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When God brings you to the end of yourself
Sermon 12
January 17th, 2010
What feelings do you have when you hear terms like: monarch, ruler, king, emperor, dictator? What I’m about to say is almost heretical in American culture, so please listen very carefully. I believe that our American form of government hinders us in understanding how to relate to God. Please don't misunderstand me. I love our country and our form of government. But a system where we can vote our own minds and wills, gives us a very poor model of how to relate to a supreme authority, such as a king. And God is the King of kings and Lord of lords, the supreme, absolute, sole authority in the universe that He created. Thus, we cannot relate properly to Him unless we learn to submit to an absolute Sovereign. Our American form of government makes it hard for us to really understand this.
Americans cherish their individual right to challenge authority. If we don't like a leader, we vote the bum out of office. The American spirit is summed up in the Revolutionary flag with a snake on it with the motto, "Don't tread on me." Nobody's gonna push us around! If we’re not careful, we bring that same independent spirit into our relationship with God. This was pictured in one Frank & Ernest cartoon, where the two bunglers are approaching the Pearly Gates. A frowning Saint Peter is looking at Ernest, who is wearing a T-shirt that says, "Question Authority." Frank whispers, "If I were you I'd change my shirt, Ernie."
If God's Word says something that we don't like, our attitude is, "I don't have to obey that!" If a pastor teaches something that we don't like—never mind if it's in the Bible—we’ll find another church more in line with our tastes. The Biblical concept of being in submission to church leaders sounds cultish to us. "If those church leaders don't do what I want, I'll either vote them out of office or take my money to another church!"
By now you’re wondering, "What does all this have to do with the story of Joseph and his brothers?" As we've seen, Joseph's actions in dealing with his brothers parallel God's actions in dealing with us to bring us to repentance. When his brothers stood before him to buy grain and didn’t recognize him, Joseph could have immediately said, "I'm Joseph, you're forgiven, and everything is wonderful!" But these brothers needed to repent of their terrible sin of selling Joseph into slavery before they could be restored. So Joseph puts them through a series of tests to bring them to repentance, culminating in Genesis 44 (p. 34) and the accusation of Benjamin stealing Joseph's silver cup. The brothers return to face Joseph, falling before him. Judah, speaking for all of them, reflects their repentant, broken spirit, when he cries, “What can we say to my lord? What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants’ guilt” (v. 16). He then tells Joseph that they all would become his slaves. But Joseph gives them a final test, an opportunity to save themselves by throwing Benjamin under the bus. Joseph replies, "I'll only keep as my slave the one in whose sack the cup was found; the rest of you can return to your father in peace." In response, Judah gives an eloquent, impassioned speech, called by some the most moving speech in the Bible, in which he pleads with Joseph on behalf of his baby brother, Benjamin.
There are two parallel situations taking place here. There is the earthly one – the one Joseph is orchestrating. Joseph is giving them one more test to see if they’ve truly repented. Or, will they leave Benjamin holding the bag? But God has a greater purpose. What we have here is a powerful picture of salvation, When God brings you to the end of yourself. One cannot be regenerated; one cannot be born-again until he/she comes completely to the end of themselves, until they are absolutely hopeless of rescuing themselves or somehow satisfying the justice of a holy God. Judah's broken, contrite approach to this powerful monarch is a model for how we as sinners are to approach God as King. Sinners can only approach God by first submitting to His authority. Joseph’s actions toward his brothers parallel God's action in bringing us to repentance. To be born-again each of us must come via this same path. Turn again to Genesis 44.
1. God’s grace brings us to repentance by revealing our sinfulness, vss. 1-14. Joseph wouldn't let his brothers skip town without getting to the bottom of their sin, so he has his special drinking cup planted in Benjamin's sack and sent them away, only to bring them back ready to admit their guilt and sin. It wasn’t hard for Joseph’s steward to catch up with the brothers. They’d had a big party the night before. It was all good. They’re probably just ambling along on their journey back to Canaan. As they left the city and head for Canaan, they’re giving each other high fives. Simeon was freed; Benjamin wasn't taken hostage; they’d enjoyed a great meal; and they had their sacks stuffed with more grain. They could hardly wait to get home and tell their father the good news. They were relieved to be through dealing with this powerful, mysterious Egyptian monarch. They hoped the famine would soon be over and they’d never have to come back again.
