Jared Schipper – Judah – In His Family – Class 5 – Forgiveness

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Good last morning, everybody.
Did some of us sleep?

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All right?
Good times.

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I’ve enjoyed it.
It’s sad to come to the end.

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Even though it’s only a weekend.
It’s come a little bit quicker

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than I expected.
But seriously, you’ve been an

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awesome audience.
Thank you.

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I haven’t noticed too many fake
note takings, so it was the

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first time I’ve ever heard of
that idea.

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Not too many have been asleep
previously.

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I’m sort of not going to be too
surprised if you do fall asleep

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this morning.
So forgiven for that in advance.

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I’ve got to forgive you.
That’s our topic for tonight or

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this morning.
And heck, I’m glad there was no,

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none of that flick and pick or
pick and flick thing that was in

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the Family Feud.
Haven’t seen that either.

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So that’s why you’re in a great
audience.

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No, genuinely, I actually wish
we’d interacted a little bit

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more.
We’ve probably just gone through

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this story too quickly and I’ve
got too much to cover again this

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morning, so we’re just going
quickly.

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But I’ve appreciated the
conversations.

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It’s been so good to just chat
afterwards about this story and

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just let it fill itself out as
you’ve been thinking about it

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and as you’ve shared things with
me.

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So thank you.
This final study is probably

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more about application, more
about you applying it to your

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life, more about taking some
lessons away from Judas so that

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you can be a changed person too.
That’s the point.

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It’s useless having all this
extra information about the

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story of Genesis you always
thought was about Joseph if it

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doesn’t have an impact on you.
And please understand the Today

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or this morning, our study is
not going to end with another

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guy up on a pedestal because
Judah’s not perfect.

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He’s far from perfect.
And he’s still at 80 years of of

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age, he’s still struggling with
something so obvious like

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forgiveness.
We talk about it all the time,

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but he’s struggling with it.
And that’s what we want to take

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away from this morning, why it’s
so important and what a change

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it can make in our lives.
The importance of taking

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responsibility for our life and
changing now.

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There’s so much we could talk
about.

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We’re just going to sort of
vaguely pick up on where we left

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off in our story actually from
yesterday.

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I apologize.
We didn’t develop too much of

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the character of Joseph and how
he responded.

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I got that feedback loud and
clear that we should have in our

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exhortation.
I’m sorry, Joseph’s just

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delighted he couldn’t have done
anything else but breakdown in

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tears.
But just picture that is your

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future and two wide open arms as
our Lord welcomes you.

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Just get that picture clear in
your mind.

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The rest of that chapter goes
through their interactions and

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it’s actually incredible the way
the story goes because it makes

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it sound like they came down.
Judah does his speech, he packs

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them up and sends them back
almost that same day.

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I find that hard to believe.
I would have thought they’d want

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to sit down and have another one
of those big meals together, but

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the rest of the chapter just
basically says he explained who

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he was, he packed them up and he
sent them home.

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But if you read carefully, it’s
actually quite an understatement

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that verse 24, because he
actually sent them home with

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loads of things.
If you were to look at verse,

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where else should we pick up
from verse 19?

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They’re loaded up with wagons
and all these things.

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In verse 20, Joseph gave them
wagons like Pharaoh instructed

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him.
He gave them provisions for the

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journey.
At the end of verse 21 of verse

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22, he gave them sets of clothes
for each of them.

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And hey, Benjamin got something
extra and special, 300 pieces of

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silver and five sets of clothes.
You know, some things in life

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don’t change.
And to his father, he sent the

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following.
He sent 10 donkeys loaded up

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with all the best of the
products of Egypt and 10 female

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donkeys loaded up with grain and
food and provisions for the

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father’s journey.
And he sent his brothers away on

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their way back home.
That sounds like such an

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understatement.
I’ve actually left my pointer.

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Is that in that bag?
If it’s in there somewhere?

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Such an understatement here when
you think about it.

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He sent his brothers away and
they departed and he said unto

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them as they were walking out of
the palace, the closing words,

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and I want to get this really
clearly in your mind, those

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closing words are see that you
don’t fall out.

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By the way, thank you very much.
Thank you.

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As the brothers are turning and
walking away, he says, see that

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you fall not out.
By the way, that’s King James

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language and oh, it’s a bit
weird, but what’s he saying?

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With a heavy heart, he’s waving
goodbye with anticipation of

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them returning.
And he’s saying, guys, I know

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it’s going to be a tough walk
home.

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I know there’s going to be some
difficult conversations.

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I know that it’s going to lead
to what are we going to tell

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Dad?
No, hey, how are we going to

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tell Dad?
Well, how much are we going to

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tell Dad?
And that’s going to lead to the

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blame game.
And then they’re probably going

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to start arguing again because
they’re they’re real men.

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They’re just normal girls do it
too.

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We’re people.
But they’re going to start

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arguing about.
And Joseph’s response is don’t

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let it get the better of you.
Don’t let the problems that you

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face take control of you as you
go forward.

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And the simple message and
today’s about application and

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the simple message of that is
after the big events in life,

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after they’re all finished and
they’re all over and we pack up

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and we go home, maintain the
focus.

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Don’t go back to your old ways.
Don’t let the challenges of life

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overcome you because you’re back
into the same old routines.

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And it’s the same thing for us
when we go home this weekend.

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Don’t walk back into your house
and go back to the same

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routines.
Be a Judah change.

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Be a different man.
Face up to the realities, fair

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and square.
Call it what it is, Be

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different.
Three points I want us to look

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at before we get to our topic of
chapter 50 tonight.

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Here’s another story and this.
I guess I shouldn’t take you to

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there.
Yeah.

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The the boys walk home and they
come back to Dad and they

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explain all the story to Dad and
Joseph’s or Jude Jacobs jaw

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drops.
There’s too many JS in this

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story.
He’s speechless.

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He can’t comprehend what’s going
on.

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It’s almost too much for him.
We could go that through that

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story, but we just don’t have
time to go through verse 252627

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to the end of this chapter.
He’s just absolutely blown away

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with what’s going on.
And he sees all the wagons and

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all the things that Joseph has
sent down to him to bring him

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back to Egypt.
And he goes, it’s enough.

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But he’s an old man, and he
needs somebody to organize the

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family at this point.
Who would you choose to lead

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your family out of the promised
lands down into Egypt, the place

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that his family had been told
not to go to, the place his

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family has bad experiences in,
but now he’s getting called down

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to Egypt.
Who else would you but Judah?

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It’s such an incredible thought
that Jacob would send Judah

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ahead of him to Joseph.
So Judah’s the one that’s going

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to lead the family down to Egypt
to be back reunited with Joseph.

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But listen to the way the Bible
puts it, because the Bible says

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not just that, Jake, Judah’s job
was to direct the animals.

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No, Judah’s job wasn’t to show
the family which way to go.

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The King James’s beautiful
language, again, it says to

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direct Jacob’s face.
What does that mean?

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It’s more than just show him
what roads to take.

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So much more than just what
roads to take, isn’t it, Judah?

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Lead the family and direct my
attitudes, my behaviours, my

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thoughts to bring us back
together as a family.

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That is like the biggest
statement you could ever have

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from Jacob to a man who’d been
such a rebel.

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But you know, it’s only made
more powerful when you

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appreciate what Jacob had
earlier said to Reuben.

