LutheranLectionary.org

1 Year Lectionary – Fifth Wednesday in Lent – Wednesday, March 30, 2022 | Pr. Chris Rosebrough

Welcome to the Teaching Ministry of Kongsvinger Lutheran Church. Kongsvinger is a beacon for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of Northwestern Minnesota. We proclaim Christ and Him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith alone, and now, here’s a message from Pastor Chris Rosebrough:

Time Stamp	Transcript
0:28	a reading from genesis chapters 42 and
0:32	43
0:34	when jacob learned that there was grain
0:36	for sale in egypt he said to his sons
0:39	why do you look at one another and he
0:41	said behold i have heard that there is
0:43	grain for sale in egypt go down and buy
0:45	grain for us there that we may live and
0:48	not die
0:49	so ten of joseph’s brothers went down to
0:52	buy grain in egypt but jacob did not
0:55	send benjamin joseph’s brother with his
0:57	brothers for he feared that harm might
1:00	happen to him thus the sons of israel
1:03	came to buy among the others who came
1:06	for the famine was in the land of canaan
1:09	now joseph was governor over the land he
1:12	was the one who sold all to all the
1:15	people of the land and joseph’s brothers
1:17	came and bowed themselves before him
1:20	with their faces to the ground
1:22	joseph saw his brothers and recognized
1:25	them but he treated them like strangers
1:27	and he spoke roughly to them
1:30	where do you come from he said
1:32	they said from the land of canaan to buy
1:34	food
1:35	and joseph recognized his brothers but
1:37	they did not recognize him and joseph
1:40	remembered the dreams that he had
1:42	dreamed of them and he said to them you
1:45	are spies you have come to see the
1:47	nakedness of the land
1:49	they said to him no my lord your
1:51	servants have come to buy food
1:54	we are all sons of one man we are honest
1:57	men your servants have never been spies
2:00	he said to them no
2:02	it is the nakedness of the land that you
2:04	have come to see and they said
2:06	we your servants are twelve brothers the
2:09	sons of one man in the land of canaan
2:12	and behold the youngest is this day with
2:14	our father and one is no more
2:18	but joseph said to them it is as i said
2:20	to you you are spies
2:22	by this you shall be tested by the life
2:25	of pharaoh you shall not go from this
2:28	place unless your youngest brother comes
2:30	here send one of you and let him bring
2:32	your brother while you remain confined
2:35	that your words may be tested whether
2:38	there is truth in you or else by the
2:40	life of pharaoh surely you are spies and
2:43	he put them all together in custody for
2:45	three days
2:47	on the third day joseph said to them
2:50	do this and you will live for i fear god
2:53	if you are honest men let one of your
2:55	brothers remain confined where you are
2:58	in custody
2:59	and let the rest go and carry grain for
3:02	the famine of your households and bring
3:04	your youngest brother to me so your
3:07	words will be verified and you shall not
3:09	die
3:10	and they did so
3:13	then they said to one another in truth
3:15	we are guilty concerning our brother in
3:17	that we saw the distress of his soul
3:19	when he begged us and we did not listen
3:22	that is why this distress has come upon
3:24	us and reuben answered them did i not
3:27	tell you not to sin against the boy but
3:30	you did not listen now so now there
3:32	comes a reckoning for his blood
3:35	they did not know that joseph understood
3:37	them
3:38	for there was an interpreter between
3:40	them then he turned away from them and
3:42	he wept
3:43	and he turned to them and spoke to them
3:45	and he took simeon from them and bound
3:48	him before their eyes and joseph gave
3:50	orders to fill their bags with grain
3:52	and to replace every man’s money in his
3:55	sack and to give them provisions for the
3:57	journey this was done for them then they
4:00	loaded their donkeys with their grain
4:02	and departed and as one of them opened a
4:04	sack to give his donkey fodder at the
4:06	lodging place he saw his money in the
4:08	mouth of his sack and he said to his
4:10	brothers
4:11	my money has been put back here it is in
4:14	the mouth of my sack at this their
4:16	hearts failed them and they turned
4:19	trembling to one another saying what is
4:22	this that god has done to us
