很多产品在上市之前都会进行很多的测试,比如我么来教会所开的汽车,经过精心的设计,把它生产出来之后,就要进行安全性的测试,查看它的刹车性能、碰撞时对人的损伤;耐疲劳性测试,在酷暑或极寒、以及高原地区测试汽车的可靠性;等等。工程师就是在这个过程中发现汽车的问题,然后不断地改进。一款好的成品、一辆受欢迎、被信赖的汽车,一定是经历了各种的试验。越是关键的、贵重的、精密的部件,越是需要经过严格的试验。我们刚才所读的这段经文,是约瑟的兄弟们所经历的试验。
我以此作为类比,帮助大家来认识圣经中教导我们很重要的真理——每个来到上帝面前的人一定会经历试验的。试验会显出我们真实的状况,我们的动机、我们的追求、我们的目的所在。甚至哥林多后书13:5还勉励我们要自我试验, “你们总要自己省察有信心没有,也要自己试验。岂不知你们若不是可弃绝的,就有耶稣基督在你们心里吗?” 圣经中让我们留意观察,在所经历的事情当中反省。这些试验是要引导我们来到上帝的面前,因着看到我们隐藏的、小心包裹的、不愿意让人知道的恶,为此而承认我们的罪,悔改归向神,显出对救恩真实地信靠。
事情的发生是这样的,43:1-2 “那地的饥荒甚大。他们从埃及带来的粮食吃尽了,他们的父亲就对他们说:‘你们再去给我籴些粮来。’” 从圣经的描写来看,这些儿子们似乎并不主动、甚至不情愿去埃及买粮食。42:1 描写他们第一次去埃及买粮食,家里没有吃的,他们面面相觑,最终还是雅各催促他们去埃及买粮食。他们为什么不情愿去埃及呢?虽然他们的父亲雅各不知道22年前所发生的事情,但是这些兄弟们都知道,他们将这件事情藏了22年的时间,没有人愿意提起,没有人愿意面对。但是现在他们不得不去埃及,不得不去到他们将弟弟约瑟卖为奴隶的地方。
在过去的22年时间里,约瑟的哥哥们谁都不愿意提起这件事情,就当作他从来没有发生过。但是上帝就是让他们在生命中的某个时刻,不得不面对、而且还是亲自来到了把约瑟卖为奴隶的埃及。甚至他们还脸伏于地,向他下拜,只是他们认不出这位埃及的宰相就是约瑟。42:7 “约瑟看见他哥哥们,就认得他们,却装作生人,向他们说些严厉话,问他们说:‘你们从哪里来?’”
当年约瑟苦苦地哀求哥哥们,在深坑中撕心裂肺地呐喊,哥哥们就是残酷无情地将他卖走。这时候他们再次相遇,约瑟能够认得他们,这些曾经要害约瑟的人就在眼前,而且此时约瑟位居权贵,可以随意处置。“仇人相见分外眼红”,约瑟会报仇吗?你知道这种事情,在中国历史上很多次发生。
我们常说的成语“卧薪尝胆”,就是春秋战国时期,越王勾践被吴王夫差打败后,受到羞辱,他每天睡在柴火堆上,每天吃苦涩的草药,以此提醒他自己,也表明报仇的决心。后来他得志后反击吴王,夫差被迫自杀。还有,伍子胥的父亲伍奢,因受到楚王的诬陷而被杀,伍子胥发誓要为父亲报仇,后来他在吴王的帮助下成功打败楚国,但是这时候楚王已经去逝,他就让人掘开坟墓,用鞭子抽打楚王的尸体。而这些害约瑟的人就跪在他面前,约瑟要如何处置他们呢?
