If you have your Bible tonight, would you open to the book of Genesis, chapter number 45 tonight. The book of Genesis, chapter number 45. We've been learning in our study of Genesis that God is carrying out a redemptive plan for humanity through His covenant people. A plan that began with Abraham and then moved along through with Isaac and then Jacob, and will further extend through Jacob's 12 sons, who will become the nation of Israel, from which will come humanity's Savior, none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, in order to get the sons of Jacob where they need to be so as to be used in God's redemptive plan, we've been seeing that they needed to go through some transformative experiences that ultimately result in their being in Egypt where God will grow them into a mighty people. We've been seeing in the Joseph story that God is also using Joseph as an instrument in his hands to accomplish these grand and glorious purposes. Through the providence of God, Joseph has been placed in a very important and a very influential position. And through a course of amazing events, God has used Joseph to bring his brothers to a profound place of humility. Now, through a series of tests that we've been seeing in the last couple of chapters, the brothers' sins of the past really have been exposed. And conviction, the measure of conviction has set into their lives and it's even brought them really to a place of confession of those sins amongst themselves and change. We've been seeing that as a result. How could we miss the great change that happened really even in Judah's life as we look back and saw what a different man that he had become from 20 years ago. And now the next part of this drama is about to unfold. And so in our chapter for today, chapter number 45, we're going to continue to see more of this amazing story. And really the way that I see it is this chapter can be divided into two major sections or two major movements. And what we're going to see here are two very important insights concerning the life of this family. I really only have two points for you tonight, so this should be pretty easy. Two points tonight. Real simple. Reconciliation and reorientation. Maybe you can remember those two words. Follow along with me as I read chapter 45. It's not that long of a chapter, so I'm going to read it in one setting. And these two ideas, I want to see if these things are suggested in your thinking as well as they have been in mine. Chapter number 45, let's pick up the reading there in verse number 1. Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, Make everyone go out from me. So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. And Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph. Is my father still alive? But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. So Joseph said to his brothers, Come near to me, please. And they came near. And he said, I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here. For God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and Lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry, and go up to my father and say to him, Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me Lord of all of Egypt. Come down to me, do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children, and your children's children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. There I will provide for you. And there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household and all that you have do not come to poverty. And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry, and bring my father down here." Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all of his brothers and wept upon them, and after that his brothers talked with him. When the report was heard in Pharaoh's house, Joseph's brothers have come. It pleased Pharaoh and his servants. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Say to your brothers, do this. Load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land. And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, Do this, take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. Have no concern for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.' The sons of Israel did so. And Joseph gave them wagons according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. To each and all of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five changes of clothes. To his father he sent as follows, ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provisions for his father on the journey. Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed he said to them, Do not quarrel on the way. So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. And they told him, Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt. And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. But when they told him all the words of Joseph which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. And Israel said, it is enough. Joseph, my son, is still alive. I will go and see him before I die. Isn't that a wonderful, wonderful chapter? Well, the first division takes us to verse number 15. So verse 1 to 15 is where we see this first idea tonight, and that is of reconciliation. What you see there from the reading in verses 1 through 3 is that there's this very emotional affair as Joseph reveals himself to his brothers. He is the one really who is initiating these things. You'll remember that he'd been putting them through a whole series of tests. And finally, the final test, they end up passing that. He's recognizing that change has happened in their lives. And so all of these things that have happened and all of the times that he's seen his brothers, He just can't bear it anymore. He's been holding things secretly for long enough and he just has to burst out and he has to share these things with his brothers. And so he sends everybody out from him. He wants to be there alone with his brothers. It talks about him weeping aloud so that everybody heard it. The Egyptians, Pharaoh's house, everybody heard what was going on. And there in verse number 3, Joseph said to his brothers, I'm Joseph. And he's revealing this, and he's asking questions. I mean, he's ready to get on with this thing and find out some more information, but you notice the response of the brothers here in the passage. Look at it there at the end of verse number 3. His brothers couldn't answer him because they were dismayed. That's to put it lightly, isn't it? I mean, imagine how you would feel if you had been in this particular situation. I mean, the shock and the surprise. I mean, they had no idea that this was Joseph. They thought he was long gone. And so we're to take note of that and we're to recognize the fact that these brothers are absolutely shocked. I'm sure there would have been a lot of things going through their mind at this