Deliverance

Read Exodus 5

For many years, the children of Israel were slaves in Egypt. 

Israel and his family moved to Egypt because of a widespread famine.  God used Israel’s son Joseph to preserve the family from the devastating effects of the famine.

While Joseph was alive, the children of Israel lived in favor in Egypt.  However, a pharaoh came to power who did not know Joseph.  He saw the rapidly growing population of Hebrews and made plans to both dominate and reduce the Israelite population.

Those plans included slavery, oppression and killing the male babies. The labor demands, slavery and oppression became so harsh that the people of Israel cried out to God for help.

God responded and appeared to a man named Moses.  Moses was tending sheep in the wilderness at the time.  He saw a bush engulfed in flames, but the fire did not consume the bush.  When Moses went to investigate, God spoke to him from the bush.  God told Moses to go and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt.  God said, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt.”  (Exodus 3:7) 

God does not call them the children of Israel; He calls them “My People.”

Moses objected that he was not capable, and that the people would not accept him as their leader.  God gave Moses powerful signs to present to the leaders of the people as proof that God sent him.

Reluctantly, Moses went to Egypt and met with the leaders of the children of Israel.  He performed the signs for them and convinced them that God heard their cries for help and was acting on their behalf.  The people of Israel were overjoyed.  Exodus 4:30 says, “When they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.” 

Moses and his brother Aaron went to Pharaoh with a request to take a 3 day’s journey into the wilderness to worship God.

Pharaoh responded that he did not know God, had no reason to listen to God and he would not let the Israelites go to worship their God.

Moses and Aaron asked a second time, very humbly, saying they were afraid of God’s anger if they did not go and worship.

Pharaoh replied that Moses and Aaron were distracting the people from their work.  He said the people were lazy and gave orders that in addition to their normal brick quotas, they were now required to gather their own straw.  What had been brutal labor now was elevated to the point that the workers feared for their lives.

Exodus 5:22-6:1 says:

Then Moses went back to the LORD and protested, “Why have you brought all this trouble on your own people, Lord?  Why did you send me?  Ever since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your people.  And you have done nothing to rescue them!”

Then the LORD told Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh.  When he feels the force of my strong hand, he will let the people go.  In fact, he will force them to leave his land!”

The Lord said, “Now you will see.”

There are times when we need to see the hand of the Lord.

We may not be in slavery in Egypt, but there are difficulties, challenges and obstacles that block our path.  Marriage problems, problems with children, family problems, financial problems, disease, addictions and an unlimited variety of issues surround us.

Like the Israelites, we get to the point that we call out to God.  We need to see.  We need to see what God will do to Pharaoh.

There is a progression of events here in the story of God’s dealings with Moses and Israel that, if we understand them, will help us be patient and not lose hope when waiting for God’s deliverance.

First, we see the confrontation.

Moses approached Pharaoh with a request, and Pharaoh did not want to talk about it. 

When we come to God for deliverance, there has to be this confrontation.  The problem or issue has to be brought to the surface.  It has to be faced.

With Pharaoh, it was his pride.  Literally, he said, “Who is God?”  We can almost hear the contempt and derision in his voice.  He set himself up in opposition to God.

Many things set themselves up in opposition to God in our lives.  The first and greatest of these is pride.  It might manifest itself in the form of a problem with anger, an addiction or a habit, but at the root, it is still pride.

Many cries for deliverance fail here, because we fail to recognize or confront the real issue.  The monster, giant or Pharaoh controlling our lives must be confronted.  It will not work to try to control a behavior without addressing the pride, unforgiveness or attitude behind it.

Another issue is why we confront the issue.  Moses and Aaron requested permission to go and serve the Lord.  If they had sought permission to go to the beach for a few days, it might have been understandable but not a reason for God to intervene.  Often we ask for deliverance so that we can be normal, so that we can be free to do more with what we perceive to be ours.  In this case, our plea for deliverance has nothing to do with the Lord or His purpose for our lives.  In other words, James 4:3 has an explanation.  It says, “And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong – you want only what will give you pleasure.”