Glancing over their shoulders, they spot the pursuing servant with his posse coming full speed after them. The sinking feeling in the pits of their stomachs is much like the wave of nausea that hits a speeding driver who glances in his rear-view mirror just in time to see the flashing lights of an approaching police car. We’re in for it, they think…and just when everything was going so smoothly! This final test of placing Joseph’s drinking cup in Benjamin's sack revealed whether or not his brothers were truly repentant over what they’d done to him years before. It gave them the chance to treat Benjamin just as they’d treated Joseph. They could leave Benjamin in slavery in Egypt, tell their father what happened to his favorite son, and move on with their own lives. But there had been a wonderful change in their hearts. They would not abandon Benjamin, even if it meant their own slavery, and they would not return to their father without him. Their tendency though, up to this point, like ours, is to cover their sin rather than repent of it and confess it.
a) Our tendency is to proclaim our innocence. When the steward overtakes the brothers and accuses them of stealing Joseph's cup, they protest their innocence. They point out that they’d already tried to return the previous payment and demonstrated that they’re men of integrity. They’re so confident they pronounce a death sentence on the guilty party if anyone is found to have this cup. And they were innocent of this charge. It's kind of like nailing a mafia guy in a sting operation where he's innocent of this crime, but he's done the same thing and worse many other times. The steward, knowing exactly where the cup is, begins with the oldest and works down the line. As each sack comes up empty, the brothers self-confidently nod their heads, saying, "See, there's no cup. You're wasting your time." They grew more confident as each bag was searched and came up clean. The steward though knew exactly where the cup was. He gives an Academy Award performance as he works his way down to Benjamin’s sack. He comes to Benjamin's sack, pulls out the cup, and the brothers are in big trouble.
Will Rogers said, “I always like to hear a man talk about himself, because then I never hear anything but good.” That’s why…
b) God’s intent is to expose our sinfulness. In his study of Joseph, F. B. Meyer wrote, “There is a stolen cup in your sack, my respectable, reputable, moral friend. You are probably unconscious of it. You pride yourself upon your blameless life. You suppose that Christ Himself has no controversy with you. But if only you knew, you would see that you are robbing Him of His own. You use for yourself time and money and talents which He bought with His own precious blood…”
Even though the brothers knew they were innocent of taking this cup, they also knew they were guilty of a whole lot more. Judah speaks for them all in saying, “God has uncovered your servants’ guilt” (v. 16). True repentance doesn't make up a defense for the small area where you're innocent, but rather admits the larger sphere where you're guilty. A realization of God's grace should lead us to confess our sin, not cover it. God's grace doesn't paper over guilt. His grace means that Christ bore our guilt so that we could go free and that should lead us to repentance.
2. A sinner can only come to God by submitting to His authority. When I was a kid, a favorite show was “Let’s make a deal.” Joseph’s brothers can’t cut a deal. They have no bargaining power. It’s the same position we’re all in as sinners before a holy God. Isaiah cried out, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Is. 64:6). Benjamin had been caught red handed, the cup in his bag. It would do them no good to say, “We’re innocent.” That’s the way it is with us. Before we can ever be saved, we must understand we have no bargaining power. The brothers return to face Joseph. Verse 14, “Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him.” Judah, speaking for them all, reflects their repentant, broken spirit, when he cries, “What can we say to my lord? What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants’ guilt” (v. 16). He then tells Joseph that they all would become his slaves. Joseph has one more test to see if they’ve really changed. He says, "I'll only keep as my slave the one in whose sack the cup was found; the rest of you can return to your father in peace." In his reply, Judah gives this moving discourse, pleading with Joseph on behalf of Benjamin. Judah's broken, contrite approach to this powerful monarch is a model for how we as sinners are to approach a holy God. As sinners we must approach God by submitting to His authority, owning up to our sin and appealing to His compassion.
There are three vital elements in Judah's appeal. First, there is the right attitude, one of submission to Joseph's authority. Secondly, there is the right action. There is repentance, there’s a change in Judah's behavior in which he is willing to offer himself as a slave in Benjamin's place. Finally, there is the right affection, there’s proper emotion, demonstrated in his heartfelt appeal to Joseph's compassion, where Judah sets forth the devastating effect that Benjamin's slavery would have on his aged father, Jacob. These three elements model for us, as sinners, how we to are to approach our holy, sovereign God. Not once does Judah or any of the brothers question Joseph's absolute right to do to them whatever he chooses. From verses 16 to 34, Judah refers to himself or to his father Jacob as "your servant" 12 times and 8 times he refers to Joseph as "my lord." This powerfully illustrates God’s authority over us. That’s because…
a) God’s authority is a rightful authority. If Judah had been a modern day American, he might have organized a “Tea Party.” He’d have screamed at Joseph, “You can't pull this kind of trick on us! We have our rights! I'll call my Congressman!" Yet, that's how many people, even Christians, approach God, challenging His rightful authority over them. God is Sovereign and can do whatever He pleases, because He alone is God. He is the only self-existent Being. All others, including Satan and all the angelic beings, are created and finite. God alone is uncreated and infinite. He spoke into being all that exists in the universe. All things serve His purposes. Even if He chooses to afflict a righteous man like Job as a demonstration of His glory to Satan, God doesn't have to give an account or explanation to anyone (Job 38-42).