particular time. Certainly all of the things of the past. Certainly there would have been perhaps joy and gladness that he actually wasn't dead. but also fear and dread in some measure because now they know that he knows all of the things that they had said to one another as they talked in their own native language. Because you'll remember up to this point Joseph only talked to his brothers through interpreter. And so Joseph heard every single thing that these brothers had said as this whole drama was unfolding. And so these brothers know that Joseph knows everything. And so they're dismayed. They just are shocked beyond belief. They can't respond immediately. And you can see why it would be that way. Then in verses 4 through 8, I think it's absolutely amazing as Joseph is recognizing what's going on with his brothers, I think that Joseph is seeking immediately here to give a measure of comfort to the brothers because Joseph begins to explain all of these years of estrangement through a theological lens. And what is that theological lens that Joseph is looking through to think about the situation? Well, it's this. Joseph is convinced of the sovereign, providential purposes of God in the whole thing. And that's what's happening in verses 4 through 8 as he begins to talk to them. You'll notice in verse number 5 it says, You sold me, but God sent me. You'll also notice in verse number 8, Not you, but God. And so there's this back and forth where certainly he's recognizing some of the culpability of his brothers in the whole situation. Yes, they're the ones who sold him into slavery and they did what they did, but that's not the thing that was decisive. The thing that was decisive in this whole situation was the providential purposes of God. God's in control the whole time. Beloved, isn't that a wonderful comfort? Because God is still the same today as He was then. And so God is still sovereign. God is still working through providence. God still has His hand on every single thing that's going on in this world, all the way down to your life. and your affairs and the things that's taking place with you in your life. And so, yes, there is a human side to things and there is the divine side of things. You're not going to unscrew the inscrutable, so don't try. You just have to recognize that that's what the Bible teaches. There's both of these things, human culpability and also the providence and the sovereignty of Almighty God. But ultimately, it's the sovereignty of God that is decisive and God's purposes stand. And so, Here, Joseph is explaining things from that different perspective. And also, I think something else that's amazing here, Joseph's response as well to their distress comes to them in very compassionate words, very kind words. You'll notice here in verse number 4 and 5. Let me read this again. Look at this. Look in your Bible and look at these words. Joseph said to his brothers, now I have this underlined in my Bible, come near to me, please. Isn't that beautiful? Here are these brothers that are afraid or terrified. What else could Joseph have done that was more compassionate than to say, come to me. You don't have to be afraid. We don't have to be estranged any longer. And then the response, and they came near. I'm your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now, look at this, don't be distressed. I see that you're distressed. But there's no need for you to be distressed. Don't be angry at yourselves. Don't worry about it. Why? Because you need to see this through the bigger lens of the sovereignty of God. I think that's just an amazing response from Joseph. It's as if he's saying, come here and calm down. You don't have to be distressed. You don't have to be worked up. We're reconciled. I'm revealing myself to you. I'm not angry. If I was angry at you, I could have done away with you already. And he didn't. Because we know from previous studies that that wasn't Joseph's purpose. He wanted to see the change in the lives of his brothers. He wanted to see repentance. He wanted to see conversion. He wanted to see transformation. And he's seeing that. And so he's saying, just come to me and calm down. Don't worry about it. Now verses 9-13. I'll not read all of it again here, but certainly we see this reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers. But Joseph points out in the next few verses that there's more to the situation that needs to be reconciled. And what he's thinking about now is not just the brothers, but there's the rest of the family that... I mean, he wants to see his dad. And certainly he would have wanted to see his brother's families, his brother's wives and children. And he recognizes there's more to the puzzle here than just the brothers. And so all of these years, separated from his father whom he loves, whom he cares about, he's asked about the father, remember, previously in conversations with the brothers. And so Joseph, I mean, there is an urgency about him now that he's revealed himself. What is it that he says to his brothers? Hurry up and go to father and say to him, get on down here to Egypt. That's putting it in a nutshell. That's verses 9 to 13. Hurry up, go home, and then come back. That's what he's saying. I want to see my father. I want to see the rest of the family. A full family reunion, we could say, needs to happen. And Joseph recognizes that. In verse 14 and 15, these are some beautiful verses as well. After he says, hurry up, bring my father down here at the end of verse 13. Verse 14, Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. Look at this. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. And after that his brothers talked with him. And so here we see that Joseph and his brothers are experiencing joy, and they're experiencing communion with one another. This is the joy and communion of true reconciliation after all of these years of estrangement. They're embracing, they're holding one another, they're conversing with one another. And I like that statement, the brothers talked with him, and oh how much they had to talk about. Twenty years worth of stuff. And Joseph is ready to see his dad, so let's get this thing going and bring him back. So that's verses 1-15. It's a picture of reconciliation. And so, a season of reconciliation has come and then what follows on the heels of reconciliation for the family is a reorientation for the family. So in verses 16 to 28 you see that. In verses 16 to 20, what happens here is that the news of the reconciliation, it reaches Pharaoh. And as a matter of fact, what's interesting here is that Pharaoh weighs in on the situation in a very favorable way, doesn't he? So Pharaoh and his servants, they were pleased about this. I mean, this was pretty awesome to them. They've known Joseph all of these years. Joseph has proven himself to be a mighty magistrate in the land. He