4:25	when they had come when they came to
4:27	jacob their father in the land of canaan
4:30	they told him all that it happened to
4:32	them saying the man the lord of the land
4:34	spoke roughly to us and took us to be
4:37	spies of the land but we said to him we
4:39	are honest men we have never been spies
4:42	we are twelve brothers sons of our
4:44	father one is no more and the youngest
4:46	is this day with our father in the land
4:48	of canaan then the man the lord of the
4:50	land said to us by this i shall know
4:53	that you are honest men
4:55	leave one of your brothers with me take
4:57	grain for the famine of your households
4:59	and go your way
5:00	bring your youngest brother to me
5:02	then i shall know that you are not spies
5:05	but honest men and i will deliver your
5:06	brother to you and you shall trade in
5:08	the land as they emptied their sacks
5:11	behold every man’s bundle of money was
5:13	in his sack and when they
5:15	they and their father saw their bundles
5:16	of money they were afraid
5:18	and jacob their father said to them you
5:21	have bereaved me of my children joseph
5:24	is no more simeon is no more and now
5:27	you would take benjamin
5:29	all this has come against me
5:32	then reuben said to his father
5:34	kill my two sons if i do not bring him
5:36	back to you put him in my hands i will
5:39	bring him back to you but he said my son
5:42	shall not go down with you for his
5:45	brother is dead and he is the only one
5:47	left if harm should happen to him on the
5:49	journey that you are to make you would
5:51	bring my bring down my gray hairs with
5:54	sorrow to shayol
5:56	now the famine was severe in the land
5:59	and when they had eaten the grain that
6:01	they had brought from egypt their father
6:03	said to them go again and buy us a
6:05	little food but judah said to him the
6:08	man solemnly warned us saying you shall
6:11	not see my face unless your brother is
6:13	with you if you will not send our
6:15	brother with us we
6:17	we will go down and
6:19	if you will if you will send our brother
6:20	with us we will go down and buy you food
6:23	but if you will not send him we will not
6:26	go down for the man said to us you shall
6:28	not see my face unless your brother is
6:30	with you
6:32	israel said why did you treat me so
6:36	badly as to tell the man that you had
6:38	another brother
6:40	they replied the man questioned us
6:42	carefully about ourselves and our
6:43	kindred saying is your father still
6:46	alive do you have another brother what
6:49	we told him was an answer to these
6:51	questions could we in any way know that
6:54	he would say bring your brother down
6:57	and judah said to israel his father
6:59	send the boy with me and we will arise
7:03	and go that we may live and not die both
7:05	we and you and also our little ones and
7:08	i will be a pledge of his safety from my
7:11	hand you shall require him if i do not
7:13	bring him back to you and set him before
7:16	you then let me bear the blame forever
7:19	if we had not delayed we would have now
7:21	returned twice
7:24	then their father israel said to them
7:27	if it must be so then do this take some
7:30	of the choice fruits of the land in your
7:32	bags and carry a present down to the man
7:35	a little balm a little honey gum myrrh
7:37	pistachio nuts and almonds take double
7:39	the money with you carry back with you
7:41	the money that was returned in the mouth
7:43	of your sacks perhaps it was an
7:45	oversight
7:47	take also your brother and arise and go
7:50	again to the man may god almighty grant
7:52	you mercy before the man
7:54	and may he send back your brother and
7:56	benjamin and as for me if i am bereaved
7:59	of my children i am bereaved
8:02	so the men took this present and they
8:04	took double the money with them and
8:06	benjamin they arose and went down to
8:09	egypt and they stood before joseph when
8:12	joseph saw benjamin with them he said to
8:14	the steward of his house bring the men
8:16	into the house slaughter an animal make
8:18	ready for the men are to dine with me at
8:20	noon
8:21	the man did as joseph told him and
8:23	brought the men to joseph’s house and
8:26	the men were afraid because they were
8:27	brought to joseph’s house and they said
8:30	it is because of the money which was
8:32	replaced in our sacks the first time
