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Genesis 45:4-9

4 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. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 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. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 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.

            Which is ultimate, God’s sovereignty or man’s freedom?  If we believe that Joseph knows what he is talking about, the answer is that God’s will is ultimate.  Mysteriously, this is not to say that God’s will does not involve human freedom.  However, at the end of the day, when all is said and done, God is sovereign and man, even man’s freedom, is subject to the decree of the Lord.

            You know the story of Joseph.  His brothers sold him as a slave and shipped him off to Egypt.  Everything in that account would show us that his brothers acted of their own accord, in concert with their freedom.  The brothers would have had no way of recognizing the sovereign hand of God at work.  They did what they wanted to do.

            Yet, when they stand before Joseph, God pulls back the curtain.  Yes, they acted freely, but God was the one at work.  The brothers cannot receive any of the credit for the outcome of their actions.  In fact, their actions were sinful; and, in fact, the brothers bear personal moral responsibility for those actions.  Yet, if the scene can be understood by us mere mortals, we understand that, somehow, God was the ultimate actor from start to finish, though God is in no way guilty of sin.

            Can your view of God’s sovereignty and man’s freedom handle the words of the Scripture here?  Can you see that, while the brothers acted freely, it was ultimately God who was in control?  Can you handle that, even though hard things were done, God drove all the circumstances to work out his will for his glory?  Can you live with the fact that we are free, but that our freedom is limited by God’s sovereignty and not the other way around?

            It is wonderful to know that God is sovereign.  It is glorious to know that his will is always going to be ultimately accomplished.  God will not be eternally wishing that things had turned out differently.  God will never be defeated.  God’s plan will never be thwarted.  He will use man, even the sinful free choices of men, to accomplish his perfect plan; all the while God will never be guilty of sin in any form.  God will move in our desires to help us accomplish his plan, but we will never know that it was his hand moving our desires until he shows us that in eternity.  God is magnificent, and worthy of our fear, our awe, our love, and our praise.       

Genesis 44:30-34

30 “Now therefore, as soon as I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy’s life, 31 as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. 32 For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.’ 33 Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers. 34 For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father.”

            One of the key, running themes in the Bible is substitution.  Though the men in the days of Jacob and his 12 sons may not have realized it, God’s plan for humanity’s rescue had always been comprised of a sacrificial substitute.  God planned, from before creation, that he would send Jesus to become the sacrificial substitute for the sins of God’s children.  Jesus would receive in himself the punishment that others deserved.

            That the theme of substitution is central to the Scripture’s tale is evident in what we see Judah do here in Genesis 44.  Judah, from whose line the Christ will come, stands before Joseph.  Benjamin has been found guilty of a crime before Joseph.  Judah, however, pleads with Joseph to allow him to bear the punishment in Benjamin’s stead.

  Judah will take Benjamin’s penalty in order to spare Benjamin and Jacob the pain.

            I love to read The Jesus Storybook Bible with my children.  The subtitle, “Every story whispers his name,” is so fitting and so glorious.  Here, in Judah, we again see the name of Jesus whispered.  Yes, Judah acted selflessly.  Yes, Judah offered to sacrifice himself for the sake of his brother.  But even more, Judah points us to the greater sacrifice.  Judah reminds us of the ultimate substitute.  Judah shows us what it will be like when Jesus walks to the cross and bears God’s wrath for the sins of those who will be saved. 

Genesis 38:27-30

27 When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb. 28 And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore his name was called Perez. 30 Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.

            While the passage above might seem very obscure and strange to you, it is one of the most glorious little reminders of God’s sovereignty.  This passage is the conclusion of the Judah-Tamar story.  If you remember, Judah treated Tamar deceptively, refusing to marry her to his third son after his first two sons died childless.  Tamar, in a very unrighteous way, took matters into her own hands.  She disguised herself as a prostitute and seduced Judah, becoming pregnant by her father-in-law.  When the truth came to light, Judah confessed that he was an even greater sinner than Tamar, and he did not take advantage of her again.  (By the way, it is only after this point that we ever see Judah do good.)