It took a lot of courage to do what Moses and Aaron did.  However, they mustered their courage and approached Pharaoh.  That is the confrontation.  We must have the courage to face the real issue.

After the confrontation comes the response.

Pharaoh’s response was to defend his turf.  “Who is the Lord?” he said with contempt.  Then he increased the people’s workload beyond reason.  He brought all the weight of his nation to bear on the problem.  All the machinery of slavery went into action.  Slave drivers, whips and supervisors all had a part to play.  Slavery had a long history in Egypt and the institution was designed to keep the Hebrews oppressed.  Therefore, everything got a lot worse.  The response to the confrontation was devastating.

This is a pattern in life.  Once we confront our slave master, things get worse.  The enemy of our souls is not Pharaoh.  He is the devil, the ancient serpent from the Garden of Eden.  The hang-ups and habits he uses to get control are called strongholds.  As this name implies, these habits and hang-ups are resilient.  They do not go away easily.  Like the institution of slavery, they have all the machinery in place to keep us held captive.

When God starts the process of removing us from these traps, we start to realize just how much they are a part of us.  The fight will feel like a fight for one’s life, because it is.  The serpent’s intent is to destroy us.  God’s intent is that we might live.

At this point, we, like the people of Israel and Moses, are prone to cry out, “God what are You doing?”

When the time is right God says, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh.”

This is the answer. 

We have progressed from the confrontation through the response to the answer.

Isaiah 40:31 says, “They who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”  (ESV)

When everything gets worse and we see the strength of the stronghold in our lives, we are tempted to give up.  We must wait for the Lord.  We must hope in the Lord.  Notice that God did not say, “Don’t worry, I will give you strength to deal with Pharaoh.” He said, “Now you will see what I will do.”

In our own strength, defeating a stronghold is beyond us.  This is why we need to see the mighty hand of God at work.

Many years after Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt, there was a king in Judah named Ahaz.  Two nations conspired against the kingdom of Judah and Ahaz and his people were afraid.  At that point, God said something that applies to us.  God said, “Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm.”  (Isaiah 7:9)

This is the lesson of Isaiah 40:31.  Those who wait upon the Lord renew their strength. 

Consider Luke 18:1 where it says, “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.”

Did you know that Jesus taught that you should never give up?

Never give up hope in the Lord.  Call upon Him for help.  Do not be surprised when things get worse; expect it.  Be confident that God, who began the work in you, will bring it to completion.

Just Call

Exodus chapter 1 through chapter 2 verse 10 gives the details of how God prepared a deliverer for His people in spite of all of Pharaoh’s efforts to keep it from happening.  Pharaoh tried enslaving the Hebrews and killing all their male babies as means of controlling the Hebrew population.  God planned otherwise. 

God used Pharaoh’s daughter to raise Moses. 

Exodus 2:10 says, “The princess named him Moses, for she explained, “I lifted him out of the water.”[i]

Her reason for naming him Moses was she lifted him out of the water.  A clever play on words for her, and unknown to her an even more clever play on words for God.

God was about to lift a nation out of slavery!

God was about to “lift out” over 2 million slaves.

Every generation since that time has retold the story of the great deliverance God worked through Moses.

We see in Exodus 2 God’s preparation of the deliverer.

First, we see his early training. 

Moses was nursed by his Hebrew mother.  When he was weaned, he was adopted into the daughter of Pharaoh’s house.  Acts 7:22 tells us, “Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in both speech and action.” Egypt had the best training and knowledge of the day.  Moses was well educated.  Not only well educated but he was powerful in both speech and action.  Exodus 2:11 says, “Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work.” 

I want to talk about this word “grown up” in Exodus 2:11.  We know from Acts 7 verse 23 that Moses was 40 years old.  This is what is meant by “many years later” in Exodus 2:11.  Since we realize this, it is natural to translate the Hebrew word of Exodus 2:11 as “grown up.”  However, there is a more basic or fundamental meaning of the word.  The word for word literal translation would be to “become great.”  Follow me now, taking Exodus 2:11 and Acts 7:23 together it is safe to say by the age of 40 Moses had “become great.”  He was powerful in both speech and action.

