your other brother and Benjamin, if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved." Well friends, we continue in this very amazing story, true story of course, of Joseph and his brothers and we've been considering it now for a number of weeks, this fascinating account as it is of Joseph going down and to the depths of humiliation in a prison and then being taken up, exhorted to be the right-hand man of Pharaoh and the second in Egypt, Prime Minister, the Governor of Egypt, a very responsible position. And it's been also interesting to us because of our Christian faith and our Christian connection, because we see the Lord Jesus in Joseph And we see him going down into the prison of the grave. And we see him, in a moment, being exhorted to the right hand of God the Father. honor and glory and power being given unto him. There is another picture also alongside this. And this is we're going to think of a little bit, and we've already mentioned some of that last week, but how sinners are brought to Christ. Sinners who at first, like the brothers, when he told them the dream, they said, well, shall we bow down to you? We're not going to bow down before you. Never! We will never do any such thing. That's exactly how a sinner speaks, isn't it? How an unbeliever speaks when they first hear the gospel. Me? Bow to Christ? It'll never happen. No chance. I'm not going to do it. But God works. And as God worked in these brothers and brought them to do that very thing which they said they would never do. So also the Lord works to bring people to bow the knee. For everyone, the Bible teaches, will bow the knee to Christ at the end. Some will do it willingly, many will do it willingly in this lifetime, but there'll be many of those unwillingly will have to yield also and kneel before the Savior. But in these brothers we see seekers and Joseph doesn't, as we mentioned last week, reveal himself to them as soon as they appear before him. He must give them time to show that they are truly repentant. And it's working. It's having an effect. All of his dealings with them are making them realize that they have sinned in the past. It's brought back to their minds sins that they had buried away and thought had been long forgotten. have been brought back to their mind how they treated, mistreated their brothers. And so they are made aware of their sin and have felt sorry for it. And there's this gradual revelation that's coming their way of who their brother really is. Till at last, We'll see, God willing, soon, he does show himself as his brother. I am Joseph, your brother. And so the Lord, after a time, he says to us, I am Jesus, your Savior, to the seeker. Well, we cannot, friends, as we think about this situation here before us in this 43rd chapter, We cannot downplay the value even that providence places, that circumstances have, other people have, in bringing sinners to Christ. The Lord makes use of such things, trying circumstances, trying pressures that come into our life. in order to bring us to himself. That's what's going on here, isn't it? The very first chapter, the famine was sore in the land. It wasn't getting any easier. It had already been a few years in passing, and instead of getting any lighter, it got heavier, and it got more and more severe. In Jacob's household, the corn has been eaten up, we read, which they brought out of Egypt. They're running dangerously low in supplies, and the famine is still ongoing. Joseph knew when the famine was going to end. He had an exact idea, seven years, but not Jacob. He had no idea how long this was going to go on for. How long are we going to have to suffer? How long is it before the rain comes and the wheat begins to grow again? Well, friends, we could say that if that had happened, if the rain had come and the famine had come to an end, what would Jacob have done? And his brothers probably remained where they were in Canaan. They probably would have stayed put where they were. But now the famine comes and there's a pressure that's coming upon them, forcing his hand, forcing him to ask the children to make another trip to Egypt. go again to Egypt and buy us a little food. He has to act. He's forced to by the circumstances here. Later on in verse 9 or verse 8, Judah, when he's talking with his father, he says, our lives depend on it. Your life depends on it. The lives of our lives depend on it. And also our little ones. Think of all the grandchildren they will all perish if we don't go down again to Egypt. So he's feeling the pressure from circumstances and he's feeling the pressure from also the people, as we will see in a minute, around him. But the pressure, firstly, of circumstances, and even like on this scale, it was on a national level, wasn't it? The pressure was not just on Jacob and his household and his family, it was on the whole land. And sometimes God can use a national calamity to open people's eyes and to make them think about God and begin to see the Lord. We have this, isn't it? I think fresh in our minds, even though it's four years ago, five years ago, is that five-letter word we dreaded that for a long time, COVID. And