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Last Saturday, in Teacher Joseph, Part 6, we saw when we are going through a season of blessing, we need to “stockpile” God’s blessings by writing them down. Then when the tide turns, we can review what God has done in the past, ever knowing that the God who blessed you before with all of those documented blessings will carry you through and will bless you again!
The Bible record fast-forwards here, and seven years go by in a matter of a few verses: “[Joseph] gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; … Joseph gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable.” (Genesis 41:47-49 NKJV). Then the famine begins, and people from all over the region begin to come to Egypt for grain. Even those from Canaan. Even those from Joseph’s own family…
“When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, … ‘go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die.’So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt.” (Genesis 42:1a,2b,3 NKJV).
It must have seemed like such an answer to prayer: Somewhere nearby there was grain! I’m pretty sure it was a cheerful march to Egypt for the ten brothers, for Benjamin had been left behind with his father. Unfortunately for them, their carefree joy must have come to an abrupt halt as soon as they met the governor. Of course, dressed up in his Egyptian finery, they didn’t recognize that it was their lost brother, Joseph. But he recognized them, and it was with less-than-friendly words that he addressed them: “but he acted as a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them.” (Genesis 42:7 NKJV).
And that was only the beginning of the seemingly uncalled for treatment: “You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!” (Genesis 42:9b NKJV). Nothing the brothers could do would convince this relentless governor that this wasn’t true, and in the end, all 10 were put in prison: “So he put them all together in prison three days.” (Genesis 42:17 NKJV).
Things went from bad to worse. Although nine of the brothers were allowed to leave the land, they were admonished to not return without Benjamin, Joseph’s one full brother, something their father had already forbidden (See vs. 4) and then when they opened their grain sacks, the money paid for the grain was in each one, and: “and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.” (Genesis 42:35B NKJV).
Although at least 10 years had passed since the fateful day when these same 10 brothers sold Joseph into slavery, it is apparent that the guilt of their actions was still heavy upon them, and even though they didn’t recognize Joseph, their guilty consciences connected the dots: “they said to one another, ‘We are truly guilty concerning our brother, 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.’And Reuben answered them, saying, ‘Did I not speak to you, saying, “Do not sin against the boy” and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us.’” (Genesis 42:21-22 NKJV)
Herein lies the lesson that Joseph’s story has for us today: “Be sure your sin will find you out.” (Numbers 32:23b NKJV).
Our sins are never as “hidden” as we think! The guilty consciences of those ten brothers wouldn’t be silenced, and now, years later, they convince themselves that they are being treated badly by this governer because of their sin against Joseph.
Can you imagine holding on to guilt for 10 years?
Likely some of you know what this is like. I certainly can relate. And I can tell you that the longer you hold on to your guilt from the past, the more it erodes your happiness. It doesn’t matter how dormant it may lie or for how long, eventually, “…your sin will find you out.” (Num. 32:23 NKJV).
If the brothers had known this, would it have stopped them from the crime?
Perhaps not. Nonetheless, even after the fact, confession of their grave sin would have eased their guilty consciences. But now, now they must pay the consequences of their sin…
No sin is without consequences, and we would do well to remember this before acting out of emotion. But when we do, we must also remember that the longer we try to hide our guilt, the more it will eat away at us. There is only one relief from this cancer of guilt and shame: “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” (James 5:16 NKJV)
What hidden sin are you holding on to? What guilt is eating away at your conscience? Don’t be like these ten guilt-ridden brothers. Rather, confess your sin. Get it out into the open. For if you don’t, you can be assured that, just like those ten older brothers, one day your sins will find you out, and you will suffer the consequences!
Join us next Saturday for, “This is for … MY … Good? Teacher Joseph, Part 8!
In His love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Acting Director, Answers2Prayer ministries
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