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Reuben, after their first trip
back down or down to Egypt, came

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back and he said, listen, Dad,
slay my two sons.

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If I don’t bring Benjamin back
to you and Jacob goes, my son is

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not going with you.
And he’s certainly not going

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down the path or the route that
you would take to go to Egypt

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because I know that he won’t
come back.

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Listen, Jacob said, my son will
not go with you could stop

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there.
That’s the point, isn’t it?

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He doesn’t.
He continues.

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Jacob says for his brother.
Joseph’s dead.

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He’s left alone.
He’s ignoring Simeon at this

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point, remember?
And then he says if mischief

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befalls him, by the way, that a
guy like you, Reuben, would go,

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I couldn’t bear it.
I’d die.

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Reuben’s the eldest son, and
that’s Jacob’s estimation a year

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earlier.
Judah comes home, tells the

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stories.
It is everything opens up, the

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truth comes out.
Everybody now knows what’s

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happened.
And Jacob turns to Judah and

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says, leave me some.
Show me the way to reunite this

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family.
You know, I struggled with my

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dad when I was younger.
I really did.

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And I love him.
He’s not perfect.

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He’s got some mistakes.
He’s got some flaws.

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But together, we help each
other.

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I promised my children I
wouldn’t embarrass them.

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So I’ll give them credit.
Both of them have taught me

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things.
And they’re not even 20.

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Parents don’t know everything.
We learn by the process of life

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and the experiences we have.
So when you go home this

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weekend, take responsibility.
Be a different person.

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Demonstrate that it comes down
to nothing else other than the

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fact that Judah was straight, he
was honest, he said it as it is,

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and he stood by his word.
Third thing promises.

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Genesis chapter 49 is full of
promises that a father makes to

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his son.
In our society, that’s not

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important.
It’s not a big thing.

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In the patriarchs time, it was
really important.

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It was something huge.
It was basically a prophecy of

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their future.
And this chapter is chapter 49

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is actually a prophecy of what
would happen to the nation down

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through the centuries of time,
centuries, not just their own

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lives, but others.
I just want you to grasp this

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because there’s some most
incredible details in it as we

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look through this story.
But I need you to picture what

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it would have been like.
Turn to Genesis 49, if you will,

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and it opens with a picture.
The picture is Jacob calling his

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sons in, and he’s saying come
together because I’m going to

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tell you what’s going to happen
in the future.

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He recognizes that he’s at the
point where he’s going to die.

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So he says assemble and listen.
You sons of Jacob, listen to

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Israel, your father.
So just imagine the situation.

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It’s a really bad picture.
I apologize.

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All right?
It is.

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It’s really bad.
I couldn’t find a better picture

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than this one.
This is the Egyptian Joe, so

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it’s all I could get.
But I want you to picture an old

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man who struggled to get up off
his bed because he’s at that

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point of ready to die.
And he’s got himself up and he’s

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sitting there and Joseph’s been
called.

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He’s had that message to say the
end’s close, come and see your

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dad.
So he leaves the prison and he

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comes down to Goshen and all the
brothers are all in there in the

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room and they’re saying their
final words.

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So when you picture that scene,
Joseph’s probably the last to

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arrive.
Now, the way it would have gone

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00:14:33,440 –> 00:14:37,560
in the past is Joseph, you’re
amazing, you’re the wonderful

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00:14:37,560 –> 00:14:39,800
son and that’s not the way it
goes.

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00:14:39,800 –> 00:14:44,280
It’s going to be different.
Let’s have a read.

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00:14:46,000 –> 00:14:47,640
Let the Bible do the talk rather
than me.

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00:14:49,080 –> 00:14:52,640
Verse 2 assemble yourselves.
Listen, you sons of Jacob,

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00:14:52,680 –> 00:14:55,720
listen to Israel, your father.
Can you feel there’s a bit of

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00:14:55,720 –> 00:15:00,880
like a grandeur of listen, this
is going to be the big moment,

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00:15:00,880 –> 00:15:08,040
the big statement, verse 3
Reuben, you are my first born,

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00:15:08,680 –> 00:15:16,040
my might, the beginning of my
strength, outstanding in

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00:15:16,040 –> 00:15:24,520
dignity, outstanding in power,
unstable as water.

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00:15:25,680 –> 00:15:30,800
You won’t excel.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, Dad.

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00:15:31,960 –> 00:15:35,920
OK, Can you imagine how Reuben
felt about that?

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00:15:36,880 –> 00:15:42,800
Built up this huge anticipation
and just dropped him?

230
00:15:44,800 –> 00:15:48,080
You’re unstable as water.
You won’t excel.

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00:15:51,080 –> 00:15:54,920
Reuben’s the kind of guy that
doesn’t have the backbone to

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00:15:54,920 –> 00:15:59,480
stand up for what he believes.
He didn’t want Joseph to be

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00:15:59,560 –> 00:16:04,120
sold, to be killed, to be hurt.
He wanted to rescue Joseph out

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00:16:04,120 –> 00:16:08,360
of that pit and send him home.
But he didn’t have the raw guts

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00:16:08,360 –> 00:16:13,720
to say it.
And as a result, he went off to

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00:16:13,720 –> 00:16:18,200
do another job, came back, and
Joseph sold and gone.

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00:16:23,960 –> 00:16:25,960
Jacob’s not going to let him get
away with it, though.

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00:16:25,960 –> 00:16:30,040
He goes.
You went up to your father’s

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00:16:30,040 –> 00:16:33,560
bed, you defiled it.
You got onto my couch, Reuben.

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00:16:35,680 –> 00:16:39,520
That’s one of Reuben’s sins that
he never forgot, never.

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00:16:39,520 –> 00:16:45,280
Let’s Reuben forget.
It marred their relationship for

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00:16:45,280 –> 00:16:50,280
all their life.
Verse 5, we move on to Simeon

243
00:16:50,280 –> 00:16:52,840
and Levi.
Simeon and Levi, they’re like

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00:16:52,840 –> 00:16:54,760
brothers.
They’re like thick as thieves.

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00:16:54,760 –> 00:16:56,320
They’re together.
They’re always united.

246
00:16:56,320 –> 00:16:58,760
So we’ll give this blessing to
both of them at the same time.

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00:16:59,200 –> 00:17:04,280
They’re like weapons of
violence, My soul.

248
00:17:05,200 –> 00:17:07,440
Don’t come into their council.
Don’t get close to them.

249
00:17:07,440 –> 00:17:10,000
Don’t be united with them.
Don’t get close to the when

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00:17:10,000 –> 00:17:12,319
them, when they sit down and
they organize and assemble

251
00:17:12,319 –> 00:17:15,839
together and come up with ideas
because in their anger they’ve

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00:17:15,839 –> 00:17:20,839
killed men for pleasure.
They’ll hamstring an ox curse.

253
00:17:20,839 –> 00:17:25,720
It is their anger, it’s fierce
and their fury it’s cruel.

254
00:17:27,240 –> 00:17:30,240
I’ll divide them in Jacob, but
I’ll scatter them in Israel is

255
00:17:30,240 –> 00:17:32,160
what their prophecy is, and
that’s their future.

