EPHESIANS 6:13—14 - SPIRITUAL WARFARE - Defending Ourselves (#1)

 

Every war reminds us that this world knows very little peace.  This world has seen over 250 wars since World War II ended only 75 years ago, and God only knows where we are heading in this present crisis. War is rooted in the fallen nature of mankind. In fact, war is found in every human heart. Only the grace of God restrains us from the impulses that ignite a war on a large scale.  War is a temporary judgement from God, when He hands nations over to each other. 

Last time we learned from Ephesians 6:10-12 that there is a war of even greater proportion than all the wars that we see and hear of.  It is a war led by Satan, the arch-rebel against God. He leads an army of spiritual authorities, rulers, cosmic powers – spiritual forces of evil in this world, PRIMARILY against the work of God. His ultimate agenda is to root out the bride of Christ, the church. In pursuit of this he conducts a scorched earth policy.  In this he acts like king Herod, who when he heard that that a King would be born, eliminated all baby boys at that time[1].  Satan does not have insight as to who the members of the church of Jesus are. There are many who have not yet responded to the gospel call, and so, in anticipation of that, he conducts this scorched earth policy to eliminate God’s people. In countries where he has the leaders in his absolute control[2], the church is non-existent at face value, but thankfully not to God, who keeps His underground church alive (Revelation 12).  Satan has been doing this for a long time. He and his demonic team is expert at subduing the work of God. 

Don’t take your Christian freedoms for granted.

We are called to engage and resist Satan and his invisible host of evil.

But how do you fight this invisible and formidable enemy? Certainly not with conventional guns and bombs. We must now proceed to take a good look at the battle gear – the full armour of God!

FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES REGARDING THE ARMOUR

“… put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand  against the devil’s schemes”. Previously we have learned that we need to be strong, not in ourselves, but in the Lord. We are called to put on the WHOLE armour OF God.

At the time of his writing Paul was a prisoner in Rome[3]. He was constantly surrounded by Roman soldiers.  The image of a Roman soldier helps him to make his analogy to the Christian’s armour. Paul details six main pieces of the Roman soldier's armour: the belt, the breastplate, the boots, the shield, the helmet, and the sword. These pieces illustrate the various uses of the Christian soldier's armour.  These six pieces protect the Christian soldier fully against Satan’s methods. 

Please note that 5 parts of the armour are defensive. Only the last part of the Christian’s armour is offensive: the Word of God.

1. THE BELT OF TRUTH BUCKLED AROUND YOUR WAIST

Men and also soldiers in those days wore long loose garments. This is not very practical when you have to move rapidly. So they had a belt. They would pull up their long garment and fasten it by means of the belt. The belt held everything in place. So we see that the belt is a foundational garment. Paul thinks of this belt as ‘truth’. Truth is foundational. Truth is that which holds everything together. Without truth in our inner being, in our society, in the church, in politics, in the nation, in the world, everything hangs loose and causes us eventually to stumble. Such is the profundity of the picture here before us.

Satan’s most basic strategy is to distort and dilute the truth. He wants people to believe that there is no such thing as absolute truth. He has worked hard in this modern world to make us believe that it is not politically correct to hold to absolute convictions. For this reason, Satan is the father of atheism – there is no God! In this world which he controls itis wrong to say that Jesus Christ is the only Saviour of the world. 

Since the 19^th century he persuaded many, in the name of science to say that it is wrong to say that God created the world. 

In the 20^th century it became wrong to question certain sexual inclinations. 

In the 21^st century it became wrong to say that there are only 2 genders, and countries like Canada have made it now a punishable crime to persuade people otherwise. 

The very existence of absolute truth has been questioned. It is very common now, in response to the question, “what is truth?” - to find people saying, “truth is what is right for me”.  What are they ultimately saying? They are saying, “Ultimately, I am the final measure of truth”.  Can you see what that sort of reasoning leads to? The world becomes ‘me-centered’.  

The biblical worldview is God-centered.  Truth is rooted in outside of me. Historic Christianity has always understood   that  God determines truth. At the center of the Christian faith is a God who has spoken truthfully through prophets, apostles, and who has finally spoken through His Son! (Hebr. 1:1-3). The truth about truth is that truth does not change, because truth is rooted in the God who is perfect. James 1:17 says, “God does not change like the shifting shadows”.

Saul once tried to convince Samuel that God might be changing His mind about a few things. Samuel's answer is clear: "He who is the glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man, that He should change His mind." (1 Sam 15:29)

God's plans do not need to be changed or revised like ours. The Bible needs no revision. “Forever O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.” (Ps. 119:89). The Word of God is perfect (Ps. 19:7), authoritative, reliable and a sufficient source of wisdom and guidance for all generations living in this broken world.  So, let God be true and every man a liar (Rom. 3:4)!

