A Daily Walk

Guest (Male): Pastor John Randall says, father knows best, so live your life like that's the case.

John Randall: How many times people settle for less than what God has? We sing listen, I got something way better for you, but you're going to have to draw near to me and come to me and and I'll I'll provide it for you. Oh, I'll do that. Oh, do that. I got some stuff. Really do you? What do you have? Just got some stuff. What? This is God saying I want to give you the best. Why you want to settle for less than what the best is? Cuz you think you know what's best for you? You ever live your life thinking I know what's best for me and found out you didn't know what was best for you?

I found that out. You know something I've learned and I'm still learning. God knows what's best for me.

Guest (Male): It is great to be back with you today. Welcome to a daily walk. Our teacher Pastor John Randall offers great hope to families today from Genesis 45. In a day when so many are estranged from one another because of marital failure, mistreatment by one another and a host of other reasons, hope of ever being made whole seems bleak. But if God can save and restore the family of Jacob, he can restore any family, even yours. In those times when it's nearly impossible to keep it together, what an encouragement to hear of God's great power to save and restore.

That's what the story of Jacob's family shows and that's what you'll hear today. Here is Pastor John.

John Randall: Joseph. He began his life as the favored son of his father. Yet the partiality that he was shown bred jealousy among his brothers and their hatred grew so strong toward Joseph that they sold him as a slave and they lied to their father saying that a wild animal had killed him. But unbeknownst to his father Jacob and his brothers, God was still with Joseph. He was given favor in the home of his new master and he was promoted to be the chief steward over all of his master's belongings. Unfortunately, his master's wife falsely accused Joseph when he did not respond to her advances and Joseph was then thrown into prison.

Yet even in prison, the Bible says the Lord was with Joseph and he was promoted there and he was given charge over all of the inmates. And although it seemed that everyone had forgotten about Joseph and that his life was over, one day everything changed. He was called upon to stand before Pharaoh and to interpret his troubling dreams and Joseph not only interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh, but he gave specific instructions in response to a devastating famine that was coming. And in that moment, Joseph was then promoted to second in command over all of Egypt.

He was given a wife, he had a family, and then he got to work storing up all the grain during the seven years of plenty in preparation for the famine. So that when the famine came, there was provision available. But the famine was so severe that it reached throughout the land and even into the promised land, the land of Canaan where Joseph's family lived. And the famine forced them to come and bow before the feet of Joseph for food. And when Joseph's brothers arrived, do you remember that he didn't reveal his identity right away? Instead, he put them through a series of tests to see whether or not they had any remorse, any regret.

Were they still the same guys they always were or had time changed them? And one of the tests that he put them through was to bring their younger brother Benjamin who was still at home with his father in Egypt. And although Jacob was reluctant to release Benjamin, he had no other choice. They were going to starve. And when Benjamin and the rest of the brothers came down to Joseph, Joseph had another test prepared in that he filled their bags with grain and put their money inside of it and he strategically put his own personal silver vessel in Benjamin's bag.

And when the brothers set off for home thinking everything was great, Joseph then sent his men and stopped them and brought them back and said whoever has taken my silver chalice, when you guys rip me off, whoever it is, you're going to be my slave forever. They said no one's taken it. Look at through our bags. And they went through all the bags and then came to Benjamin and found out where it was. They they stood before Joseph and here it says if the brothers were given another chance, a second opportunity, what would they do?

Would they leave Benjamin? They have their money. They have their provision. Would they leave them behind like they left Joseph behind for money? Have they changed it all? Judah spoke up and offered himself as a slave instead of Benjamin. He said take me. And when Joseph saw the remorse and the repentant heart of his brothers, he couldn't hold back his identity any longer and he abruptly told them who he was. But it came as a complete shock and they had no idea how to respond. If you look at verse one of chapter 45, a revelation of Joseph's identity.

It says then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him and he cried out make everyone go out for me. So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers and he wept aloud and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it. And Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph. Does my father still live? But his brothers could not answer him for they were dismayed in his presence. It's probably hard to put into words Joseph's brothers must have felt in that moment. It says they were dismayed.

That's the word that's used in their brothers' presence. But think about this. Joseph knew everything about these guys. He know what they were like. There was nothing they could hide. They were completely exposed, caught off guard in a very vulnerable position because Joseph knew everything about him and he had the power to do something about it. They had lived in darkness for years living under this guilt and this lies that they had perpetrated before their father. But now they're exposed. Everything is known and in that moment they were probably afraid because the tables had suddenly turned and Joseph could do whatever he wanted to and the fact is they deserved it.