people were scared at that time. People were anxious. People were very worried about things. And I'm sure that even during that time, people began to think a little bit more seriously about God and began perhaps their journey to seek the Lord. A national calamity, that was an international calamity which went on, which forces people to do otherwise than they would have done if everything had gone smoothly and well. It may be a war. We often read that in times of war people do think about the Lord and begin to think about eternity and when they see such dreadful things happening. It could be even other things which the Lord uses to nudge people towards Him, Himself. It could be a famine of jobs. Unemployment is rife in a land. People can't find work. They want to work. They can't find work. They're applying for jobs. There aren't any jobs, for example. And people are struggling to make ends meet. And that makes people think again, and maybe makes them to pray. Or difficulties, personal difficulties in the home, in the family. If we don't have enough food on the table, if there's not enough money coming in, what are we going to do? And all these temporal difficulties of life are often used by God to initiate even a person into seeking the Lord. There's that pressure from circumstances, but there's also here with Jacob a pressure from those around him, of people. Jacob said to his sons, go again and buy food, and he knows very well that Benjamin has to go with them. And Judah reminds him of this. You can think of it as a family conference that is called, and Judah takes the lead. And he tells the father, you know that we have to take Benjamin with us. If we go without him, the whole journey is going to be wasted. Because the man in Egypt, he specifically asked for our younger brother to come with him. He wants to see Benjamin. If we go with, and Benjamin's not there, well, he's not going to give us any corn at all. He's just going to disregard us. He won't even give us a second look. And we'll have to come back. You'll be a wasted journey, Dad. You've got to let him come with us. Yes, yes, I know, he says. You told me this before. But why did you have to tell him? Why did you have to mention even that you had a younger brother? There was no need for you to mention these things to him. But Dad, He asked us directly the question. He asked us, what could we do? It was a yes, no question. Is your father yet alive? Yes, he is. Do you have another brother? Yes, we do. What could we do? What else could we say? How were we to know that he would demand to see Benjamin? And then he goes on to say, to assure his dad, look dad, send him with me and I will be surety for him. I will, of my hand shall thou require him, verse eight. If I bring him not unto thee and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame forever. He's more than willing to take the blame if Benjamin doesn't come back with the group. This is Judah reasoning with his father. He's applying pressure on him, but it's a gentle pressure. He's not forcing his hand, saying you've got to do this. He's reasoning with him. And he's putting the pressure on him through reasonable arguments. Different to Reuben. Reuben, when he, remember, he said, oh, if I send the lad with me, if I bring him not back, you can kill my two sons. Well, that's so absurd, isn't it, reasoning? There's no way that Jacob is ever going to do any such thing to kill his own grandchildren. But here we see that Judah's reasoning is a lot more reasonable. So, dear friends, in the providential chain of events, even that brings a soul to Christ, the Lord uses our words. The Lord uses our witness for Him. What will you say to another person that you're seeking to win for the Lord? The Lord is going to use that, our reasoning, our arguments that we try and put before the unbeliever to help him to see his spiritual need, why he should think about spiritual things, about eternity and the day of judgment that is to come and so on. The different things that we want him to see sense, isn't it? We want him to see these things. Jacob was acting very unreasonably before by not allowing them to go down. asking him to go down without Benjamin. And here Judah is trying to help him to see sense. And that's what we're trying to do, isn't it? With the unbelieving person, to persuade them. This is what you think. We're trying to nudge them towards the Savior as well. And the Lord will use that. Judah's words, well, they have the desired effect. And Jacob does change, and he does agree to let Benjamin go down with the brothers. He yields, and he agrees to what Judah has said. Take your brother and go down to the man again. And our witness, friends, it may not always lead to a positive response, but it may do. It may well be that you don't know what effect your words are going to have. You may just find that somebody turns around and says, are you invited to church? And you say, yes, I'll come to church on Sunday. You never expected it, perhaps. the Lord uses us even in this way. It was very difficult for Jacob to give up his son that comes through in reading. There's a deep