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00:17:32,520 –> 00:17:37,440
Simeon doesn’t get inheritance
and Levi is spread around the

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00:17:37,440 –> 00:17:39,600
nation of Israel in different
Levitical tribes.

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00:17:39,600 –> 00:17:42,960
That’s a prophecy.
You imagine receiving that of

259
00:17:42,960 –> 00:17:46,080
your dad as your his closing
words to you.

260
00:17:46,080 –> 00:17:48,280
This is your promise.
This is your future.

261
00:17:50,640 –> 00:17:53,080
Do you feel the tone in that
room?

262
00:17:56,440 –> 00:17:58,520
OK, if you were Judah, how would
you be feeling now?

263
00:18:00,280 –> 00:18:03,160
Heck, Dad’s got lots to talk
about.

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00:18:05,160 –> 00:18:09,080
Well, you see.
Have a look, Judah.

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00:18:10,840 –> 00:18:16,640
Your brothers will praise you,
your hand will be on the neck of

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00:18:16,640 –> 00:18:20,400
your enemies, and your father’s
sons will bow down before you.

267
00:18:23,280 –> 00:18:27,240
You’re a lion’s cub, Judah from
the pray, my son, you’ve gone

268
00:18:27,240 –> 00:18:29,520
up.
He crouches, He lies down like a

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00:18:29,520 –> 00:18:32,560
lion, like a lioness.
Who’s going to browse him?

270
00:18:34,720 –> 00:18:37,360
He’s out waiting.
Like when?

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00:18:37,600 –> 00:18:39,040
When’s the negative going to
come?

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00:18:39,640 –> 00:18:41,400
Verse 10.
The scepter will not depart from

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00:18:41,400 –> 00:18:45,560
Judah, nor the ruler star from
between his feet, until he comes

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00:18:45,560 –> 00:18:49,120
to whom it belongs, and the
nations will obey him.

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00:18:52,160 –> 00:18:56,960
He’ll bind the foal to the vine,
and his colt to the choices to

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00:18:56,960 –> 00:19:00,000
vines.
He’ll wash his garments in wine

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00:19:00,000 –> 00:19:01,760
and his robes in the blood of
gates.

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00:19:01,960 –> 00:19:07,040
His eyes will be dark from wine,
and his teeth will be white with

279
00:19:07,040 –> 00:19:09,280
milk.
Those last verses are just

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00:19:09,280 –> 00:19:11,280
talking about the luxuries of
life.

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00:19:14,880 –> 00:19:20,720
What a change, not a reference
to the flaws of Judah’s life.

282
00:19:23,200 –> 00:19:26,880
Lubin and Syrian and Levi, all
their condemnation is focused

283
00:19:26,880 –> 00:19:29,520
around the things that the Bible
records that they did.

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00:19:30,480 –> 00:19:34,840
We know more about what Judah
did wrong than both of the OR

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00:19:34,840 –> 00:19:43,200
for all three of them.
But not a single reference, not

286
00:19:43,200 –> 00:19:47,840
a single comment about it.
In fact, all Jacob does, he said

287
00:19:47,840 –> 00:19:51,040
you’re like a lion who has gone
down to the prey.

288
00:19:51,040 –> 00:19:54,160
You’ve you’ve overcome, you’ve
achieved, you got what you

289
00:19:54,160 –> 00:19:58,920
wanted, and now you Crouch and
you lie down, content like a

290
00:19:58,920 –> 00:20:01,920
lioness who could even rouse
you.

291
00:20:02,480 –> 00:20:05,600
You’re the kind of man who will
stand up and defend your family

292
00:20:05,600 –> 00:20:08,800
to the point of death.
That’s what he’s saying.

293
00:20:14,480 –> 00:20:20,360
Romans chapter 8 and at verse
one opens with what can anyone

294
00:20:20,360 –> 00:20:25,480
tell me?
We referenced it yesterday.

295
00:20:27,000 –> 00:20:29,800
Romans chapter 8 and at verse
one.

296
00:20:29,800 –> 00:20:33,760
It’s worth getting to know.
I don’t expect you to know it,

297
00:20:33,800 –> 00:20:39,880
but it’s something to the effect
of to them who are in Christ

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00:20:39,880 –> 00:20:49,560
Jesus, there is no condemnation.
Let’s turn it up.

299
00:20:49,920 –> 00:20:51,800
We’ve got them in.
It’s such an important thing to

300
00:20:51,800 –> 00:20:53,120
get ahead around Romans chapter
8.

301
00:20:53,120 –> 00:20:55,360
Let’s just get it clear and
ahead, see where it is on the

302
00:20:55,360 –> 00:20:57,320
page, maybe colour it in
whatever you need.

303
00:20:57,640 –> 00:21:01,640
Romans chapter 8 because this is
where all those questions are

304
00:21:01,640 –> 00:21:10,040
about our judgement seat, who’s
going to condemn us?

305
00:21:10,040 –> 00:21:12,640
Who will hold it against us.
Romans chapter 8 and verse one

306
00:21:12,640 –> 00:21:22,440
begins there is therefore now no
condemnation for those who live

307
00:21:22,440 –> 00:21:27,280
a life in Christ Jesus.
If you live by the law of the

308
00:21:27,280 –> 00:21:31,760
Spirit of Christ, it sets you
free.

309
00:21:32,760 –> 00:21:35,120
It sets you free.
And I want to pick up that idea

310
00:21:35,120 –> 00:21:37,040
now.
I want us to think about what

311
00:21:37,040 –> 00:21:39,960
real freedom was really all
about and the rest of our study.

312
00:21:41,240 –> 00:21:44,800
But I want you just first of
all, to appreciate what a grand

313
00:21:44,800 –> 00:21:49,680
change this was for Judah.
Judah to have gone through all

314
00:21:49,680 –> 00:21:51,400
the failings that he did in his
life.

315
00:21:51,400 –> 00:21:55,160
And all that Jacob has to say is
Judah, your brothers are going

316
00:21:55,160 –> 00:21:58,720
to praise you for being the man
that you became.

317
00:22:02,160 –> 00:22:04,960
Your father’s sons will bow down
to you.

318
00:22:05,040 –> 00:22:09,480
And I think we’ve talked about
this already, but that’s really

319
00:22:10,320 –> 00:22:15,400
what God promised to Joseph.
But he continues on to say the

320
00:22:15,400 –> 00:22:18,440
sceptre will not depart from
Judah, nor will the ruler’s

321
00:22:18,440 –> 00:22:21,240
staff for the kingship from
between his feet.

322
00:22:21,240 –> 00:22:23,200
He’ll be the king.
He’ll be the tribe that

323
00:22:23,240 –> 00:22:27,120
continues to lead the whole
family of Israel, the whole

324
00:22:27,120 –> 00:22:34,840
nation of in time until he comes
whose right it is none other

325
00:22:34,840 –> 00:22:39,960
than our Lord Jesus Christ.
And we don’t have time to go

326
00:22:39,960 –> 00:22:42,720
into all these ideas, but
there’s a lion being referenced

327
00:22:42,720 –> 00:22:47,480
here and those ideas of he who
will come, who’s right it is.

328
00:22:47,480 –> 00:22:50,800
And when all the nations will
obey him, it’s our Lord Jesus

329
00:22:50,800 –> 00:22:54,640
Christ who will come like a lion
from the tribe of Judah.