is an organizer, an administrator. He is a great blessing to Pharaoh. He is a great blessing to the people of Egypt. And now Pharaoh is getting wind of long-lost brothers of Joseph. And this is a pretty cool deal for Pharaoh. And so Pharaoh begins to weigh in on the situation and he takes a very authoritative posture with Joseph and with the brothers. And he says, I want you to provide provisions for your family and get on back to Canaan. Get your dad, get him down here and get the family down here. Tell them to do it in a hurry. They don't even have to worry about packing up all their stuff. Tell them to leave the furniture at home, leave all their goods at home. Just get on the wagon and get down here and I'll give you the very best that the land has to offer. I'm going to take care of all of those needs. I'm not asking Joseph, I'm telling him. And that's sort of the idea of what's taking place with Pharaoh. He's weighing in on the situation. It's pleasing to Pharaoh. By the way, isn't it amazing that all of these conditions now that are happening, that are setting up for the family to come to Egypt, they're all very pleasing. They're very pleasing circumstances. Much later, when we get to the book of Exodus, you'll see that the circumstances aren't so pleasing when it gets time for them to get out. But at least in this particular position, we're seeing some very favorable things as it concerns God's providential actions in paving the way for the family to come into Egypt. Even the number one man in the land is saying, get them down here. Verse 21 to 24. In response to Pharaoh's instruction, Joseph provides everything that his brothers need to go back home and get the rest of the family so as to bring them all back to Egypt so they'll be with Joseph and then can live under his care. That's what's happening in verse 21 to 24. I think it's interesting here that as he's giving provisions, we see one more time To each and all of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave 300 shekels of silver and five changes of clothes. Maybe one more time Joseph is just testing those brothers. Let's just make sure that jealousy's not there anymore. But nevertheless, all of these provisions are given. More than is needed for the family, more than is needed for the father and everybody to be able to make their way back to Egypt so that they can be with Joseph and that Joseph can provide for them and you know, give shelter and help and everything that the family needs to be able to flourish. And then as the chapter ends, verse 25 to 28, we have the good word about present circumstances. It cheers the heart of Jacob. So the brothers go back. Just like Pharaoh told him to do and as Joseph instructed. And they go back to Jacob and they begin to tell him the story. And certainly the rest of the family, they would have been hearing these things as well. And you can imagine how Jacob would have been suspect about Joseph being alive. And so perhaps it wasn't enough just to hear the story from the brothers that Joseph was alive, but then you can see that Jacob is peering out through the tent, and he's looking and he's seeing these wagons and all of these provisions, and he's recognizing the fact, wow, this is really true. What they're telling me, here's the proof of it right here. Where did all this come from? Well, it's exactly as they're telling me. And so now that Joseph is seeing this, this good word. The Bible teaches that a good word makes a person glad. Jacob is receiving a good word. He's hearing good news here. And notice this statement. I love this. The spirit of their father revived. Do you remember how previous they were worried about Him being filled with so much sorrow that He would be taken down to death. And here, this is a transformation even in the bodily presence of the Father. That His Spirit is revived, He's excited about what has happened, and He says, I've got all the proof, I have all the evidence I need. It's enough. Joseph, my son, is alive. I'm going down to see Him before I die. And that's how the chapter ends. And so what are we supposed to get from verses 16 to 28? Well, the reconciliation that came previously in verses 1 through 15, it leads to a complete reorientation of the family. Don't you see how everybody connected to this family, their lives are being completely turned around in a different direction? Everything is changing for them. A brand new chapter in all of their lives is opening up. And, by the way, another chapter in the unfolding story of redemption, which is the bigger storyline that we're looking at really in the Old Testament Scriptures. God is working a plan, and this is just another part of the plan. It's a new part of the story. It's another chapter opening up in their lives and also in the life or in the story of redemption as a whole. Now, there's the story sketched out for you. That's the facts. That's what's happening in chapter 45. And so, I want to draw some implicational lessons, I guess, from these two divisions tonight. First off, let me give you a few words here tonight, a few lessons about reconciliation. What are we to make of reconciliation? I mean, what's the foundation of reconciliation? I think the thing that we're supposed to recognize here, God's activity through Joseph, using him as an instrument, wouldn't you have to say that tremendous grace is being shown to these brothers? I mean, when we look at the idea of reconciliation as a whole from the Bible, and reconciliation, by the way, it means to be brought back together after being estranged. All throughout the Bible, we recognize that reconciliation is rooted in grace. And when you think about the way that grace works in reconciling people, and people to God, not just people to people, but people to God, primarily people to God, I think there's two things, there's two angles, two ways, two vantage points by which to look at grace. And this, I don't know if this really struck me, but the hymn, Amazing Grace, kept coming into my mind as I was studying this passage. Now, there is an amazing line in the hymn Amazing Grace, which was written by John Newton, who was a slave trader. And he found the Lord Jesus Christ, or rather, Christ found him and gave grace to him, and his life was completely changed. And maybe you've sung it a thousand times and you've never really even thought about it, but think about that line in Amazing Grace that talks about grace that taught my heart to fear. and grace my fears relieved." Have you ever paid attention to that line when you sung it? What did Newton mean by grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved? Well, it's two sides of grace, isn't it? Here's a couple of ways to think about it. One would be law and the other would be gospel. Or maybe you could think of it as grace hurting the sinner before it heals the sinner. What about