Here God's Word gives it to you because he loves you and because he is truthful and he cannot lie Everything that he speaks you may trust And so give attention To this reading from God's Word Genesis 42 beginning at verse 1 When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt He said to his sons, why do you look at one another and he said behold I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt go down and buy grain for us there that we may live and not die So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt But Jacob did not send Benjamin Joseph's brother with his brothers Where he feared that harm might happen to him Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came for the famine was in the land of Canaan I don't know over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land and Joseph's brothers came and bowed Themselves before him with their faces to the ground and Joseph saw his brothers and recognized him But he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them Where do you come from he said? They said from the land of Canaan to buy food Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them and he said to them you are spies You have come to see the nakedness of the land And they said to him, no my lord your servants have come to buy food We are all sons of one man. We are honest men your servants have never been spies, but he said to them No, it has been nakedness of the land that you have come to see and they said we your servants are twelve brothers The son of one man in the land of Canaan and behold the youngest is this day with our father and one is no more But Joseph said to them it is as I said to you you are spies by this you shall be tested by the life of Pharaoh You shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here Send one of you and let him bring your brother while you remain confined that your words may be tested whether there is truth in you Or else by the life of Pharaoh surely you are spies And he put them all together in custody for three days the word of the Lord Thanks be to God. Let's pray together Or Jesus again, we ask that you'd come and help us by your spirit. You know who we are You know what we need every one of us in this room at some level is struggling with stuff and We need for you to Give instruction to us in the midst of those strings and we need for you to give us Comfort and encouragement. That's why you've Preserved these things, O Lord that we might be comforted and encouraged So minister to us by your spirit We pray in Jesus name may men Maybe seated you all know and probably have used the metaphor There's an elephant in the room You know that Metaphor when there's an issue a problem Everybody knows there's an issue everybody knows there's a problem it can be between a husband and a wife can be between Parents and their children it can be Between children and their parents, you know that stuff does work both ways and you know an issue Problem it can be between the family members and an in-law or in-laws No, about that right it's an issue. It's problem husband knows about it wife knows about it kids suspect something's up it's an elephant in the room and It's a big deal this issue and nobody wants to deal with it am I getting too close to anybody's house here? It's a metaphor that's really an apt metaphor because the idea of a met up of an elephant in the room is Is really rather frightening and terrifying if you think about it? I mean an elephant in the room if that elephant were simply to turn around would create damage Knock things around would destroy furniture probably break down walls if the elephant got mad and Started snorting and stomping around and and started rampaging through the house I mean not that you could really get an elephant in a house But that would be a terrifying prospect and that's what these that's what these things are like These issues elephants in the room big deals They're there, but everybody's sort of in denial about it and refuses to deal with it refuses to face it There's an elephant in the room an elephant in our room. It's it's an elephant that I really do hope and pray is not so big an elephant for us as a congregation is maybe it used to be Hopefully it won't be nearly so big in the future as it might be now for some of us or all of us But the elephant in the room This this big and intimidating and threatening and frightening thing that that we seem so reluctant so much of the time to talk about Is the reality of suffering and pain? an anguish and And we do try to talk about it some in this church and try to provide categories for understanding it It's an elephant. It's a problem. It's a big one and To a greater or lesser extent we're we're in denial about and it's a struggle figured out It's a it's a thing that is sometimes characterized by a strangement this business of suffering Husband estranged from a wife Parents estranged from a child or child estranged from a pet of ways Maybe maybe the elephant in the room maybe the point of suffering is a serious financial reversal Maybe you know the person has become used to living in a particular way and there's this thing that happens and It's a thing over which nobody had any control and boom. There's been this reversal and it's painful and there's Heartache and anguish and there's sadness. Maybe it's the death of a loved one Maybe it's maybe it's the loss of someone Near and and dear to you Maybe it's a bigger personal family misfortune of some kind Elephants in the room and we we know they're there