330
00:22:54,640 –> 00:22:59,760
Revelation chapter 4 tells us
because he overcame.

331
00:22:59,840 –> 00:23:03,480
That’s the key idea.
Because he overcame.

332
00:23:03,760 –> 00:23:07,960
How did he overcome?
Like a gentle lamb.

333
00:23:10,760 –> 00:23:13,560
Can you see those combination of
personalities in Judah?

334
00:23:15,160 –> 00:23:20,440
He’s as gentle and empathetic
and understanding as a lamb

335
00:23:20,440 –> 00:23:25,040
could ever be.
But don’t touch God’s beloved

336
00:23:25,040 –> 00:23:29,800
son and you’ll defend him like a
powerful lion.

337
00:23:31,600 –> 00:23:34,800
He’ll stand up for the family
like a lion and no one can

338
00:23:34,800 –> 00:23:39,400
oppose him.
But at the same time, he cares

339
00:23:40,240 –> 00:23:45,520
for the little ones.
He’s got understanding and

340
00:23:46,960 –> 00:23:53,120
appreciation and that’s our
Lord, that’s our Lord.

341
00:23:54,000 –> 00:23:56,640
And so it only makes sense that
he will continue to lead the

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00:23:56,640 –> 00:24:01,560
family until none other than the
ultimate comes.

343
00:24:03,440 –> 00:24:06,040
Three references.
Let’s move on to our story.

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00:24:06,760 –> 00:24:11,840
Genesis chapter 50 real
character is revealed when under

345
00:24:11,840 –> 00:24:16,440
pressure.
Judah has gone through a lot of

346
00:24:16,440 –> 00:24:20,880
pressure and his character was
revealed at a time when he had

347
00:24:20,880 –> 00:24:24,400
no opportunity to plan, no
opportunity to prepare, no way

348
00:24:24,400 –> 00:24:26,480
to know that this was what was
going to happen.

349
00:24:26,480 –> 00:24:29,400
He just gets dropped on the fact
that he looks like Benjamin’s

350
00:24:29,400 –> 00:24:32,600
the thief, and I need to stand
up for him and his true

351
00:24:32,600 –> 00:24:38,960
character Sean in that moment.
And that’d be me leaving him on

352
00:24:38,960 –> 00:24:40,240
a pedestal.
But we’re not going to do that

353
00:24:41,040 –> 00:24:43,160
because it’s not the way life
is.

354
00:24:44,120 –> 00:24:47,400
It’s not being true to what our
lives are either.

355
00:24:48,560 –> 00:24:51,240
Characters revealed when
pressure is applied, and our

356
00:24:51,240 –> 00:24:58,120
true character is who we are in
the dark might have heard that

357
00:24:58,120 –> 00:25:01,520
statement before.
Our true character shows when we

358
00:25:01,520 –> 00:25:08,480
are on our own, when nobody’s
watching us, when we’re like

359
00:25:08,480 –> 00:25:14,200
Joseph down in Egyptian prison,
in Potiphar’s house in another

360
00:25:14,200 –> 00:25:18,400
country.
That’s when our true character

361
00:25:18,400 –> 00:25:21,920
is revealed.
Well, the character of these

362
00:25:21,920 –> 00:25:24,920
brothers is not going to be
revealed in the dark in this

363
00:25:24,920 –> 00:25:27,080
chapter.
It’s going to be revealed when

364
00:25:27,080 –> 00:25:34,080
their dad dies, because when
dad’s not there, things change.

365
00:25:35,000 –> 00:25:37,240
You may not have seen this in
your life yet, but it’s quite

366
00:25:37,240 –> 00:25:41,560
interesting to observe.
It’s not unusual for a 50-60,

367
00:25:42,200 –> 00:25:48,760
maybe older man to change quite
dramatically when his dad dies.

368
00:25:51,600 –> 00:25:59,600
That stabilizing influence that
was in his life, he’s gone and

369
00:26:01,240 –> 00:26:06,520
he has to stare death in the
eyes and see it for its reality.

370
00:26:09,000 –> 00:26:11,360
A lot of men got shaken at that
moment.

371
00:26:13,440 –> 00:26:16,760
So it’s not an unusual thing
where we come to here in this

372
00:26:16,760 –> 00:26:19,760
chapter.
So let’s have a look at Genesis

373
00:26:19,760 –> 00:26:22,960
chapter 50 and we’ll start at
verse 15.

374
00:26:22,960 –> 00:26:24,840
We’re not going to go through
the burial or just wanted you to

375
00:26:24,840 –> 00:26:27,240
read that to get the feeling of
the how the brothers work

376
00:26:27,240 –> 00:26:28,920
together.
They bury their father.

377
00:26:30,080 –> 00:26:32,760
The sad part of that part, that
story, which we don’t have time

378
00:26:32,760 –> 00:26:36,960
to but I’ll reference it is.
I’m not sure they were actually

379
00:26:36,960 –> 00:26:41,240
that close, because if you read
those verse 15 verses carefully,

380
00:26:42,200 –> 00:26:44,640
you’ll find that Joseph does it
all.

381
00:26:46,640 –> 00:26:49,360
He leads, he organizes.
Read verse 14.

382
00:26:49,360 –> 00:26:53,640
I’m pretty sure it is.
It’s very much Joseph taking the

383
00:26:53,640 –> 00:26:56,720
lead, doing it all, and the
brothers are just there.

384
00:26:57,280 –> 00:26:59,240
But let’s focus on verse 15.
Here’s the lesson.

385
00:26:59,440 –> 00:27:01,640
This is the key lesson that we
need to learn because this is

386
00:27:01,640 –> 00:27:06,240
what’s super relevant to you and
me at your age and stage in

387
00:27:06,240 –> 00:27:09,880
life.
Don’t wait until you’re an 80

388
00:27:09,880 –> 00:27:12,880
year old man because that’s what
Judah is now.

389
00:27:13,760 –> 00:27:16,040
Judah’s 80 years old at this
point.

390
00:27:17,040 –> 00:27:22,440
He’s buried his dad.
He’s just come back from a 4050

391
00:27:22,440 –> 00:27:30,880
day trip of mourning.
Feel that emotion, and the

392
00:27:30,880 –> 00:27:34,200
brothers go home and they sit
down and they go.

393
00:27:35,240 –> 00:27:39,640
When Joseph’s brothers saw, when
they came to terms with the

394
00:27:39,640 –> 00:27:47,520
reality of the fact that their
father was dead, they said, what

395
00:27:47,520 –> 00:27:54,000
if Joseph bears a grudge?
What if he wants to repay us in

396
00:27:54,000 –> 00:27:58,240
full for all that harm that we
did to him?

397
00:28:02,160 –> 00:28:04,560
Now we have those thoughts that
go through our mind at times as

398
00:28:04,560 –> 00:28:09,280
we may lie on our beds and we
wake up in the morning and we’ve

399
00:28:09,280 –> 00:28:14,600
forgotten and we move on.
This is 10, brothers.

400
00:28:17,960 –> 00:28:21,720
They’ve all got to stop and
think about this and all come to

401
00:28:21,720 –> 00:28:25,040
the same conclusion and talk
about it.

