Please turn with me to Genesis 45. Genesis 45, last week we considered together that wonderful episode of Joseph revealing himself to his brothers. Now we have the follow-up to that, the brothers revealing to their father, Jacob, that Joseph is still alive. as we consider together verses 16 through the end of the chapter, verse 28. Genesis 45, 16-28. So we hear now the Word of God. When the news reached Pharaoh's palace that Joseph's brothers had come, Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased. Pharaoh said to Joseph, Tell your brothers, do this. Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan and bring your father and your families back to Me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land. You are also directed to tell them, do this. Take some carts from Egypt for your children and your wives and get your father and come. Never mind about your belongings because the best of all Egypt will be yours. So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts as Pharaoh had commanded and he also gave them provisions for their journey. To each of them he gave new clothing, but to Benjamin he gave 300 shekels of silver and five sets of clothes. And this is what he sent to his father. Ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey. Then he sent his brothers away and as they were leaving, he said to them, don't quarrel on the way. So they went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. They told him, Joseph is still alive. In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt. Joseph was stunned. He did not believe them. But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. And Israel said, I am convinced my son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die. Beloved in Christ the Lord, predictions. Predictions are something that we tend to make all the time. Often, especially those who are a little bit older, the adults will make predictions regarding children, especially when they are at a young age. Well, Billy, he's quite talkative. certainly he's going to be a preacher. Or Susie, she's got a good sense of pitch. She will be a musician. Or Bobby, his drawing is fantastic and he makes wonderful things, imaginative things out of his Lego set. He's going to be an architect or a mechanical engineer or he's going to build wonderful things one day. Weather men and women read the weather patterns and they predict, they foretell the weather. We even predict danger if so-and-so is so careless, so reckless in their driving, that if they don't settle down sooner or later, they're going to be in an accident or they're going to cause an accident. But whether or not our predictions come true is anybody's guess. Only time will tell. But beloved, when God says that something will take place, even if He doesn't tell us when it will take place, we can be sure it will come to pass. When the Lord made a covenant with Abraham, He said to him in Genesis 15, verse 13, Then the Lord said to him, Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated 400 years. Now, no doubt these words, though difficult to hear for Abraham at that time, no doubt these words were passed down from Abraham to Isaac and even to Jacob. And therefore, did Jacob think of these words? Did he remember these words when his sons came to him and said, Joseph is alive. He's in Egypt. He says, come. Did Jacob stop to think that maybe this now was the time the Lord had been speaking about? We don't know, of course. But we today, we do know because we have the complete written Word of God, the Bible, we do know that the time had come for this 400 year journey to begin. We do know that God had brought Joseph ahead of them to prepare for Jacob's family. And therefore, with this portion of the Word of God, we consider this morning God with Joseph preparing for Israel's foretold future. God had foretold the future. And now, if you will, the final preparations were taking place to begin that future. And those preparations would take place, first of all, with Pharaoh's complete provision. God would provide for Jacob's family through Pharaoh. He would provide completely. And no doubt, this was somewhat on Pharaoh's part, a favor to Joseph. Again, this was an exciting day for Joseph, but also for Egypt, at least for Pharaoh. Now again, we don't know how much Pharaoh knew about Joseph. We don't know what Joseph might have told him throughout the years that he worked for him in his service. Maybe he didn't know much about Joseph at all, but all of a sudden, there are eleven brothers, and they all are Joseph's. Joseph has a history. He has a past. He has a family. And we know, of course, from our study, that Joseph meant a great deal to Pharaoh because God had used Joseph to save Egypt and many others from economic ruin, from starvation, from death. And because of that, Joseph enjoyed, at the hand of Pharaoh, he enjoyed a great position. He enjoyed great privilege, great power, prestige. His professional life was definitely in order. But now Pharaoh would be able to show personal favor to Joseph in a personal way. Not merely professional, as he would be able to provide for Joseph's family to join Joseph in Egypt. He would provide for all of their necessities. And He does so first of all with the promise of a new home. Beginning at verse 16, when the news reached Pharaoh's palace that Joseph's brothers had come, Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased. Pharaoh said to Joseph, tell your brothers, do this. Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan and bring your father and your families back to Me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land. Now Joseph, we know, had also promised them something. He promised them the land of Goshen. But Pharaoh's promise, you see, the way he says it, is far greater than Joseph's promise. The best of the land. The fat of the land. The abundance. All that Egypt had to offer, and it had a lot to offer, would be at their disposal. Now indeed, Pharaoh's offer was still Goshen, because Goshen was the best of the land. But he promises them everything. Even today, Goshen, because of its location by the Nile River, is still rich in grain, in fruits, in vegetables, in all kinds of produce. But Jacob's family was to receive a king's royal treatment. And then Pharaoh goes on and gives proof of his genuine offer. In verse 19, you are also directed to tell them, do this, take some carts from Egypt for your children and your wives and get your Father and come. Now, whether we understand it or not, they're talking about transportation here. Now, this is no big deal to us. We think of maybe a two-wheeled little rickety old cart that's pulled by a mule, you know, that you can get very few supplies on. To us, it's no big deal because we are used to trucks and trains and ships and large airplanes to move large quantities of goods when you as a congregation moved our family here. You had a large semi-tractor trailer and a few men unload our house in Michigan and put it all in this truck and the truck took off and we took off separately, comfortably, in our van and we met up with our goods here where you unloaded them. It was easy. It was comfortable. Even farmers, especially back in the Midwest, they have large wagons with good suspension, better than most cars or a lot of cars. And these things carry the harvested produce, especially the corn and the soybeans, from field to storage. They do that smoothly and easily. These carts are no big deal to us. But back then in Joseph's day, the Egyptians were among the first to have carts, to have wagons, pulled by a mule or a horse or a camel. and therefore to Joseph's family who were used to walking or maybe riding their mule if there weren't supplies loaded on their mule, but walking, leading their donkeys, that these carts were nothing short of luxury. Limousine. A semi-truck. Again, no doubt, Pharaoh provided all of this out of appreciation for Joseph, but also it was a faster and an easier way to move the family and it would make it easier on the women and the children and old Jacob. Yet, these carts would serve as proof of the genuineness of Pharaoh's offer. Come to me. Come, live here. And proof of more to come. And Pharaoh then appeals to the brothers to trust his words. In verse 20, he says, never mind about your belongings because the best of all Egypt will be yours. Never mind about your belongings. In other words, this was a call to look ahead. Don't look back. Look ahead. Don't be sad. Don't be sorry. Don't worry about the belongings that you are leaving behind. Don't let those possessions, don't let that baggage hinder you from coming. Trust that Pharaoh's word is true, that what is waiting for you is far greater than what you leave behind. Not only was Pharaoh a man of his word, he proves it as through Joseph he gives him a down payment. Verses 21 and 22, So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts as Pharaoh had commanded and he also gave them provisions for their journey. To each of them he gave new clothing, but to Benjamin he gave 300 shekels of silver and five sets of clothes. Once again, provisions for the journey, not just back to Canaan, but then also back to Egypt. No doubt food and water both for man and beast to keep these brothers and their families, their children from getting hungry and weak in order to provide strength for the trip. But also personal provisions. To the brothers, he gave new clothing. But this wasn't just boys and girls like a new shirt and a pair of jeans. It was like royal robes. Special clothing that was used for celebrations and for parties. In other places in the Old Testament, like Judges 14 or 2 Kings 5, we are taught that fine clothing such as this was considered to be a very special gift. It was a much appreciated gift. Now, here we know there was indeed much reason to celebrate. But also it's possible that from Joseph this was another comforting act on his part to reassure the brothers of reconciliation with him and his forgiveness. Remember, they stripped him of his richly ornamented robe. But he clothes them with royal celebration robes. A gift of love. But Benjamin is once again set apart. He's favored above the brothers with five sets of clothing and a great deal of silver. I don't know why. Maybe because he was Joseph's full-blooded brother. Maybe there's something in the 300 shekels of silver to remind the brothers that the 20 shekels of silver that they earned as selling him was nothing, righteousness. God rewards righteousness far more. But we're not told of any more jealousy on the brothers' part. I believe they had truly changed hearts. They were content. They had all that they needed. They had food. They had clothing. Plus, more importantly, they had the forgiveness of Joseph. They enjoyed reconciliation with Him. And we too, beloved, are to be content with whatever God provides us because as Psalm 25, verse 18 reminds us, our true need is not to have our disease taken away. It's not to have a new job to make more money. It's not to have our hardships erased. Our true need is for the forgiveness of sins. Apart from that, everything else can be taken away from us that we don't like, that bothers us. That troubles us. It can all be taken away, but if we don't have the forgiveness of sins, we have nothing. We have no salvation. If we have God's forgiving grace and therefore fellowship with God, we have it all. And therefore we can be assured, as Paul says in Philippians 4, that my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. And then notice also the provisions for Jacob, the gift to Jacob in verse 23. And this is what he sent to his father. Ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey. This would be proof to Jacob of what awaited him and the family and of what the family would need in Egypt. Beloved, Pharaoh's provisions in a time of famine was a pretty good incentive to accept his offer, To come. But the preparation of Israel was also with Joseph's compassionate rebuke in the second place. In verse 24 we read, Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving, he said to them, Don't quarrel along the way. That's a fascinating statement. Parents, whether you realize it or not, we all say that to our kids often. If we're leaving them with a babysitter for the night, or even if we see our older ones going out for the evening with their friends, the last thing we say often is, be good, don't fight, don't get into trouble. And we say it to all of our children because any one of them has the potential to start trouble. Joseph says, don't quarrel along the way. What does that mean? Well, it can mean a couple of things. It can mean on the one hand, don't be stirred up, don't be agitated, don't start agitation among yourselves. Proverbs 29, verse 9 says, If a wise man goes to court with a fool, the fool rages and scoffs. And there is no peace. In other words, Joseph might be saying, don't cause rage. Don't cause anger. But it can also mean, have the idea of fear. Being afraid. In Exodus 15, verse 14, we read, The nations will hear and tremble. Anguish will grip the people of Philistia. Rage, anger, or fear, being afraid. Here, maybe there's a bit of both. Joseph's statement to them, his rebuke to them, we must understand, is really, in a sense, it's a reminder of the pardon they had received from him. They would face Jacob. Obviously, Jacob now would learn the truth. Joseph knew this. The brothers must come clean with their father and really, Joseph makes it easy for them because he sends them with about the greatest news Jacob could ever hear. Joseph is alive. And he sends them with unbelievable provisions. The brothers were changed men. But you see, like you and me, sin and temptation were still a part of their lives. Don't quarrel. They would face fear. Or as they would face their father, they would indeed fear that. And they would try to figure out what to say. And maybe as they were trying to figure out how are we going to tell Dad what we did, that might turn into blame shifting and finger pointing. Reuben had already said, I told you not to do that. It might turn into finger pointing as if the other brothers are really more guilty than me. Well, the older ones, they bear more responsibility. But Joseph says, you've been pardoned. You've been forgiven. Don't blame each other. Don't fight. But at the same time, as they might engage in that finger-pointing and blame and quarreling, they might even be tempted because of fear to have second thoughts about the whole thing and conclude it's not worth telling our father Jacob. We're afraid of how he might react. We'll just not tell them we'll forget all about Egypt. James Boyce of Joseph's comment says, it was a way of telling the brothers to live like saved people and not allow sin to have a victory in their lives. They had also sinned against their father and they must confess and repent of that sin against their father as you and I must also confess and repent of our sin against each other. And again, Joseph reminds them that he had forgiven them and they too must forgive each other. Because not one of them stopped the others. They were all wrong. And he makes that clear. You sold me, he says, collectively to the brothers. But in the same way, beloved, we must be examples to our children, to our friends, to our neighbors, and to the world of how saved people deal with the sin that we continue to commit. We must be an example to them of confession and repentance of our sin before God. And then also to be forgiving as those who have been forgiven. Joseph provides provisions. He provides encouragement, a rebuke. Yet there's one thing that he cannot control and that is his father Jacob. He cannot control his response. Would he believe? Would he come? But God prepared Israel's foretold future with Jacob's conquered doubt. Beginning at verse 25, So they went out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Cain, and they told him, Joseph is still alive. In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt. Jacob was stunned. He did not believe them. But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived, and Israel said, I'm convinced my son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die. Now again, we can only imagine this encounter. We put ourselves in that place and imagine if that was us receiving that news. How awesome that would be. We are excited for Jacob. We expect him to jump and dance and shout for joy. But no, he's stunned. And the idea there is that his heart stopped momentarily. He became like a dead man with a glazed look over his eyes, on his face as if he didn't even hear the news. And then instead of jumping with joy, the very opposite happens. Unbelief. Doubt. He doesn't believe. And this might not be so hard for us to comprehend. I mean, who of us would believe that after 22 years? It can't be true. Certainly, it can't be true. But you see, if you think back over Jacob's life, this was his sad pattern. He had no trouble believing the bad news. He had no trouble believing false news. He was what we might call pessimistic. When he was told that Esau was coming to meet him with a great host of men, He was afraid because he