Ever since the beginning of creation, Satan, the deceiver, the father of all lies, the devil, has sought to discredit God and His absolute truth. In the garden of Eden he tempted Eve with the subtle question: “Has God really said?” ... as if to imply that God could  be wrong, or that God  wasn’t clear in His command,  or as if God could possible change his mind. 

Do you see the results of such subtle reasoning? If God were double minded, or changeable, then we must be prepared to say that truth can also change. It is imperative that we must hold on to the nature  of eternal truth as it is proclaimed in the Bible.  In order to stand against Satan, we desperately need this foundational standard of truth hidden in our heart and manifested in our lives!

How does TRUTH defeat the enemy?

Truth opposes and defeats Satan's essential nature and designs.  Jesus says this about Satan,  

"He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." Jn. 8:44.  

Speaking truth is like switching on light. When the light is switched on, the darkness vanishes. Whenever truth prevails, Satan’s power is eclipsed. Can you now see why as Christians we can give the devil a foothold by lying? Can you see why lying is so frequently mentioned among the list of contemptible sins that weaken the body and the cause of Christ? Truth is foundational. Make sure that your life is built on and around the truth of God’s Word.

 2. THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

The soldier’s breastplate (Gr. thorax), refers to the armour covering the body from the neck down to the lower abdomen, front and back. The breastplate covers the vital and vulnerable organs (heart, lungs, bowels etc.) of the Roman soldier.  We must apply this now to the Christian’s soldiers’ armour - the breastplate of righteousness.  From a biblical perspective, the heart and the bowels, kidneys  are seen as the seat of the emotions – our personality, who we are. Feelings and emotions are God-given, and as such we need to thank Him for these. However, we must constantly remember that our feelings and emotions often waver between the godly and ungodly realm. If we keep our feelings and emotions Christ- centred, Satan will not find a way into your personality. But as soon as we let them range freely, we become vulnerable. Remember then that

Satan seeks to attack us in our inner being - in the realm of our desires, emotions, feelings.  The antidote to this satanic attack is to put on the breastplate of righteousness.

The word righteousness needs to be understood. It refers to the character or quality of being ‘right  and just’, hence it has to do with integrity. An important question arises at this point. Are we able to resist Satan by our own inherent righteousness? This needs very careful consideration! We will now consider the twin concepts of ‘imputed righteousness’ and ‘imparted righteousness’.

1.      Imputed righteousness:  For this battle much more than our own moral righteousness or integrity is needed. We have repeatedly stressed the fact, that it is the armour of God which is needed to stand and withstand against Satan. So, we cannot presume upon our  own righteousness. We need “the righteousness that comes from God”. We don’t have to search the Scriptures for long before we find this concept. The letter to the Romans is filled with it. It is one of the great themes of Romans: see Romans 1:17, 3:21, 22 and  Romans 4 where the imputed righteousness of God to Abraham is discussed. It is a righteousness from God.  It is also sometimes called an alien righteousness because it is given or imputed to us from the outside. 

We find the same idea in Philippians 3 where the apostle Paul argues that “we should put no confidence in the flesh” (3:3) i.e. we should not be ‘self–righteous’. It isn’t as if Paul had no reason to boast. After all, he had great credentials (Phil. 3:4b – 6). He had every reason to be humanly confident and self- righteous. But he rejects such a false basis of confidence and self-righteousness. Listen to what he says in Phil. 3:8,9: “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”

Here’s the vital point: It is that righteousness of Christ which is given (imputed/credited) to us, which alone helps us to withstand Satan and his evil forces. Our own righteousness does not impress Satan. Our own claims of righteousness cause Satan to laugh, for the truth is that, “no one is righteous – not even one” (Rom.3:10). But Satan has no answer to the righteousness which we receive from Christ. Here is a great theological truth which needs to be firmly grasped. We need to begin the battle here, by understanding and applying the imputed righteousness of Christ. This is what guards our inner life and our whole person. This is the breastplate of righteousness.   This does not mean that we must deny our responsibility to act righteously.

2.       We need to use our imparted righteousness: We cannot stop at imputed righteousness. We begin there, but we do not end there. We are righteous in Christ – thank God. But we must act righteously too! It is the flip side of the coin! God does not only declare me righteous in Christ, He has also given me the power to live a righteous life through faith in Christ (2Peter 1:3ff).  By the  help of the indwelling Holy Spirit I am able to resist Satan by choosing not to sin.

CONCLUSION

1.      We have learned that standing on the truth destroys Satan’s work.

2.   We have learned that we must stand on our imputed righteousness and use our imparted righteousness in order  to resist  Satan.

Satan has no answer to these parts of the Christian’s armour.  

We are very vulnerable in the realm of truth and righteousness. 

Make sure therefore that you understand HOW to stand against Satan’s schemes or methods 

Be radically committed to the truth as it is in Jesus, according to His written Word. 

Be sure to stand in His righteousness alone. 

Live out that righteousness.  