402
00:28:27,600 –> 00:28:33,400
And they all realize, all of
them, they say together, what if

403
00:28:33,400 –> 00:28:38,240
Joseph bears a grudge?
And what if he wants to repay

404
00:28:38,240 –> 00:28:42,760
us?
Not just repay us, but in full

405
00:28:44,720 –> 00:28:46,280
for all the harm that we did to
him?

406
00:28:49,160 –> 00:28:52,600
What would you do?
Send a text.

407
00:28:56,840 –> 00:29:02,080
They sent a message.
That’s devastating.

408
00:29:06,680 –> 00:29:12,240
They didn’t even face up.
They just sent a message.

409
00:29:12,240 –> 00:29:16,640
Let me stop for a second.
Just think through this.

410
00:29:16,960 –> 00:29:19,600
Sometimes we think that holding
a grudge makes us strong.

411
00:29:21,080 –> 00:29:24,720
We’re being determined.
We’re not going to be pushed

412
00:29:24,720 –> 00:29:26,400
around.
We’re they’re strong about this

413
00:29:26,400 –> 00:29:28,040
because what they did to me is
wrong.

414
00:29:29,320 –> 00:29:32,320
Good on you.
Hold a grudge, enjoy it.

415
00:29:33,240 –> 00:29:40,480
All it does is make you bitter.
Doesn’t help you.

416
00:29:42,760 –> 00:29:48,040
Forgiving doesn’t make you weak.
It doesn’t make you a person

417
00:29:48,040 –> 00:29:52,280
that gets pushed around.
It doesn’t make you a person who

418
00:29:52,280 –> 00:29:59,960
is not strong in character.
Forgiving is actually mature.

419
00:30:01,280 –> 00:30:08,960
It’s strong, it’s divine, and
forgiving sets you free.

420
00:30:08,960 –> 00:30:13,280
I mean, think about that verse a
lot.

421
00:30:14,160 –> 00:30:19,680
Well, that little quote
statement, because it’s so true

422
00:30:20,320 –> 00:30:24,600
in this story, these brothers
need to learn to forgive.

423
00:30:24,600 –> 00:30:31,960
And I’m not talking forgive
their brother, I’m talking about

424
00:30:31,960 –> 00:30:37,240
forgive themselves.
And that’s something we don’t

425
00:30:37,240 –> 00:30:45,720
often think about, but that’s
critical, critical to our faith.

426
00:30:47,600 –> 00:30:52,640
Why do I say that?
Because if you believe God that

427
00:30:52,640 –> 00:31:00,000
there is no condemnation being
held against you, you won’t hold

428
00:31:00,000 –> 00:31:09,480
a grudge, you’ll move on and
you’ll be free to live for

429
00:31:09,480 –> 00:31:11,760
Christ, which is Romans chapter
8 and verse 2.

430
00:31:14,760 –> 00:31:20,240
But these brothers are leaving
themselves in prison.

431
00:31:22,760 –> 00:31:28,080
They’re leaving themselves
bound.

432
00:31:30,040 –> 00:31:31,840
This is a quote from a Holocaust
survivor.

433
00:31:34,400 –> 00:31:42,040
Many years after, the lady says
forgiveness is to set a prisoner

434
00:31:42,040 –> 00:31:51,320
free, and then to realize that
the only prisoner was you when

435
00:31:57,360 –> 00:31:59,320
she said that the Holocaust has
been over for years.

436
00:32:02,440 –> 00:32:06,000
But she was keeping herself
trapped in that prison of

437
00:32:06,000 –> 00:32:07,800
bitterness, resentment and
anger.

438
00:32:11,280 –> 00:32:14,920
And when she was about 80 years
old, too, she came to realize

439
00:32:15,840 –> 00:32:24,000
it’s time to let go and move on.
And she realized that the only

440
00:32:24,000 –> 00:32:27,320
person that was in prison was
hurt.

441
00:32:30,320 –> 00:32:34,480
And that’s where these boys are
AT because they’ve been living

442
00:32:34,480 –> 00:32:39,440
with 22, No 22, plus another 17
years of guilt that’s been

443
00:32:39,440 –> 00:32:42,320
hanging on their shoulders.
And it’s been stopping them

444
00:32:42,320 –> 00:32:45,320
progressing.
It’s been limiting their freedom

445
00:32:45,840 –> 00:32:52,360
to live the way they could,
should and had the potential.

446
00:32:53,680 –> 00:32:56,360
They were the ones who were
holding on to that guilt.

447
00:32:57,120 –> 00:32:59,440
Joseph has forgiven them.
He’s so moved on.

448
00:32:59,440 –> 00:33:05,760
He’s so past this.
Remember in chapter 45, four

449
00:33:05,760 –> 00:33:11,720
times Joseph says it wasn’t you.
God did this.

450
00:33:12,040 –> 00:33:13,680
I’m not holding this against
you.

451
00:33:14,160 –> 00:33:19,280
Don’t be angry with yourselves.
He said in verse 5 or 6, God

452
00:33:19,280 –> 00:33:21,240
sent me before you down into
Egypt.

453
00:33:24,560 –> 00:33:30,240
Why didn’t they let go then?
Why were they holding on to

454
00:33:30,240 –> 00:33:38,400
these emotions?
Because they were attributing to

455
00:33:38,400 –> 00:33:44,920
Joseph their own bad emotions
and feelings.

456
00:33:46,800 –> 00:33:50,960
They were thinking that Joseph
would behave like them.

457
00:33:54,040 –> 00:33:58,280
That’s why they said now that
dad’s died, maybe Joseph will

458
00:33:58,280 –> 00:34:01,080
repay us in full.
It’s very clear what’s going

459
00:34:01,080 –> 00:34:05,800
through their mind.
But the fact was, Joseph had

460
00:34:05,800 –> 00:34:10,679
forgiven them.
He’d moved on, but they were

461
00:34:10,679 –> 00:34:14,960
choosing to live in their little
jail cell of their own small

462
00:34:15,600 –> 00:34:18,080
minds.
You know, this was a problem for

463
00:34:18,080 –> 00:34:21,360
Judah.
Judah needed to learn to let go,

464
00:34:22,040 –> 00:34:23,960
to let God work and to let God
move.

465
00:34:23,960 –> 00:34:26,440
Let me show you the consistency
of that through this story.

466
00:34:26,440 –> 00:34:29,280
To his dad.
He said, Dad, if I don’t bring

467
00:34:29,280 –> 00:34:31,639
Benjamin back, I’ll bear the
blame forever.

468
00:34:33,360 –> 00:34:36,280
He repeats that same thing to
Joseph and says, I’ll bear the

469
00:34:36,280 –> 00:34:39,080
blame forever.
And Judah was struggling with

470
00:34:39,080 –> 00:34:42,320
the past, controlling his
future.

471
00:34:43,280 –> 00:34:45,960
He struggled with the ideas of
what has happened to him in the

472
00:34:45,960 –> 00:34:51,440
past being carried forward and
tainting his perspective of the

473
00:34:51,440 –> 00:34:54,920
future.
He struggled to believe that

474
00:34:54,920 –> 00:34:57,520
when a sin’s forgiven, it’s
forgiven and we need to believe

475
00:34:57,520 –> 00:35:00,120
that.
We’re asked by God to believe

476
00:35:00,120 –> 00:35:03,000
that, and there’s only one
reason God wants us to forgive,

477
00:35:03,000 –> 00:35:04,240
that.
It’s for your good.