and yet we don't know quite how to talk about it Don't know quite how to deal with Well Jacob Jacob has an elephant in his room and And it's here in Genesis 42 It's a big elephant and It's the matter of suffering, frankly Everything that we have had some taste of some experience with every single one of those things Jacob either has experienced has heard about from parents grandparents or is facing himself Think about it as strangement in the relationships closest to him Think about it Personal family misfortune think about it financial reversal think about it children that are in odds with one another You you come to this narrative you come to this passage and there is of course always and I've suggested this to you We've suggested this to you through our study of Genesis There are always these two stories going on. There's the macro story. There's the big story Where God is the architect of all of history and he's working out his purposes and he's doing it line after line and Paragraphed after paragraph and chapter after chapter through Genesis and you see that story the macro story Unfolding from generation to generation But there's the micro story as well and all of these little micro stories make up the macro story And here in chapter 42 is a micro story Jacob in his own experience Having had to deal with suffering differing kinds of suffering. It's real and it's there And you come to this chapter Lots of things lots of things that we need to continue to remind ourselves of about suffering and the nature of it While there are lots of things that we need to remind ourselves of so that we can be comforted as we have to deal with suffering There are three things that come out of this passage That I want to suggest to you are guidance for us guidance for you from Jacob's life regarding this matter of suffering three points three things for you to To jot down and be aware of the fact of suffering the function of suffering and the fruit of suffering it's good Good Hobbit instructor certainly fact function and fruit and These things really are this is not manipulating the text. They really are here in this passage And the first in them is the fact of suffering just looking at Jacob's life you see The Jacob in the past and in the present has had to deal with suffering the current reason for suffering Is the threat of famine the prospect of hunger? It's at the end of chapter 41 This famine was severe over all the earth. It's here in chapter 42 the reason that Jacob speaks to his sons sends his sons to Egypt is because famine is a real threat to their well-being We don't know about famine It's hard for us to insert ourselves Into this narrative into this story. It's hard for us to get into Jacob's skin because we don't know what famine feels like But for him it was real and it was a threat and he looked at his wives and he looked at his sons and he looked at his grandchildren He looked at his servants and his flocks and he contemplated what their end might be face a famine probably precipitated by drought Isn't Colorado a couple of weeks ago as you know? And Colorado is in the midst of a drought They've had insufficient snowfall in the winter time insufficient rains in the fall and spring or summer or whenever they get their Raines and they're in the midst of drought and when you fly over Western Kansas and you fly over Eastern Colorado You look down. You don't see anything green. You see brown. You see this color Every once in a while you'll see a little a little narrow Band of some green stuff and you think ah-ha. There's a bit of a stream there But everything else is brown and they're experiencing drought But you know what? I went to the grocery store when I was in Colorado and the shelves were filled with bread and And The freezers were filled with frozen fish and frozen vegetables and ice cream and pies and cakes and waffles and Susages and all of the rest and you go to the refrigerated things You know where the milk and the orange juice and all the fruit juice and they're all full They're in the midst of drought, but there is no famine to be seen in any place Few years ago in Florida because of Elmenio we experienced two or three years of Drought conditions the aquifer levels were were being lowered and the reservoirs the lakes were being Depleaded because of this drought But I never ever one time in the whole of that three years found the shelves to be empty at Publix or Albertsons or food Lion or wherever it is you shot Windixie your local market We don't know famine folks, but for Jacob it was a reality and it was a herdship and In addition to that there are the past sufferings that Jacob has experienced 13 years before this famine his favorite son as far as he knew was killed by beasts They brought his bloody garment home and he thought his favorite son was dead and the reason he won't let Benjamin go down in the Egypt with the other 10 brothers is because he fears that harm may come to Benjamin and You hear in that and you see in that his own hearts Pain and suffering 13 years later at the loss of his favorite son Joseph As trainingments in his household these brothers Who are estranged from each other? There's been deception. There's been a cover-up. It's amazing that over the course of those 13 years the truth didn't leak out from some place So while they maintained a unity regarding the deceit The text is very clear that they were at odds with one another what the commentators suggest about verse one is that when Joseph Says to his sons why do you look at each