struggle, isn't it, which is going on within him. Obviously he loves Benjamin above all the other ten sons. He's his favorite as well. And he's so scared to lose him again. To lose him. He's already lost his other beloved son, Joseph, and he dare not experience the same thing again. He can't let go of this son. He can't allow him to be placed in such a risk where his life may be taken by circumstances or something ill falling upon him by the way or by the brothers even. He can't, he's so anxious about these things. The last thing on his mind is, if I lose, or the thing on his mind rather, is if I lose Jacob, sorry, if I lose Benjamin, life is not worth going on. What's the point of life if I lose this son and he cannot imagine life without him? So he's holding on to him and there's a struggle that's going on. Judah says let him go and Jacob says I will not let him go. in the wrong way. Before you said, I will not let you go to the Lord. Now you say, I will not let you go about his own son. But the pressure of the circumstances and of his son's arguments prevail with him and he yields and he wrestles no more with the issue. He yields, in fact, not to Judah, we can say, but to God. He's yielded to the Lord. He is reconciled here, really, with the will of God. He goes on to say, in the end of verse 14, if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved. Friends, that is not the language of self-pity or fatalistic sort of words. Oh, if I am bereaved of my children, so be it. This is no sullen response from Jacob. In fact, in the original, the words, and you can see in your Bible, in verse 14, of my children is in italics. It's not there in the original. And it should be, if I be bereaved, I am bereaved, but it's put there to help us in our understanding. And the word is, the meaning is more one of resignation. He is resigned now to what God wants him to do, to the will of God. and he's not going to contend with that. I think his grandfather had a similar struggle. There was Abraham and God said to Abraham, tomorrow morning go to Mount Moriah, take Isaac and sacrifice your son. That was a big, big struggle, isn't it? I mean, I think Abraham, my own personal opinion, he didn't sleep a wink that night. He must have been up wrestling with this. Give up Isaac. Sacrifice Isaac. I mean, the scripture doesn't mention it, just say next morning he got up and he went. But it must have been a struggle there, even with him. That's conjecture on my part. But it's human nature, isn't it? You feel very attached to your children. But he yielded to the Lord. And he did exactly as the Lord told him to do. Very similar words to this are mentioned in the book of Esther. If I am bereaved, said Jacob. But Esther said, if I perish, I perish. She as well, she was going, she had to go in to see the king of Hasuerus, and she had to speak on behalf of the Jews. And what happened? She said, well, no one could just venture in. Even though Esther was the wife of the king, she couldn't just venture into his presence. She had to be called by the king to venture in without being summoned. was really to ask potentially for death. But she said, I have to go in. If I perish, I perish. God is able to keep me. God is able to preserve my life. God is able to give me success. But if he doesn't, and I perish in doing it, so be it. And that's the idea even here. So you see that this whole process, friends, is a sanctifying one for Jacob. It seems like his love for his son is entwined to such a degree that it now exceeds even his love for the Savior and his love for his God. And God has to deal with that, and God is dealing with that. And it's the same for us. The Lord sees if there are idols in our heart. If there are rivals in our heart. Maybe it's our children or maybe it's a family member or maybe it's something or another person. We've loved them excessively to the point that we love them more than we love the Lord. And often the Lord has to deal with us until that relationship with him is restored and everything. We love him in the proper way and we have to give up. that inordinate kind of love that we have fallen into, the idolatrous kind of love. And something often happens, friends, when we do that. And that struggle that we sometimes have to go through. And when we do yield to the Lord and give up, as Abraham did, what happened? Well, the Lord gave him back what he yielded. He gave him back Isaac. as it were, from the dead. And the same happens also to us. Often we yield something, we struggle perhaps, should I yield? We give it up to the Lord and He restores it to us again. So all this is happening for good, really, even though the outside situation is so terrible. Some good things God is doing. But before we move on, look at Jacob's advice to his sons before he sends them on their way. There, he tells them to, in verse 11 and 12, he tells them to take the best of the fruits, they still had fruit in the land, balm, honey, spices, myrrh, nuts, take these things and take double money. The price of corn has obviously gone up. The scarcer something is, the more the price increases, and so it was then, and also take the