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[1] Matthew  2:16-18

[2] e.g. North Korea,  Iran and many countries in the so called  10-40 window

[3] “an ambassador in chains” – see 6:20

EPHESIANS 6:10-12 "THERE IS A REAL WAR OUT THERE!"

 

The world’s attention has been drawn away from the war against the invisible Covid virus to the current Russian war against her cousins – the Ukrainians.   Our world is always at war in one form or the other. There have been at least 250 wars [1] since the end of WW II in 1945. 

Why are there so many wars? The answer is complex at one level, but essentially the answer   to this question is not so difficult for the man or woman that knows their Bible. The fall of man into sin has brought this about.   

CONTEXT

Ephesians is a letter about God’s marvelous deliverance from man’s most basic problem: sin! 

In Ephesians 1–3 we find  a picture of the wonderful salvation and character of the Christian life. 

In  Ephesians 4:1 - 6:9 Paul appeals to his readers to live in a manner worthy of their calling.  He says in effect, “…now that you have become Christians, live like Christians!”  There are two aspects for which he pleads in particular: the unity and the purity of the church.

The foundation for unity is laid down in Eph. 4:1-16, and for purity in Eph. 4:17-5:21. This is followed by a particular application with regard to three areas of relationships in the church, in which unity and purity ought to be clearly seen: (i) wives - husbands   (ii) parents - children (iii) employers - employees.

This brings us to Ephesians 6:10ff and to the subject of the greatest hindrance to spiritual progress, to what Paul calls ‘the schemes of the devil’[2] .  Now let us be quick to affirm that the fact that devil is in the detail does not absolve us (mankind) from our responsibility in the matter of sin.  After all it is we that give him the foothold when we get lost in our mindless anger – see Eph. 4:27!   What we need to grasp is that Satan is an opportunist, quickly exploiting our human weaknesses. Satan gets into our systems like a virus enters into a computer or into our bodies. Once we open  a door,  and once he is in, he causes havoc.  The devil does not work haphazardly but methodically and systematically. He does this work against the primary institutions created by God (i) marriage and the family (ii) the church and (iii) the state and the nations!  He conducts a continuous and subversive war against all these God created institutions.

And so it is necessary that we should understand his methods.  And we must  understand  the Bible’s  counsel  on how to  resist  and stand firm against the devil – and against his  hirelings  which the Bible  here calls  “the rulers,  the authorities,  the cosmic  over this present darkness… the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places …” (6:12). We must understand that we need more than human ingenuity and strength to stand against such an enemy. We shall learn that we need the full armour of God, so that we may be able to stand our ground against these evil forces in the heavenlies. So where do we begin?  

We begin by studying the nature of our enemy.

 1. There Is An Ultimate Enemy Behind All Evil

He is revealed to us here as the devil - a personal being - not simply an abstract force or power.  

He is the father and the source of all evil. He is a powerful being. He is a created, but fallen angel who has rebelled against God  - we don’t know why, how and when. He leads the universal rebellion against God. He has many names in the Bible besides ‘Satan’- his most common name. This name is mentioned 52x in the Scripture and it means 'adversary'. 35 times he is called the ‘devil’ (Gr. ‘diabolos‘ -  lit. slanderer). Other names used of him are prince of this world (Jn. 16:11); prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2); god of this age (2 Cor. 4:4); Beelzebub, the prince of demons (Lk. 11:15).

He is superhuman in his power, which means that he cannot be ordinarily resisted by mankind. And yet he is not divine. He is a created being. He has a kingdom/dynasty (Eph. 2:2). He has servants and followers, described here in Eph. 6:12. These beings, we are told, are not made of flesh and blood (i.e. of human substance); they are metaphysical beings. They are not seen with the naked eye, and yet they exist just as surely as electricity and gamma rays (which are not seen with the naked eye) exist. The evidence of evil is everywhere and in every age.  By their evil they manipulate politicians, world events, and even the church and even Christians. Sometimes they are plainly manifested as demonic beings.

The devil’s chief desire is extinguish the church. He hates her, because he hates Christ! Every war ultimately exists  to  draw people’s attention away from God and His saving work in the world.

 2.  This Fallen World Is A Battleground And Not A Playground.  

This world is a restless place by virtue of sin entering into our world through Satan’s agency (Gen. 3:1) and man’s complicity (Gen. 3:6-7). The fruit of this most tragic event is seen in the language of Genesis 3:14-19. Mankind, originally created for a life of peace and harmony under God has now tasted of the knowledge of good AND evil. Conflict and disagreement become the order of the day. In  Genesis 4 we find  Cain  killing  his  brother  Abel, and  Cain walks away from the presence of the LORD (Gen. 4:16). Conflict, murder and war dominates the histories of the Old and New Testaments. It dominates the histories of all civilizations. The Lord Jesus made this point specifically in His Olivet discourse, that a sign of the end of the ages would be the fact that there would be wars and rumours of wars (Matt.24:6-7). The Revelation of John points in a similar direction. The war in the heavens in Revelation 12   translates into war on earth when Satan the great dragon, and his angels are thrown down to earth.