8:33	that we are brought in so that he may
8:36	assault us and fall upon us and make us
8:38	servants and seize our donkeys
8:40	so they went up to the steward of
8:42	joseph’s house and spoke with him at the
8:44	door of the house and they said oh my
8:47	lord we came down the first time to buy
8:50	food and when we came to the lodging
8:52	place we opened our sacks and there was
8:55	each man’s money in the mouth of his
8:57	sack our money in full weight so we have
9:00	brought it again with us and we have
9:02	brought other money down with us to buy
9:04	food we do not know
9:07	who put our money in our sacks
9:09	he replied peace to you
9:11	do not be afraid
9:13	your god and the god of your father has
9:15	put treasure in your sacks for you i
9:18	received your money
9:19	then he brought simeon out to them and
9:22	when the man had brought the men into
9:24	joseph’s house and given them water and
9:26	they had washed their feet and when he
9:28	had given their donkeys fodder they
9:30	prepared the present for joseph’s coming
9:32	at noon for they heard that they should
9:34	eat bread there when joseph came home
9:37	they brought into the house to him the
9:39	present that they had with them and
9:41	bowed down to him to the ground
9:44	and he inquired about their welfare and
9:46	said is your father well the old man of
9:49	whom you spoke
9:50	is he still alive
9:52	and they said your servant our father is
9:54	well he is still alive and they bowed
9:57	their heads and they prostrated
9:58	themselves and he lifted up his eyes and
10:02	saw his brother benjamin his mother’s
10:04	son
10:05	and he said is this your youngest
10:06	brother of whom you spoke to me
10:09	may god be gracious to you my son
10:11	then joseph hurried out for his
10:13	compassion grew warm for his brother and
10:16	he sought a place to weep
10:18	and he entered his chamber and he wept
10:21	there and then he washed his face and
10:23	came out and controlling himself he said
10:26	serve the food they served him by
10:29	himself and them by themselves and the
10:31	egyptians who ate with him by themselves
10:33	because the egyptians could not eat with
10:35	the hebrews for that is an abomination
10:37	to the egyptians
10:39	and they sat before him the firstborn
10:41	according to his birthright and the
10:43	youngest according to his youth and the
10:45	men looked at one another in amazement
10:48	portions were taken to them from
10:49	joseph’s table but benjamin’s portion
10:52	was five times as much as any of theirs
10:56	and they drank and they were merry with
10:58	him oh lord have mercy upon us in the
11:01	name of jesus
11:03	all right do you remember joseph
11:05	had some dreams remember that it was
11:08	that was kind of like the inciting
11:10	incident there’s joseph his father’s
11:13	favorite he even has the coat to prove
11:15	it and he has a dream
11:17	and in his dream you know his
11:20	there were bundling sheaves and all of
11:23	his brother’s sheaves got up and bowed
11:25	down to his sheaf and his brothers hated
11:28	him for this they hated him for lots of
11:30	things but that just made things worse
11:32	and then he had a dream about the sun
11:35	the moon and the stars and all them
11:37	bowing down before him and even his
11:39	father was a wee bit annoyed by that but
11:42	these dreams were dreams from god they
11:44	were prophetic and you’re going to note
11:46	in our text tonight
11:49	joseph’s dreams came true
11:52	because god never says something’s going
11:54	to happen and then it doesn’t happen god
11:56	doesn’t lie the only time when god says
11:58	something’s going to happen and he
12:00	relents is when he promises disaster for
12:03	people’s sin and impenitence and if they
12:06	repent scripture says he relents
12:09	that is the only time we see god not
12:11	following through on his word but all of
12:13	that being said you’ll note then here
12:15	joseph’s dreams have come true
12:18	and well his brother’s nightmares have
12:20	just begun
12:21	and
12:22	you’re going gonna note here this is not
12:24	joseph being cruel to his brothers just
12:27	to get vengeance this is not alexander
12:29	dumas count of monte cristo you know i
12:33	enjoy that that movie i enjoyed that
12:35	book but here’s the issue the count of
12:37	monte cristo has a similar theme a
12:39	fellow who’s really truly innocent who
