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Truly Guilty
Genesis 41:53-42:38
Remember that even though Jacob is leading and guiding the family, that they are all grown men with large adult families
By now Benjamin is probably between 31 and 37 and Joseph is between 37 and 39 years old
The blessings of God on Jacob’s life
God has vindicated him at last--he really was God’s man!
The years of plenty came and went 41:53
The famine came 41:54
Egypt had bread and plenty of it--they began to sell to other countries even 41:57
Joseph is ruling over Egypt as second in command
Joseph remembers his dream 42:9
His brothers have come and bowed down to him 42:6
Joseph is speaking through an interpreter 42:23
Joseph speaks roughly to his brothers accusing them of being possible spies 42:9
In their defense they tell the family history and mention that Benjamin, the youngest is not with them, would be about 6 years younger than Joseph and now about 31 to 37 years of age
Joseph tells them that they will have to prove their motives in being in Egypt 42:15
He puts them in jail for 3 days 42:17
He tells them that he fears God and so will send 9 back home 42:18-19
Sin hurts everyone for a long time
Don't forget it has now been at least 20 to 25 years since the problem in the family
Jacob is still worried and overprotective of his youngest son, Benjamin--who would now be a man 42:4
It has to hurt that Joseph is afraid for Benjamin and tells the other brothers to just go on in spite of the possible mischief 42:4
The proud brothers find themselves bowing down 42:6, and having to prove themselves 42:13-16
The brothers spend 3 days in jail 42:17
Simeon is left alone in jail for a long time
The brothers remember the hurt that they caused
We saw the anguish of his soul when he begged us
We ignored him
We sinned against our brother
His blood is now required of us
Joseph hurts as he hears his brothers remember their crime
They watch as their brother is tied up and taken back to jail 42:24
They are afraid when they find their money in their sack 42:28, 35
Jacob says that his son, Benjamin, will never leave because he has now lost 3 sons
Rueben offers to allow his two sons to die but they have to have food
Practical lessons for our lives today
God will vindicate his man and judge correctly I Corinthians 4:3-5, Romans 14:4
Though the dream died for a while God brought it to pass--through greatly different than Joseph had expected
We can and should fear God in the bad times and the good times and yet many of us use either excuse to backslide
Our sin will always find us out even if it is years and years later
God has a way of bringing our sin before us and causing us to repent if we are truly part of his family
Joseph is able to forgive them and not kill them
He also sends them home with their money
You can forgive and not seek vengeance on those that have done you wrong