So, it is important that we understand what is behind the notion of war. It starts with a fallen angel who is at war with God. It starts in the heavenlies. But, at face value wars start with what James 4:1-2 describes, 

“What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?  You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.” 

 Then James goes right to the root and he says that this mentality is born out of an attitude. He calls it enmity with God (Jas.4:4). That enmity began with Satan’s rebellion against God in Genesis 3. This is our vital link to our text in Ephesians 6:10-20.

 So then, the real reason behind all the wars, is  not simply disagreements  between people, rulers and nations, although that is true. War is not just armies   fighting each other for whatever reason given, although that is true. The ultimate reason for any war  is  a spiritual  reason, instigated by  an evil principality, using  the fallen nature of mankind to get into our systems. Therefore we must not just see war as two parties levelling the score until they are  exhausted  in terms  of what   that  war  produces.

When we speak about war we must not forget to speak about its  fundamental problem, which is a spiritual problem, and if a spiritual problem, then we must understand that more than loss of life is at stake.  

In 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Paul writes, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”  Every war threatens the soul’s peace.  Our real desire for peace should be based upon the further desire to have the fullest opportunity to live a holy and godly life, and to be able to build ourselves up in the faith.  The shedding of much blood has awful consequences in terms of a nations’ loss of spiritual peace. 

Just think about the terrible collective guilt the German soul has borne following the 2^nd world war. Just think what guilt the Russian collective soul must now bear for this senseless war on its Ukrainian cousins. This will not go away easily.   

Satan and his accomplices will do everything to make us not live in peace, so that we cannot think about the gospel. He will do everything for a nation to live in fear and horror, for in so doing he removes our ability to be united in worship and prayer. War is one of his best used tools, and you  dear brother and sister in the Lord Jesus  are  exhorted  in the Scripture to "fight the  good  fight" (1 Tim 1:18; 6:12); to  “not grow weary and loose heart”  (Hebr. 12:3); “to resist the devil and he will flee from you" (Jas 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:8,9). The apostle Paul warned the elders of this same church at Ephesus  in Acts 20: 29 - 31  “ 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. Part of the church's ministry is to warn the flock - and to continually warn its members not to play in the devil’s backyard. Carelessness and sin kills relationships. It starts wars.  It must be understood therefore, that behind many of the wicked men/women and their institutions in this world, there is a manipulative power. What evil and disobedient men & women do not realize is that they are manipulated. They are pawns in the hands of the kosmokraton (lit.' kosmocrats - worldrulers'). This fact does not hold people innocent in the eyes of God. They cannot say,  “We are pawns in his hands; the devil made me do it". Christians sometimes also unwittingly have been tools of the devil. We are responsible to resist the devil (Jas. 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:9). We are commanded not to give the devil a foothold (Eph. 4:27). We must resist him; we must withstand him.   We are at war.

 3. We must have the right perspective on this spiritual war. Recognize your own weakness and depend on God.

The call to resist Satan and his hostile forces does not begin with an inward look. Lay the thought aside that you should be able to resist the devil in your own strength.

The call to resist Satan also does not begin with an  outward look.   You may be tempted to think - "well as long as those around me are  strong in the Lord, and as long as our elders pray for us  and  fight our spiritual  battles,  keeping the devil at bay, and the church at peace, I will be  all right". Do not be fooled!  And do not depend on the elders to keep this church free from Satan’s attacks. None of these are strong enough to resist Satan. The church together is God’s army.

The call to resist Satan begins with the upward look. Take note of these words, “Be strong in the LORD, and in the strength of HIS might. Put on the whole armour OF GOD...  that you may be able to stand!“  (6:10,11). Here is the ruling principle of  that most basic discipline of  not  giving the enemy a foothold: Be strong in the LORD, and  in the strength  of HIS might.

Be strong’ (Gr. ‘endunamoo’) - the verb here is in the passive voice: literally this should read "be continually strengthened" (i.e. receive strength). We do not have the strength to resist Satan in ourselves. We are called to depend on the Lord for the supply of that strength. This battle cannot be fought in our own strength. The Lord, as in Joshua's day /Jehoshaphat's day must fight the battle against our enemies for us.

We are going to be working out this principle in some more detail as we consider the armour of God. We shall see  that there are  very  specific instructions with respect to this battle.  The only way in which we can successfully wage war against the devil’s methods is by employing  God’s methods. Any other way with which to stand against the devil is useless.  We cannot fight the battle against Goliath in Saul’s armour. We need a smooth stone well directed  by  God into the devil’s forehead.  That is the only way to deal with Satan!  Spiritual warfare is only ever waged successfully in the Lord and in His mighty power.  The smallest, most insignificant Christian boy can slay Goliath with a slingshot, if he has God on His side- by means of prayer.  William Cowper[3] wrote:

Restraining prayer, we cease to fight; Prayer makes the Christian’s armour bright; and Satan trembles when he sees, the weakest saint upon his knees.