12:42	ends up in the worst prison in all of
12:44	france the chateau d not a place you
12:47	know as a restaurant you don’t want to
12:48	visit there any time and what happens is
12:51	is that through these machinations with
12:54	an other character he’s able to free
12:56	himself
12:57	and upon freeing himself he gets a
12:59	treasure that it was stolen from
13:01	napoleon it’s a great story and then 600
13:05	pages of working out his revenge on
13:07	those who put him into prison
13:10	that’s not what’s going on here in fact
13:12	you’re going to know it’s quite the
13:14	opposite joseph isn’t being mean for
13:17	means sake instead he’s got real reasons
13:20	to distrust his brothers the thing that
13:22	they shouldn’t have said is we your
13:25	servants are honest men
13:27	no they’re not and joseph knows that
13:30	they are far from honest these are men
13:33	who plotted to murder him decided no
13:36	we’re going to sell you into slavery
13:38	instead and then concocted a horrible
13:42	story about him being eaten by beasts
13:45	and have allowed his father to believe
13:47	that’s the truth for how long now
13:51	well let’s do a little bit of math i
13:53	hate math it’s it’s from the devil but
13:55	just a little bit here just for the sake
13:57	of the sermon 13 years joseph was either
14:01	as a slave and a prisoner combination of
14:03	both and then there were seven years of
14:06	plenty those are in the rear view mirror
14:08	and now what are we one or
14:10	what year one or two into the famine so
14:13	we’re looking at
14:14	22
14:17	years
14:18	and you’re going to know benjamin is not
14:20	a baby he’s a man he’s in his 20s
14:24	and
14:25	well
14:26	jacob’s not keen on letting him out of
14:29	his sight all because of the anxiety the
14:32	horrible morning that he went through
14:34	day after day believing that his son
14:38	joseph his favorite son his
14:41	beloved son
14:43	had died
14:45	but god was up to something
14:47	god was not working their judgment and
14:50	oh they should be judged for this don’t
14:51	you think don’t you think we should all
14:54	be judged for our sins but if we are
14:57	it’s not going to go well for us
14:59	god isn’t working their judgment he’s
15:00	working their salvation that’s the whole
15:03	point and so here joseph hearing his
15:06	brothers attest to their honesty has to
15:09	now test a few things because well the
15:12	question that is now before him if they
15:14	did this to me
15:18	did they also do in benjamin
15:22	and since benjamin is not with them he’s
15:24	got to kind of sort that out and so he’s
15:27	rough with them accuses them of being
15:29	spies even puts money back into their
15:32	sacks and interesting to note that as
15:34	soon as these fellows hit the wall so to
15:37	speak
15:38	rather than receive kindness and just go
15:40	to the grocery store and purchase the
15:42	grain and head back home now the manager
15:44	of the whole country is on them bad and
15:48	accusing them of being spies they said
15:50	to one another in truth we’re guilty
15:52	concerning our brother in that we saw
15:54	the distress of his soul when he begged
15:56	us and we did not listen oh that’s
15:59	merciless right there what that is why
16:01	this distress is coming up upon us and
16:04	of course reuben here doesn’t really
16:06	help and reuben answered did i not tell
16:08	you i told you so i told you did i not
16:11	tell you not to sin against the boy but
16:13	you didn’t listen to me no
16:16	so now there comes a reckoning for his
16:19	blood
16:23	do you think these men could
16:24	legitimately pay
16:29	for the blood of their brother
16:31	if there was truly a reckoning do you
16:33	think they’d be able to square that debt
16:36	how about you
16:37	there was a reckoning for all of your
16:39	sin
16:41	would you be able to square that debt
16:43	be able to walk away and go well god
16:45	we’re fair and square now we’re even no
16:48	way that’s not how this works and so
16:50	yeah there’s going to be a reckoning but
16:52	the reckoning comes a little bit later
16:55	and so these fellows are kind of
16:57	thinking in terms of karma right oh this
17:00	has happened to us oh our karma has gone
17:02	really bad and these terrible
17:04	circumstances are because god is judging
17:08	us
17:10	but that’s not true
17:12	god is not judging them god is now