He would be justified. But what did he do? Well, not only did Joseph reveal himself to his brothers, he was willing to be reconciled with his brothers. For in verse four, it says and Joseph said to his brothers, notice this invitation. Please come near to me, which tells me they weren't near him. So they came near. And he said, I am Joseph, your brother whom you sold into Egypt. But now do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here for God sent me before you to preserve life. And these two years of famine has been in the land and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing or harvesting.

Verse seven, and God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God. And he has made me a father to Pharaoh and a lord of all his house and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. Notice please first of all how gracious Joseph was to these men who stole years from his life that he could never get back. He had been wronged, hurt in a way that some of us can't even identify with.

And here these undeserving brothers, he invites them. You can see and hear the forgiveness in his words and he says to them, draw near to me. Come near to me. The invitation is there. Draw near to me. And when they did, he drew near to them. They were afraid, they were grieved, and yet Joseph loved them in spite of everything he knew about them. I can't help when I see this to think of our greater than Joseph who knows everything about us, everything. And yet the invitation is the same. Draw near to me. It's an invitation.

Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy late. Whoever you are, whatever you've done, come to me. Draw near to me. No, I can't. I can't. I'm too ashamed. Look what I've done. Look who I've hurt. Look what that that's not that's not what Joseph's asking. He said don't be grieved. Come near me. He welcomes us in because he wants us to be reconciled. Jesus died so that we could be reconciled. We deserve wrath. We deserve judgment. And what does he do? He shows us kindness and mercy and grace. Invites us to draw near.

We also see that Joseph looked at the suffering and the hardship and the pain that he had gone through and he was given insight into why the Lord allowed it. We don't always get insight into why the Lord allows certain things to happen. And many of us we have questions why did God allow this? But Joseph could see and even verbalize three separate times that the Lord allowed it. Didn't say it was easy. Didn't say it wasn't painful or that he had some scars as a result of it. But what he could say is that he could see God in the midst of it.

God was the one. It's it's like everything came full circle and suddenly he understood what he didn't understand perhaps during those years when he was in in Potiphar's house or in the prison. Suddenly he realizes God brought me here. I'm here for a reason. God has used some of the most painful circumstances in my life to bring me to this moment so that I could be a blessing to somebody else who needs life and I can provide it. That's Joseph's heart. The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 17, Paul said for our light affliction is but for a moment and it's working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

Joseph could say listen, I know you're troubled by what you've done, but I want you to know something. God has used this in my life. Is there anything in your life and you don't need to raise your hand because you walk with the Lord for any length of time. I know what you're going to say. Has God used anything painful in your life that has developed and grown your character, learned about yourself, learned about him, something that he has used that many would say I don't know how you made it through and you could say you know what God was faithful to me.

God used that in my life and I I'm not I didn't ask for that. I didn't say you know what Lord I would really like this one if you're looking to dish out some pain, I'm definitely open to receive uh and I want to suffer with you. So just bring it. You know you never I never pray that. But the fact is we live in a fallen world and we do experience hardship. And so when it comes, either it can make us better or it can make us bitter. Some people get bitter and they get angry at God.

If anybody could have claimed to be a victim, it was Joseph. He could have grabbed on the whole victim mentality and he could have he could have, but he didn't. He said God allowed it. God did it so that you could be spared. A revelation of Joseph's identity. This is who he was. This was his heart to be reconciled to his brothers. A revelation of who Jesus is the son of God, his heart for man to be reconciled to God. But then we see a relocation of the family. If you go to the next verse, verse nine, he says hurry and go up to my father and say to him, thus says your son Joseph, God has made me Lord of all Egypt.

Come down to me. Do not tarry. You'll dwell in the land of Goshen and you shall be near to me. You and your children and your children's children, your flocks and your herds and all that you have and there I will provide for you lest you and your household and all that you have come to poverty and there are still five years of the famine. And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see. It's my mouth that speaks to you. So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt and all that you've seen and you shall hurry and bring my father down here.

And then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept and Benjamin wept on his neck. Moreover, he kissed all his brothers and wept over them and after that his brothers talked with him. Joseph realized his family would not survive. They would not last unless they came and dwelt near him, unless they would abide with him. They would never make it. And so he invites them. You need to you need to relocate. You need to come and be near me. You've been living far from me. You've been living in this place and and it's distant and it's barren.

You need to come and dwell with me so that you can survive. Go tell my father what I said to you, the promises that I've made to you. Go tell him and bring him down. And notice he says do it quickly. Do not tarry. There is no time to waste. He told them do not delay. Coming to Joseph was the only option. There was no time. Things weren't going to get better. They were going to get worse. Often times people delay in coming to Jesus thinking I've got all the time in the world. I don't have to worry about it.