 If we find our strength in the Lord and the power of His might we  can truly say with Paul, 

"If God be for us, who can be against us"  (Rom 8:31) and  with  Romans 8:37-39: 

37  “….No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

CONCLUSION

Thomas Brooks in his excellent book,  Precious remedies against Satan’s devices, writes: “Christ, the scripture , your own hearts and Satan’s devices are the four prime things that should be first and most studied and searched. It is my work as a Christian to do my best to discover the fullness of Christ, the emptiness of the creature and the snares of the great deceiver”.

If you, like me, find these days  of  war and rumours of war depressing  and alarming  then I invite you now to turn with me  to seek the help  and the promises of God. We do not have the mental or intellectual capacity to figure what is going on ultimately in the spiritual realm, and in the realm of politics,   let alone to understand it all,  and least of all to fight it in our own strength. We don't even have the ability to always sort out the good from the evil, or the true from the false when it comes to the ordinary issues in life – let alone the realm of the occult.

We need superhuman wisdom and superhuman tools to deal with this realm. Thank God then  that He has not left us uninstructed or without a word in this matter.

       

 

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[1] https://history.answers.com/military-history/How_many_wars_worldwide_since_World_War_2

[2] Gk.  ‘methodeias tou diabolou’

[3] English poet and hymnodist (1731–1800)

GENESIS 45 " A Great Turning Point - Joseph reveals Himself "

 

Today we come to a glorious chapter – one that we have been waiting for. We all love a story with a good ending, and here it is – a broken family is finally reconciled.  But what is more, here we receive an amazing insight into the work of God behind the scenes. In fact here in 45:4-8 we  find some  of the profoundest   verses in Genesis, if not  in Scripture . It is summed up by Paul in his letters to the Romans  8:28, “God works all things for good.”

OUTLINE

1.      45:1-15 Joseph reveals himself, reveals God plan,  and is reconciled to his brothers

2.      45:16-24  Egypt’s Pharaoh  invites the family to stay  in Egypt.

3.      45:25-28 The return and report  given  to Jacob.

1.         45:1-15 Joseph reveals himself  and reconciles  himself to his brothers

We have previously seen in Chapter 44 how Judah spoke humbly and earnestly when he  confessed his sins, and their sins, in the presence of Joseph, even though as they did not yet know that this was their brother. Judah saw what had happened to them as God's judgment on them, all because, about 20 years ago, they had sold their brother into slavery and into an unknown future. They had also lied to their father concerning what they had done. But now Judah was broken by the past. He was not too proud to lay his and their sins open for all to see. And he showed that he and his brothers truly cared about their father. They were also truly concerned for their youngest brother Benjamin whose life was bound up in his father’s life (44:30).  In fact, Judah was ready to become a slave in Egypt in the place of Benjamin. They were a changed people. 

(i)                 Joseph reveals himself (45:1-3)

It was at this point that Joseph’s heart crumbled.  We read in 45:1, “Then Joseph could not control himself… and he made himself known to his brothers…. I am Joseph!”   He did this with loud weeping, so much so that the Egyptians whom he had just sent out from his poresence  heard it, and therefore Pharaoh heard about it. 

The brothers were naturally speechless (45:3). And as they try to come to grips with this, he immediately asks, “Is my father still alive?”  That seems to be a strange question, since they had been talking about their father all along. Of course he was still alive!  His  question needs to be understood in context.  All that he has heard  from them about his father until now was really ‘at a distance’. Before he had asked as a stranger; now he asks as a brother. Now he was really able to ask, “How is my father doing?”  Life is not just about having a heart -beat.  He is now able to enquire how his father was really doing in every way – mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. How is he in his entire well - being?  Would he be able to make a journey to Egypt?  The question was also posed to  ‘take the heat off’. Please understand that the revelation that the brothers had just received was utterly  shocking. The translation in the ESV says that they were dismayed/ trembling (Hebr. nibh halu) at his presence.   The question, ‘how’s dad doing?’  and the statement  “I am Joseph” (twice) takes the heat off, and  prepares  the way for an amazing  interpretation of this event.  

(ii)               Joseph  reveals God’s plan (45:4-8)

Joseph wants them to know WHY all this has happened.  He wants them to know that  through it all, and by the grace of  God ALONE,  he was kept by God under difficult circumstances. God brought him to this privileged position in Egypt   which he now  holds.  Because of this understanding, that God was in charge here,  Joseph has been able to process   all the events that have led to his suffering and exaltation as prime minister in Egypt. This story is a wonderful application of Romans 8:28,

“ALL things work together for the good of those that love God, who are called according to His purpose.”  