478
00:35:09,360 –> 00:35:11,520
Why didn’t they ask for
forgiveness when they came down

479
00:35:11,520 –> 00:35:14,720
to Goshen for the first time and
met Joseph?

480
00:35:15,320 –> 00:35:18,560
Why don’t they ask forgiveness
in chapter 47 when Joseph

481
00:35:18,560 –> 00:35:21,880
actually settled his father,
finally, after his father had

482
00:35:21,880 –> 00:35:23,960
come in and met Pharaoh.
And Pharaoh said, it’s a

483
00:35:23,960 –> 00:35:27,440
wonderful thing to see you.
You can go and live in the best

484
00:35:27,440 –> 00:35:30,400
of the land.
And so Jacob and his brothers go

485
00:35:30,400 –> 00:35:33,600
and live in the very best part
of the land with all these good

486
00:35:33,600 –> 00:35:37,920
things Joseph provided for his
father and his brothers and all

487
00:35:37,920 –> 00:35:41,080
their household, all the food
that they could ever want, and

488
00:35:41,080 –> 00:35:43,480
for all their dependents.
Hello.

489
00:35:44,120 –> 00:35:46,760
Don’t you get the point that
Joseph is over it?

490
00:35:46,880 –> 00:35:49,120
He’s forgiven.
He’s just giving you the best he

491
00:35:49,120 –> 00:35:54,920
possibly could, bro.
Sorry, by the way, for what we

492
00:35:54,920 –> 00:35:59,400
did.
Why didn’t they do that?

493
00:36:01,880 –> 00:36:08,360
Because of raw, ugly pride.
They couldn’t bring themselves

494
00:36:08,360 –> 00:36:17,360
to just say that.
Sometimes sorry is the hardest

495
00:36:17,960 –> 00:36:23,680
word to say.
Just say sorry.

496
00:36:25,920 –> 00:36:28,960
Why didn’t it happen in Genesis
49 when the whole family came

497
00:36:28,960 –> 00:36:31,440
together for Jacob to make the
prophecies of the future?

498
00:36:31,680 –> 00:36:35,000
Perfect opportunity.
The families united.

499
00:36:35,000 –> 00:36:37,360
They’re already having deep and
meaningful conversations.

500
00:36:38,800 –> 00:36:40,160
Joseph, we should have said
this.

501
00:36:40,160 –> 00:36:45,240
You know, a lot of people as a
result actually doubt the

502
00:36:45,240 –> 00:36:50,160
sincerity of the fact that the
verse says that Jacob told them

503
00:36:50,160 –> 00:36:53,840
to have this conversation.
That’s what it says in the

504
00:36:53,840 –> 00:36:56,320
storyline.
Dad told us to do that.

505
00:36:56,600 –> 00:36:58,960
There’s a lot of people that
actually doubt that and they go,

506
00:36:58,960 –> 00:37:03,040
maybe they made this up.
In verse 16 it says your father

507
00:37:03,320 –> 00:37:05,880
he that language, not our dad.
Your father gave these

508
00:37:05,880 –> 00:37:09,000
instructions before he died.
He said tell Joseph this, please

509
00:37:09,000 –> 00:37:16,040
forgive your brothers.
You know, just think about

510
00:37:16,320 –> 00:37:21,160
Jacob.
Just think about Jacob’s life

511
00:37:21,160 –> 00:37:34,920
experiences with his brother and
his unresolved guilt when he

512
00:37:34,920 –> 00:37:39,040
stole the birthrights off his
brother.

513
00:37:41,480 –> 00:37:52,480
Because Jacob never said sorry
and so had.

514
00:37:52,520 –> 00:37:57,760
These boys are doing the same
thing, but they’re trying to

515
00:37:57,760 –> 00:38:01,280
learn.
They’re trying to move past what

516
00:38:01,280 –> 00:38:03,280
their dad has role modelled to
them.

517
00:38:05,400 –> 00:38:07,320
Let me come back a little bit.
There’s a couple of slides we’ve

518
00:38:07,320 –> 00:38:09,240
missed.
The act of forgiveness takes

519
00:38:09,240 –> 00:38:15,000
place in our own minds.
Joseph’s mind has totally moved

520
00:38:15,000 –> 00:38:16,760
forward.
He’s totally forgiven them.

521
00:38:17,560 –> 00:38:20,320
It really has nothing to do with
the other ten brothers and what

522
00:38:20,320 –> 00:38:22,080
they did.
Joseph has forgiven them.

523
00:38:22,280 –> 00:38:25,840
You know, Joseph forgave them
before they even saw him in

524
00:38:25,840 –> 00:38:27,360
Egypt.
He’d moved on.

525
00:38:28,760 –> 00:38:31,520
And then it’s what consumes your
mind, is what controls your

526
00:38:31,520 –> 00:38:32,640
mind.
And you think about that.

527
00:38:33,640 –> 00:38:38,840
If you have guilt hanging over
your head for 17, no 22 + 17

528
00:38:38,840 –> 00:38:41,080
years, it’s going to control
your mind.

529
00:38:42,520 –> 00:38:45,720
Pauline Colossians says to us,
you need to forgive each other.

530
00:38:46,680 –> 00:38:49,160
But I want you to really
carefully understand the context

531
00:38:49,160 –> 00:38:50,840
of what it says.
You need to forgive each other

532
00:38:50,840 –> 00:38:58,120
as as, as, as the Lord forgave
you, as the Lord forgave you, so

533
00:38:59,440 –> 00:39:01,880
you should forgive others.
That’s an equation.

534
00:39:03,200 –> 00:39:05,560
How does the Lord forgive you?
Does he do it 90%?

535
00:39:06,720 –> 00:39:08,760
Does he do it just by the skin
of your teeth?

536
00:39:08,760 –> 00:39:12,200
Does he do it by oh, OK, I’ll
forgive you this time.

537
00:39:13,720 –> 00:39:17,320
No, He does it with a marvelous
salvation.

538
00:39:20,360 –> 00:39:24,800
And that’s what He wants you to
do to the person next to you and

539
00:39:25,840 –> 00:39:30,400
the person in your home and to
yourself.

540
00:39:33,680 –> 00:39:37,680
Matthew chapter 6 says we’ve got
to forgive or we ask God to

541
00:39:37,680 –> 00:39:39,280
forgive our debts and forgive
us.

542
00:39:39,600 –> 00:39:43,200
He’ll only do that as we forgive
others.

543
00:39:44,360 –> 00:39:48,040
We’ve got to believe this.
John says this so bluntly, so

544
00:39:48,040 –> 00:39:50,440
clearly.
I love John, he’s so concise.

545
00:39:50,440 –> 00:39:56,840
He says if we confess our sins,
he, our Lord, is faithful and

546
00:39:56,840 –> 00:40:00,240
just to forgive us our sins.
That’s a simple equation.

547
00:40:00,760 –> 00:40:04,920
If we confess, he’ll forgive
more than that.

548
00:40:05,200 –> 00:40:08,960
He won’t just forgive you.
It’s not just enough.

549
00:40:09,200 –> 00:40:11,200
He will forgive you and he will
cleanse you.

550
00:40:11,200 –> 00:40:13,960
He will change you from your
unrighteous ways.