            Then it became time for Tamar to give birth.  It turns out that she was carrying twins.  It was significant, then, for people to recognize which twin was born first.  God had promised that his plan would be carried through Judah’s family line.  In general, the blessing, the wealth, and the promise would go to the firstborn.

            Now, here is what we see that is interesting.  WE see a hand of a child.  The midwife ties a thread around the kid’s arm so we know which one is the firstborn.  Then, something happens.  The kid backs up.  The twins somehow swap positions and the other baby comes out first.  This astonishes the midwife.  The boy is named “Perez,” meaning to break through.

            What in the world ought we learn from this?  Oh, this story has a lot to commend it to us.  We see Judah learn about his evil.  We see God still find a way to use a scoundrel like Judah.  We see the sadness of a woman used and abused, and we certainly learn not to treat people like Tamar was treated.  But there is something more glorious and much more beautiful in this passage.  God’s glory is front and center if we’ll see it.

            How can we see God’s glory here?  God chose which child would be born first.  It is nothing short of miraculous to see how the children switched their birth order.  God must have done it.  It’s not like there is a ton of room down there for the kids to wrestle past each other.  No, God moved, and by doing so, he showed that he, by his sovereign power, was superintending the birth order.  God knew which child he would use to carry his promise, and God had that child born first.  But, instead of simply having that kid come out first, God made sure to show that he was the one who did it.

            Do you ever fear that God has lost control of the circumstances of your life?  Think again.  God is far more mighty than your greatest hardship.  He is in control.  He will accomplish is plan.  He will arrange circumstances so that, when all is said and done, God’s name is glorified.

Genesis 35:5

And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

            Too often we make decisions about what to do based on what makes sense to us.  Too often, we fail to remember that our command to reach the world with the Gospel of Christ has been given to us by the God who is over all the earth.  Too often we fail to remember that the Holy Spirit of God is with us.  Too often, we fail to grasp that God has the power to do what we think impossible.  Too often, we fail to see that God doing the impossible glorifies him and gives us joy.

            When Jacob traveled in Canaan with his people, his sons did some things that made them not the most beloved group in the land.  Jacob feared that the Canaanite people would come and fight against him and his family.  In fact, all logic pointed in this direction.  Levi and Simeon had wiped out an entire village [and nobody is arguing that this was the right thing to do].  It only made sense that Jacob’s days were numbered.

            But God was involved in his people’s lives.  God was keeping his promises to Jacob, to Isaac, and to Abraham.  God used his power, his amazing, unseen, invisible power, to make things happen that Jacob did not imagine.

            God, by his own power and for his own glory, made fear of Jacob fall upon the people of the land.  While it seems that the Canaanites would have assembled and destroyed a similar band to the family of Jacob, God moved.  Behind the scenes, out of human sight, God made it so that the enemies never mustered the courage to attack.  The men who might have spoken to raise a mob never spoke.  The tough guys who might have picked up the spears never quite managed to get their hands to move.  God acted, and Jacob remained safe.

            What about us?  What might God do for us if we would simply be bold enough to follow him?  Do you want to move to a foreign country for missions but fear you lack the funds?  Why not trust God?  Do you want to share the gospel with your neighbor but are afraid that she won’t hear you?  Why not pray and give it a shot?  God is with us.  God is real.  God is strong.  God changes lives.  God changes circumstances that we cannot see.  Why not trust him and step out in faith?  Why not ask him to do what is otherwise impossible if he does not do it?   

Genesis 27:20

But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the Lord your God granted me success.”

        I have one little thought to point out from this passage.  The context is simple.  Jacob is deceiving his father.  Isaac is too old to be able to see Jacob, and so Jacob, by his mother’s scheme, is pretending to be Esau for the purpose of garnering the blessing for himself.  When Isaac asks how he was able to get to him so quickly with hunted game (Isaac had sent Esau to hunt for him), Jacob declares that God had given him success.