经文中不起眼的一句话,或许就是整个故事的转折点,也会成为人的生命的转折点,整个历史的转折点——42:9 “约瑟想起从前所作的那两个梦”。就是在这霎那之间,上帝让约瑟完全明白了过去22年来,上帝奇妙的安排和带领,他心里认识到虽然他的兄弟们怀着恶意,把他卖为奴隶,意思是要害他;然而上帝却有美善的计划,将他抬举为埃及的宰相,目的是在饥荒中保全人的性命。人的意思是要害他,但上帝的意思好的,是要拯救多人的性命。但话又反过来,虽然上帝的意思是好的,但并不代表约瑟兄弟们所做的因此就被合理化。接下来约瑟采取三个行动试验他们,目的是引导他们、唤醒他们内心。
第一个试验发生在他们第一次去埃及买粮食的时候,42:16-17,这些兄弟们被怀疑是窥探埃及的奸细(间谍),是要试验这些兄弟们是否已经诚实地面对他们谋害约瑟这件事。他们交代说,仆人们本事弟兄十二个人,是迦南地一个人的儿子,顶小的现今在我们的父亲那里,有一个没有了。
约瑟的兄弟们从迦南地骗到了埃及地。其实约瑟不是没有了,而是被他们当作奴隶卖了。他们在22年前做了这件事情以后,为了隐瞒真相,他们就杀了一个羊羔,把血抹在约瑟的彩衣上,编造一个谎言。让他们的父亲误以为约瑟被野兽给撕裂吞吃了。他们合伙欺骗自己的父亲,让这件事情就这样过去了,就好像没有发生一样。22年他们一直在讲说着这个谎言,来到埃及,站在约瑟面前讲说着同样的谎言。让我们感到讽刺的是,他们所说的“有一个没有了”,正是他们眼前的埃及宰相。
陀思妥耶夫斯基的小说《罪与罚》讲述了一个年轻人拉斯科尔尼科夫的故事。他是一名贫困的学生,当他交不起房租的时候,他就想通过杀死自己房东的方式逃避租金。而且他也觉得这个收租婆很坏,认为她的死不会对社会造成损害,反而可以为他带来一笔钱,帮助自己和他人。于是,他就偷偷地谋杀了他所厌恶的这个人。约瑟的哥哥们就是这样做的,他们共同谋杀了约瑟。
但在拉斯科尔尼科夫杀人不久,他的良心开始折磨他。他不断经历内心的挣扎和道德的谴责,感到极度的焦虑和罪恶感。尽管他试图合理化自己的行为,但内心的煎熬使他无法逃避现实——你杀人了。最终,拉斯科尔尼科夫选择自首,公开说出自己的罪。
22年的时间已经过去,约瑟的兄弟们这时候才开始公开地谈论这件邪恶的事情——42:21 他们彼此说:“我们在兄弟身上实在有罪,他哀求我们的时候,我们见他心里的愁苦,却不肯听,所以这场苦难临到我们身上。” 他们的心开始醒悟过来,经历到某种程度上的“自食其果”, 这往往是上帝帮助我们认识自己的罪的最好途径。
于是他们就被关押在监狱当中。在监狱里的三天他们不可能没有思考,这会不会成为他们反省悔改的开始呢?42:18 到了第三天,约瑟对他们说:“我是敬畏神的,你们照我的话行就可以存活。” 约瑟的哥哥们缺乏对上帝的敬畏,他们的良心就好像已经死透了一样,22年的时间,团伙犯罪,编了个谎言,让所有人都活在这个谎言中,他们良心没有知觉。约瑟在这里告诉他们说,“我是敬畏神的”,约瑟是要唤醒哥哥们在上帝面前那应有的畏惧,唤醒他们的良心。即便他们能够瞒得过所有人,他们也不能瞒过良心的指责,躲避上帝的究查。
