Showing Compassion for Trembling Hearts
Gen. 42
Have you ever been wronged by someone and then all of a sudden found yourself in a position that gave you the ability to take revenge on the person who wronged you?
A friend of mine was working as an Electrical Engineer in Sales. She worked primarily on commission and one day she developed a sale that was going to net her a commission of over $100,000. She was asked to put off all other sales in order to concentrate on this one. She did it; the sale went through, and she began counting her money. When it came time to install the equipment the technicians did not install it correctly. One thing led to another and the sale was cancelled. My friend went to her boss and asked if she would be compensated despite the sale being cancelled. The boss did not give her one penny. My friend left the company but several years later went back to work for the same company, only this time as the boss of her former boss.
This morning as we continue our study of Joseph, we find Joseph in a very similar situation.
Joseph is now in a position of authority with more power than everyone in the land except Pharaoh.
He is selling food during the famine and all of a sudden, his brothers show up wanting to buy food.
What is Joseph to do? Is it payback time? Is it time to get even for the past 22 years? Is it time for Joseph’s revenge?
Or is it time for Joseph to put into action all the Godly character with which God rewarded him and show compassion to his brothers?
We all know that we as Christians are commanded to be compassionate, yet it is sometimes very difficult to do especially to those who have wronged us. To say we are compassionate is one thing, to show it is another. Thus the probing question – how can we show compassion for those who have wronged us?
As we continue our study on the life of Joseph – the man who was stretched and strengthened by God – we will see Joseph as he is stretched when his brothers suddenly show up in Egypt to buy food and as he is strengthened by God to show compassion to them.
He acts out of the wisdom, humility, and peace – the Godly character with which God rewarded him – and he shows his compassion for his brother’s trembling hearts.
This is evidenced by three choices he made. This morning we want to take a close look at Gen. 42 where we find each one of these three choices; and while doing so, we want to ask ourselves the question –
If I am ever in a position to take revenge, how do I show compassion instead? What can I do in order be compassionate, in word and deed, to those who have wronged me?
Let’s turn to Gen. 42 and start with the verses 1-17 where we will see Joseph recognizes and reacts to his brother’s presence.
Gen. 42:1-17 – Joseph recognizes and reacts to his brother’s presence.
1 Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”
2 He said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die.”
3 Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt.
4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm may befall him.”
5 So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.
6 Now Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.
7 When Joseph saw his brothers he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, “Where have you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”
8 But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him.
9 Joseph remembered the dreams which he had about them, and said to them, “You are spies; you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land.”
10 Then they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.
11 “We are all sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants are not spies.”
12 Yet he said to them, “No, but you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land!”
13 But they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive.”
14 Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you, you are spies;
15 by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here!
16 “Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.”
17 So he put them all together in prison for three days.
Now you may say, that doesn’t sound very compassionate; that sounds more like revenge. No where in Scripture can we even get a hint that Joseph may think of such. In fact all of Scripture points to the opposite being true. Bitterness and revenge were not issues – remember the naming of his sons. It is clear from them that Joseph was not one to take revenge. But he could not immediately let his other brothers know his true identity. He had no idea what they were like. Had they changed or were they still the same jealous men that he last saw 22 years ago.
Listen to the words of W.C. Kaiser in Hard sayings of the Bible:
What were Joseph’s motives in assuming such a stern demeanor? In part it was, no doubt, to obtain the much-desired information about his father’s family without revealing who he was. But there was another motive for his strange actions: it was to bring them to a sense of the real evil it was to deal with others in an unjust or harsh manner. By this means also, he could determine if there was any evidence of remorse for the wrong the brothers had done to him and to their father. It was a case of kindness putting on a stern or angry appearance in order to bring the guilty parties to a realization of the dreadful wrong in which they had been involved.
Let’s not forget, Joseph was taken by surprise, with all the people who were in the land to buy grain, it is only God’s sovereignty that brought Joseph and his brothers together.
Joseph’s thoughts immediately turned to his younger brother and his father. He waned to see them. Joseph was reflecting upon his dreams. He was reflecting upon his dad and his family and how he could make everything right again. He was not reflecting form an “I told you so perspective, but rather from a “God has done this to keep my family alive during the famine” perspective. Joseph was reflecting and wanting to help his family.
The first choice Joseph made to show compassion for his brothers was –
Joseph chose reflection over resentment.
Joseph chose to reflect on God’s plan rather than be resentful over his suffering. He chose to reflect upon what God was accomplishing rather than what his brothers tried to accomplish. What was the result of this?
Verse 13 tells us – But they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive.”
This made his brothers reflect – and remember.
His brothers were forced to remember Joseph. They were forced to reflect upon all they had done and remember the brother that was “no longer alive.”
Choice #1 of Joseph to show compassion – Joseph chose reflection over resentment. This made his brothers reflect – and remember.
We as believers should choose reflection over resentment.
1. Look and reflect upon the situation from God’s perspective not man’s.
2. Look and reflect upon how God is at work.
3. Look and reflect upon how God can and will use the situation for the good of
others and for His glory.
If we want to be compassionate, to show compassion, we must choose reflection – on God’s plan – over resentment – due to our suffering.
After Joseph reacted to his brothers presence by choosing reflection over resentment, in verses 17-24, Joseph rebukes his brothers.
Gen. 42:17-24 – Joseph rebukes his brothers.
17 So he put them all together in prison for three days.
18 Now Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God:
19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in your prison; but as for the rest of you, go, carry grain for the famine of your households,
20 and bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be verified, and you will not die.” And they did so.