We can now look at verses 11 through 13 of Exodus 2 in a new light.  Exodus 2:11-13 say:

¹¹Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work. During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrews. ¹²After looking in all directions to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand.

¹³The next day, when Moses went out to visit his people again, he saw two Hebrew men fighting. “Why are you beating up your friend?” Moses said to the one who had started the fight.

Acts 7:25 explains Moses’ behavior by saying, “Moses assumed his fellow Israelites would realize that God had sent him to rescue them.” 

Moses identified with his Hebrew heritage, and was great in the Egyptian world.  He knew his calling and purpose. 

Everything blew up in his face.  The Hebrews rejected him saying, “Who appointed you to be our prince and judge?” In addition, the Egyptians turned and tried to kill him because of his actions in support of the Hebrews.  The murder was just the excuse for executing Moses.  The real issue was what we are told in Hebrews 11:24&25.  Moses “refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. ²⁵He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.”

Rejected by his people and pursued by the Egyptians, Moses spent the next 40 years in the wilderness.  Just how much he felt his failure is shown in his words after 40 years.  He says, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”  (Exodus 3:11)  Could this be the same powerful, confident man who at the age of 40 was ready to do the job?

Moses spent 40 years tending sheep in the wilderness.  These 40 years were just as important as the education and training Moses had received.  God used both to prepare his servant.

God was working a great deliverance.  It was not the work of a man.  It was the work of God.  Many years later the prophet Zechariah expressed it this way, “’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.”  (Zechariah 4:6, NIV)[ii]  We see this in God’s preparation of the leader of the deliverance. 

At the same time God was preparing the deliverer, He was also preparing the people to be delivered.

Acts 7 gives the example of the people’s rejection of Moses and says, “God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected when they demanded, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?’”  (Acts 7:35)  Then this scathing rebuke is leveled against the Hebrew people, “You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth.  Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit?”  (Acts 7:51) 

They rejected Moses, but 40 years later God says numerous times, “I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers.”  (Exodus 3:7)  By the end of chapter 2 it is clear that the people’s suffering had become unbearable and they were crying out to God.

Both the deliverer and the “deliveries” were now ready.  God enters in and introduces Himself for the first time as “I AM.” 

This above all the other names of God is His personal name.  He is the Almighty, the Savior, the Provider and we need to know these things.  However, at the greatest moment of need and vulnerability we need the “I am.”

God is still working great deliverances every day, and they still follow the same pattern.  God prepares his deliverers.  Those who would be used by God need to be trained, and they have to learn, “’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.”

Those who would be delivered must learn to call upon the Lord to be delivered.  As long as we think we can do it ourselves we will not turn to God for deliverance.

Here is a truth from Scripture.  Jesus is the only way for any of us to be delivered.  We are all slaves, but Jesus sets us free.  Acts 4:12 says, “There is salvation in no one else!  God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved."

There are two mistakes we make.  One is having been set free we get to thinking that we can set others free by our skill and knowledge.  The second is we think we can set ourselves free.

Friends there is a great truth of Scripture that is so simple it is astounding, but it is hard to accept.  The Scripture say it in numerous places and in numerous ways.  I will quote it from Romans 10:13.  It says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

It is that simple.  The miracle of the burning bush, the plagues on Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea on dry ground and the crossing of the wilderness all happened because the people called on God.  These things did not happen because Moses was brilliantly trained.  These things did not happen because the people were brave and courageous.  These things happened because the people called on the great “I AM” for deliverance.

If you need a miracle today, call on Him, just call.

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

[ii] Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

God's Plans

In the Garden of Eden, God promised to provide salvation.  The book of Genesis traces history from Adam to Noah to Abraham to Joseph.  Exodus picks up the story, recounting the number of the descendants of Israel who went to Egypt when Joseph was prime minister.

Four hundred years passed and the people of Israel were becoming so numerous that Pharaoh was in fear of being outnumbered.  The book of Numbers (1:46) tells us that one year after the Exodus from Egypt, there were 603,550 men between the ages of 20 and 50. This means that the total Israelite population could have been anywhere from 2.5 million to 3.5 million.  Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of Israel now outnumber us and are stronger than we are.”  (Exodus 1:9)  Whether he was exaggerating or stating a fact, the population had grown to the point that the Egyptians felt threatened.