other? What's suggest at phrase is they're not working together in the family to support their father and to try to come to some Resolution of this promise of this problem of an imminent famine But they're at odds with one another Jacob has this Estrangement from them as well and he has to chastise them to get them to do something About this problem of a famine. You know what that feels like, don't you? You know what it feels like for there to be a strangeness in The household in relationships. That's the elephant in the room. It's a big issue. It's a big problem How to think about Again the scriptures want us to face it Scriptures want us to face the fact of suffering not just in this form, but in all of its forms Stop pretending about Stop denying Stop excusing God from the equation. That is what our culture seems to want to do. We're so fearful That the presence of evil and suffering in our world will somehow Impune or erode or violate the character of a God who is good and Who is powerful? We're afraid for there to be an association of God with these things I think we've seen examples of that over the course of the last year people seem so reluctant to try to connect God with September 11th 2001 You have to contemplate what the options would be You can either connect God to these matters the way the scriptures do you can either connect God to them and continue to affirm That he is both good and powerful and that while his ways are mysterious and we don't understand how he's working his Purpose is out all the time either he is in control and there is reason for us to be hopeful or he is not and there is Reason for us to be terrified See that's the option either God is connected to these things tied to these things in control of these things working his Purpose is out in these things Or God is disconnected from them either because he's not good Or powerful contemplate that think about that What would it be like to live in a universe where God is either not good or he is not powerful? Where could there ever be any meaning where could there ever be any purpose in these things? But God is connected to these things and the scriptures Admonish us to face them to acknowledge them God is not afraid to acknowledge them He inspires people to write books and in those books the reality of suffering is acknowledged Read Psalm 88 This is one of my two assignments for you for either this afternoon or this week read Psalm 88 And you will see in Psalm 88 the anguished cries of One of the children of Israel And you will not find anywhere in that song It may be there subtly, but I'll tell you it's really subtle if it's there at all You will not find anywhere in that song a note of hope You'll see the note of hope in Psalm 89 which follows Psalm 88 But Psalm 88 is filled with anguish and despair and loneliness and the facing of suffering and don't forget that Psalms were sung In Israel in their worship Psalm 88 was a hymn a hymn of suffering sung By God's peak so the scriptures affirm the reality of suffering the fact suffering Jesus does it in the world you'll have trouble Paul doesn't Romans 5.3 rejoice in your tribulations Philippians 3 Paul says he wants to be conformed not only to the power of Christ in his resurrection But he wants to be conformed to Christ in his suffering It's all over the place. So that's the first thing the first thing is the fact of suffering in Jacob's experience and throughout the scriptures and here's the second thing and I've already alluded to this already suggested this that there is a function To suffering There is a function to suffer These things are in God's hands they were in hand God's hands in Jacob's life And God had a purpose in them for Jacob That you look at this narrative and as you see it unfold You begin to realize that God's purpose for suffering in Jacob's life Is so that to use a current Buzzword is so that the dysfunction in Jacob's life and in his family's life Might be exposed and dealt Remind yourself of the story again a brother has been kidnapped That's a problem brothers trafficking in human cargo Sold as a slave into Egypt Lying to cover it up claiming that he was killed by wild beasts by a lionerson Keeping up the charade for 13 years 13 years of mourning and in those 13 years something has happened in Jacob's soul quite honestly Where rather than find firt in his sense of well-being in the God of the covenant who has brought him into relationship with himself He now has made Benjam something of an idol something he wants to protect something He wants to keep secure something he wants to defend he's lost one favorite son He will not at any expense at any cost lose his other son throughout this family and so what does God do? What does God do?
God brings more difficulty more suffering Into Jacob's life and into the life of this family threatens him with famine on top of everything else On top of all the other pains in the anguish he brings one more thing have you ever felt that way? One more thing I can't handle one more thing I can't deal with one more thing. I've lost my son my other sons are at odds with one another I'm at odds with them. I've got this problem of these why is over here? Not one more thing You're a felt that way That's what it's like for Jacob. Why does God do it because there is a problem That has to be addressed There is a strangement There is alienation there is idolatry there are sins of the heart That have to be exposed God does not say Poor Jacob hasn't he suffered enough Why should he have to suffer more?