grace that confronts and convicts before it converts and comforts? That's what this means. Grace that troubles the sinner before it transforms the sinner. How many times have we said it? You've got to get lost before you can get saved. When God sets His saving love upon a sinner, grace comes to that person to produce fear in their heart of God. That's what Newton meant in the Song of Amazing Grace. Grace that taught my heart to fear. You see, the sinner is going about his life not fearing God, not thinking about God. We've talked about that so many times as we look at human depravity, as we look at the bent in the disposition of a sinner's heart. They're not looking for God. They're not thinking about God. They're not fearing God. They're not giving God reverence. They don't stand in awe of God. They're not worried about meeting God. They're not giving any thought to that reality until grace shows up in their life showing them that there is an estrangement between them and God that should actually make them very fearful. That's what Newton meant. That's what the Bible means. That's the purpose of the law, isn't it? What is it that the law does? The law comes along to be your schoolmaster to drive you not to the law for salvation, but to Christ for salvation. And when you measure yourself against the law of God, you begin to recognize your faults and your failures and your sinfulness and the fact that you come up short. I mean, what is sin but transgression of the law? So when God makes the law come to bear upon a person, when the law comes, when a person gazes into the law and recognizes, wow, I'm in trouble, did you recognize, even though that is a very uncomfortable experience, that's actually part of the grace of God towards a person. This is going to sound kind of weird, but I enjoy seeing people under conviction. Not because I like to see them struggle and experience the pain and the difficulty of finally coming to terms with their sinfulness, but because of the beautiful fruit that it produces right around the bend when the other side of grace comes, and it's the grace that relieves the fears, and that grace that comes through the gospel of the Lord Jesus. This is part of grace. This is part of reconciliation. Grace has two sides. Now, it's amazing that once grace does come, Once it does its exposing work first, through the law, through bringing a person to the fear of the Lord, once that happens, then grace comes along and says what we see here in verse number four and five. Did you notice these statements? I love verse four. Again, I have it underlined in my Bible. So Joseph said to his brothers, and maybe you need to underline this, what's it say? Come near to me, please. Now, haven't we said in our study of Joseph that Joseph is a type of Christ? Now just replace Joseph with the Lord Jesus Christ and hear those words. Come to me, please. That has a little bit of a different ring to it, doesn't it? Than just thinking of it with Joseph. And then in verse number five, don't be distressed or angry with yourselves because of these things God sent me here to preserve. So the way I have it written in my notes is, when grace does its exposing work, it then comes along and says this, come near and calm down. There's the grace relieving the fears. Calm down, relax. I know you've been distressed. I know you've been convicted and troubled and you've seen your heart by gazing in the law and measuring yourself to the truth and you've been troubled, you've been in turmoil. But now when we're around the other side and grace comes in the positive side, bringing the gospel, the messages, You don't have to run away in fear anymore. You can now come. Come nearer. And it's an invitation to come nearer. And while you come near, the message is calm down. Don't be distressed anymore. Allow the grace to relieve the fear. And then again, you see something similar in verse number 15, pictured with the brothers. It says in verse 15 that he kissed all of his brothers and wept upon them. And after that, his brothers talked with him. So think of it this way. When grace comes on the positive side, it says, come near and calm down and let's commune together. Because that's what's happening with the brothers. They're calm. They're there with Joseph. They're embracing one another. There's physical touch that's happening after years of estrangement. And when it says the brothers talked with him, what is that? That's fellowship. That's communion. Let's talk. Let's share life. Let's build relationship. And beloved, isn't that exactly what the Bible teaches us about the Gospel? That through Christ we come nearer. Our fears can be calmed down. We have communion with God. And without that, if we didn't have that side of grace, the grace that relieves the fears, the only thing that would be there for a sinner would be despair. It would be pain. It would be a hopeless situation. It would be the agony of guilt with no hope of forgiveness. Wow, aren't you thankful that God doesn't do that? that there is a refuge for the sinner who comes to that particular place. God opens up the way to the Lord Jesus Christ when conviction has done its work. The gospel, the message of Christ says, come for refuge. And then as we begin to think of the Lord Jesus Christ, pictured in Joseph's life, to see the beauty of the Lord Jesus so that you would embrace the invitation we begin to recognize and think about all that Christ had to go through in order to say that to the sinner. If the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ are open to the sinner saying, come to me, calm down, rest, let's have communion together. There was a price on the backside that had to be paid so that that could be possible, just like Joseph. And what was it that happened in Joseph's life? There was, just like Christ, there was this great condescension. there was all of this trouble that he had to endure, and then there was the turnaround in his life where there was a measure of exaltation, so that then he would be in a position to do the very things that we're seeing right here in the passage. And it's exactly what the Bible teaches us about the Lord Jesus. that he had to condescend, that he had to come as a servant and do certain things. He had to expose himself to certain things. He had to come into the realm of sin and experience a realm that he, from eternity past, had no experience with. And he had to die in that realm. He had to die to that realm. He had to go through what he went through to accomplish our redemption so that he could come out on the other side in his exaltation and so that he could extend to sinner these words, come near, calm down, let's commune. There is a way now because of the great price that I paid for you. All of that pictured in the life of Joseph. And it's beautiful. Come near to me, please. It's beautiful. Something