Pharaoh and his people came up with a plan to manage the Israelite population.  First, they tried hard labor.  They made the Israelites’ lives miserable.

Next, they tried to control population growth by killing the baby boys.  This was attempted first by ordering the midwives to kill the babies as they were born.  When this did not work, Pharaoh issued an order to have all the baby boys thrown into the Nile River.

This is horrible, unimaginable.  Parents do get rid of babies.  In the present day, it is much more sterile.  A doctor does it before anyone has a chance to see the baby.  However, for a parent who loves and wants the child, it is unthinkable.

How could they take a baby from a protective mother and throw him into the river?  The turmoil, grief and horror of this situation must have been unimaginable.  Perhaps Hebrew parents prayed for girls.  Becoming pregnant would have been frightening.

Throughout history, unreasonable fear of and hatred of the Hebrew people has not been that uncommon.  The book of Esther tells of Haman’s attempt to exterminate the Jewish people.  In recent history, Hitler’s Germany tried to exterminate the Jews.  Since Israel became a nation in 1948, there are a number of Islamist countries and organizations whose stated goal is the annihilation of Israel.

What is the point?  Why this particular people?  The story of Pharaoh’s plan to control Israeli population makes me think of Psalm 2:1-3.

Why are the nations so angry?  Why do they waste their time with futile
plans?  The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together
against the LORD and against his anointed one.  “Let us break their chains,”
they cry, “and free ourselves from slavery to God.”

In the Garden, God said to the serpent, “15And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring.  He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”  (Genesis 3:15)  The serpent has not forgotten.

Then, to Abraham God said, “All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”  (Genesis 12:3) The serpent made the connection.

There is a battle going on that runs beneath the surface, a battle that we cannot see.  Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

The story of Moses gives a glimpse into this battle.

Pharaoh did not read the Bible, did not have the Ten Commandments, but we all know intrinsically that we should love our neighbor as ourselves.  We all know by nature that we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us.  Pharaoh has set Himself up against God.  In Pharaoh’s case, we see fear, greed and lust playing into the hands of the serpent.  The target of the attack on Israel is the Lord and His anointed One.

This is also the answer to what Psalm 2 is talking about: “Why are the nations so angry?  Why do they waste their time with futile plans?”  The nations set themselves up in opposition to God and His plans.  The nations play into the hands of the serpent.  The serpent is the prince and power of the air, the spirit that works in the children of disobedience.  This is why Ephesians 6 tells us that we are not fighting flesh and blood enemies.  Although our enemies may have flesh and blood like Pharaoh, the real enemy has always been the serpent.

How does God respond?

Let’s go back to Psalm 2:4.  “But the one who rules in heaven laughs.  The Lord scoffs at them.”

Let’s look at how the battle plays out in the story of Pharaoh and the Israelites.

Exodus 2 is a fascinating story.  Moses’ parents somehow knew their baby was special.  They hid him as long as they could.  The basket was carefully constructed.  It was no accident that the baby was in the reeds where the princess came to bathe.  They did not have much of a chance.  Would the princess notice the basket?  Would she feel for the baby, or just dump it into the water?

The princess not only noticed, she decided to adopt the baby as her own.

From our perspective, we know the rest of the story.  Moses grew up to be the one chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.  God’s plan was for a deliverer.  Pharaoh’s plans were for destruction.  Pharaoh’s daughter raised Moses in Pharaoh’s own household.

Talk about God laughing; God used Pharaoh’s instrument of destruction to raise up a deliverer.

Pharaoh set himself up in opposition to God, and God had Pharaoh’s own daughter raise up the very one who would be the leader of the people Pharaoh was trying to destroy.

Fast forward from Moses to Jesus.

God showed by great power and miracles that Jesus was the Son of God.  Jesus preached, taught and healed throughout the land of Israel.  He proclaimed Himself to be the long-awaited Messiah, the promised anointed One, the seed of the woman promised in Genesis.