第二个试验就是约瑟的哥哥们第二次来埃及买粮食的时候,这次他们将便雅悯一同带来埃及。约瑟要试验他的哥哥们对待便雅悯的态度。
约瑟和便雅悯都是拉结所生的,只有他们两个人是同父同母的兄弟,与其他人都是同父异母的兄弟。雅各最爱的妻子是拉结,所以对拉结所生的孩子情有独钟,当时就把彩衣给约瑟穿在身上,我们先前讲道也提到过,在古代染料稀缺的时代里,彩衣是非常罕见且名贵的,往往都是宫廷贵族才有资格穿彩衣。雅各给约瑟穿上彩衣,约瑟视为尊贵的王子一样。这引起了其他兄弟们的嫉妒。
约瑟的哥哥们还是嫉妒的奴隶吗?他要在接下来宴会的场合试验他们。曾经正是因为这嫉妒,他们就谋划要杀害约瑟。箴言14:30,“嫉妒是骨中的朽烂”。嫉妒是非常致命的罪,嫉妒不会给人带来丝毫益处,不仅会伤害到别人,也会折磨自己。《莫扎特传》这部电影讲述了宫廷乐师萨列里与莫扎特的关系。在影片的开头,萨列里凭借着自己的出生,他成长在音乐世家,通过努力练习、呈现出精湛的演奏,成为宫廷乐师。但是当他遇到莫扎特的时候,他对莫扎特的才华感到由衷的赞叹,莫扎特才是上帝的宠儿,他为此感到深深的自卑。萨列里知道自己的成就在莫扎特面前显得微不足道,他也知道,莫扎特这种无以伦比的曲子是不可能被超越的。
嫉妒在萨列里的心里,如同火焰一样在燃烧。他在宫廷里散播关于莫扎特的流言,他甚至暗中操控,让莫扎特失去一些重要的演出机会,以此抬高自己削弱对方。但是莫扎特才华出众,他的作品受到人们的追捧,萨列里妄想要害死莫扎特。嫉妒在萨列里的生命中就好像骨头里面的朽烂,摧毁他与莫扎特的关系,也摧毁他自己的人生。莫扎特的死与萨列里有撇不清的关系。电影最后,萨列里承认自己是“嫉妒的奴隶”。
43:33-34 “约瑟使众弟兄在他面前排列坐席,都按着长幼的次序,众弟兄都彼此诧异。约瑟把他面前的食物分出来,送给他们,但便雅悯所得的比别人多五倍。他们就饮酒,和约瑟一同宴乐。” 按着他们作为的次序,先是流便、西缅、利未、犹大,最后才是便雅悯。如果他们当中有一个人应当被特别款待的话,那个人应该是他们的大哥流便。无论如何都轮不到老幺便雅悯。然而,约瑟就是从他们当中挑选出便雅悯,不加任何解释地给予他最尊贵的待遇。多五倍的食物就意味着他比所有其他人在都更显赫,就好像当年雅各把彩衣穿在约瑟的身上,让他在所有兄弟中都更显赫一样。便雅悯是这场宴会上最尊贵的客人,就好像当年约瑟是雅阁家里最受宠爱的儿子一样。他的哥哥们会如何反应呢?会不会因此就变了脸色,向着便雅悯露出凶煞的眼神呢?
弟兄姊妹们,有时候类似的场景、甚至是同样的场景会在我们生命中反复出现,这些是对我们生命一次又一次地考验。我们会如何反应呢?这时候,约瑟的哥哥们已经开始认识到自己曾经因为嫉妒加害约瑟,他们承认说我们在兄弟身上实在有罪。我们知道,是上帝在他们生命中动工,纵然这工作的完成需要些时间。但是经文描写说,43:34,他们就饮酒,这些兄弟们放下了心里的戒备。共同宴乐,不再有从前的嫉妒心。他们心在上帝的恩典中开始被扭转!