Also, Joseph visibly demonstrates  that a root of bitterness can be conquered when one sees the hand of God  over and above one’s  circumstances. You will note that Joseph declares three times, “God sent me before you!” (45:5,7,8). That is a very clear  message and it has huge implications, and because God is the root cause of all this, he can say  to them: ”Do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold  me here (45:5)…; “God send me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth…” (45:7) “So it was not (ultimately) you who sent me here, but God.”  This will be repeated again, after Jacob the father dies in 50:20 -  ”You meant it for evil; God meant it for good.”

That was a huge statement, and it showed these guilt riddled brothers that over and above their evil action (and it was evil!) the preserving, protecting and providential hand of God was guiding a process for their GOOD.  And Joseph was the first to see and understand this, and that is why he could say this. And so Joseph has no need to rebuke them for their sin against  him. He can point them  to the overriding providence of God, and so  there are no hard feelings and no bitterness.

Please note that the brothers’ evil action in itself does not absolve them. Sin always remains sin, and in order for sin to be dealt with effectively before God and man there must be genuine repentance. We have seen genuine repentance here, and so the process for reconciliation is  easy.   

But over and above that, we find in the Bible that even in the face of unconfessed evil and of hatred for God,  the truth is marching on.  No power of sin, nor schemes of man, no unbelief, no schemes of hell and  the devil can unsettle God’s purposes in the advancement of the kingdom of  God upon this  earth. Jesus says  and guarantees  us that   the gates of hell shall not hinder the building and advancement  of his church (Matt. 16:18)-which does not correspond to church buildings  or denominations  or man- made institutions. These will come and go.  All the wrath of the scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees and of other enemies of  our Lord Jesus could not keep Him in the grave.

This is important  to know, even as we consider the rising darkness of our own times.  We need to know this in these days of great blasphemy  against our glorious God and  Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. We need to know this  in these days when  God’s creation design is so heavily mocked and inverted  and subverted. We need to know this  at a time  when  people and nations appear to be almighty, when anti- Christian  state control measures are  rising. We need to know  and hold on to the greater truth  that  in the end all these will have to reckon  with the sudden appearance of  the Lord Jesus  Christ: 

“Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory…” (Matt. 24:30)  

God remains in charge. He rules and overrules  even our sinful actions and evil designs.

(iii)             45: 9-15 Reconciliation

This understanding is what makes reconciliation easy for Joseph and his brothers and therefore  they can be quick to implement  God’s plan to save them in the midst of this horrible drought  - which incidentally  is   a result of the curse of the fall. [Genesis 3:17,18  “cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life ; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you…”]

Joseph is not slow to give direction: 

(i) Hurry up and go back to my (our) father. Tell him where I am and what I am doing. Tell him that GOD has made him the lord of all Egypt.  (45:9)  

(ii) Come live with me in Goshen, a  fertile province of Egypt.  Be near me.  (45:10) 

(iii)   I will provide for you  because  there are 5 more years of  this brutal famine (45:11)   

(iv) Now hurry and bring my father (45:13).  It is important  that his father hears and sees this, because it will bring about real  closure for him. He, after all was a part of hearing  the original dream of Joseph in Chapter 37. He needs to know  how everything has come full circle  now. This is a fulfilment of the revelation of God. God is faithful!

All this then is sealed with an affectionate  falling on  the neck – first Benjamin, his own blood brother, the son of Rachel, and then the other brothers. Fathom this!  After all these years, God, in His grace  has enabled these brothers to  be reconciled. God has done this and it is marvellous in our eyes!

2.         45:16-24  Egypt’s Pharaoh  invites the family to come and stay  in Egypt

(i) The Pharaoh of Egypt who is extremely  kind  to Joseph,  and he  loses no time to provide logistical support to bring the family from Canaan (45:16-20)

(ii) Joseph  gives them generous  provisions plus clothing for the journey  (45:21-23). And he gave them  a stern warning  not to quarrel along the way.  We continue to live in this fallen world. Constant words of warning, exhortation and rebuke are necessary along our life’s highway – especially this one: Avoid   quarrelling!

Despite all this wonderful  happening we need to remember now what is in stall for them as the family is on the verge of  living in Egypt. This too is foretold  in  Genesis 15:13. They will be  slaves  in Egypt for more than 400 years.   But all this is providence within providence. Here in Egypt God will preserve for him a pure line   of Hebrews. He will build and bring out a nation. They would not mix with the Egyptians  for  the Egyptians  themselves had  strict laws about not intermingling with other races . 

3.         45:25-28 The return and report  given  to Jacob.

