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SERIES: THE WAY OUT OF THE MESS #3/7

Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

 

SERIES: THE WAY OUT OF THE MESS #3/7

 

DREAMS TRUMP SCHEMES

February 24, 2008

 

 

Text: Genesis 37:12-28

 

 

Jimmy rushed up to his Mother and excitedly asked, “Mom, what would you like for your birthday this year?”  “I would like three well-behaved children!” she replied.  Jimmy looked up with surprise, thought about it, and then exclaimed, “But Mom, then there would be six of us!”

 

I doubt that there have been very many families in which some sibling rivalry and quarreling did not take place.  There have been many parents who have wished for well-behaved children.  And, unfortunately, there have been many families that have had to deal with the turmoil of children who were not well-behaved.  Indeed, some of the “reality” TV shows, such as “Supernanny,” have been created around family behavior.  As dysfunctional as we can find some families today, it remains a challenge to beat some of the dysfunction of some of the families found throughout the Old Testament – and many of those families with serious problems form the lineage through which God revealed Himself!

 

As we learned last week from Genesis 4, the sin of the parents Adam and Eve were not only passed on to their children, but resulted in more violent behavior.  Because of his disobedience to God, Cain actually murdered his brother, Abel.  That was quite an escalation of sinful behavior.  But it did not stop there.  A few generations later, the entire human race practiced such evil that God chose to destroy them.  Except for Noah and his family, who suffered ridicule because of their devotion to God, all of humanity was destroyed by the flood.  So, we would think, humanity got a fresh start.

 

Except, of course, that it did not take very long for the post-flood generations to likewise turn their backs on God and His good commandments.  Abraham’s offspring, his grandchildren, deceived one another and quarreled bitterly for awhile.  Then Jacob’s children became embroiled in the family feud we read this morning.  As I observed last week, it runs in the family.

 

The setting for this Biblical drama is well known to many of us.  Jacob, who was renamed Israel, had twelve sons.  He favored one of his sons, Joseph, and bestowed upon him the famous “coat of many colors.”  Joseph also had two dreams which indicated that all of his brothers would one day bow to him.  His brothers were not too keen on that idea: “His brothers said to him, ‘Do you intend to reign over us?  Will you actually rule us?’  And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.” (Genesis 37:8)  Because of their resentment of him, Joseph’s brothers would not even wish him well.

 

I am reminded of a story of two business partners who had a bitter falling out and went their separate ways.  One harbored such resentment toward his former partner that everything he did was directed toward causing harm to him.  One day, an angel appeared to this bitter man and proclaimed, “I bring you tidings from the Lord, who wishes to demonstrate His great love to you.  God has directed me to grant you one wish.  But understand this; whatever you wish for will be given double to your old business partner.”  The bitter man paused a moment to think, muttering, “Whatever I ask for will be given double to that old scoundrel, eh?”  Finally deciding, he looked the angel in the eye and declared, “I wish to be bankrupt!”  This is the kind of passionate hatred that the Old Testament language indicates that the eleven brothers had towards Joseph.  These were not going to be well-behaved children!

 

When an opportunity presented itself, they acted on their hatred.  “But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.  ‘Here comes that dreamer!’ they said to each other.  ‘Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him.  Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.’”  With family like that, who needs enemies?  Sure, to have a little brother, favored by your father, come up and tell you that he dreamed about you bowing to him can be quite unsettling.  It certainly does not easily translate into a peaceful family relationship.  But does that justify a death penalty?

 

The reality is that their festering jealousy led to a smoldering anger that led to this plot to kill their own brother.  Is this perhaps an image that Jesus had in mind as he taught the crowd in what we call the “sermon on the mount?”  Matthew 5:21-22 records that Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.”  It has troubled Bible scholars for centuries that Jesus indicates that we are judged not only for our actions, but for our very thoughts.  But when our thoughts – our passions – lead to the sinful behavior, then what is the difference between the two?  In the eyes of God, who is holy and righteous, what separates our thought from our action?  Scripture tells us that the answer is, “Nothing.”

 

Consider the instruction of Paul in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”  Paul instructs believers about behavior in many places, but here he places the emphasis upon our minds.  “Change the way you think,” Paul instructs.  “Be careful about the attitude that you carry.  For the wrong attitude, and the wrong belief, prevents you from knowing and understanding and accomplishing God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will.”

 

Those brothers of Joseph allowed themselves to be ruled by their passion of jealousy.  Like those in their lineage before them, jealousy resulted in devastating behavior.  Cain’s jealousy of his brother led to that first recorded murder.  The jealousy planted by the serpent led to that first act of disobedience by a man and a woman.  Ultimately, it was jealousy toward God that sparked these sinful actions.  Had it not been for the reconsideration of a couple of the brothers, Reuben and Judah, then that would have been Joseph’s last day on earth.  But God’s plan for Joseph, clear to us now and not anywhere near clear to Jacob’s family at the time, did not include his death at the hands of his brothers.  When dreams are from God and are meant to predict God’s will, schemes cannot overcome them.  In the life of Joseph, dreams trump schemes.  His brothers could not overcome God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will.  As we already know, the deliverance of Israel came through the son Joseph.

 

Our deliverance likewise comes through a Son.  The story of Jacob’s family is still our story today.  Many families suffer because of smoldering hatreds arising from jealousy and similar sources.  Communities are torn apart because of jealous attitudes.  Nations wage war against one another because jealousy and other bitter attitudes arise among leaders.  Even Christian brothers and sisters wage “wars” against one another because of unconfessed sinful attitudes.  Instead of dreaming, we turn to scheming.

 

Taking the time to use the annual event of Lent gives us the opportunity to reflect deeply upon the fullest meaning of the sacrifice made by Jesus.  Whenever we read, hear, or see a depiction of the suffering of Jesus, we must let it sink deeply within us that this was not done merely by a cruel people living a long time ago.  We can rightly view all other acts of cruelty this way, but not this one.  The beatings, the mockery, the nailing to the cross were all from our sin, our disobedience, our jealousy, and our schemes.  We cannot escape – not one of us. 

 

Except, God provides us the escape route.  He gives us the way out of this mess.  In spite of their schemes, He delivered the children of Israel from famine.  In spite of our schemes, He delivers us from the death our sin causes.  For us, it is as easy as A, B, C.  Admit to God that you are a sinner and repent, meaning turn away from sin.  Believe that Jesus is God’s Son and accept God’s gift of forgiveness and removal of sin.  Confess your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  We are in a mess, but the Lord has lifted us from it.  God’s dreams trump our schemes.

 

 

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

170 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

http://www.bhfirstbaptist.com

 

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