Genesis 43-45: Repentance Proven
Joseph had to deal with his brothers patiently, honestly, and decisively, just the way the Lord works with us when we have tried to cover our sins. Joseph’s immediate goal was to get all eleven brothers to Egypt so they could bow before him and fulfill the dream God had given him more than twenty years before. His ultimate goal was to get them to confess their sins and be reconciled to him and Jacob. The men had to come to the place where their mouths were stopped (Genesis 44:16; Romans 3:19).
In a masterful way, Joseph wove these two purposes together as he spoke roughly to them, accused them of crimes, and insisted on their bringing Benjamin to Egypt. Outwardly, he was a stern ruler; but behind the scenes, he was a weeping brother.
When Joseph saw that his brothers’ hearts were humble, and when he heard them confess their sins, he knew it was safe to reveal his identity to them. Our Lord knows just how to work in our lives to bring us to submission. Joseph could have fed them and their father without going through this lengthy procedure, but it would only have further ruined their character.
Joseph explained to them that God had sent him before them to preserve the nation so that Israel could be a blessing to all the earth (Genesis 12:1–3). God’s providential purpose did not minimize their sins or negate their responsibility (Acts 2:23; Acts 3:13–18), but it did help to ease their fear and sorrow. Joseph further reassured them by givingthem rich gifts and promising to care for the whole family. The gifts he sent home helped to give Jacob the assurance he needed that Joseph indeed was alive.
Genesis 34-36: Disgrace and A New Beginning
Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom and lost his daughters, and Jacob moved too close to Shechem and lost Dinah. Why did Dinah go out? Ignorance? Defiance? Whatever the cause, the result was tragedy. Note the twofold attempt at deception in the aftermath: Simeon and Levi deceived Hamor, and Hamor thought he deceived them. Jacob’s sons had learned much from watching their father! When the men of the city were unable to fight, Simeon and Levi killed all the men and took everything for spoils. Sadly, in the end, Jacob was more concerned about his safety and his reputation than he was the character and conduct of his ruthless sons.
"And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother." At this call, Jacob decided it was time to clean up his act. The household is ordered to remove all their gods and cleanse themselves to worship the Lord. Three deaths are recorded in chapter 35, for death is one of the facts of life. Jacob’s obedience to God did not prevent him from experiencing trials. He lost a friend, Deborah; a favorite wife, Rachel; and then his beloved father. (In spite of what he said in Genesis 27:2, Isaac lived for forty-three years after that!) Perhaps the greatest sorrow of all was the sin of his firstborn son Reuben. Sin is expensive, and this one cost Reuben the birthright (Genesis 49:3–4; 1 Chronicles 5:1).
Genesis 31-33: Jacob (AKA Houdini)
Jacob again tries to do the right thing in the wrong way. This time it is his departure from Laban. He doesn't want to solve the problems with his father-in-law; he simply wants to escape them. The two men never did agree, and their problems were not solved. Instead, they declared a truce and made a pile of stones the boundary beyond which neither would pass. It was called “the heap of witness” to remind Jacob and Laban that God was watching both of them. (The word Mizpah means “watchtower.”) The two deceivers could only stop by saying they would not come near each other and by reminding themselves that God was watching their actions! How sad!
Genesis 32 still finds Jacob trying to escape - this time he is still trying to escape his brother Esau. If you don't deal with problems, they rarely just go away! They will be waiting for you when you come back. One minute Jacob prayed for God’s help, and the next minute he devised some new way to appease his angry brother. He reminded God of His great promises and then acted as though God had never spoken. This is the conduct of a believer who needed to be broken before God. He prayed to be delivered from Esau (Genesis 32:11), but his greatest need was to be delivered from himself. Jacob was broken to be healed and weakened to be strengthened. When he surrendered, he won and became a “prince with God.” His limp would be a constant reminder that God would be in control of his life.
In spite of God's hand obviously at work in the life of Jacob, he trusts to his old scheming to deal with Esau. We find Jacob bowing (Genesis 33:1–7), bribery (Genesis 33:8–11), outright lying (Genesis 33:12–16), and then moving off in another direction (Genesis 33:17–20). Esau went south and Jacob went east! It would still be some time before Jacob goes to Bethel where he needed to be...
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Stuff I Like is Jack Lamb's personal blog to post about stuff he likes. Not everything he likes is here, but you will find a variety of posts about Scripture, ministry, technology, and whatever else he likes.
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