money that they carried, that had been returned to them. And then he says in verse 14, and God Almighty, give you mercy before the man. God Almighty, God all sufficient, give you mercy before the man that he may send away your other brother and Benjamin. In other words, friends, he does, he takes action, and he also prays at the same time. And he uses means, as well as in prayer effort, as well as prayer. And we've talked about that before. But that's how we should see things and do things even in our work for the Lord. Pray and evangelize, pray and preach. Well, the 11 brothers, they arrive in Egypt and Joseph has them sent to his house. Well, that startles them. They're not glad to have the invitation to the house as one would have thought. They're afraid. They're afraid because they think something's up. And it's because of the money that was found in our sacks on our first trip here. And he's probably trying to trap us. He's probably trying to, he's looking for an occasion to make us his slaves. He wants to bring us into his home as his servants. And well, even the funny thing that they say is he wants our donkeys. He wants our donkeys. This is the second in command in Egypt who has everything. He doesn't need donkeys. But they're thinking along this line. So to avert any forthcoming accusation, they quickly approach the steward of Jacob, Joseph, and tell him plainly how they had found the money in their sacks. We have no idea how it got there. they tell him but here is the money but his answer is so amazing there in verse 23 peace be to you shalom fear not your god and the god of your father hath given you your treasure in your sacks i had your money what an interesting thing to say this is an egyptian This is an unbeliever, an idol worshipper. At least that's what he was. How does he know about the God of the Hebrews, the God of their father Jacob? How did he know anything about this God? Well, the answer is obvious, isn't it? Joseph. Joseph was there and Joseph through his, or through the steward's close contact with Joseph, he must have shared his faith in God. He wasn't one, Joseph wasn't one to hide his faith, even when he was called before Pharaoh and Pharaoh said, I heard you can tell dreams. Oh no, no, no, it's not in me. I can't do it. But God can show Pharaoh. what the interpretation is, and God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace. Even there, in that royal court, he was ready to stand for his God. And so even here, with the steward of his, he has influenced him, he has affected him in some way, and he realizes as well that he gives the honor to God. Of course, he knows everything that has happened behind the scenes and how Joseph has told him what told him what to do on that first occasion. But here we see his words and his testimony. But dear friends, also for us, we can once again say our testimony. We never know how it's going to affect other people. Simeon then is reunited with his brothers. It must have surprised him, I think, because he would have come out not looking pale and lean. Probably looking quite well. I mean, he'd been in prison all this time. And he must have thought they were never coming for him. But he's looking well. He's been well treated in prison. That must have been. How come he's looking so good? And then they are shown into the house. And water is brought for them to wash their feet. And fodder is given for their donkeys and so on. And such hospitable treatment is afforded them, almost as if they are honored guests. And they've just come to buy corn. And all these things are happening to them. And when Joseph does finally come in at noontime, they present their gifts to him. And they bow before him. And then in verse 27, we read, and he asked them of their welfare and said, is your father well? The old man of whom he spake, is he yet alive? And they answered, Thy servant, our father, is in good health. He is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads and made obeisance. He's not so interested in the gifts. He wants to know how things are with the people he loves, his father. I hope you don't mind me mentioning a little aside, friends. But I did hear a preacher. He was talking about expository preaching. He gave it as an example of bad expository preaching. A preacher who took this verse in verse 29, I'm sorry, verse 27. Is your father well, the old man of whom you speak? Is he yet alive? And his exposition was, he spiritualized it to the point of saying, the old man relating to the old nature. Is the old man, the old nature in you still alive? And then he went on to apply it with verse, the following verse, the servant said, your father is in good health. He is yet alive. And that's the last thing you want to hear somebody say. But that's the way he expounded it as an example of bad exposition of scripture and taking spiritualizing a bit too far. But here. He's inquiring genuinely, he wants to know what's happened, how things are with his father. And then he sees his brother, Benjamin. And he says, is this your younger brother, of whom you speak unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son. And