第三个试验,我们也可以说是最严峻的考验,就是发生在他们离开埃及要回去迦南地的时候。这是考验他们会不会自私地抛弃便雅悯,就像他们曾经把约瑟抛弃一样。
44:1-2 “约瑟吩咐家宰说:‘把粮食装满这些人的口袋,尽着他们驴所能驮的,又把各人的银子放在各人的口袋里,并将我的银杯和那少年人籴粮的银子,一同装在他的口袋里。’” 约瑟的家宰就照着约瑟所吩咐的,将银杯放在了便雅悯的口袋里。3天一亮就打发那些人带着驴走了。4他们出城走了不远,约瑟对家宰说:“起来!追那些人去,追上了就对他们说:‘你们为什么以恶报善呢?5这不是我主人饮酒的杯吗?岂不是他占卜用的吗?你们这样行是作恶了。’” 这时候只有便雅悯是危险的,其他所有人都是安全的。他们曾经抛弃了约瑟,回到了父亲的家里;这次他们还回抛弃便雅悯,回到父亲家里吗?13他们就撕裂衣服,各人把驮子抬在驴上,回城去了。6家宰追上他们,将这些话对他们说了。7他们回答说:“我主为什么说这样的话呢?你仆人断不能作这样的事。8你看,我们从前在口袋里所见的银子,尚且从迦南地带来还你,我们怎能从你主人家里偷窃金银呢?9你仆人中,无论在谁那里搜出来,就叫他死,我们也作我主的奴仆。”10家宰说:“现在就照你们的话行吧!在谁那里搜出来,谁就作我的奴仆,其余的都没有罪。” 11于是他们各人急忙把口袋卸在地下,各人打开口袋。12家宰就搜查,从年长的起,到年幼的为止,那杯竟在便雅悯的口袋里搜出来。14犹大和他弟兄们来到约瑟的屋中,约瑟还在那里,他们就在他面前俯伏于地。15约瑟对他们说:“你们作的是什么事呢?你们岂不知像我这样的人必能占卜吗?”16犹大说:“我们对我主说什么呢?还有什么话可说呢?我们怎能自己表白出来呢?神已经查出仆人的罪孽了,我们与那在他手中搜出杯来的都是我主的奴仆。”
当上帝在人们心里动工的时候,人们不会再问,为什么遭遇这些事情的是我,为什么上帝如此对待我,而是深深地认识到我们的亏欠,看到按着我们所行的,难道上帝有什么不公义吗?断乎没有!约瑟的哥哥们知道,我们配的这样的刑罚,我们要与便雅悯共同作奴隶。
约瑟进一步试验他们 44:17约瑟说:“我断不能这样行,在谁的手中搜出杯来,谁就作我的奴仆;至于你们,可以平平安安地上你们父亲那里去。” 约瑟在这里给他们一个合理的理由,让他们可以就着台阶下来,为自己开脱。你们全部可以走,就好像他们曾经在多坍的时候,留在约瑟全部都走了,如今他们也可以留下便雅悯,全部都得到自由,回家,难道这不是更好吗?
事实上我们都知道,便雅悯没有偷这个银杯。但是他们在这里放弃为自己辩护,他们已经没有什么好说的了,纵然他们没有在这件事情上犯罪,但是他们实在不是无辜的人。犹大在这里说,上帝已经查出仆人的罪孽了,犹大在这说的是他们22年前在约瑟身上的罪孽,约瑟哀求兄弟们的时候,他们见他的愁苦,但是却塞住了怜悯的心,所以他们认为是我们的罪孽追上了我们,我们落在了永生上帝的审判之下。他们不再有任何的辩护或为自己开脱的解释,我们今天所遭遇的都是我们配得的。
18犹大挨近他,说:“我主啊,求你容仆人说一句话给我主听,不要向仆人发烈怒,因为你如同法老一样。19我主曾问仆人们说:‘你们有父亲、有兄弟没有?’20我们对我主说:‘我们有父亲,已经年老,还有他老年所生的一个小孩子。他哥哥死了,他母亲只撇下他一人,他父亲疼爱他。’21你对仆人说:‘把他带到我这里来,叫我亲眼看看他。’22我们对我主说:‘童子不能离开他父亲,若是离开,他父亲必死。’23你对仆人说:‘你们的小兄弟若不与你们一同下来,你们就不得再见我的面。’24我们上到你仆人我们父亲那里,就把我主的话告诉了他。25我们的父亲说:‘你们再去给我籴些粮来。’26我们就说:