b) God's authority is an unchallengeable authority. Joseph is equal to Pharaoh. One word from him and the whole gang would have been imprisoned, sold as slaves or executed. Joseph had unchallengeableauthority! God has even greater authority over His creation. Just as Joseph's brothers had sinned against him, so every person has sinned against God. None of us has a leg to stand on if we dare to challenge God's awesome authority to do to us what He righteously could do. That's why Jesus said, “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him” (Luke 12:4-5). Since God's authority is a rightful and unchallengeableauthority…
c) Our submission must be an absolute submission. When a friend of mine’s daughter was a tyke, they made her sit down in her high chair. But it was very apparent that while she was sitting on the outside, she was still standing on the inside. Her submission wasn't complete, because she had a defiant attitude. It’s inadequate to go through the motions of submission, while rebelling and resisting on the inside. Judah could have approached Joseph with anger and self-justification. After all, Joseph had framed them by planting his cup in Benjamin's sack. Judah could have said, "This isn't fair! We didn't steal your stinkin’ cup and we didn't put the money back in our sacks. We don't want your help or your money. We just want fair treatment and then we'll be on our way."
A lot of people approach God like that. They take pride in their righteous conduct: "God doesn't have a right to treat me this way! I haven't stolen any cup. All I ask for is fair treatment." They're defiant, challenging God's rightful authority over them. They've never come to the place of brokenness before God, where they have yielded completely to Him and said, "Lord, You alone are righteous and wise! You alone are the Creator and Sovereign of the universe! I am a guilty sinner, who has rebelled against You and I yield to Your right to do to me as You please."
Have you come to that place of total submission to God? I don't mean that you deny your feelings. We've all had times when we've been angry at the Lord, and we shouldn't pretend that we’re not angry when we are. But at the same time, there is a right and wrong way to express anger to the Sovereign Lord! If one of my kids is angry at me, I don't mind if they express their feelings as long as they’re not defiant. But even if they have good cause to be angry at me, I won't allow them to have a defiant spirit. So, check your attitude. We must approach God in submission to His rightful, awesome authority over every area of our lives.
3. Sinners come to a holy God by openly confessing their sin. Martin Luther said that he wished that he could learn to pray to God like Judah “prayed” to Joseph. This is the longest speech in Genesis, as Judah gropes for words, “What can we say?” (v. 16). It’s very significant that Judah acknowledged that God Himself had uncovered their sin. They didn’t see this as Joseph’s strategy or his pressure tactics. Behind it all they recognized God’s divine intervention. They acknowledged that God was using Joseph as an instrument of righteousness. It also verifies the wisdom in Joseph’s decision to remain disguised and anonymous. It served as a divine means in breaking down their defenses. Their attitude has completely changed from Genesis 42:28, “What is this that God has done to us?” to “God has uncovered your servants’ guilt” (v. 16).
Judah's confession isn’t just cheap talk. It's easy to say, "I'm sorry” and then go on living just as you were. It’s wonderful to apologize for losing your temper but if you keep doing it over and over again, the person being apologized to is going to rightfully question your sincerity.
Repentance means that there is action accompanying the words. There is an action on Judah's part, a turning from past sin. Not only did he own up to it, he demonstrates throughout this appeal that he has had a change of heart, a willingness to live differently than he had before, even at great personal cost. That's true repentance. Not only do we confess our sin, but there is also a change in our attitudes, feelings and behavior.
This is big stuff for Judah. Remember he’s the one who suggested selling Joseph rather than killing him. He didn't say that though to spare Joseph's life as much as he did to spare their consciences from murdering their own brother, not to mention they’d make a few bucks while getting rid of him. Judah stood there fingering his silver, unaffected when Joseph cried for help as the slave traders carried him off. Judah joined his brothers in deceiving their father into thinking that Joseph was dead and then in pretending to comfort him. Judah also took a pagan wife and had two sons who were so evil that the Lord killed them. Ultimately, he had sexual relations with his daughter-in-law, thinking she was a prostitute, as readily as we might pull into McDonald's for a hamburger.