he can hold back no longer. That's all he can say. And then very awkwardly, he has to rush out from the presence from these brothers. He's halfway in conversation with them and he has to make a quick exit to his room where he weeps. But we read there that his bowels did yearn upon his brother. He longed there and then to wrap his arms around his brother and to weep on his shoulders. Oh friends, what a picture of Christ. and how He feels so strongly for us. He yearns for us, even when we are seeking Him, before ever even we are His, before ever we believe in Him in faith, even then when we come before Him, He yearns to tell us of His love. He yearns to, as it were, draw us to Himself. He yearns then to reveal Himself to us as somebody who loves us, and who's near to us, but he holds back. And he has to until we are ready for that revelation of him. But this is the yearning of his dear heart. Once he returns, having composed himself again, the next thing that surprises these brothers is the seating arrangements for the lunch. And there we read that There were three tables. At one table was Joseph. person of rank and honor no doubt that's why he had his own table separate from the others and then the Egyptians who were there present well they had another table for themselves and then there was a table for the brothers and they set that table directly in front of Joseph and he we read there that He actually, we don't read what he did, but it was all, all the brothers were set one by one in order of their age. Joseph told everyone, this is where you're going to sit. Sometimes when people come to our house for dinner, maybe you do that. Oh, you please really sit here. You'll sit there. Well, this is, this is how, and he put all of them in age order from Reuben, the eldest, all the way down to Benjamin the youngest. How did he know? How could he do that? Mathematically, it's almost an impossibility to do that. For the chances of a stranger doing that, oh, that would be quite a remarkable chance if he managed to actually do it without knowing. He's giving them a hint, surely, isn't he? Who he is. A little hint. How could this happen? Make them think. So often the Lord helps us as well. When we are seeking the Lord, he gives us little indications, little hints that he is for us and that he is intent also on blessing us. A bigger hint comes next because the servings which come actually directly from Joseph's table and he sends them to the brother's table One for Reuben, one serving for Reuben, one serving for Simeon, one serving for Levi, one serving for Judah, and all the way down the line till Benjamin, five servings for Benjamin. Again, one serving for Reuben, one serving for Simeon, one serving for Levi, one for Judah, Benjamin, five servings. That should have made them think. I don't know how he managed to eat all that. I think it's just a token of his, rather than, he didn't have to eat everything, but a token of blessing from Joseph's table. But that should have made them think, isn't it? A hint, a big hint that there's something going on here. But it's also a test, friends, as well for the brothers. Do you remember how they were envious of Joseph because he was their father's favorite? And now here we see that Benjamin is being favored. How will they respond? How will they react? Have they changed? Have they repented? Or are they still the same envious brothers? Well, they don't say anything. If they thought anything, we do not know. But they didn't say anything. And then we read then at the end that they drank and were merry with him. They forgot their inhibitions, as it were. They forgot their worries. And they were having a good time. But it's all going to change again very soon. Jacob, sorry, Joseph finally reveals himself to them. There's this up and down sort of happening. Can you see? One moment they're under conviction and are under fear, Then they're now in the home, and they're feeling happy, and they're feeling blessed, and they think all things going to well, and it's going to go down again. They're going to feel that conviction again. They're going to feel fear again. And then the Lord is going, or Joseph is going to bless them again with that revelation of who he really is. And often when people are seeking the Lord, there's, I think the Lord often works like this. Instead of us being under conviction of sin all the time, some, a few people are like that. Very few. We think of John Bunyan and all that he went through. But most of us, I think, the Lord, as it were, tempers our convictions, even with times of gladness. We come into the house of God, and we hear the word, even as a seeker, and even when we're under conviction. And it moves us, and it stirs us, and it draws us. And we feel, oh, the Lord does love us. And we go, and we're convicted again. We feel the conviction of sin come again, maybe stronger. And then again, the Lord comes and deals with us in a gentle way to draw us to himself. until we finally come to faith in him. So I think these pictures, dear friends, are there and lessons I think as well for us as we pray for ourselves and also for seekers. Amen.