It's not a big deal. I'm young. I have to worry about it. I got a lot of things going for me. I don't need I can I can wait and get around to it later. And here are are greater than Joseph saying do not tarry. Do not wait. Do not put off your salvation. Come now. Don't hold back. Don't don't hesitate. Respond now. The Bible says in Hebrews chapter 3 verse 15, today if you'll hear his voice, don't harden your hearts as in the day of rebellion. Don't put it off. What are you waiting for?

Come on. Come to Jesus. Come now. Don't delay. Today can you hear his voice? That's the question. Too many people delay and then they miss it. Listen friend, it's not too late until it is. While you have breath in your lungs, while you while you can hear and the Lord is speaking, you have time. But your time, my time will eventually run out. Are you prepared? Don't delay. Joseph says come now. In verse 16, we find Joseph with restoration toward his family. It says now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh's house saying Joseph's brothers have come.

So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, say to your brothers, do this. Load your animals and depart. Go to the land of Canaan. Bring your father and your household and come to me. Notice what it what they're going to be given. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you will eat of the fat of the land. Now you are commanded to do this. Take hearts out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives. Bring your father and come. Also, don't be concerned about your goods for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.

Here we find that the Pharaoh even hears about Joseph's family. And Joseph had been such a vital asset to Egypt in saving the entire land. It's almost as if Pharaoh was indebted to him and he says listen, bring your family down here and let them know this. We're going to give them the best of what we have. Isn't amazing? What did they have? They had nothing. And they are now invited come and let me give you what's best for you. Let me give you the best of what we have. All you got to do is take this step and come here and watch what I 'm going to do.

Don't delay. You're going to be provided for. How many times people settle for less than what God has? We sing listen, I got something way better for you, but you going to have to draw near to me and come to me and and I'll I'll provide it for you. Oh, I don't do that. Oh, do that. I got some stuff. Really do you? What do you have? Just got some stuff. What? This is God saying I want to give you the best. Why you want to settle for less than what the best is? Cuz you think you know what's best for you?

You ever live your life thinking I know what's best for me and found out you didn't know what was best for you? I found that out. You know something I 've learned and I 'm still learning. God knows what's best for me. He really does. I'm my question, I'm my doubt, I'm my thing. Why do you think that's best for me? It's like just it is. It is. And I can think of so many things that I thought this should be the best. And God said that is way less than what I want to do.

So now just let him decide. What do you what do you want to do? Cuz it it might be it's probably better than than what I'm thinking. And it is. So he says come on down here. I want to give you the best of the land. And then verse 21, so the sons of Israel here's the here's the they obeyed. They did so. And Joseph gave them carts according to the command of Pharaoh. He gave them provisions for their journey. He gave notice how much he gave to all of them. Each man changes of garments, changed their clothes.

But to Benjamin he gave 300 pieces of silver and five changes of garments. And he sent to his father these things, 10 donkeys loaded with good things of Egypt, 10 female donkeys loaded with grain, bread and food for his father for the journey. And then he sent his brothers away. They departed and he said to them, see that you do not become troubled along the way. Guys listen, do you know what Joseph did when his brothers came to him? Make note of this. He made promises to them first of all. He promised them I'm going to take care of you.

I'm going to provide for you. The promises. They had no access to those promises until they came to Joseph. And those promises he fulfilled. Not only did he give them promises, but he gave them gifts. Repeatedly it says he gave, he gave, he gave. They were so worried. You remember a few chapters back, we know what's going to happen. He's going to take everything. We know what he wants. He's going to take our donkeys. He just gave you more donkeys than you had before. What are you thinking? That they weren't. He gave them promises and he gave them gifts.

Folks listen, when we come to our greater than Joseph, isn't that what he's done? Hey, let me tell you. The Bible says it's that there are precious promises that are in this Bible that are for us. Exceed in fact it says exceedingly great and precious promises have been made unto us. Do you take those as your own? Do you have no access to those until you come to the one who made them? Well, I love the promises of God. Are you Christian? No, I'm not. Those aren't for you. Those aren't for you. But when you come to Christ, check this out.

All the promises of God are in him. Yes and amen. They're yours in Christ. Promises. How about this? Gifts. Not only promises, but gifts. Gifts of the spirit. Gifts. He gifts. What what did you do to deserve it? I don't know. I betrayed you and sold you and you became a slave and pretty much did all the bad stuff and you're going to give me now this? Boy, this reminds me so much of Jesus. Here I come guilty, sinner just withering in the famine of the soul. He said listen, you come to me. Don't be grieved.

