20080504 Acknowledge Broken Relationship 2

This is from the 2nd English service by Pastor Richard Toh.

Gen 39 to 40– Joseph's Humiliation

Gen 41 – Joseph's Exaltation

Gen 42 to 45 – Joseph's Brethen

What is the bigger picture in the story of Joseph?

God looked for people to build a nation of his own people. Adam and Eve failed. Noah failed. God chose Abraham and promised to make a nation of his descendants. God has always told his people to avoid Egypt. Now, God wanted to bring his people into Egypt.

1. Issue of inter-marriage with the locals thereby polluting the race, affecting the purity of Yahweh worship. (Judah and Tamar) Contrast with Esau in Gen 36.
   
2. Jacob's sons made too many enemies (killed all the sons of Shechem) thereby preventing a sustaining population growth. God
   
3. God needed a "safety spot."
   
   1. Egyptians do not like shepherds.
      
   2. Egyptians had no ties with unclean people
      
   3. Different religions
      

A typical company is focused on the bottom line. This is normal but it may break relationship. In the last 10 years, there are many books on servant leadership, some not even from Christians. One such book, Built to Last, the author argues that a company cannot just focus on results or relationship but on BOTH results and relationship.

Some may argue that if we focus on building good relationship then we will get good results. However, if we focus too much on relationship, we may have good relationship and we may end up with cliques.

Process On Mending a Broken Relationship

1. Let God Decide When and How (Gen 42:1-6)

There were seven (7) years of plenty and famine has begun for perhaps six months to a year already. Jacob sent his ten (10) sons to buy grain in Egypt for there was a famine in the Canaan. Joseph is now about 37 to 38 years old (30 when he met Pharaoh and seven years of plenty has passed.)

1. Neither party plans to meet – God forced arrangement
   
   1. Perfect Timing – unless God does something, we do not want to do anything
      

      Did Joseph have a plan to see his father? Perhaps when he was incarcerated, he could not do anything. But now he was exalted. He could have asked permission from the Pharaoh to visit his family. But he didn't. Neither did his brothers thought of going to Egypt to look for their brother.
      

   2. Unique Circumstances – the famine
      

      Family members normally reconcile during critical moments, like in a wake service, when someone is ill, etc. Why wait until something happened?
      

2. God first deals with us (v 1, 6)
   
   1. Why stare at one another?
      

      The guilt lived with them. In the famine, they looked at one another as thought they could not think or they had no answer. They had money.
      

   2. They bowed faced down (humble.)
      

      They are in their 40's.
      

2. Test For Authenticity (Gen 42:7-21a)

1. Joseph recognized them, remembered his dream and decided to call them spies (x4) Are they ready for authentic relationship? Joseph didn't ask but because of guilt, they told everything. They said they are honest people but they are not. If they were, Jacob would not have asked Joseph to watch them. Do not have a habit of telling lies. Lies come for the Father of Lies. If we tell lies, then we are doing the work of the evil one.
   
2. They claimed as honest people from one family.
   
3. Joseph needed time for new strategy – kept them in prison for 3 days and then released them on one condition.
   

3. Listen to their Confession (Gen 42:21-24a)

1. Joseph's brethren remembered their faults – guilty, turning a deaf ear to the plea of mercy of their brother, their own flesh and blood.
   
2. They reckoned that they deserved the bad treatment. Relationship mending begins with repentance.
   
3. Joseph for the first time knew Reuben was OK and used Simeon as collateral. It was not a unanimous decision to sell him. Joseph wept. Judah suggested to sell Joseph.
   

4. Allow People Time to Work through the Process (Gen 42:25-38)

1. Joseph provided grain for his family and waited to see Benjamin.
   
2. Jacob pined for Joseph, moaned for Simeon and feared for the lost of Benjamin.
   
3. Joseph's brethren in dilemma – If they say in Canaan, they may die of hunger and Simeon may die too. If they take Benjamin to Egypt, Jacob may die. Relationship mending calls for tough decisions. Joseph was ready. He wanted to see if his brothers are ready.
   

Did Joseph know his family was going to Egypt? Did he know what he went through was part of God's work? Was it in his heart to see his family again?

Today we have the Holy Spirit in us. We are transformed by the Holy Spirit. We can mend relationship with our family and friends. We must take the trouble. God has his own perfect timing. God will engineer the perfect situation. In an Asian family, especially a big one, it's easier to have many broken relationships. We need God to bring us together.