551
00:40:14,200 –> 00:40:22,600
If you truly confess and you
want to be changed, he’ll

552
00:40:22,600 –> 00:40:25,920
cleanse you and make you a whole
new person.

553
00:40:26,760 –> 00:40:31,600
You know, there’s so much that
we can think about because we

554
00:40:31,600 –> 00:40:33,320
had some people doubted this
story.

555
00:40:33,360 –> 00:40:35,880
This is the slide I needed to
come up to this one here where

556
00:40:35,880 –> 00:40:39,040
your father gave instructions
about this before he died.

557
00:40:39,360 –> 00:40:42,840
And he said, tell Joseph this.
And I want you to very carefully

558
00:40:42,840 –> 00:40:49,480
think about what he asked the
boys to say in contrast to what

559
00:40:49,480 –> 00:40:55,280
the boys do say because Jacobs
had some life experience.

560
00:40:55,760 –> 00:40:59,000
He’s had some unresolved guilt
hanging on his shoulders for

561
00:40:59,000 –> 00:41:04,800
many years, too.
So they’re wise words, but they

562
00:41:04,800 –> 00:41:07,560
could be wiser.
And I think when we understand

563
00:41:07,560 –> 00:41:12,200
the difference, the key to
forgiveness and moving on and

564
00:41:12,200 –> 00:41:15,320
overcoming challenges and
difficulties becomes clear.

565
00:41:16,160 –> 00:41:19,560
What is the difference?
You think about this for a

566
00:41:19,560 –> 00:41:23,680
second.
Jacob says tell Joseph to please

567
00:41:23,680 –> 00:41:28,560
forgive the sin of your brothers
and the wrong that they did when

568
00:41:28,560 –> 00:41:32,400
they treated you so badly.
This is the NET translation.

569
00:41:35,200 –> 00:41:44,000
The boys then say now please
forgive the sin of the servants

570
00:41:45,080 –> 00:41:53,840
of the God of your father.
What’s the difference, guys?

571
00:41:58,840 –> 00:42:02,360
Just think carefully, very
carefully about what that

572
00:42:02,360 –> 00:42:04,560
difference is because you need
to think about this in your

573
00:42:04,560 –> 00:42:12,400
life.
We can imagine Jacob saying,

574
00:42:12,400 –> 00:42:14,600
forgive the sin of your brother
Esau.

575
00:42:15,560 –> 00:42:18,400
That’s who he’s thinking about.
And the wrong that I did when I

576
00:42:18,400 –> 00:42:20,880
treated you so badly to steal
the birthright from you.

577
00:42:21,800 –> 00:42:24,840
And that’s good.
I mean, sorry, it’s hard to say,

578
00:42:26,800 –> 00:42:31,200
but our mind can go so much
deeper, it can go so much higher

579
00:42:31,200 –> 00:42:34,640
to think like God.
These brothers, they turn around

580
00:42:34,640 –> 00:42:40,080
and they say, no, listen, please
forgive the sin of the servants

581
00:42:41,560 –> 00:42:49,760
of the God of your father.
And that left Joseph with no

582
00:42:49,760 –> 00:42:52,880
option but to have to forgive
them.

583
00:42:53,480 –> 00:42:59,360
What do I mean by that?
Joseph has no right to judge the

584
00:42:59,360 –> 00:43:05,800
servants of somebody else, much
less the servants of his beloved

585
00:43:05,800 –> 00:43:09,240
father.
And there was no one more

586
00:43:09,240 –> 00:43:10,880
powerful in their life than
their dad.

587
00:43:11,840 –> 00:43:18,440
And if it’s our dad’s God that
we serve, we know you’ll be

588
00:43:18,440 –> 00:43:25,720
motivated to forgive for his
sake because he’s forgiven US.

589
00:43:25,720 –> 00:43:31,040
Did you see that?
We’re told that it’s Romans

590
00:43:31,040 –> 00:43:34,560
chapter 14 and verse four.
He says, who are you to pass a

591
00:43:34,560 –> 00:43:36,080
judgement on another man’s
servant?

592
00:43:37,800 –> 00:43:40,360
Who do you think you are to
judge your brother, your sister,

593
00:43:40,360 –> 00:43:45,480
your anybody?
They answer to another man.

594
00:43:45,800 –> 00:43:48,760
They answer to another master.
Before that master, he stands or

595
00:43:48,760 –> 00:43:50,600
he falls.
He will stand.

596
00:43:50,920 –> 00:43:54,160
And the Lord is able to make him
to stand.

597
00:43:54,160 –> 00:43:57,280
Remember that we have no right
to judge.

598
00:43:59,560 –> 00:44:03,360
And that’s where they put Joseph
in a position where there is

599
00:44:03,360 –> 00:44:08,880
nothing else he could do but
say, am I in the place of God?

600
00:44:10,200 –> 00:44:15,760
It’s not even my job, you know,
That’s not Joseph’s response.

601
00:44:16,480 –> 00:44:19,000
Joseph’s response is
devastation.

602
00:44:20,280 –> 00:44:24,880
He cries again.
This is the eighth time that

603
00:44:24,880 –> 00:44:28,080
Joseph cries, 9th if you want to
include the fact that he cried

604
00:44:28,080 –> 00:44:29,360
with his brothers when his dad
died.

605
00:44:30,080 –> 00:44:33,000
But it’s the eighth time that
Joseph cries about the fact that

606
00:44:33,000 –> 00:44:37,800
his brother’s mental spiritual
maturity is not up to where it

607
00:44:37,800 –> 00:44:48,500
could be.
Joseph weeps because he

608
00:44:48,500 –> 00:44:55,380
understands where their minds
at, but I think he also

609
00:44:55,380 –> 00:45:00,480
appreciates the progress.
They don’t have the guts to come

610
00:45:00,480 –> 00:45:05,160
and see him.
He weeps before the brothers

611
00:45:05,160 –> 00:45:09,200
even walk into the room.
But when they do, they walk into

612
00:45:09,200 –> 00:45:11,600
the room and they fall down on
their faces and they say we’re

613
00:45:11,600 –> 00:45:15,600
your servant.
We are no longer worthy to be

614
00:45:15,600 –> 00:45:19,400
called your son or your brother
like the prodigal.

615
00:45:20,280 –> 00:45:23,800
Make us as one of your hired
servants.

616
00:45:25,240 –> 00:45:28,640
We’re your servants, Joseph.
You know, some people think that

617
00:45:28,640 –> 00:45:31,080
Joseph would have been excited
that finally they’re all sitting

618
00:45:31,080 –> 00:45:32,400
there bowing down.
I don’t think so.

619
00:45:33,760 –> 00:45:39,400
I think he wept when he realized
that they’re holding on to 17

620
00:45:39,400 –> 00:45:44,200
years worth of guilt.
He’d done everything he possibly

621
00:45:44,200 –> 00:45:45,680
could.
He’d provided the best of the

622
00:45:45,680 –> 00:45:47,960
land to them.
He’d given them all they needed

623
00:45:47,960 –> 00:45:51,480
to live, to survive, to provide
for them and their families.