I know this is the plan. This is why I'm here. This is why I came. It's to give you life to preserve you. And not only am I going to give you life, but I'm going to provide for you and here's some gifts. Like okay. That's that's amazing. That's what Jesus does. That's what Jesus does. You know one thing I recall in in a word I could say if I would look at my life and I would think about what God has done in my life and you probably could relate to this too in your testimony.

But one word that always stood out to me was the word restored. Restored. I'll restore you. You ever waste anything in your life before Jesus and he restored you? What what did you do to deserve that? Nothing. Nothing. He restores. So Joseph sends them but notice this word he says to them, see that you don't become troubled along the way. Don't get troubled along the way because Joseph's position, he was able to provide for his brothers. And as they're leaving, Joseph says hey listen, it's a long journey. You can imagine traveling back. Don't get discouraged.

What are you waiting why would they get discouraged? Cuz they're going to start thinking oh man, this is too good to be true. He's setting us up. We're going to go get Dad, we're going to get the kids and then we're done. I mean you start thinking all these things are going to these bad things are going to happen and you think you know maybe we shouldn't come back. Let's take the donkeys and stay out of here. We got everything we need. Let's just hang out. Joseph don't don't you become troubled along the way. Don't get discouraged.

It's a good word. Sometimes we get discouraged and we think we get troubled along the way. He's given us promises. He's given us gifts and we get discouraged. We have salvation, but we're we're struggling with them. Joseph said don't you do that. Remember those promises. Look at the evidence all around you. It it's it's all right here. You you have it in your possession. Don't get discouraged. This is this is evidence of his love toward you and me.

Guest (Male): Well, maybe that's a word for you today. You're discouraged. Remember the promises of God. Pastor John Randall will share more biblical encouragement in just a moment here on a daily walk as our study in Genesis continues. Did you join us late or maybe just want to share this message with someone you know? Hear the program again at adailywalk.org and then share the content with friends and family. Not long ago, Pastor John's wife Michelle Randall released the third edition of her book The Great Exchange. Now she refers to the journey of surrendering our will for God's will, The Great Exchange.

Read about her own real life experiences of learning to relinquish her will for God's will. I think you'll find it all very relatable, practical, and applicable for today's struggles of faith and fear. Be encouraged, strengthened, and challenged to completely surrender to God and pursue after him. The Great Exchange available now for the cost of only $10. Call 877-242-0828 or go to adailywalk.org on the web. Please remember us in your prayers and giving to the Lord. Donations can be made online rather easily at adailywalk.org or call 877-242-0828 Let's turn back to Genesis 45 for a minute or two.

Here is Pastor John once again.

John Randall: Well, when you come to verse 25, the whole whole whole again I'm thinking this is a long trip home and they have they told their Dad their brother died. Uh it's been years. Dad's been you know has a he's been memorial I mean sad for his whole life since Joseph's been gone. He's never been the same. So I'm not how they going to tell him? Yeah, what what kind of story you're going to come up with? It's funny thing, Dad. We went down to Egypt like he told us and Dad Hey, guess what? Joseph's not dead.

You know what are you going to say? We lied. Here's the thing. Listen, they came to Joseph. They found salvation. They found provision. They found gifts. But you know there's some things they needed to make right. Oh, that's the hard part. I mean he restores. He's faithful. He forgives. But you know what? They they still had to deal with some things, some consequences of decisions that they had made. And and it was going to be all right, but but it was going to be difficult. You can imagine. And so verse 25, then they went up out of Egypt.

They came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. And they told him saying Joseph is still alive and he's the governor over all the land of Egypt. Wait, what? Says that his heart stood still because he didn't believe them. What? Joseph's alive and he's the governor of Egypt. What? I thought his You guys Oh, okay. I see what happened. Liars. You know I mean what would you do? You're Jacob. Well, it says but when they told him listen to this. Oh, I love this. When they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, it says that his spirit revived.

And Israel said it is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die. Oh, when Jacob's sons return on that long journey, they told him the truth for the first time. And they showed him the gifts. And they told him the promises that Joseph made. They they spoke Joseph's words to their father. And they told their father that Joseph was alive. And when he heard the words and the promises of Joseph and knew the truth that Joseph was not dead, but alive, it revived him. He heard the testimony.

He saw the evidence of it. And he heard that Joseph was alive. Friends listen, you have a testimony. You speak the words of Jesus, the words of scripture. It's living and powerful, sharper than any two edged sword and the most powerful message of all is our greater than Joseph is alive. He's alive.

Guest (Male): Don't you love how the story of Joseph so beautifully parallels the story of Christ? We'll hear more about the one who is greater than Joseph tomorrow on a daily walk with Pastor John Randall. This program is made possible through your generous support and brought to you by Calvary Salvo C.