut
up. He's the first cause of everything.
His brother sold him according to God's decree. He's falsely
accused according to God's decree. He's unjustly thrown into prison
according to God's decree. He's kept there for two years
according to God's decree. So he could interpret Pharaoh's
dreams according to God's decree. Be made the head of Egypt according
to God's decree. So he could save his brethren. This is God's action all along. God really is sovereign. I love that scripture where David
says, our God is in the heavens. He has done whatsoever he had
pleased. Not he's doing, he's done. You
see with God, everything is already finished. When he wills something,
it's come to pass before time began. That's how sure and complete
it is. He had done whatsoever He had
pleased. And how clearly we see God's
utter sovereignty. You didn't send me here in this
wicked action of yours. You didn't send me here. God
did according to His purpose. I say this all the time. Let
me say it once again. God's sovereign in creation. Everything is here because He
willed it. God's sovereign in providence. That means everything
that happens in time, everything, There's no such thing as chance.
Everything, the big stuff, the little stuff, the sparrow falling
to the ground, it's all according to his purpose. He's sovereign
in providence and most especially he's sovereign in salvation.
If you're saved, it's because he willed it. It's because he
willed it. That's the only reason, because
he willed it. God is sovereign. But most importantly
in this story, We are given such a clear picture of the gospel
of Christ. You will not find a clearer picture
of the gospel of Christ than you will in this beautiful, glorious
story. You know, this is once again,
I read this passage of scripture and I'm reminded God wrote the
Bible. Man can't write this. And these
men as bad as they were, had a relationship with Joseph that
could not be dissolved. They were his brethren. I am Joseph, your brother. You know, I don't think I'd ever
thought about that before. He didn't simply say, I'm Joseph.
I am Joseph, your brother. Both he that sanctifies and they
who are sanctified. are all of one, for the which
cause he's not ashamed to call them brethren." Brethren. I am Joseph, your brother. He could refrain himself no longer. His heart yearned after them.
And that is the way the Lord Jesus feel feels toward all the
elect. You may not know it yet, but
if you're one of his, his heart yearns over you. What an amazing. Glorious. Undescribable thing. If you're
one of his brethren, his heart yearns over you, and heaven would
not be heaven to him without you. His heart yearned over his brethren. I think of that scripture, 2
Corinthians 8, 9, you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
that though he was rich, yet for your sakes, he became poor. Who can understand the poverty
our Lord experienced on Calvary's tree when he was forsaken by
his father, that you, through his poverty, might be rich. And the only way his brethren
could know him, if he was pleased to make himself known, they couldn't
recognize him. They couldn't understand his
language. And they couldn't understand him until he spake in language
they could understand. Verse two of our text, Genesis
45, and he wept aloud, making himself known, he wept aloud.
And the Egyptians in the house of Pharaoh heard and Joseph said
in his brethren, I am Joseph. Does my father yet live? That
one that you're speaking of your father, I'm your brother. Does
my father yet live? I love it when the Lord said
to his disciples or said to the women after the resurrection
to say to his disciples, go tell my brethren. You ever thought
of that? Go tell my brethren. Peter, the
one who denied me, all of them forsook me. Go tell my brethren,
I go to my father and your father. I go to my God and your God. Now, when he makes himself known,
you're going to be troubled. You're not going to really be
troubled. You're not going to have any understanding of sin. You're
not going to have any understanding of yourself until he makes himself
known. And when he speaks to you, You will be troubled and
you won't be able to speak. You know what that means? That
means you won't be able to vindicate yourself. You won't be able to
justify yourself. I love that scripture in Romans
3, 19. We know that whatsoever things the law saith, that saith
in the under the law, that every mouth may be stopped. No self-indication,
no self-justification, guilty before God. And the only way
you and I will stand guilty before God is if we see who he is. He makes himself known and they
were troubled. They couldn't even answer him.
Verse four, and Joseph said unto his brethren, come near to me. And this is what Christ says
to the sinner. Now, let me tell you how you can know whether
or not you're one of his This is dead for sure. You can know
whether or not you're one of his brethren. Are you a sinner? How do you answer to that? Are
you a sinner? A sinner is somebody who all
they do is sin. Is that not you? Well, you're
not one of his brethren, but if that's you, you're one of
his brethren that he says, come near to me. Come near, draw near. And Joseph said to his brethren,
come near to me, I pray you. And they came near and he said,
I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Now, when he reveals himself,
He rules who he is. I'm Joseph, your brother. I'm
the Lord of the land. I'm the one that you are in my
hands and I can do with you whatever I'm pleased to do. I'm the sovereign
of the land. I'm in complete control. Your
destiny is in my hand. And it was whether or not they
were going to have food was up to him. But he says, I'm your
brother. I'm your brother. All the union
of Christ with his people, brethren, brethren. And he doesn't deny
what they did. I'm the one whom you sold into
Egypt. There's a revelation of yourself. I'm a traitor. I'm
no better than Judas Iscariot. I sold him. I betrayed him. If
you want to find out what you're really like, look at the cross.