else I want to point out to you about reconciliation here in the text. All of this, again, I've already been hinting to it, but all of this serves as a picture, doesn't it? It's a picture of the experience of every single sinner who is reconciled to God. There is a measure of convicting fears that come in a person's life, and then those fears being relieved. And that's what God does in some measure to every single person that He converts, that He saves. If you think about your own experience in life. When you were converted, when you were saved, isn't that what God did not understand? It comes in different degrees for people. Sometimes it can happen over a short space of time, sometimes over a long space of time. But the common factor with everyone who's converted, there is a sense of these things that happens in their life. There comes a place where they recognize they're a sinner before God. There comes a place where they're convinced of sin and righteousness and judgment, which is exactly what the Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit does in the life of a sinner. Convinces the world, right, of sin, righteousness, and judgment. And then they offer the gospel and the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ as the only thing, the writer of Hebrews says, that can cleanse the conscience, that can actually take away guilt. I know we preached on that when I was in Hebrews some months back, but have you thought of that recently? Then when a person begins to recognize the overwhelming sense of guilt in their life because of what, class? Because of sin. There's only one remedy that actually washes away the guilt and brings forgiveness. Now, there's a whole host of ways that people try to mitigate guilt and find rest and peace for the conscience. But every single proposed plan comes up short. Because God is the one who sets the terms for the way that guilt is removed. And it's only by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, reconciliation to God then, the common elements, are these two things that I keep harping on, back to Amazing Grace. Grace that calls my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved. Those experiences have to be there in some measure for people. They have to recognize that they're a sinner and they have to recognize that Christ is the only way for salvation. So the picture, the story here rather, pictures that reality. There's something else, I think, that this story pictures. And it pictures the future salvation of the nation of Israel. Now let me show you this. Go on a little journey with me real quick. Turn to Matthew, chapter number 23. Let me take you to some New Testament text. I know we're jumping way ahead in the story. A lot has happened in the history of the covenant people of God, the nation of Israel. When you come to Matthew 23, what you're finding here is that the Lord Jesus is sort of giving His final rebuke, you could say, of the religious establishment at that particular time. And this is right before He ends up going to the cross. And he's dealing with the religious people. You'll notice at the top of chapter 23, it says, 7 woes to the scribes and the Pharisees. At least it says that in my Bible. If you get a chance, I'm not going to read all this. If you get a chance when you go home, just open up your Bible to Matthew 23 and read the whole chapter. And you'll say, whoa, those are some stinking words from the Lord Jesus. And it would appear that as Jesus speaks to the leaders, which were the leaders of the nation of Israel, you would think that it's done for them. There's nothing left for these people. They've blown it. It's over. It's done. Israel's toast. It's all said and done. And then there's this verse in chapter 23 that is so amazing, and it's so hope-filled for these people. Now, look in verse number 38 and 39. The way Jesus ends this diatribe against the religious leaders, he says this, see, your house is left to you desolate. And then verse 39, for I tell you, you will not see me again. You've had this chance with me, your Messiah. You've rejected me, your house is left to you desolate. You're not gonna see me again until. I have that word circled in my Bible, it's an important word. And then what does it say? Until you say, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Now what's that about? Do you realize how much is packed in that verse, in verse 39? Jesus says, you're not going to see me again. Now why would he say that? What's the importance of that first statement? Well, what's about to happen? Jesus is about to go to the cross, He's going to die, He's going to be buried, He's going to be raised again on the third day, He's going to appear to His disciples, hang out on earth for just a little while longer, and then He's going to ascend and go back to the Father. And the book of Acts records that for us. And ever since the Lord Jesus ascended back to the Father, that's where He's been. At the right hand of the Father. So they haven't seen him again. They haven't seen him anymore because he's gone. But the verse says, until. You're not going to see me until you say, bless his name who comes in the name of the Lord. What's that talking about? It's talking about another event. It's talking about a future event. And when we study the rest of our New Testament, we recognize that the Bible holds out this eschatological truth of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. We look for the appearing of our blessed God and Savior, the Lord Jesus. We, in our hearts, we hold to the Maranatha cry, Come Lord Jesus, come. That should be the heart of every believer, that you are longing for and looking for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. And here, Jesus gives a statement that summarizes that whole event, that He's coming back and when He comes again, the Lord Jesus is connecting an embrace of Christ The Jews embracing the Lord Jesus Christ at His second coming. When He comes the second time, the thing that's going to be on their lips is not what they said previously, which was, crucify Him, crucify Him. But when He comes again, the message that's going to be on their lips, according to what Jesus prophesies here, is that they're going to say, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Now that is a change of heart in the life of these people, isn't it? The nation of Israel. Now that's what Jesus said before he departed. Now if you fast forward in the New Testament, go to Romans 11, and let's think about the Apostle Paul for a moment. The Apostle Paul understood this reality. He knew the story. He knew what was gonna happen in the future with the Lord Jesus. And in chapter number 11, of the book of Romans. Paul is, well, he's got a lot of things to say. But one of the things that he's talking about is the fact that this, since Christ's ascended, since he