The Big Picture, Week 3 Day 4, Genesis 43-44

The Big Picture, Week 3 Day 4, Genesis 43-44

I got the experience a number of years back while traveling on business to see some actual Rembrandt paintings.  I know nothing about art.  And I find it difficult to explain the difference between seeing a picture of a master piece and seeing that master piece in person.  A number of things shocked me about his work.

First was the shear size of many of his paintings.  I just never knew how large many of his paintings were.  A portrait of a man riding a horse is life sized.  Some of his works are simply enormous.  Second was the detail.  The one painting of a sea battle had so much detail I could looked at it for hours and not really seen everything that was in that painting.  But you had to be close to see a lot the detail.  And if you get too close to a master piece the museum security guard starts to look at you with suspicion.  But if you take a few steps back, the majesty and glory of the whole great work takes your breath.  Amazing works of art create by a master.

Sometimes I think reading Scripture is like that too.  The story of Joseph and his brothers is long and complex.  You can examine the details, but if you stand back a bit you can begin to see some things you might have missed. 

In may last post I wondered if maybe Joseph was playing with his brothers, taunting them without their knowledge because of what they had done to him.  Why else would Joseph hide his identity?  Why put the sliver back in the bags?  Sure, he’ll give them food to eat, but not until he’s made the sweat a bit.  And Joseph is moved to tears at the sight of his brothers.  Why these games?  Why not immediately reveal himself?

I think you need to take the long view of the story to come up with the answer.  I think the brothers are being taught a lesson.  But this lesson isn’t a punishment.  It’s a lesson of forgiveness and repentance.

Repentance, there’s a good old fashioned Biblical word.  We live in a world of the public apology.  A public figure gets caught, a lie, an inappropriate remark, an arrest, whatever.  First the press and the news pounce.  There are the stories about what they did, everyone hoping to find new and juicy details.  Then there’s the vigil, waiting for the apology.  Was it sincere?  Did it have the right tone?  Are they really sound sorry?  Have they made the appropriate donations to make amends?  And I have to confess these modern day public apologies do nothing for me.  And most of the time is seems like the person is going through the motions, trying to repair their image.  The only thing that it seems they’re really sorry about is getting caught.  But can we blame them?  When at a very young age we teach our kids when they’ve done something wrong, “Now say you’re sorry.”  Even when they probably aren’t

But to repent, that is so much more than to apologize.  One dictionary definition of repent is to feel such sorrow for sin or fault as to be disposed to change one's life for the better; be penitent.  Apology is to be sorry.  Repentance is to change.

And when we step back we can clearly see how the brothers are repenting, right before our very eyes.  First time with the favorite younger brother they plot his murder, sell him into slavery and lie to their father telling him that Joseph is dead.  Now, when faced with the possibility of their imprisonment and death of their younger brother Benjamin. What do they do?  They’ve been given an out.  The deal was that since the Joseph’s cup was found in Benjamin’s sack, that Benjamin is the one who is supposed to die.  But when it’s found, they tear their clothes.  Joseph offers them freedom, only Benjamin will remain as a slave. 

Judah steps forward and says he cannot leave the Benjamin, the youngest son.  His father will die if Benjamin does not come back.  “Your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father.  I (Judah) said, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!  Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers.  How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me?  No! Do not let me see the misery that would come upon my father.”

And the brother who would have killed his youngest brother, the brother who would sell his youngest brother into slavery has changed, has repented.  He’s has become that brother who pleads to take the youngest brother’s place as a slave.

The story isn’t really about bags of grain, silver, trips for food and trickery.  This is a story about a God who goes to incredible lengths for Joseph’s brothers to find repentance.

Some people take longer to repent than others.  For Joseph’s brothers it took years, a famine, two trips to Egypt and the possible lose of Benjamin.  Sure hope my lessons aren’t so hard.

God, the world often thinks of You as angry, full of wrath and rage.  I wish they could see You like I see You.  You’re patient.  You’re kind.  You’re merciful.  You’re forgiving.  Sometimes it takes me a while to see it.  Thanks for letting me take what ever time I needed.  Amen

Leonard