But now he's a changed man. The cocky man of Genesis 38 now humbles himself. The once greedy man is willing to become a slave so that his brother can go free. The man who lived a sensual, pleasure-oriented, self-centered life now offers to deny himself any pleasure, any rights, any personal freedom in exchange for his brother's freedom. The man who’d closed up his heart against his brother's anguish and against his father's grief now says that he cannot bear to see the pain that his father would go through if Benjamin did not return with them. This is true repentance.
a) True repentance demonstrates itself by the absence of blame. Judah demonstrates true repentance. There is the absence of any blame. And Judah could have blamed his father for this whole mess. Jacob still loved Benjamin more than Judah. If he didn't, it wouldn't matter so much that the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. Jacob would have been sad, but it wouldn't have been the catastrophe that losing Benjamin was. Judah could have bitterly blamed his father for the favoritism which now meant that he’d have to become a slave. But there's no blame here. He could have blamed Joseph. Judah could have told this stern governor, "If Benjamin doesn't return with us, you’re going to kill my Dad. It will be all your fault!" But instead, he admits that it will be his and his brothers' fault.
He could have blamed Benjamin: "You idiot, why did you have the cup in your sack? Why didn’t you check it before we left? You're crazy if you think I'm going to pay for your crime." But there's no accusation of Benjamin. Judah could even have blamed God: "Why are You letting this happen to us? We don't deserve this!" But there's no blame. That's a sign of genuine repentance, when a person says, "I have sinned. I take full responsibility for what I have done."
b) True repentance demonstrates itself by the rebuilding of damaged relationships. Genuine repentance always affects your relationships, both with God and with others. Judah here sees that God is behind all these circumstances: God put the money in his sack; God has found out his iniquity. This change in Judah's relationship with God resulted in a change in his relationship with others. The bitterness toward his father and his father's favorite sons is gone. Instead of hardness, there’s sensitivity as he thinks about how Jacob will feel if Benjamin doesn't return home. If you’ve repented of your sin toward God, it will show in a change of heart toward those who have wronged you. Instead of bitterness, there will be a concern for their feelings and an absence of concern for your own feelings. Judah never complains about what will happen to him as a slave because his focus is on what would happen to Jacob if Benjamin becomes a slave.
Judah's appeal is encouraging because it shows us that change is possible when we’re willing to own up to our sin with genuine repentance. Judah the hardened sinner becomes Judah the compassionate son and brother, willing to sacrifice the rest of his life, as far as he knew, on behalf of his father and brother. The key element in this change is Judah's submission to God and his accepting full responsibility for his sin.
Do you want to change? Be careful before you quickly answer “Yes!” There's a high price tag, as you can see. Are you willing to give up the rest of your life to become a slave? Remember, Judah didn't know the rest of the story yet. He didn't know that his repentance would lead to great blessing, not to enslavement. If you want to change, you must submit yourself to God and own up to your responsibility for your sin. Quit blaming others, even if they're still sinning against you (Jacob still was sinning against Judah). Make sure that your repentance affects your relationships, so that you begin to deal with others with regard for their feelings, no matter what that means with regard to your own feelings. True repentance is the key to being a changed person.
4. Sinners approach God by appealing to His compassion. Donald Barnhouse called this speech by Judah, “the most moving address in all the Word of God.” What makes it so moving is that Judah, who now pleads for Benjamin, is the same man who counseled selling Joseph into slavery twenty years before. He’s willing to sacrifice himself to spare his father the pain of another loss that would potentially kill him. It’s a passionate plea and models how we should approach God. We should approach God with all our hearts. Tears must have been streaming down Judah’s face as he pled for Benjamin’s life. He threw himself into it with a passion that left no doubt about his sincerity. He wanted Joseph to grant his appeal.
Jim Elliot, one of the five missionaries martyred while attempting to take the Gospel to the fierce Auca Indians in Ecuador, wrote in his journal at age nineteen that he lacked the fervency, vitality, life in prayer which he longed for. He observed, "Cold prayers, like cold suitors, are seldom effective in their aims." When we approach God, our hearts need to be in it. I find that too often my prayers are pretty bland. You and I must shake off our spiritual lethargy and ask God to remind us that eternal matters are at stake. God is sovereign, and though I don't totally understand it, He is pleased to respond to the heartfelt appeals of His children.