went back to heaven, this has primarily been a time or a day for the Gentiles. In the electing plan of God, in the purposes of God, it's been a really big day for Gentiles and a small day for Israel concerning salvation. Think about what's happened since Jesus ascended back to heaven. What has happened? He gave his disciples the commission. And what did he say? Go into all the world and preach the gospel. Everywhere. I want you to preach the gospel. You're going to see people saved. I want you to baptize them. And I want you to disciple them. Teach them all the stuff I've taught you. Beloved, that's been going on ever since Jesus ascended to heaven. And when the Bible talks about going to the ends of the earth, or to the different ethnos, or the family groups, or people of the earth, that is a command to take the gospel to the Gentile people of the world. We wouldn't be here tonight if it wasn't for that commission. So, ever since Christ ascended, this has been a time where the gospel primarily has been going to the nations. Now, with that said, As you think about the Jewish people, ever since Christ went away, Jesus said, you're not going to see me again. You're not going to really be thinking about me. So from that very same time, what has been the experience for the nation of Israel? If it's been a large day for Gentile inclusion into the saving plans of God, it's been a very small day for the nation of Israel concerning inclusion into the saving plans of God, with the exception of another category that Paul talks about, and that is remnant Jews. So, it's a large day for Gentiles. For the nation of Israel as a whole, it's been a small day. But however, along the path there have been what Paul identifies as remnant Jews. Here, scattered along the way, some have embraced the Lord Jesus as their Messiah. But in large measure today, if you were to go to an Orthodox Jew and you were to ask them about the Messiah, they would reject Jesus Christ as the Messiah. And they would be saying, we're still living in expectation of the Messiah to come. Well, Jesus knew that he was the Messiah, and he told the nation of Israel, one day you're going to embrace me as Messiah, because you're going to say in that day, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Now, with that little context, in chapter 11 of Romans, Paul is warning Gentiles to not be arrogant against the nation of Israel. Paul is telling Gentiles, don't you boast about the fact that it's a large day for Gentile inclusion and a small day for Jewish inclusion. Don't do that. That would be a very bad thing for you to do. So there's a warning against that. Then we'll pick up the reading in verse 25. Look at how Paul ends the argument. Lest you be wise in your own sight, I don't want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers. And by the way, he's talking primarily to Gentiles here. A partial hardening has come upon Israel. Oh, what's that word next? Until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way, all Israel will be saved. As it is written, this is a quotation from Isaiah, the Deliverer, will come from, or some translations say, to Zion. He will banish ungodliness from Jacob. That means the nation of Israel. And this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins. And so, this Old Testament text is a prophecy about the future salvation of the nation of Israel in their coming Messiah. And Paul's picking up on that. The deliverer's gonna come to Zion. And when he comes, he's gonna banish ungodliness from Israel when he does something, and he talks about a covenant here, when he brings them and includes them into the new covenant that was promised to them way back when that they've yet to become a partaker in. There's coming a day in the nation of Israel when they will be included in the very new covenant that you are a participant in right now. As regards the gospel, verse 28, they're enemies for your sake. And it's true, isn't it? Go down to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. Just go down there and start preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified and see what happens to you. But regards election, oh, they're beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. What does that mean? That means God had already made promises way back that He's saving these people and that He's going to include them in the new covenant and God's not going back on His word. For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, So they too now have been disobedient, in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience that he may have mercy on all." Okay, wait a minute. What's Paul saying right there? Do you remember in the book of Ephesians, when Paul is writing to that Gentile church, and he talks to the Ephesian Gentiles and he says, at one time, You, your ancestors, your people, the nations from which you came from, were without God and without hope in the world. Go all the way back to the Tower of Babel. You remember when we studied it, what happened? God dispersed the peoples, didn't He? They were trying to build a tower, this religious system. And God confused the language, created all these different languages, and scattered the people all over the place. From that point all the way until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Gentile nations of the earth, what did they do? They sat in darkness. All they had was natural revelation. And you know what men do with natural revelation. They suppress the truth about God that they gain from natural revelation. They don't want to have anything to do with God. And so Paul, when he's talking to Gentiles, he's saying, you just think about where you came from. You think about your nation. You think about your people, your ancestors. And what you need to recognize is that all the way back from the Tower of Babel until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, all your people sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, without God, without hope in the world. But now, light has dawned, Christ has come, the gospel is going to the ends of the earth. It's a large day for Gentile inclusion. Oh, but at the very same time, the very same thing that happened to our ancestors setting in darkness is exactly what's been happening to the nation of Israel since the time that they rejected the Lord Jesus. And that's why Paul says, for God has consigned all to disobedience, that He may have mercy on all. Gentiles are having mercy now, and there's coming a day in the future when Christ comes again, where the nation of Israel, who has the promises of mercy, will in fact be given that mercy. And then, after that, Paul is blown away in his mind where he's thinking about God's plan for the world. And he breaks out in one of the greatest doxologies in all of the Bible. One of the greatest expressions of worship and praise to God is there in verse 33. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways. For who has known the mind of the Lord? You see, that's for the person who would say, well, I don't think that's fair that God consigned all these people to disobedience. Or who has been His counselor? Or who has given a gift to Him that He might be repaid? That's Paul's way of saying, shut your mouth. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen. Who are you to tell God what to do concerning His purposes of election? Who are you to tell God that He's in the wrong or has done wrong by consigning anyone to disobedience? Listen, beloved, that's grace, isn't it? In the fact that nobody has a claim on God. If you sit in the pew tonight as a saved person, it's only by the sheer grace of God in your life. God didn't just come up with a plan of redemption and say, I cast a vote and Satan cast a vote and now you're the deciding factor. That's not how this thing works. It's all by the sheer mercy and grace of God. And you have descendants, you have ancestors, all the way back from before Christ, all the way back to the Tower of Babel, that's set in darkness in the shadow of death. And the Jews, even though they were given the oracles of God and had such closeness to God through the history of the Old Testament, since Christ came, they said, crucify him, crucify him. Jesus says, you're not gonna see me again. You're not gonna have anything to do with me until I come again, and then it'll be your day. and you'll say, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. And when I come to Zion, and I banish ungodliness, and I apply the covenant to you at that time, that's when you're gonna be saved. Now, go back to the Old Testament, to Zechariah, and let me show you just one verse. You need to read the end of Zechariah, at least chapter 12 to the end, but I'm not gonna take you through all of that tonight. But I want you to look in chapter 12, and let's just look at one verse, Because here Zachariah is prophesying about what it's going to look like on the day that the nation of Israel gets this that we're talking about. They get this new covenant inclusion. Verse number 10 of chapter 12. Everybody there, I want you to see it. I really want you to see it. Make sure you're there. And I will pour out on the house of David And the inhabitants of Jerusalem, a spirit of what? Grace, and pleased for mercy, so that when they look on Me, on Him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over Him, as one weeps over a firstborn. What's that talking about? That's talking about the day that Jesus was talking about. When they say, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, when they look upon Jesus, all of these Israelites that are going to be alive at the time of the Lord Jesus' return, they're going to look upon Jesus and they're going to see Him for who He really is. And they're going to say, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. And they're going to weep and they're going to mourn because they're going to think about all of their ancestors from the time where they said, crucify Him, crucify Him, up until this point who have died and have perished in their sins. And they're going to weep. Why? Listen, because they've been reconciled to their Messiah. Now, go back to Genesis chapter 45 and what I want to show you in chapter 45. is the Joseph reunion with his brothers, I think, stands as a beautiful picture of that future reconciliation. Look at this. Think of Joseph as a type of Jesus, and the brothers as a type of Israel, standing for one, standing for the other. Then Joseph could not control himself before all of those who stood by him. He cried, make everyone go out for me. So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. What an intimate thing that's going to be one day when the Lord Jesus makes himself known to his people. And he wept aloud, Jesus. Joseph is a type of Jesus. And he wept aloud so that the Egyptians, that's Gentiles, heard it. And the household of Pharaoh heard it. And Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph. That's like Jesus saying to Israel, I'm your Messiah. I'm the one that you've been persecuting and rejecting all of these years from the time that your house was left to you desolate. I'm Joseph. His brothers couldn't answer. They were dismayed. Verse 4, Joseph said to his brothers, and here it is. Here's the picture. Come near to me, please. And they came near and he said, I'm your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here for God sent me before you to preserve. The nation of Israel, they're going to be cued in on the plan of God that the purpose of Christ coming into the world and His death on the cross wasn't because He was on there dying for His own sins. You know, the nation of Israel, that's how they thought about Jesus. Isaiah 53 talks about that. They thought that Jesus was there on the cross, that God was punishing Him for His own sins. But then they turn around and they say, oh no, no, no, no. He was being chastised for our peace. He was being punished for us so that by His stripes we could be healed. And in the future, the nation of Israel as a whole, they're going to see that glorious reality that you as Gentiles who have been converted by the grace of Christ have already seen. There's gonna be profound weeping and there's gonna be an amazing reunion and glorious reconciliation that takes place between the nation of Israel and the Lord Jesus Christ. And so Joseph has a picture of Christ in his humility, his exaltation, all of that served as a purpose to bring forgiveness so that the sinner could enjoy reconciliation to God. It's beautiful, isn't it? It's a wonderful truth. Let me hurry. That was a word about reconciliation. Let me give you a word about reorientation. It's clear from the text that we've read a little while ago that reconciliation leads to reorientation, meaning a new way of life. Everything for the family changed. It's a transfer from one situation. They're in Canaan. They're going to come to Egypt. And as we think about that that happens in our lives, it's not just something that happens to us spiritually, but practically. The Gospel affects our lives practically, just like this reconciliation to Joseph affected his family's life practically, in the temporal realm. What we see here is that those who are reconciled to God, they come under the care and the provision of God. And God has practical plans and purposes for His people after they have been reconciled to Him. Listen, you've been reconciled to God, you're still on this planet, that means God has plans and purposes for your life. In a practical way, things to be carried out in your life. Here Joseph, all through the text, talks about, I'm here to preserve you. There I will provide for you. Have no concern for your