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2 Corinthians 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
What is grace? Grace is unmerited favor. It is a free gift given to those who don’t deserve it. Though grace is a free gift, it has a price. Though grace costs nothing for the one who receives it; it costs much for the one who gives it. That’s what makes it grace. Grace is a free gift given to those who don’t deserve it.
Forgiveness always requires grace. People who sinned against us can never repay us. They can never undo what they have done. We have to choose to be like our Lord Jesus. Though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor, so that we through His poverty might become rich.
This morning we return once again to the story of Joseph.
Genesis 42:5 And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6 And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. 7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. 8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them …
For a moment Joseph’s mind went back to the time when he revealed his dreams to his brothers and their reaction. Scripture says-
Genesis 37:5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
We can only imagine what that phrase “and they hated him yet the more” really meant. We know that on the day they sold him into slavery they mockingly said –
Genesis 37:19 … Behold, this dreamer cometh. 20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
They hated Joseph for his dreams. Now his dreams had come true. They were bowing before him and not only did he have the choice whether or not he wouldl sell them food; he had the choice of whether or not he would forgive them and let them live. How did Joseph respond to his brothers? I believe that Joseph responded with grace. Let me share with you why I say that.
I. The Freeness of Grace
Genesis 42:25 Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.
Grace is a free gift. It is unconditional. There are no ‘ifs’. We do not say – “I will forgive you if…”, or “I will forgive you until…” That’s not gracious forgiveness. That’s trying to make someone earn your forgiveness. Grace is a free gift given because we desire to give it.
Concerning God’s gracious forgiveness we read from the book of Ephesians –
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
God’s grace provided a forgiveness that is free, full and final. So great is God’s gracious gift of forgiveness that it enabled Him to declare us – ‘justified.’ Once we receive God’s grace, we are from that point on seen in His sight – “Just as if we had never sinned.’
II. The Favor of Grace
Many define grace as ‘unmerited favor.’ Grace is not tolerating the one who has offended us. Grace is loving the offender and therefore showing them mercy. Grace is having pity upon their need and therefore desiring to bless them.
Consider the grace Joseph showed to his brothers.
Genesis 42:27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied (saw / considered) his money; for, behold, it was in his sack’s mouth. 28 And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another,
Joseph’s brothers couldn’t understand the concept of grace. They couldn’t conceive that somehow the ruler of Egypt might have restored their money. All they had ever known was the rejection of their father and his abusive words. They saw the returned money as God’s punishment. God was out to get them. One of the hardest people for many of us to forgive is ourselves. Yet if we cannot receive forgiveness, we will have a hard time giving forgiveness.
Many years ago a man by the name of John Newton wrote a hymn called ‘Amazing Grace.’ It was a long hard journey for Newton to reach the point of where he could write such a hymn. His mother died when he was only seven. His father was a sailor and at the age of eleven Newton began sailing with his father around the world. As Newton began to grow, he became very rebellious. At one time he was publicly beaten and put in chains. Later he was released and sailed under a sea captain who continued to be abusive towards him. All of this made John Newton a rebellious teenager and eventually a harden man. During one voyage his ship encountered a terrible storm. It is reported that during the storm Newton thought that he might die and instinctively cried out – “Lord, have mercy upon us.” Newton was converted to Christ during that storm and later wrote –
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
True grace is indeed amazing. There is perhaps nothing more amazing known to man. Joseph’s brothers needed to learn more about grace. When they returned home to their father and told him what happened, they were scolded. Jacob became angry with them and scripture seems to indicate that their relationship continued to be difficult. Yet God was at work. The famine continued to get worse and eventually Jacob was forced to allow his youngest son, Benjamin, to go to Egypt as the ruler (Joseph) had demanded.
The brothers were full of fear. What had happened to Simeon who had been kept in Egypt by the ruler? What might happen to Benjamin on the journey? What would happen to them? Here is a sad truth – the fear of retaliation keeps us from seeking forgiveness and thus finding reconciliation. That is true even in the church. Yet we read from God’s Word –
Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
The church should be a place where tenderheartedness and forgiveness comes freely. How can any of us to hold grudges against each other when God has forgiven each of us of so much sin?
Genesis 43:15 And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. 16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon. 17 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house. 18 And the men were afraid…
19 And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house, 20 And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food: 21 And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand. 22 And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.
23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them. 24 And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet…
33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another. 34 And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.
All of this reminds me of another story found in the Bible. It’s the parable of the Prodigal Son.
Luke 15:14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father; I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
When the brothers of Joseph were summoned to his house, they were afraid. But the master of Joseph’s house met them at the door and said –
Genesis 43:23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.
III. The Forgiveness of Grace
There is still one more lesson about grace that Joseph needs to teach them. Grace grants forgiveness.
Genesis 44:1 And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth. 2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.
Joseph had their sacks filled to the rim. He also has his servant to hide his special silver cup in sack of Benjamin. Then he sent them on their way.
4 And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?
7 And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing: 8 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord’s house silver or gold? 9 With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die , and we also will be my lord’s bondmen.
12 And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
You say, ‘What a mean trick. Why would Joseph do this to his brothers?’ Joseph wanted his brothers to understand that though they were sinful and though he had the power to punish them, they were completely forgiven.
15 And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine? 16 And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.
The brothers thought – ‘We are sinful men who deserve to be punished and now the guilt of our sin has to be born also even by the innocent in our family.’
Joseph offered to let everyone go free, except for the one whose sack the cup was found. But the brothers would not hear of it. Judah said to the Egyptian ruler –
30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life; 31 It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. 32 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever. 33 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. 34 For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.
The brothers’ hearts had changed, not only towards Joseph, but even towards their father.
Genesis 45:1 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. 2 And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard . 3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence. 4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said , I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. 5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
Joseph was not angry with his brothers. Not about the silver cup, or even about them selling him into slavery. At least three times in this passage Joseph made mention of the fact that it was God who had brought him to Egypt. God’s grace had caused all things to work together for good.
Conclusion
The greatest example of grace is when God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, to this earth to become a sacrifice for our sins. Like Joseph who was sent before his family to prepare a way for them to be saved, God sent His Son to this world so that He could die for the sins of the world. That seems too good to be true. In many ways it is, but that’s Amazing Grace.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
T’was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
‘Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.
When we’ve been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’ve first begun.
John Newton (1725-1807)
"Seeds of Faith" 