The Romans and Jewish leaders, influenced by fear, greed and lust plotted together to kill Jesus.  Just like Pharaoh had set himself up in opposition to God and His plans, these men set themselves up in opposition to God.

Jesus is the anointed One spoken of in Psalm 2.  Jesus is the seed of the woman that God told the serpent “He will strike your head.”  God’s plan was for a deliverer.  The serpent’s plan was for destruction.  Jesus died on the cross.  However, far from being a victory for the serpent, this was all accomplished according to God’s purpose, foreknowledge and plan.  God raised Jesus from the grave, and the very instrument chosen to kill the Son of God has become a symbol of God’s love and salvation.

The serpent’s plan was to put an end to the Son of God on the cross.  And yet according to Isaiah 53:10, “it was the LORD's good plan to crush him and cause him grief.  Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants.  He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD's good plan will prosper in his hands.”  What the serpent intended to be a defeat ended up being a victory, the turning point of all history.  We all know that God raised Jesus from the dead.

The story that started in Genesis is our story.  We are all descendants of Adam.  The storyline that traces from Adam to Abraham to Joseph to Moses is the story of redemption.  The slavery of the Jewish people is a picture of humanity’s slavery to sin.  The serpent tried to cut off the line of the anointed One with oppression, slavery and murder, and yet God in His plan used these things to work a mighty deliverance.  The serpent has also tried to cut off humanity from salvation by oppression, slavery and murder, but God turns these very things into victory through Jesus Christ.

Listen to how Peter summarizes the story in Acts 2:22-24.

“People of Israel, listen!  God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed.   With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him.  But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip.

The story is not over.  The serpent is still trying to cut off the line of the anointed One.  Pharaoh’s solution of oppression is still in operation against the people of God.  In over ½ the world, it is not safe to name the name of Jesus or to own Him as one’s Savior.  Just yesterday, we shared the gospel with a woman, who if she believes and takes the message home with her, she could be imprisoned for her faith.  Yet, no matter how the serpent tries to stop the Lord’s anointed One, the message only spreads farther and faster.

Oppression and slavery are not only political things.  What we see in the world we see in individual lives.  Sins of all kinds enslave people.  Disease and troubles attack and oppress people.

In your personal life, you have probably experienced this.  Do we not all have troubles and habits in our lives that set themselves up in opposition to God?

In James we are told, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.”  (James 1:2)

James is talking about faith growing when it is tested.  In this, we see that God allows things into our lives that will make us stronger.  What the serpent means to destroy us end up being the very things that God uses for our deliverance.

Are you willing to trust God?  Whatever you are going through you have a choice.

There are two options.  You can follow the serpent’s path and set yourself up in opposition to God.  But, remember Pharaoh; that path does not end well.  Second option, you can trust God and call out to Him for deliverance.  He never fails.  His plans always succeed.  I recommend this option.  Trust God and call out to Him for deliverance.

If God can have Pharaoh’s daughter raise Israel’s deliverer, what can He do in your life and mine?

Sovereignty

Joseph was favored.  Out of his 11 brothers, Joseph was the favorite of his father Jacob.  He was also favored of God.  This is not the same thing as saying He was God’s favorite.  Rather, God chose Joseph for a special role or purpose.  His grace or favor was evident in Joseph’s life.

Genesis 37 begins with the story of Joseph as a young man.  It starts by telling us about two dreams Joseph had.  It also tells us that his brothers hated him.  They hated him.  They hated him.  Three times in only a few verses, we read that Joseph’s brothers hated him.  They were jealous because of their father’s favoritism and enraged by the implications of Joseph’s dreams.  

First, Joseph dreamed that they were all out in the field tying up bundles of grain.  Suddenly his bundle stood up and his brothers’ bundles all gathered around and bowed low before Joseph’s.  Without any education in dream interpretation, his brothers immediately caught the significance.  They said, “Do you actually think you will reign over us?”

Next, Joseph dreamed that the sun, moon and eleven stars all bowed low before him.  Again, his brothers immediately understood the significance.  This time his father rebuked him.  His father said, “Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow to the ground before you?”