624
00:45:51,920 –> 00:45:59,120
And they still couldn’t let go.
They’d left themself locked in

625
00:45:59,120 –> 00:46:02,560
prison.
Let’s translate this into our

626
00:46:02,560 –> 00:46:08,080
lives so we very clearly
understand what’s going on, so

627
00:46:08,080 –> 00:46:11,800
we can emulate that.
The attitude that we need to

628
00:46:11,800 –> 00:46:13,480
have.
And the reason why Joseph weeps

629
00:46:13,480 –> 00:46:16,520
is because they don’t understand
our relationship to God.

630
00:46:19,040 –> 00:46:21,280
It’s not clear in their minds.
And I want you to get this very,

631
00:46:21,280 –> 00:46:24,240
very clear in your minds.
That’s a very simple drawing our

632
00:46:24,240 –> 00:46:26,440
relationship to God.
Is that clear?

633
00:46:29,000 –> 00:46:33,320
Focus on him.
It doesn’t matter what other

634
00:46:33,320 –> 00:46:38,000
people do to you.
It doesn’t matter if they sell

635
00:46:38,000 –> 00:46:41,240
you into slavery, even if they
want to kill you.

636
00:46:44,600 –> 00:46:47,560
And so in 2025, it doesn’t
matter if you get busted for

637
00:46:47,560 –> 00:46:51,480
doing stuff to the watering hot
water systems, for doing other

638
00:46:51,480 –> 00:46:54,000
silly things at nights, ordering
food in the middle of the

639
00:46:54,000 –> 00:46:56,880
nights, holding other people up
and waking them up in their

640
00:46:56,880 –> 00:46:58,680
sleep.
That stuff doesn’t matter.

641
00:46:58,880 –> 00:47:00,040
Don’t hold it against other
people.

642
00:47:01,240 –> 00:47:08,960
No, seriously, in your ecclesia,
if people make decisions about

643
00:47:08,960 –> 00:47:15,400
you and they treat you badly,
don’t hold a grudge.

644
00:47:17,400 –> 00:47:23,880
Just keep focusing on God.
If the arranging brethren at the

645
00:47:23,880 –> 00:47:26,320
meeting make a decision you
don’t agree with and you think

646
00:47:26,320 –> 00:47:29,680
it’s unfair and unreasonable,
don’t spit the dummy and hold a

647
00:47:29,680 –> 00:47:32,080
grudge.
They’re like Jacob, they’re not

648
00:47:32,080 –> 00:47:34,360
perfect.
They’re trying to do what they

649
00:47:34,360 –> 00:47:37,960
think is best.
If your parents let you down and

650
00:47:37,960 –> 00:47:41,200
they do something that’s
disappointing, keep your focus

651
00:47:41,200 –> 00:47:49,480
on Him, the God of our fathers.
When we get our relationship to

652
00:47:49,480 –> 00:47:53,480
God very clear and we appreciate
what God has done, we can then

653
00:47:53,480 –> 00:47:56,760
demonstrate our appreciation to
each other.

654
00:47:56,760 –> 00:47:59,960
And this is what Judas speech is
all about.

655
00:48:01,160 –> 00:48:05,480
He understands his relationship
to the Father and as a result,

656
00:48:05,480 –> 00:48:07,840
he’s willing to lay down his
life for these guys.

657
00:48:09,560 –> 00:48:11,240
But that’s because his focus is
there.

658
00:48:12,560 –> 00:48:17,360
His focus is not here, he’s
demonstrating the love and the

659
00:48:17,360 –> 00:48:22,160
behaviour is going out this way.
But his mind is there.

660
00:48:24,840 –> 00:48:27,960
It’s there and he can feel
what’s happening and what’s

661
00:48:27,960 –> 00:48:34,200
being said, but he’s clear.
That’s who I answer to.

662
00:48:36,680 –> 00:48:39,640
And that’s the way Joseph
thought because his brother sold

663
00:48:39,640 –> 00:48:43,560
him into slavery and he said no,
no, God did it.

664
00:48:44,400 –> 00:48:47,120
It wasn’t you guys.
Don’t be angry with yourselves.

665
00:48:47,120 –> 00:48:51,920
It’s OK.
God did it so that we could

666
00:48:51,920 –> 00:48:55,680
provide for you guys and your
family and our future

667
00:48:55,680 –> 00:48:59,280
generations.
Joseph’s so clear on that.

668
00:48:59,960 –> 00:49:03,200
He was able to forgive.
These brothers were struggling

669
00:49:03,200 –> 00:49:06,880
with that.
Please learn to get that clear

670
00:49:06,880 –> 00:49:09,960
in your mind.
God’s working in your life.

671
00:49:10,800 –> 00:49:16,480
God decides the things, and
Romans chapter 8 says that all

672
00:49:16,480 –> 00:49:24,360
things, all things, like all all
things, work together for good.

673
00:49:28,640 –> 00:49:33,960
Do we believe that If we do,
let’s all focus on God.

674
00:49:35,000 –> 00:49:38,880
We won’t be disappointed, we
won’t beg grudges, we won’t hold

675
00:49:38,880 –> 00:49:41,640
challenges, we won’t hold
business to each other.

676
00:49:45,320 –> 00:49:46,480
And do you know what we will be
doing?

677
00:49:51,200 –> 00:49:56,920
We’ll be following his example
because as he hung on that

678
00:49:56,920 –> 00:50:05,080
cross, he focused on Father.
Forgive them.

679
00:50:06,440 –> 00:50:10,320
They don’t know what they’re
doing.

680
00:50:13,240 –> 00:50:20,400
As they parted his raiment and
cast lots as the chief priest

681
00:50:20,400 –> 00:50:26,520
and scribes jeered at him,
abused him and told him to come

682
00:50:26,520 –> 00:50:31,320
down from the cross, as the guy
on the cross next to him said

683
00:50:31,320 –> 00:50:36,640
the same kind of things.
Our Lord wasn’t distracted by

684
00:50:36,640 –> 00:50:41,080
that while all of that was
happening.

685
00:50:41,080 –> 00:50:48,760
He said, Father, I’m here for
you and forgive them because

686
00:50:48,760 –> 00:50:55,040
they don’t realize how you’re
working in and through them to

687
00:50:55,040 –> 00:51:03,840
achieve your purpose in my life.
Get that clear in your head.

688
00:51:05,800 –> 00:51:10,720
It’s the best piece of wisdom I
have to share because it fixes

689
00:51:10,720 –> 00:51:17,280
so many problems.
It helps us to move on and to

690
00:51:17,280 –> 00:51:28,520
live a life free of resentment,
of bitterness, of grudges, of

691
00:51:28,520 –> 00:51:32,920
jealousy, of envy.
I could go on all day.

692
00:51:35,160 –> 00:51:40,400
We’re free to move on.
So as we do go on this weekend

693
00:51:40,920 –> 00:51:44,600
and we go home, let’s put the
past behind us.

694
00:51:46,680 –> 00:51:52,560
Let’s take the opportunity, the
opportunity that we have to face

695
00:51:52,640 –> 00:51:57,240
up to problems and challenges
and deal with them.

696
00:51:59,280 –> 00:52:02,280
Let’s do it.
Let’s go home with a renewed

697
00:52:02,280 –> 00:52:08,960
focus to be true men and women.
Let’s give our life for each

698
00:52:08,960 –> 00:52:11,760
other, for doing good for each
other.

699
00:52:14,480 –> 00:52:18,080
Why?
Because we love our dad.