But Judah didn't cast reason to the wind. While he’s fervent, he’s also logical. He’d caught glimpses of this ruler’s compassion. The man had given the brothers many hints that he was just and reasonable. On their first trip he’d sent the nine home and only kept one in custody because he cared about them taking grain for their families. He’d treated them kindly at the meal and stuffed their sacks with grain, returning their money twice. Knowing this, Judah appeals to his heart by telling him what Benjamin's slavery would mean to his aged father. He bases his appeal on Joseph's word that one of them would be his slave. Judah offers himself instead of Benjamin. And that's how we’re to approach God in prayer. Appeal to Him as a lawyer carefully sets forth his case. Argue your requests based on what you know of the character of God and His promises, as revealed in His Word. You know Him to be compassionate toward His children, promising not to withhold any good thing from them. You know that you can come to Him based on the merits of His Son. So come and present your case, throwing yourself completely upon His grace.
Conclusion: We all know what happens next. Joseph identifies himself as their brother and the entire situation is suddenly reversed…but that’s next week’s sermon. The question we must focus on today is this: Why did Joseph suddenly reveal his identity now? What caused him to suddenly throw off his disguise? A casual consideration of Genesis 44 might lead us to conclude that Judah was successful in tugging at Joseph’s heart strings. Joseph disclosed himself because he couldn’t stand it any longer. That’s not what’s going on here. Joseph is now able to reveal his identity because genuine repentance had been evidenced. Up until this point there had been remorse but not repentance. Repentance is the recognition of our sins which results in the kind of sorrow that brings about a change in our intellect, emotions, and will. Repentance recognizes sin and is genuinely sorry for it, so much so that this sin will be shunned and a new course of action will be sought. The principle which underlies the protracted dealings of Joseph in the lives of his brothers is this: There can be no reconciliation without genuine repentance.
Most of us would never have gone to such lengths to restore our fallen brothers as Joseph did. The reason, I fear, is that we have too little appreciation for the biblical doctrine of repentance. We don’t think it’s that big of a deal, yet, repentance is an inseparable part of the message of the Gospel. It was the message of our Lord and the early church. And while repentance does not guarantee old problems won’t recur, it does assure us that sins are recognized as such and shunned. Repentance determines to break the sin habit and looks to God for enablement to live godly. In addition to desiring a new course of action, we must find a new source of ability. The wonderful news of the grace of God is that He has not only made provision for our salvation, but He also has made provision for our sanctification.
Joseph’s dealings with his brothers have a great deal of application for us. For those who have never come to faith in Christ, there is an illustration of salvation. God, like Joseph, desires to pour out upon men, whom He loves, the riches which are His to give. But we cannot be blessed until our sins have been dealt with. To Joseph’s brothers, this Egyptian potentate was all-wise and all-powerful, but harsh and to be feared. Yet to us, he was a loving brother whose tears revealed his heart and his earnest desires. In order to bring his brothers to repentance, Joseph had to put them to the test and make their lives appear to be in peril. But when they recognized themselves as sinners deserving any sentence Joseph had to pronounce upon them, repentance was realized, and Joseph was free to reveal himself to be a loving brother, not a vengeful master.
If you’ve never come to recognize your sin, desire to forsake it, and to confess it before God, then you, like Joseph’s brothers, will look upon God with only dread and fear. The thought of standing before God will be more fearful to you than Joseph’s brothers’ contemplation of returning to stand for sentencing before him. But once you realize your sins and the rightful penalty that should be yours—once you come to God, not to barter and bargain for blessings, but to cast yourself upon His mercy—then you will come to see the other side of God. He is a loving Father, who desires to pour out His blessings upon you. He wants to save you and to enable you to live a life that pleases Him and you.
Repentance is a vital element of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s not a popular doctrine and is a dimension of the gospel that’s often omitted, thinking that it will be easier to save souls if we leave it out. But salvation will not and cannot occur without it. As Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). And once we are saved, the need for repentance is not over. The way salvation is conceived is also the way it is continued. The process which begins at conversion is an ongoing one. As we daily present ourselves to God, we ought to be learning more of His mind and thus become aware of new truths, as well as being convicted of sins of which we were previously unaware. John called this “walking in the light as He is in the light” (I John 1:7). We should continually be experiencing the renewal of our mind, which should result in renouncing the ways of darkness and walking in the light which we have been given. Repentance, in this sense, will go on throughout our lives until we have, in His presence, been transformed into full conformity with Him.
For Christian and non-Christian alike, repentance is a step beyond recognition of sin and regret of its consequences; it’s the decision to turn from sin to Him who is sinless and whose way is that of righteousness. It is turning from our sins and our self-effort and relying upon our Lord Jesus Christ for both forgiveness and enablement. My friend, have you turned from your sins? Do you, like Joseph’s brothers need to repent today?