God gave these dreams to Joseph.  Joseph understood this, but his family did not.  His brothers, in their jealousy saw only an arrogant, spoiled brat.  

It did not help their opinion of Joseph when they saw Joseph wearing a special, “this is my favorite son,” robe that his father had given him.

It did not help that Joseph told their father when the brothers did bad things.

Finally, the brothers decided on the ultimate solution.  They would kill Joseph.  They threw Joseph into an empty cistern, and were going to leave him to die.  Then a band of traders happened to pass by.  Seeing an opportunity to turn a profit rather than commit murder, the brothers sold Joseph as a slave.

As a slave, Joseph worked hard.  He also enjoyed God’s blessings so he rose quickly to being in charge of the household where he was enslaved.  Then disaster struck.  Falsely accused of a wrong he had refused to commit, he spent years in prison.  Genesis 39 through 41 tells of Joseph’s time in Egypt.  

God has taken the time to tell us many details of Joseph’s life.  I urge you to read it on your own.

In prison, Joseph quickly rose to a position of leadership.  He took care of all of the other prisoners.  In the course of his duties, he helped two prisoners by interpreting their dreams.  He asked them to help him also, but when they got out, they forgot about Joseph.

Sold as a slave, wrongly thrown into jail, forgotten by friends Joseph had reason to be angry.

His brothers who were supposed to be his friends and protectors hated him and would have killed him had it not been for a chance meeting with some traders.

Many of us have been filled with anger over lesser things.  Others of us have experienced things that some would count as worse.  Some have been beaten and abused by their own parents.  Others have been sexually abused by those who should have been their protectors.  Each person knows inside the list of hurts, insults and injuries that he or she has experienced.  Each one of us could fill pages.  God records for all humanity to read some of the wrongs done to Joseph.  In these pages in Genesis, we read only the major ones.  We can be certain that there were many, many daily little jabs and stabs taken at Joseph by his hateful brothers.

A particularly pointed revelation is what the brothers said more than 20 years later.  They said, “We saw his anguish when he pleaded for his life, but we wouldn’t listen.”  In this statement, we see the cold-hearted malice with which his brothers treated Joseph.

Seeing and experiencing such cold-hearted malice, has caused many to reject God.  A man named Vladimir told me that seeing his little brother killed by a German soldier convinced him there is no God.  Some spend their whole lives bitter and angry at God, at society, at family or at those who hurt them.  

The problem is we all have elements of Joseph’s story in our life.  We all have been wronged to one degree or another.

Today I want to look at how Joseph responded, and learn how we can find healing in his words.  Turn with me to Genesis 45 verses 3 through 8.  

3“I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers.  “Is my father still alive?”  But his brothers were speechless!  They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them.  4“Please, come closer,” he said to them.  So they came closer.  In addition, he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt.  5But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place.  It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives.  6This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.  7God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors.  8So it was God who sent me here, not you!  And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.”

We know that we should forgive those who trespass against us.  We know that to do so is good for ourselves.  We remain the prisoner of the one we refuse to forgive.  So many of us are enslaved by the hurts that we just cannot forgive.  Look at what Joseph says.  “It was God who sent me here.”

Not forgiving others and forgiving others is a major issue in our relationship with God.  Jesus said, “14If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.  15But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”  (Matthew 6: 14-15)

Do not hear me saying, “Forgive or else.”  I am trying to get at something deeper.  We all know God is sovereign.  By “sovereign,” I mean that He is free to do whatever He wants with what is His.  The universe is His.  Nothing happens without His knowledge.  He also has the power to control.  Jesus said that not even a sparrow falls to the ground but God is fully aware of the situation.

As proof of what I am saying, I will give you a few verses from the Bible.

3Our God is in the heavens, and he does as he wishes.  (Psalm 115:3)

35All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him.  He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’  (Daniel 4:35)

9“What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator.  Does a clay pot argue with its maker?  Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’  Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’  (Isaiah 45:9)

These and many such passages of Scripture tell us of the sovereignty of God.  This is why the deeper issue in forgiveness is our relationship with God.  There is a truth expressed by Joseph to his brothers that needs to be communicated.  