17:15	walking them down the path of repentance
17:19	they’ve sat silently keeping their evil
17:23	secret for more than 20 years and god is
17:26	now going to take them down the road of
17:29	repentance he’s recalled their sin to
17:31	their mind they are confessing their
17:34	guilt what should they receive at the
17:36	end of this the same thing we all
17:38	get because of jesus
17:42	forgiveness
17:44	it’s one of the best stories
17:46	ever
17:48	and so we’ll note here that these
17:50	fellows are kind of a lot like king
17:52	david if you think of king david there
17:54	he sexually assaults bathsheba
17:56	impregnates her murders her husband and
17:59	then after her husband is gone and she’s
18:02	mourned for him and she’s finished her
18:03	morning period he
18:05	marries bathsheba and if you think about
18:08	it i mean what a kind
18:10	loving pious thing for king david to do
18:13	to marry this obscure woman who has no
18:17	royalty in her at all
18:19	and oh and she’s the widow of a war hero
18:22	way to go david yeah you know you got to
18:26	watch out for those sins that are
18:27	covered up in pious pretenses they’re
18:30	this they’re the worst
18:33	but you’ll note that god wasn’t pleased
18:35	with what david did
18:37	nor was he pleased with the fact that
18:39	david
18:40	didn’t confess his sin but instead he
18:42	hid it these fellows didn’t confess
18:45	their sin
18:46	and they let their dad believe that
18:48	joseph has been dead for all these years
18:51	and god isn’t pleased with that either
18:54	he’s going to walk them down the road of
18:55	repentance the same way he walked david
18:58	down the road of repentance and we
19:00	should pay attention to this over and
19:02	again i’ve noticed that some churches
19:04	and some theologians and some church
19:07	groups really go bad and become super
19:10	toxic when they forget how
19:14	god deals with sin
19:17	they think sin is something that you’ve
19:19	got to paper over that you’ve got to
19:22	somehow bury in the backyard
19:24	make sure that you hide it away don’t
19:26	let anyone see it because you can’t now
19:29	that you’ve made the decision for jesus
19:31	let on that you sin
19:34	and as a result of it sin festers in the
19:37	darkness
19:39	you know you think of the person who has
19:41	a stressful life and what do they do
19:43	they push the stress down and they keep
19:46	it down or maybe they well they medicate
19:50	with booze and things just go wrong
19:55	we also hide our sin in the similar way
19:59	and we ought not to do that what does
20:02	scripture say
20:03	if we say we have no sin we deceive
20:06	ourselves and the truth is not in us
20:10	if we say we have no sin you know what
20:12	that is
20:13	that’s an example of somebody who’s
20:16	hiding their sin well i haven’t got any
20:18	sin nothing no sin here to talk about
20:21	here everything’s looking clean as a
20:23	whistle right i always remember the time
20:26	the jehovah’s witness ladies came to our
20:28	house like 15 minutes before we needed
20:30	to head off to church and of course i
20:32	can never pass up an opportunity to talk
20:34	to the jehovah’s witnesses because once
20:36	i talk to them they’ll never come back
20:39	okay so what happened there i am i’m
20:42	talking with this jehovah’s witness lady
20:44	and the one thing i could tell you about
20:45	jehovah’s witnesses this is a religion
20:47	that’s all about saving yourself by your
20:50	works there’s no grace in there at all
20:53	so i took her to some passages in
20:56	galatians and talked about how by works
20:59	of the law will nobody be saved and how
21:02	none is righteous no not one to which
21:05	this jehovah’s witness lady while my
21:07	wife is putting the kids in the minivan
21:09	by the way worst vehicle ever most
21:11	emasculating vehicle in the world is a
21:14	minivan i’m so glad they have crossovers
21:16	now so that men don’t have to drive
21:18	these things anyway that’s a little
21:20	aside i won’t charge extra for that one
21:22	but all of that being said while i’m
21:24	talking to this lady my wife comes in
21:26	from the garage and she hears these
21:29	words from this jehovah’s witness lady
21:30	who i’ve shown from the scripture that
21:32	none is righteous that all said and she
21:34	says well i haven’t sinned in a really
21:36	long time