15 years ago 15 to 20 years ago I had a very brief encounter with a man who was a pastor in Africa Who had suffered through Persecutions in Uganda Who had seen members of his church Persecuted and died And he was in the United States with another Ugandan pastor and I had the opportunity to listen to them talk
And this pastor you know this in one sense a Jacob-like person Whose life was filled with wonderful ministry and who had been faithful to his church when I want to describe After he described Some of the difficulties that he and his congregation has faced have faced when I want to describe one other thing 10 years long spiritual depression
And I remember thinking listening to this guy as he talked about his church and then his parishioners and life and you've gone all the rest I thought you mean God didn't spare him a 10 years long spiritual depression He gave him one more thing God you know if you're going to afflict somebody with a 10-year long depression let it be me I haven't suffered the way this guy has I haven't endured with this guy has endured not even close I know nothing of the famine that he's experienced but then for this pastor to go on And to say what people have said countless times I can't begin to tell you there is not enough time for me to explain to you What God's purposes were in my life Through that 10 years spiritual depression Couldn't believe it but he affirmed But the scriptures affirm over and over and over and over again That among other things and this is not the whole of the story But it's a significant part of the story that among other things when God brings these things Into our lives He is pressing us to ask questions other than those we would be inclined to ask We're inclined to ask why one more thing why me Haven't I suffered enough is God really good is God really powerful those questions But there is another set of questions that God wants us to be asking of ourselves in the midst of these difficulties And that set of questions has to do with this sort of thing God What do you want me to learn about me
What do you want me to learn about me Here's your second assignment sound 25 go read sound 25 this afternoon this evening this week sometime You will see as I said before the service in those early verses David Crying out to God in the midst of some conflict some suffering some hardship David cries out to God But here's the striking thing about some 25 in the midst of that difficulty In the midst of his struggle you'll see it in verses 7 and 8 and you'll see it in verse 11 25 in the midst of that David in effect Ask the question lord What do you want me to learn about me in the midst of this Where have I sent What are the white elephants the big elephants in my living room What are the issues what are the problems what are the things that I need to deal with and then he implores God that God continue to forgive the guilt of his sin and extend the mercy to him
That's the kind of calculus if you will that's at work in Jacob's life Why does God bring it to Jacob because there are things that have to be dealt with There is a function to this suffering and the function of suffering in this place is to expose the problem Expose the elephant in the room face its reality and deal with it and then there's the third thing And you see this as you work your way through the rest of the Genesis narrative There is the fact of suffering we make a mistake if we deny it There is the function of suffering in our lives Which you see in Genesis 42 you see it in Psalm 25 you see it in 1 Peter 1 You see it in Romans 5 3 you see it in Hebrews 5 And then there is the third thing and that is the fruit of suffering What came out of this suffering of Jacob this prospect of famine what came out of it You read the rest of the narrative and what you see through the rest of the narrative is that the fruit of this Suffering was reconciliation in the family and righteous of the family You see relationships restored because the elephant has been acknowledged And the problem has been addressed
Read through the rest of this narrative and look at the change that occurs in Judah's life He becomes heroic as a leader in this family He becomes the one designated to be the one from whom Messiah will come The sector will never depart from Judah You see reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers You see reconciliation among all of the members of the family What is the result of this terrible and intense suffering this protracted struggle with the prospect of famine Reconciliation and righteousness Emerge and you look at these other passages That I've alluded to some 25 or first Peter the first chapter Or Romans chapter 5 or Hebrews 5 And you will see that the fruit of facing the truth about myself and dealing with what God would have me deal with The fruit of it all is reconciliation righteousness Psalm 25 just a couple of verses This is what God says after he pleads with God for pardon for his very great sin He then says who is the man who fears the Lord he the Lord Will instruct him in the way that he should choose his soul shall abide in well-being The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him My eyes are ever toward the Lord for he will pluck my feet out of the net That's David's way of saying That the fruit of the functioning of suffering in his life Is reconciliation and righteousness Friendship with God his soul in a condition of well-being That's the fruit of it So where are you today Are you struggling? What are you struggling with where are you suffering? What are the points at which There's an elephant in the room Understand that these Words Genesis 42 and this story of Jacob This is all there for your encouragement It's all there so that you can look at Jacob's life and you say okay God did this with Jacob. I trust and believe he's doing the same thing with me Paul says in Romans 15 4 that that's why these things are written All of these things that were written in the past are there for our endurance and our encouragement In the holy scriptures that we may have hope
And so where is it that you're struggling Where is it that you're suffering? Look to Jacob's life and understand Suffering's a reality but suffering has a function in your life And God is producing fruit Through that suffering let's pray together
Lord you know you I don't you know What these folks are dealing with you know the the famine places in their lives I pray that you'd drawn near to them Pray that you'd enabled them to draw near to you Pray that you'd give them grace To steer the elephants in the face The knowledge that they're there I pray that you would cause these things to have a real purpose in their lives And I pray that you would bear fruit in their lives through these things Oh Lord May each of us By your Where we can say thank you to you For the struggles and the difficulties because of the fruit That will be born through them We ask this in Jesus name Amen