When Jacob passed away, Joseph’s brothers thought the other shoe was going to fall.  Now that their father was gone, they feared that Joseph would try to get even for what they had done.  Turn to Genesis 50:19-20 and see what Joseph said?  

19But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me.  Am I God, that I can punish you?  20You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

There are three things in this passage we all need to take with us.

First, we are not God.  We cannot punish those who wrong us.  We must leave that to God.

Second, call it like it is.  They intended harm.  Joseph’s brothers were not good old boys just having some fun. They intended to harm Joseph and he did not sugar coat it.  It is not our place to punish, and neither is it our place to excuse, downplay or take responsibility for the malice or wrongdoing of others.

Third, God intended it for good.  This is probably the toughest point.  We can see the good that came out of Joseph’s life, but it is difficult to see what good can come out of some horrible stuff that happens.  Be careful here.  Joseph did not say that what his brothers did was good.  It was horrible.  The bad things that people do are just that – they are bad.  However, God can use the bad things for good.  God is good.  When horrible things happen, it is hard to believe that God is good.  It is hard for us to trust that God will make something good of this bad thing.  However, this is precisely what made the difference in Joseph’s life.

He rose above every bad thing thrown at him because he believed with all his heart that God is good and God is Sovereign.  In the New Testament, we are encouraged to have this same faith.  In Romans 8:28 we find it written:  28And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

This is why forgiveness is first an issue between God and us.  He is sovereign.  Do we believe He is good?  

Read the story of Joseph.  He trusted God.  But, he did not trust his brothers.  Before he revealed himself to them, he tested them in a number of ways.  He forgave them, but he also knew what they had done.  He provided for them, but he did not entrust himself to them.  He trusted God completely and fully.  He knew that God was in control and that even the bad things that happened only served to accomplish God’s purposes.

Get right with God.  First, realize that He is willing to forgive you for anything and everything you may have done wrong.  He sent His only Son to die in your place for the bad things you have done.  All you need to do is ask him to forgive you.

Second, realizing all that He has forgiven you for, let Him set you free from any unforgiveness in your heart.  He is good.  He wants to bless you beyond anything any of us can imagine, but we have to trust Him.

A Family Divided

Genesis 25:27-34; 27:1-40

God chose Abraham, and promised to bless him and through Abraham to bless the whole earth.  After Abraham, the blessing passed to Isaac and then to Jacob.  The blessing then was passed down through the descendants of Jacob through David until the birth of the promised Messiah.  Jesus is the promise personified.  It is through Jesus that all the nations on earth are blessed.  It is Jesus that Abraham accepted and looked forward to by faith.

The story of the fulfilling of the promise is one of incredible miracles, providence and provision.  It is also one of sorrow and heartache.

For example, Abraham’s firstborn son was actually Ishmael.  Abraham pleaded with God to bless Ishmael and God told Abraham that He would bless Ishmael, but the promise would be through Isaac.  The story of Ishmael reflects the sorrow and heartache of which I speak.  From a strictly human point of view, this might be explained because the boys had different mothers.

However, the story of Esau and Jacob also reflects sorrow and heartache.  Isaac wanted to bless Esau with all his heart.  He loved Esau.  But, the sorrow and heartache came through Esau.  It is a complicated story filled with family intrigue and betrayal.  It is a very human story.  Isaac and Rebecca, husband and wife, are not on the same page.  Esau despises his birthright and Jacob steals the blessing meant for Esau.

Behind and above it all are the sovereign purposes of God.  The story of Esau and Jacob is a story of Divine sovereignty and human choice. It is beyond us to unravel all the mysteries, but there are some valuable lessons we can learn by examining the story of Esau and Jacob found in Genesis 25 and 27.

The story  begins at the birth of the twins.  Genesis 25 tells us:

²¹Isaac pleaded with the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The LORD answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. ²²But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the LORD about it. “Why is this happening to me?” she asked.

²³And the LORD told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.”