thought surely Esau might have the intention of getting back at him for what Jacob had done years earlier. When his sons came to him with Joseph's richly ornamented robe rolled in blood, he assumed that Joseph had been torn apart by wild beasts, that he was dead. He never even bothered to send out a search party. He didn't want to send Benjamin along with them because he figured that Benjamin would fall into trouble. if he was let outside the watchful eye of Jacob. And no doubt the very sound of Joseph's name caused Jacob grief. And we know that it seems that he didn't trust his sons. Here is it to say, don't joke with me about something so serious. He didn't believe. It can't be true. But the Lord conquered Jacob's doubt. he was convinced. Other translations say that he said, enough, it is enough. The Hebrew word there has the idea of great abundance, a multitude, as if the proof was overwhelming. It was enough to convince him. The carts, the wagons, the supplies, things the brothers could not have come by on their own, but especially Joseph's words. The brothers relay everything Joseph had said. And by God's grace, Jacob understood that those had to be the words of Joseph. And it all began to click. Joseph's dreams that he meditated upon years ago. The words of the Lord to Abraham. Now we know that the brothers again could not escape telling Jacob the whole truth. We're not told his reaction when the brothers came and said, Dad, we need to talk. You need to know something. on the day that you sent our younger brother to come check on us. You see, before that, we hated him so earnestly because of his dreams and his dreams of greatness over us. And because of your favoritism, we decided to kill him. So we jumped on him, we took his robe, we threw him in a pit, but then we thought, well, we're going to sell him instead. We made a little money on the side. We took his robe and we killed one of your goats. We rolled the robe in its blood. We brought it to you and let you think what you wanted to. We're sorry. That's what happened. We don't know Jacob's reaction. But I believe that after hearing Joseph's words as relayed by the brothers, you meant it for evil. God meant it for good. God sent me here ahead of you to spare you, to take care of you. That after hearing that and realizing that Joseph had forgiven his brothers, that Jacob too forgave his sons and the brothers' wicked deeds were no longer an issue. And beloved, that's the same with our sin. When God forgives our sin, when He remembers it no more, when He casts it away, it's no longer an issue. God conquered Jacob's doubt, turns it to confidence. I will go see him before I die. And it says Israel said that. Notice that whenever Jacob, when he's referred to as Jacob, it's because he is showing signs of doubt and faithlessness, but whenever he is showing signs of strong faith and courage in God, his covenant name is used. Before he said, I'm going to die in sorrow. But now he says, I will die with joy. A reminder to us as well of old Simeon in the temple when Mary and Joseph brought the Christ child there. And as Simeon is holding the Christ child in his arms, in Luke 2 we read, he prays, Dismiss your servant in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the sight of all people. And we too, beloved, must be content to see Christ by faith. Our greatest need is to see Him by faith today. What a wonderful happy ending for Jacob's family, at least for this generation. Oh, we know the story's not over yet. Jacob and Joseph have not yet been brought together. But like the end of a good drama, all the peace has come together. They live happily ever after, at least for some years. But we need to understand that in this episode, we have a mirror of the Christian life. A mirror of the Christian life and God's work in that life and His preparation of that life. When we are brought to understand by faith the greatness of our sin and misery, it's hard to believe when we first understand that, how we have offended God, it's hard to believe that there could be any hope for us. It seems hopeless. But God reveals His favor to His people. His grace. And His promises in Christ Jesus include a new home. Israel received Goshen, the best, the most fertile, the most abundant land on earth at that time. And believers, as we hope to consider tonight, believers receive the land flowing with milk and honey par excellence. Jesus says, In My Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me, that you also may be where I am. A new home in the Father's house. And that offer, beloved, is genuine. How do we know? Because of the promised Holy Spirit promised by our Lord Jesus Christ in John 16. And Paul in Ephesians 1 says of the Spirit that He is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. Our Lord sent the Holy Spirit to take up a dwelling place in believers, those whom He would bring to see the truth of the Word of God and to trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. And just as the carts would bring Jacob and his family to Egypt, the Holy Spirit brings God's elect to faith in Christ Jesus. And when He lifts our eyes to Jesus, there's also a call to trust. By looking ahead. Not looking back. Not being attached to the things of this world, the things that moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal. In Luke 9, Jesus said, If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Paul in Philippians 3 says, Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. He's talking about knowing the power of the resurrection and knowing fellowship with the sufferings of Christ and attaining the resurrection from the dead. I haven't yet taken hold of that. But one thing I do, Paul says, forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Each and every one of us, beloved, has spiritual baggage. Baggage that weighs us down in some way as we walk that narrow path. It might be sin that clings to us against our renewed will. sin that we secretly enjoy. It could be a host of things. But baggage which causes us to find excuses to be excused from kingdom service. Oh, I have too much to do. I'm way too busy. I have no time. My children's activities consume me. Excuses we make for not following the Lord's commands and heeding His call. In Hebrews 12, the writer says, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. This call to look ahead, beloved, does not mean that we're not allowed to have a house to own a home in this life. That's okay. But that house is not to own us. It doesn't mean that we can't save money, be stewardly and plan for the future that God might give us. That's okay. But we're not to be possessed by our possessions. It doesn't mean that we can't strive to climb the corporate ladder. That's okay too. But it does mean that we are not to compromise our faith and climb that ladder at any cost. It doesn't mean that we can't participate in the recreations and the enjoyments that are available to us in this life. Many of them are okay. Maybe all of them. But it does mean that these things are not to take the place of worship and our spiritual responsibilities. That's not pleasing to God. There's nothing short of disobedience. We are called to trust the Word of the Lord to set our minds on things above where Christ is and to store up riches in heaven to understand that what is ahead is far greater than what we leave behind. That righteousness and holiness in Christ Jesus is far greater than the sin and shame of our nature. That all that God has promised to us to provide for us for eternity is far greater than the temporary pleasures of this life. And our God is faithful. He gives us a down payment. Indeed, the Holy Spirit. But even more than that, as the Holy Spirit helps us to understand that as God supplies for all of our needs and does so bountifully. What a promise to us as He points us to the eternal banquet. And what is our response to be? Our response is to be to live like saved people. To live like saved people. Those who own the comfort of that heavenly inheritance and eternal life because of Jesus Christ are to live today in that joy. And fight. Actively fight sin. Boys and girls, fight. Not against your friends. Not even against your enemies in your classes. Fight against sin and temptation. And be content with what God has given to sustain us in this life and to use that for God's glory and the blessing of His kingdom, of His church. And not quarrel as God's people. Ah, so often we quarrel based on petty attitudes and selfish desires. Don't quarrel. But recognize that all of God's people have received the same grace of forgiveness and fellowship in Christ. The same grace of forgiveness. It's not that for some, a few of your sins are forgiven, and others, all of your sins are forgiven. But for all of us, by God's grace, every single sin is forgiven. We share that in common. We share that fellowship in Christ. Jacob was called to trust Joseph's words, to surrender his life to one he had not seen in 22 years. And to pull up his tent stakes and move to a home he had never seen before, a home that was quite unknown to him. You and I are called to trust in our only Savior, Jesus Christ. One we've not seen with the physical eyes, as you and I look at each other today. But we see Him with the eyes of faith. One who prepares a home for you, for me, in glory even at this time. Again, a home that is so unknown. Again, I can't help but to plug tonight as we consider life everlasting. Something we cannot fully comprehend. And Joseph, of course, points to the Lord Jesus Christ who left His home in glory and descended to the lowest depths of hell and its suffering and torment, and He did it for our sake, for you and for me. Jesus Christ is alive forevermore. He has been exalted to the highest place. He is the exalted Prince and Savior, and we are called to go to Him, who alone promises and gives fullness of life, eternal security and rest. Apart from Him, beloved, there is only the barren land of sin and destruction and hopelessness, but for those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and trust in Him alone for salvation, for those who are in Him by faith, yours is the King's royal treatment, bounty, provision, full satisfaction of God with God for the sake of Jesus Christ. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Now that's not simply a prediction. That's the very Word of God. A guarantee. Amen. Let's pray together. Father, we thank You and praise You that as You remind us of these great stories of the history of Your people and as You show us through these stories how You worked toward our salvation. That we are also reminded of Your work in us, in our lives, for our lives. Father, indeed, we thank You for Your provision in Christ Jesus. So often we take that provision for granted. We think that because we have what You say we have, that we can go ahead and live this life in whatever way we want. But we know, Lord, that that doesn't please You. that what pleases You is to heed Your call, to look to You for all that we need. For indeed, You are our portion and our delight forever and ever for this life and the next. Father, we pray that You would never cease to build us up in that most holy faith. Strengthen us in the confidence and assurance that You've given to us of life eternal. And may our lives be lives of praise and honor and glory. only to you, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Hear us, we pray, for Jesus' sake. Amen.