That's the real picture of you. That's the real picture of me.
I can talk about all the badness. The cross is what me and you
are. You're a traitor. You betrayed
me. Verse five, now therefore, be not grieved nor angry with
yourselves that you sold me for God did send me before you to
preserve life. I love the passage of scripture
in Acts 4.27, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles
and the people of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever
thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. When you were
nailing me to a cross, God was in control of all of it, causing
it to happen to bring his purpose to pass. Christ is the lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. Now, therefore, be not grieved
nor angry with yourselves that you sold me hither, that you
were such a traitor, for God did send me before you to preserve
life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land,
and yet there are five years in which there shall neither
be yearning nor harvest. God sent me before you to preserve
you a posterity." Now, that word posterity is a remnant, a remnant. All of Israel is going to be
preserved. Now, here's the point. The Lord Jesus Christ never intended
on saving everybody. Now, why are you making a point
of that? to let you know and to let myself know that if you're
saved, he really did save you. And he did it all. And if he
intended to save someone that is not saved, that means he failed
in his intentions. And let me tell you something
else that that means. That means that the only hope
I have that he saved me is taken away. If he can die for somebody
and pay for their sins and they wind up in hell anyway, I have
no hope. Because my hope is that he did
it all. And he says right off the bat,
there's never any intimation in the scriptures that his purpose
is to save everybody. Because it's not. It's not. And somebody says, well, why
didn't he try to save everybody? Whatever he does is best. Whatever
he does is right. Can you bow to that? Whatever
God does is right. And I'm not going to sit in judgment
on who he saves. And I'm just my my thought is,
why would he ever save me? Why me? Now, his intention was
to save a posterity, the remnant. Verse seven, God sent me before
you to preserve your posterity in the earth and to save your
lives by a great deliverance. What a great deliverance. He
took my sin. and made it his own and suffered. And he took his righteousness
and gave it to me and makes me stand before God justified, without
guilt, perfect, righteous. What a great deliverance. I'm
made to be just like Jesus Christ right now. Right now, I'm seated
in heaven in Christ Jesus. What a great deliverance. When
you see this sinner perfectly conformed to the image of Jesus
Christ, you're going to know this is a great deliverance.
What a great deliverance. So now, it was not you that sent
me hither, but God, and he hath made me father to Pharaoh and
Lord of all his house and rulers throughout all the land of Egypt.
Now, the Lord tells us, I'm Lord. God made me Lord. Now, hey, she,
don't wait for something to happen. Don't wait until you can straighten
yourself up. Don't wait till you understand
more. Hey, she, go to my father and say unto him, Thus saith
thy son Joseph, God hath made me Lord of all Egypt. Come down
unto me. Terry not. Don't wait for something
to happen. Believe on Christ right now. And thou shalt dwell
in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me. Thou and
thy children and thy children's children and thy flocks, I heard.
All that thou hast, you're going to be in land of Goshen. I remember
my grandma used to always say, land of Goshen. I wonder, what
in the world does that mean? Well, the land of Goshen is the
place where Israel lived, and it was the most fertile place
in all of Egypt. And there, Christ says, I'll
preserve you. I'll sustain you. I'll cause
you to continue. And I love it down there where
he says, don't regard your stuff. You remember that? Don't regard
your stuff. Don't try to bring anything. All your stuff is worthless.
I'm going to feed you from the good land. Don't try to bring
anything that belongs to you. Don't regard your stuff. Get
rid of it." And then he also told me, he said, don't fall
out along the way. You know, the Lord knows where we are.
He says, don't do that. Don't fall out along the way. Regard not your stuff. And look
in verse 25. And they went up out of Egypt
and came into the land of Canaan and to Jacob their father and
told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive. and he's governor over
all the land of Egypt. Now, can you understand why Jacob's
heart fainted and he didn't believe him? I understand that. I understand that completely. Verse 27, and they told him all
the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them. And when
he saw the wagons, which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit
of Jacob, their father, revived. You see wagon loads of grace
given to you to bring you into heaven and to carry you and your
spirit will revive. And Israel said, it's enough. It's enough. Have you ever heard
the gospel and said, it's enough? I'm not looking for anything
else. I find complete satisfaction in that message. It's enough. I'm not looking to add anything
to it. I'm not trying to bring my stuff. It is enough. Who Christ is and what he did
is enough. I'm not adding anything to him
by his grace. He's all I have. He's all I want. He's enough. I need no other
argument. I need no other plea. It is enough
that Jesus died and that he died for me. I am Joseph, your brother. Let's pray. Lord, we ask in Christ's name
that you, by your spirit, would say to each person here, according
to your will, I am Jesus, thy brother, whom
you betrayed. but you're forgiven and I am
your savior. Lord, cause us to find in him
enough. In Christ's name we pray, amen.