21 Then they said to one another, “Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us.”
22 Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood.”
23 They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them.
24 He turned away from them and wept. But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.
When Joseph said, “I fear God”, his brother’s minds must have gone into shock. What was an Egyptian doing saying that he feared God – a clear reference to their God? This was a phrase used by Abraham and Isaac to express their belief in the one true God. This was a phrase similar to today’s phrase of “I have been born again.” What was an Egyptian ruler doing saying to men who have been chosen of God to be the heads of the tribes of God’s chosen people – I fear your God. Joseph’s proclamation forced his brothers to examine their hearts before God. In doing so Joseph was pushing them toward repentance for what they had done to him. In doing so, Joseph was showing concern for his brother’s spiritual well being. Where most people would have cared less, Joseph wanted his brothers right with God.
The second choice Joseph made to show compassion for his brothers was –
Joseph chose concern over callousness.
In love, out of a desire to see his brothers right with God, and to see his family re-united, Joseph showed care and concern for his brothers. Instead of keeping all but one in prison, he decided to keep only one. Joseph could have hardened his position, but he softened it. In doing so, his father would have less of a shock, when only one son returned and there would be more grain going back to feed the rest of his extended family. And what was the result of this?
Verse 21 tells us – Then they said to one another, “Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us.”
This made his brothers contemplate – and confess.
Joseph’s brothers confessed their sin. His brothers thought that Joseph could not understand them since he had been using an interpreter. And yet Joseph understood everything they said – to the point that it moved him to tears. God took the concern shown by Joseph and used it to bring his brother’s seared conscious to repentance. What they thought was a private confession was actually a very public one.
Which by the way should remind us – there is no such thing as a secret sin. Every sin we commit is known by God and our sins will find us out. And when they do, may our seared conscious not remain seared, but may it be sensitive to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, leading us to repentance. God used Joseph’s concern for his brother’s spiritual well being to bring them to repentance.
Choice #2 of Joseph to show compassion – Joseph chose concern over callousness. This made his brothers contemplate – and confess.
We as believers should choose concern over callousness.
1. With concern, we should desire those who have offended us to be right with God.
2. If they are not Christians, we should pray that they would become so, and with
great concern, share with them if God opens the door to do so.
3. If they are our brother or sister in Christ, we should pray and ask God to restore
them to a right relationship with Him, and again, with great concern look to be
used by God to help bring this about.
4. As Christians, with concern, we pray for those who offend us, and if possible, look
to be used by God to bring them to repentance.
If we want to be compassionate, to show compassion, we must choose concern – for the spiritual well being of others – over callousness – due to our suffering.
Joseph recognized and reacted to his brother’s presence by choosing reflection over resentment.
He rebuked them by choosing concern over callousness, and finally in verses 24-28;35, Joseph releases his brothers, save one.
Gen. 42:24-28, 35 – Joseph releases his brothers, save one.
24 He turned away from them and wept. But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.
25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and to restore every man’s money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. And thus it was done for them.
26 So they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there.
27 As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money; and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.
28 Then he said to his brothers, “My money has been returned, and behold, it is even in my sack.” And their hearts sank, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”
Verses 29 through the end of the chapter details that brother’s homecoming. Let’s look at one detail in verse 35.
35 Now it came about as they were emptying their sacks, that behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were dismayed.
Joseph’s brothers had two different containers, if you will, with which they could carry food – bags, the larger of the two, and sacks, the smaller one. Joseph would have been well within his rights to put some food in their smaller sacks and send them on their way. Instead Joseph had their larger bags filled with food. He then had their payment put into their sacs. Finally he had their sacks filled with food as well. This was so the food in the bags could be used for his father and his extended family and the food in the sacks could be used by his brothers during their journey home. Joseph gave them more food then they ever thought he would and he did so at no cost; he did it for free!
The third choice Joseph made to show compassion for his brothers was –
Joseph chose giving grace over getting even.
Joseph was not under any obligation to help his brothers. And at this point, they probably believed that he was not even going to sell them any food, let alone give to them for free. Little did they know. Where most people would have taken revenge, Joseph gave freely and abundantly. He extended undeserved favor to his brothers. And what was the result of the grace which he gave to his brothers?
The end of verse 28 tells us – And their hearts sank – literally went out, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”
This made his brothers gasp – and turn to God.
In saying this Joseph’s brothers were acknowledging God’s sovereignty and justice. They realized that everything that had happened was too big for any man to orchestrate. At last, they acknowledged the hand of God in their lives.
Choice #3 of Joseph to show compassion – Joseph chose giving grace over getting even. This made his brothers gasp – and turn to God.
We as believers should choose giving grace over getting even.
1. With grace, we do not keep records of other’s wrongs against us.
2. With grace we do not seek opportunities for revenge.
3. By grace we forgive. (a topic we will look at in much greater detail in the weeks
ahead.)
4. And by grace we extend love by, whenever possible, looking to help meet the
needs of our offenders.
If we want to be compassionate, to show compassion, we must choose to give grace over getting even.
I started by telling you about my friend who became the boss of a man who wrongfully cost her a very large amount of money. One of the first things my friend did after she became the man’s boss was to go to the man and tell him that all was forgiven. She let him know that there was no need to fear retribution. She then did all she could to help him advance in the company. My friend showed compassion to this man who had wronged her.
Joseph showed compassion to his brothers.
May we, like Joseph, like Jesus, show compassion to those who wrong us.