... for we
saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not
hear; therefore this distress has come upon us (Genesis 42:21). It
was all happening just as God had revealed it would through prophetic
dreams, first of Joseph, and then of Pharaoh. Jospeh had dreamt he
would rule over his brothers, the seven years of plenty of Pharaoh's
dream had passed, and they had entered the seven years of famine.
Jacob has sent the ten sons who had sold Joseph into slavery to buy
grain in Egypt. They encountered Joseph who was in control of selling
the grain, but they had not recognized him. He had spoken roughly
to them accusing them of being spies, and had put them in jail for
three days. At the end of that time Joseph released nine of them
leaving one as a guarantor that they would return with Joseph's
younger brother, and this morning's quote is what the brothers were
saying to each other.
Unless
our conscience has been seared as with a red hot iron (1
Timothy 4:2), it is inevitable that the wrong we have done will come
back to haunt us. The image from 1 Timothy of the hot iron, speaks
of the insensitivity of the scar left by a branding iron after it has
healed. Conscience is God given, and is ultimately designed to lead
to repentance. The brothers were feeling and acknowledging guilt, but
feeling guilt and acknowledging guilt are not the same thing as the
repentance to which they are designed to lead us. True repentance
is about turning away and making appropriate amends, and I want to
suggest that the brothers were not there yet. Either that or Joseph,
in spite of his tears (verse 24), was not yet ready to forgive them
(see also Genesis 50:18-20).
A two verses came to
mind as I thought on these things. The first is “Be sure your sin
will find you out” (Numbers 32:23), the second “Do not be
deceived, God cannot be mocked, whatsoever a man sows that will he
also reap” (Galatians 6:7). The brothers thought they had gotten
away with their sin. They had killed a goat and soaked Joseph's coat
in the blood to deceive their father into believing a wild animal had
killed Joseph (Genesis 37). They had added deceit to their sin. More
sin always seems to follow sin. But God was no mocked, He was not
mocked with the brothers, and He will not be mocked with you and I.
Sin has consequences, and if we think we have gotten away with it,
we are truly deceived. Sooner or later our sin will indeed find us
out, and betray us. Thankfully there is a remedy. We do need to
repent and turn from out wicked ways, and ask God and others to
forgive us. God has promised that He will forgive (1 John 1:9). As
for us, as much as possible we are to live at peace with others. We
may need to make restitution, or an appropriate amends (as long as it
does not hurt others).
Father, I want to thank
You again this morning that when we confess our sins You are faithful
and just not only to forgive us but also to cleanse us. Show us what
You require of us in terms of the fruit of repentance and we will do,
and give You the glory in Jesus Name Amen
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