goods. The best is yours. Talks about how Joseph gave them all of these provisions. Then he tells them, don't be quarreling on the way. Have you thought about why he said that? You remember he told them that? When you go back home to get dad, don't be quarreling along the way. I think here's the lesson. Once forgiven, don't look back at the past and quarrel over all of the could-haves and would-haves and should-haves. It's easy for us, isn't it, when the lights come on for us to look at our past and say, what a wasted life I lived before the gospel. Man, you can sink down into the muck and the mire when you start thinking about everything that went on in the past and you can get the molly grubs. Right? You can get the grumps about all of that stuff and start hitting your head. I think that's sort of the idea here. Joseph is telling his brothers, look, don't be quarreling about it. Don't be worrying about all that happened 20 years ago. Remember I just told you it was in God's plan that all of that happened. This has all led to your forgiveness. Everything's well. Don't worry about it. Don't be quarreling about the past. Don't be thinking about that. Be at peace. So we think about a reoriented life when we're saved. God has new plans and purposes for our life. And He provides for us. He takes care of us. We come under His shepherding, watch care and His love and His mercy and all of that so that we can live a life of peace. Listen, when God saves a person, when God pours out His love and His mercy upon a person, He doesn't seek to be mean and ugly towards His people by saying, well, look at what you were. Look at what you did. That's how we are to people that we forgive sometimes, isn't it? It's not how God does. Don't project that stuff on God. He doesn't do that. When God saves people, He's not vindictive towards His people afterwards. He's loving and He's gentle. He seeks to provide the best for those that He has forgiven and for those that He has made His own. All of that picture right here from Joseph. I'll take care of you. Come under my care. Everything will be fine. I think as we leave this chapter tonight, first off, those of us who are believers, I think it's imperative for us to continually cultivate deeper levels of thanks and praise for all that God has done for us in the Lord Jesus. Hopefully you see a greater picture of Christ tonight in all that He's done for you. And in addition to that, that thankfulness and that praise for just being a Christian, I think the second lesson to learn is that as God reorients our life, as He changes the direction of our lives, we need to learn how to be responsive to those plans and purposes for our lives. We need to be sensitive to that work of reorientation, is what I'm saying, that followed His work of reconciliation. If you're here tonight as an unbeliever, If you're going to be reconciled to God and experience the wonderful reality of a reoriented life to God's purposes, certainly you can see tonight that you need grace. You need grace that will make you fear and then grace that will come and also relieve those fears. And by the way, grace is something that comes from the Lord. And so if you recognize that, if you recognize that you stand in need of grace and only God gives grace, doesn't it stand to reason that you should seek the Lord? And that's my final encouragement to you tonight. If you're outside of that grace, seek the Lord. Isaiah 55, 6 and 7 says, Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He's near. Let the wicked forsake His way and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord that He may have compassion on him. And to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." What a tremendous encouragement from the Word of God. Let's pray. Father, we thank You for another chapter in the Joseph story and all of the beautiful truths that we glean. What an amazing, amazing story. Lord, we thank you for all of these glimpses and pictures of the gospel that we see in Joseph as a type of Christ. We thank you for this picture of reconciliation, Lord, of what happens when people are converted by the power of the truth, by the power of the gospel. Lord, I pray for your people tonight that they would be encouraged by that, refreshed in the grace that's come to them in their life. And Father, that they would in fact cultivate deeper levels of thanksgiving to You, and that it would spur them on in their life to vibrancy and action spiritually, that they would seek to do much for You and would seek to carry out a godly disposition in response, in seeking to walk worthy of the gospel that's been given to us as we've been directed in the Scriptures. Father, I pray that as You continue to direct our lives in the way that You would have them to go, that we would be responsive to Your work. Lord, that we would recognize that You know how to plan our future. You know how to take care of us. You know how to give us what we need for every step of the journey. And I pray that You would cultivate deeper levels of trust in our life as it concerns Your sovereignty and Your providential actions concerning us. Father, if there are those here unconverted tonight, Lord, I pray that they would see in this story mercy and grace and compassion and love, and that You're a God that says, come to me, please. And Lord, their responsibility tonight from the human side is to seek the Lord while He may be found. And Lord, if You've given Your Word out at an opportunity like this tonight, then we have to believe that You're there to be found. Because You're the one who provided the opportunity. And so Lord, I pray some sinner tonight would see that, and Lord, that they would seek You while there's chance and while there's opportunity. They would confess their sins, that they would fear You, Lord, that the grace of God would come and would make their heart fear, and then that grace would turn right around and relieve their fears by leading them to the refuge of Christ. We thank You for our blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus. We would be completely lost without Jesus. And Lord, on a final note of prayer tonight, Lord, we lift up the nation of Israel to You. And Lord, we pray for their future salvation. Lord, You tell us that this is going to mean riches for the world. And so Father, we long for the day where they look on Him whom they've pierced and weep for Him as for an only Son. We know it's going to happen because You promised it in Your Word. But Lord, until that day comes, we know that it's still a day of Gentile inclusion. And so may we be faithful with the Great Commission. May we be faithful to preach the gospel and to baptize disciples and raise them up in the truths that you have instructed us. And may we hear from you one day, well done, good and faithful servants. And we pray these things in Christ's name. Amen.