If we focus on verse 23, we see that it is God’s purpose that the older will serve the younger.  This is confirmed in Malachi 1:2&3 and in Romans 9.  Let’s look at Romans 9 verses 11-12:

¹¹But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God.  (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; ¹²he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.)  She was told, “Your older son will serve your younger son.”[i]

For His own reasons God chose Jacob.

However, Isaac loved Esau.  Let’s look at part of the blessing that Isaac gave.

²⁹May many nations become your servants,

and may they bow down to you.

May you be the master over your brothers,

and may your mother’s sons bow down to you.  Genesis 27:29

You will notice he says, “may your mother’s sons bow down to you.”  It is important to note that Isaac thinks he is blessing Esau.  His purpose then in this blessing is contrary to the direct word of God.  Isaac’s love for his son set him at cross-purposes with God.

The same situation had existed with Abraham, but Abraham had submitted to the will of God.  Scripture tells us it distressed him greatly (Genesis 21:11), but he obeyed and sent his son Ishmael away.

This does not justify what Rebecca and Jacob did.  Rather than taking things in their own hands and lying, they should have waited on the Lord. Their lies and deceit bore terrible consequences and added to the sorrow and heartache in the family.

Jesus, our example, prayed, “Not my will but Thine be done.”  (Luke 22:42)  He also taught us to pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Both sides in this family took action that was contrary to God’s revealed will.  Isaac set himself at cross purposes with God by trying to give to the older what God said belonged to the younger.  Rebecca and Jacob violated God’s standards by lying and deceiving to gain what God said He would give.

The most common place this scenario is carried out in today’s world is in regards to salvation.  We have loved ones and friends who do not know Christ or accept that salvation comes by trusting in Jesus alone.  The very thought of someone we love being condemned to hell is too horrific to contemplate.  The thought fills us with horror.

It is this thought that caused the Apostle Paul to write:

¹With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness.  My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it.  ²My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief ³for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters.  I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them.  (Romans 9:1-3)

I am sure Isaac and Abraham would have felt the same way about the children they loved.  We all do.  When faced by the bitter sorrow and unending grief caused by the loss of someone we love, we can pray like Abraham and Jesus, “Not my will but thine be done.  Or, like Isaac we can set ourselves at cross purposes with God, and/or lie, steal and deceive like Jacob and Rebecca.

In Romans 9 the Apostle Paul addresses a few of the issues.  One thing he says is:  

¹⁴Are we saying, then, that God was unfair?  Of course not!  ¹⁵For God said to Moses,

“I will show mercy to anyone I choose,

and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.”

This whole idea of God being fair is behind the teaching that God will save everyone.  This is a teaching that requires us to reject large portions of the Word of God, including the example of Jacob and Esau.

The Apostle Paul says:

¹⁸So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.

¹⁹Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding?  Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?”

²⁰No, don’t say that.  Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God?  Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?”  ²¹When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into?  ²²In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction.

Let’s consider the patience of God.

God gave Pharaoh 10 chances to soften his heart and let the Israelites go, but he would not.

Esau was born with the birthright and had his father’s favor, and yet Genesis 25 tells us that he despised his birthright and was willing to sell it for a bowl of stew.

2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think.  No, he is being patient for your sake.  He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”  God wants everyone to repent.  He invites everyone to believe in His Son.  He invites everyone to come, and yet many, many refuse to come that they can have life.

The purposes of God, the blessing of God and the passing of that blessing to the next generation divided Isaac’s family.

It still divides today.  The blessing of God fulfilled in Jesus Christ is at the center of what divides us.  The Islamists say that Jesus was a prophet but not the Son of God.  They are at cross-purposes with God.  The Jews say the Messiah is yet to come.  They also are at cross-purposes with God.  The atheists say there is no God.  They too are at cross-purposes with God.  Many that call themselves Christian say we have to live by the law.  They are not at cross-purposes.  Rather, they are like Rebecca and Jacob who would lie and deceive to try to gain the promise on their own terms.

Salvation and God’s blessings are free and available to all who will accept them.  However, they do not come on our terms.  They come on God’s terms.  God’s terms are:

⁹If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  ¹⁰For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.  ¹¹As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”  ¹²Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect.  They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him.  ¹³For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.