        Here is the tiny point I have:  Not all who claim that God has given them success have really experienced God’s success.  Talk to any pastor in any church, to any Christian leader in any ministry organization, and each of them will say that God has given them success.  We all say this.  If the church is growing, God has given us success.  If we have enough money to build, God has given us success.  If we have even one member go into the ministry or go on mission, God has given us success.  Whether our methods honored God or not, if they worked, we declare that God has given us success.

        Be careful, then, when someone tells you that God has given them success.  Often it will be true.  Certainly, no one truly honors God in their lives without God being behind it all.  At the same time, even those who dishonor God are not escaping the sovereignty of God.  But, be careful assuming that, just because a man says God blessed him, that he is doing what God really wants.  Also be careful claiming that God has blessed you with success.  First make sure that you are obeying the commands of God before you credit him with blessing your idea, your ministry, or your local congregation.

        Again, I know that God is behind all that is good.  Every good and perfect gift comes to us from the Lord.  But let’s be careful not to, as Jacob did, use the name of the Lord our God in vain—an in an empty and meaningless and dishonest way.

1 Kings 18:31-39 (ESV)

31 Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name,” 32 and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” 34 And he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time. 35 And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.

36 And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. 37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”

            The confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on mount Carmel is the stuff of legend.  It is sort of a biblical showdown at high noon.  The prophet stands alone atop a mountain against 850 worshippers of a false god.

            What is not often at the center of our thinking as we analyze this event, however, is Elijah’s strategy.  The contest itself is interesting.  The meticulous steps Elijah goes through to build the altar is worthy of note.  But it is Elijah’s use of water and his prayer that have my attention this morning.

            Remember, this is a test of fire.  Whoever’s deity burns up the offering on the altar is the winner.  Somebody needs to tell Elijah that water and fire don’t go together.  The strategy he uses seems counter-productive to say the least.

            But then Elijah prays.  He says, “let it be known this day that you are God in Israel…  answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God.”  Elijah’s whole point is to show the people that God is the one, the only one, who is responsible for what happens.  Elijah doused the offering with water so that nobody could think in any way that Elijah had anything to do with making the fire.

            What does God do?  God answers with fire from heaven.  Nobody who saw this could have doubted it was God.  There was so much water poured over the wood that it simply could not have burned by natural means.  They saw the power of God, and the people fell down and worshipped.

            What are your strategies to prove to the lost that our God is the real God?  Do your strategies leave no doubt that, if people are won to Christ, it was Christ who did it?  Does your church make the preaching, the proclamation, of God’s word central, even though this world thinks that a poor modern strategy?  Or are your ways of convincing people of the gospel ways that would “work” regardless of whether not God is real?  Is the power of God necessary for your plans to succeed?  If your plans succeed, will God have the glory, or will he be forced to share it with your cleverness, your talent, your ingenuity?

            I know, I know, I’m sounding more and more curmudgeonly with each paragraph.  I don’t want to promote laziness or thoughtlessness in ministry.  We need to put forth every effort and use all of our wisdom and giftedness to get the gospel to the nations.  My point, however, is that the gospel is the gospel.  We cannot modify it.  We cannot enhance it.  We cannot remove repentance from it.  The gospel, if it is the gospel of the Bible, is foolish, even offensive,  to those who are perishing.  We cannot convince them by any means other than by the clear, Scripture-laden proclamation of truth.  It must be God who changes hearts.  It must be God who does the impossible.  Why?  It must be God who gets all, absolutely all, of the glory.

            Elijah poured and poured water over the offering.  Nobody thought that made sense.  But Elijah kept pouring the water so that, when the work was done, God got all the glory.  If the plain and honest proclamation of the age-old gospel is water poured on the offering of your church, keep pouring the water.  If the strategy is not “working,” but if the strategy is the bible, keep pouring the water.  Preach the true Gospel.  Preach it in love.  Preach it without compromise.  Preach it prayerfully.  But preach the genuine gospel, pour the water, pray, and let God answer and show the world that he is God.