Here we  find  the return  of the brothers,  and the  initially hesitant response of Jacob.  They tell their dad that his son Joseph is alive, and that he is the ruler over all the land of  Egypt.  Jacob’s response is similar to the initial response of the brothers to the revelation of Joseph. His heart became numb. He is dazed.  But when he sees all the evidence, when he hears the words, and he sees the wagons, he believes.  And he responds: “ It is enough.. I will go  and see him before I die.” (45:28)

And  again we must see what is at stake here.  Jacob is asked to leave the land of God’s promise to go to a foreign land.  He is doing this when he is an old man, when his strength is spent – when he should be thinking of himself and his  home comforts.    By faith then he goes, because he has heard of a greater truth: his son is alive!  His response  is precious:"My son is still alive.  I will go to Him." Such truth overrides all objections  and  thoughts of  feebleness. He is  going, because he is moved by greater truth. 

Praise God then  for the Bible- the truth and  revelation  of God’s unseen hand behind  our lives. And He works all things for good. This moves me. 

Genesis 44: "A Severe Testing With A Sweet Outcome"

This is a story about true repentance. What a huge difference true repentance makes to relationships – both, with God and men.

In Genesis 42 and 43, we saw that Joseph's family had been brought to Egypt because of the famine. 

In Genesis 42 he had provided them with grain, though he had kept Simeon. They had been accused of being spies, and as an assurance that they would return, Simeon was kept. As proof of innocence they were also told that they needed to bring Benjamin, their youngest brother. Jacob, their father, needed much persuasion in this, but ultimately necessity and hunger drove them back to Egypt. Here we find them again, treated hospitably once more by Joseph. After obtaining their provisions they had a meal with him, and now we find them ready to depart. But Joseph had one more great test for them. This test  would ultimately reveal the truth about them.  We have seen that Joseph has  kept himself from revealing himself spontaneously to his brothers. Why? Joseph needed to test the hearts of his brothers, because he  had been   so  severely betrayed  by  them.  Were they still the same as they were 20 years ago? Had they changed? Was there a future for them as a family?  

OUTLINE

1.       Joseph’s test (44:1-17)

2.       Judah’s  plea (44:18-34)

1.            JOSEPH’S TEST (44:1-17)

In order to know  the heart of his brothers, he determines  to test them to the limit. Warning! Do not try this at home. Do not use this example to  put your husbands, wives, children  or parents to the test  to see how much they  do / do not love you. Joseph's dealings here  are not a role model nor an encouragement  for us to test  our  families.  That would  bring unnecessary stress or trouble  into  the family.

What we have here is much, much bigger than a sadistic pleasure or a desire for revenge. Joseph's testing of his brothers is really an extension of God's dealing with his brothers. Remember the big picture. God is in this. This family is God’s covenant family. It is God’s prospective covenant nation. At this time it is a broken family. God, through Joseph is going to test the brothers to reveal their hearts. This is going to be essential in order to move forward as a prospective nation.  At Joseph’s level, he will have to know what he is committing himself to, if there is any hope of going forward.  There can be no reconciliation, there can be no way forward without true repentance.  This is something which we forget so very easily.

There are two great questions  in Joseph’s mind.

How will they treat Benjamin and how much do they really care about their aged father?  Once again we need to be reminded that 20 years ago they cruelly disposed of Joseph and they told their father a gross lie.  Do they still possess this mind-set? Are these still the same men? As Joseph asks this question in his heart, I want  to remind you  that  we must never assume that people  cannot  or will not change. This week I was reading  2 Chronicles. There I was reminded of the example of an extremely wicked king - Manasseh (2 Chron.33:1-20) -  a man that  started  extremely badly but who truly changed. He truly repented of his evil ways.  I also read of king  Joash who started  so well and who  ended very badly (2 Chron. 24)]

44:1-2   Joseph wants to see the hearts of his brothers. The way he does that  is to return the money in their sack  (just like the first time- 42:25) – not to incriminate them,   but as an act of unmerited kindness towards them. But now, in addition a special silver cup is placed  in Benjamin’s sack. Let the test begin. It’s a very shrewd one.  

44: 3-15.  Not long after the brothers have left, Joseph tells his steward to pursue them in search of his ‘stolen’ silver cup.  After protesting innocence (44: 7-9), each one’s bag is checked beginning with the eldest (44:12).So confident they were they of their innocence, that they insisted on the death penalty for anyone who was found with this cup in possession. The steward in turn insists that no death penalty is needed. The guilty party would simply be taken into slavery (44:10). The others were free to leave. The cup is discovered in Benjamin’s  sack  (44:12).The brothers are devastated …”then they tore their clothes…” (44:13 extreme grief and anguish), having  to return back to Joseph to face the music. Note, again that  “they  fell (bowed)  before him on the ground” (44:14 cf. 43:26,28) 

Do you see what is happening here?  Joseph as God’s instrument has incriminated the most vulnerable  and most indispensable member of the family.  How will they react to this?  Do you see the ingenuity of this test? Having formerly abandoned Joseph and having lied to their father (Gen.37), they are tested in their concern for their youngest  brother Benjamin, and in their love for their father. 

How will they react? 

