Pay back #1, the story of Joseph and his brothers!
A. Please be sure of this:
1. "If you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD;
and you (1)may be sure that your sin will find you out. Num.32:23
2. Ezek. 18:20-32
(2) The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father,
nor will the father share the guilt of the son.
The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him,
the (3)wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him.
If a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees
and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die.
None of the offenses he has committed will be remembered against him.
Because of the righteous things he has done, he will live. Ezek.18:21-22
(4) If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same
detestable things the wicked man does, will he live?
None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered.
Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed,
he will die. Eze.18:24
(5) Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit.
Why will you die, O house of Israel? Eze.18:31
(6) For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD.
Repent and live! Ezek.18:32
B. The story of Joseph as an illustration. Gen.37:2-45:10
1. Joseph was 17 years old, a favored son of Jacob living in Cannon. 37:2
2. He dreamed some day he will rule over his brothers … 37:8
3. His father sent him to visit his brothers. He said, “Very well”. 37:13
4. His brothers plotted to kill him. 37:18
5. The oldest brother proposed not to kill him. 37:21
6. They sold him to the Midianites and the Midianites sold him to Potiphar,
the captain of the guard in Egypt. Gen.37:21-36
7. Potiphar’s wife wished to sleep with him, but he refused.
And said: How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God? 39:9
His master’s wife accused Joseph trying to sleep with her.
Potiphar throw Joseph in prison. Gen.39:7-20
8. Pharaoh, the king had a dream about 7 ugly and gaunt cows ate up 7 sleek and fat cows
and 7 heads of healthy and good grain, and 7 heads of thin and scorched grain.
The thin grain swallowed up the 7 healthy one.41:1-7
9. He sent for all magicians and wise men of Egypt to interpret for him.
Not one of them were able to interpret the dreams for him! 41:8
10. Then the king sent for Joseph from the dungeon, they shaved him and changed his clothes
brought him to the king. Gen.41:14
11. The king said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it.
But I heard that you can interpret dreams. Gen.41:15
12. Joseph replied to the king: I cannot but God will give the answer. 41:16
The 2 dreams are about one thing, there will be 7 years of great abundance and
after that there will be 7 years of famine. Gen.41:25-32
13. Now let the king look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge… Gen.41:33
The king said to Joseph: I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.
Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of the king. Gen.41:46
During the 7 abundance years Joseph collected all the food and stored it in each city.
He stored up huge quantities of grain… Gen.41:47-49
14. During the years of famine Joseph brothers had to come to Egypt to buy food.
Joseph recognized them but his brothers did not recognize him!
15. This was how he questioned his 10 brothers: Gen.42:29-43:7
a. They said, "The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family.
`Is your father still living?' he asked us. `Do you have another brother?'
We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say,
`Bring your brother down here'?" Gen.43:7
b. We had to answer the man with honesty! We told him we were 12 brothers, sons of one father.
One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in cannon. Gen.42:31-32
16. The man who is lord over the land said:
This is how I know whether you are honest.
Leave one of your brothers here and take food for your starving family and
bring your youngest brother to me. Gen.42:33-34
17. When they ate up all food from Egypt, Jacob asked his sons go back to Egypt to buy more food.
They said to their father:
If you will send our brother along with us, we will go and buy food
so we will not all starve to death. Gen.43:2-5
18. They went the 2nd time with Benjamin their youngest, born from the same mother.
When his brothers return, Joseph told his servant to put his silver cup in his brother’s bag.
And then went after them to find out who took it! They found it and bought them back.
Joseph wanted Benjamin to stay in Egypt but Judah begged him not to, because if Benjamin was
not back with them, their old father would die! Gen.44:1-34
19. At this Joseph could no longer control himself before all his servants, and he cried out,
“Have everyone leave my presence!”
So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers.
And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him,
and the king’s household heard it. Gen.45:1-2
Attention this was what Joseph said to his brothers: Gen.45:3-8
"I am Joseph! Is my father still living?"
But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.
Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me."
When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!
And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here,
because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.
For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years
there will not be plowing and reaping.
But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives
by a great deliverance.
"So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.
20. So Jacob and family 70 of them moved to Egypt and live in the region of Goshen!
At this time Jacob was 130 years old and lived there for 17 years.
Jacob was 130 lived in Goshen 17 years. 70 of them went to Egypt.
C. Lessons we must learn and always remember:
1. Sin is against God and sin will find you out! Num.32:23
Joseph’s brothers sinned against their father, Joseph and God.
15 years later their sins find them out!
2. Joseph being faithful to God, to become able to do all these
he had to go through all those suffering years of training!
3. God take no pleasure in the death of the wicked!
God wants the wicked to turn away from their sins and
keep all his decrees and do what is just and right and live! Ezek.18:21-23
May the Lord bless you and keep you forever! Feb., 15, 2010
P.S. This is lesson one on pay back.