21:38	so my wife storms
21:41	storms from the kitchen to the front
21:43	door
21:44	and this is not something that happens
21:46	silently if you’ve ever heard my wife’s
21:48	storm you need to get out of the way you
21:50	don’t make eye contact you’re in a lot
21:52	of trouble okay she storms from the
21:55	kitchen all the way to the front door
21:57	she gets right in that lady’s face and
21:59	goes you are such a liar
22:03	you are a sinner just like i’m a sinner
22:06	they never came back after that we were
22:08	on the blacklist but
22:10	you know what barb was right
22:13	she was lying
22:15	but how many of us lie
22:17	the same lie
22:19	how many of us are just
22:20	so
22:21	comfortable with our sin
22:27	if we say we have no sin we deceive
22:29	ourselves the truth is not in us but if
22:32	we confess our sins
22:34	god is faithful and just to forgive our
22:37	sins and to cleanse us from all
22:41	all unrighteousness
22:43	we come to church as penitent sinners
22:47	speaking the truth about ourselves
22:51	speaking the truth of our sin the things
22:53	we do we don’t do the things we’ve done
22:56	left undone all the mess that well
23:00	we’ve created by our disobedience to god
23:04	and rather than get
23:06	the left foot of fellowship rather than
23:09	being flicked like a bug into the fires
23:12	of hell we receive from christ the
23:14	forgiveness of our sins full pardon full
23:17	grace that’s what’s going on in this
23:19	text and so now they can feel the guilt
23:22	of their sin and they’re thinking oh no
23:25	god is up to no good he’s finally
23:28	decided he’s done with us he’s through
23:30	with us but we know that’s not the truth
23:35	it’s in this regard
23:37	we consider just one
23:39	other detail
23:40	so they head back poor simeon he’s cool
23:43	in his heels in prison
23:45	and they were not coming back any time
23:47	soon i’m sure that was just a real joy
23:50	but it’s just a little bit of a taste of
23:53	what
23:54	joseph went through
23:55	but we’ll note this here when they were
23:58	deliberating to send
24:01	the boys back to get food
24:05	jacob is not keen on this idea but who
24:09	is it that stands up and says
24:13	i
24:15	i will be
24:16	a shorty for him
24:18	it’s judah
24:21	and here in the story we begin to see a
24:25	little bit of a shifting in the types
24:26	and shadows
24:28	and the way i like to think of it is
24:30	this
24:31	there’s jacob
24:33	absolutely
24:35	mourning still lamenting still in pain
24:39	and agony over the loss of his
24:42	son
24:43	joseph
24:45	and i think jacob here in the types and
24:47	shadows
24:48	begins to give us just a little bit of a
24:51	picture of what god the father feels and
24:53	losing us
24:55	each and every one of us because of the
24:56	deceit of the devil
25:01	and who is it that promises to bring
25:05	benjamin back
25:06	it’s judah
25:08	and so i think a good way to think of
25:10	this is this
25:11	is that judah
25:13	promises
25:14	what christ really promises christ says
25:18	to the father
25:20	i will go father
25:22	and i will bring back your lost children
25:27	i my life
25:29	will be the surety
25:31	that i will bring them back
25:35	and that’s exactly what christ did
25:37	he humbled himself
25:39	taking on the form of a servant becoming
25:41	obedient even to the point of death on
25:44	the cross in order that you and i can be
25:47	forgiven and pardoned and that god the
25:49	father can experience the joy
25:52	of having his children returned by none
25:56	other than the lion of the tribe of
25:57	judah
26:00	and so as we consider
26:01	this text in our lenten series
26:05	let us consider our secret sins
26:08	the ones that we’ve even been terrified
26:10	to confess to god
26:12	he knows them already
26:13	and if he brings us to the painful
26:15	experience of bringing them to mind or
26:17	even making us feel guilty for them then
26:19	know this god isn’t against you in doing
26:21	so this is the path of repentance
26:24	this is the path that we all travel so
26:26	that we can finally be forgiven and
26:29	pardoned and that we can be reunited
26:31	brought properly
26:33	with god whom we have been estranged
26:35	from because of our sin it’s a beautiful
26:38	picture if you think about it
26:40	in the name of Jesus
26:42	amen

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