Will they now abandon Benjamin?  

Will they tell their father another lie? 

In 44:15, Joseph questions them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practise divination?”   The word comes from the Latin ‘divinare’, meaning, “to be inspired by a god”, and thus to foresee. To practice divination is to uncover hidden knowledge by supernatural means. It is associated with the occult and involves fortune-telling. God forbids divination. “There shall not be found among you . . . anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who enquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD.” (Deut.18:10-12).  Practicing divination is listed as one of the reasons for Israel’s exile (2 Kings 17:17). 

In the book of Acts we find a slave girl who had a spirit of divination bringing her owners much gain by fortune-telling (Acts 16:16). The girl’s ability to penetrate mysteries was due to a demon that controlled her. Paul was troubled by this and he exorcised the demon (Acts 16:18), freeing the girl from her spiritual bondage.

Divination is not harmless entertainment or an alternate source of wisdom. Christians should avoid visiting fortune-tellers, astrologers, witches and mediums, those that read tarot cards, consult the dead etc. The spirit world is real, but the spirit world is not innocent. The Bible teaches  us  about the world of demons and deceiving  evil spirits. We must have nothing to do with them.

So, if Joseph is in God’s hand, how can he practise something that God has so clearly forbidden?  You will remember earlier in Gen.41 where he interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams, Joseph was very clear that the interpretation of dreams was not in him. He said, “It is God who will give Pharaoh a favourable answer.” (41:16). I think that Joseph was simply using a scare tactic to make them believe that he had powers to see where the missing cup went.

44: 16-17   Judah takes the lead, and it is very clear that the brothers are lost for words.  You see no protestation of their innocence.  “God has found out the guilt of your servants“ (44:16) (Remember last week’s discussion of the powerful effect of the guilty conscience).They recognize that God has exposed them. 

Go back to that first  journey to Egypt in  Genesis 42:21, when they were accused of being spies, incarcerated for 3 days and then told that one of them needed to stay behind  until they returned with the youngest boy.  Notice there  how  the brothers interpret that happening: "In truth we are guilty concerning our brother  in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us, and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us."  And then Ruben says in 42:22, "So now there comes a reckoning for his (Joseph's)  blood".  You see how  this 20 year old  guilt remains deeply etched on their consciences. And now Judah says it again, "God has found out our guilt" (44:16). These brothers are guilt riddled. But the question is this. How will they deal with their guilt?  There  are two sides to this question. One will be answered in this chapter and the other  in  Chapter 45.

But it is 44:17  that constitutes the real test. Joseph  tells them  that they may leave  to go back to their father. Only Benjamin must remain. He offers them freedom at Benjamin's expense. 

What will they do? 

If they will only betray Benjamin, they are free to go.  

2.       JUDAH’S PLEA  (44:18-34)

Here we find one of the most powerful pleas in the Bible.  He is not asking for mercy. Judah declares his willingness to be a substitute for his brother. He is not  arguing, he is not denying guilt  - he is simply pleading  that his life should be exchanged for  Benjamin’s , and he does it  for the sake of his father  “whose life is bound up with the boy’s life”. He fears to see the evil that would find his father (44:34) if  Benjamin were not returned.  Notice how  he provides  Joseph  with a brief history  of the  family in verses 44:19-34 and in this  he makes two  pleas:  (i) he makes it clear that he will do anything he can to avoid hurting his father (ii) he makes it clear that he pledged himself (with  a curse – 43:9 ;44:32)  if he does not bring  Benjamin  back.   Look at the emotional language he uses in  44:20, 28-29.

That shows  us  the work of grace that has been done in the heart of Judah. And here is the first answer to how they must deal with their guilt.   And  you can see that  everything spills out of the depth of his soul, from the heart,   which is now filled with confession and repentance and the desire to do things right – all at once. Again, Judah  is not asking for mercy – but simply to be a  slave in the place of his brother.  This is one of the brothers who years before had  ignored the cries of Joseph. He was complicit in the cheating  against  his father. And here  he is – the man for others. Does this not remind you of  Another One from the tribe of Judah, who would offer Himself in the place of the guilty,  your and my guilt- so that  we, the guilty might go free?

All this showed Joseph that this was a changed family.

For unity to be  maintained among God’s people  it is important  that  sin must be confessed and dealt with.  Paul urges the Ephesians, (struggling with divisions – Eph. 2 &3),  in  Ephesians  4 that  one's Christian profession must have  substance:

“25  Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbour, for we are members one of another... 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph. 4:25, 31,32)

Spiritual revivals often begin with the pain of confessing sins that have hindered blessing in local congregations. [1]

Judah's  heart has been truly changed by God  and it shows in the way he loves.   The stage is set for  a revival  of this family  in chapter 45 – the revelation of Joseph and the reconciliation of the family.

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[1] Philip Eveson:  The Book of Origins (Genesis)  , p529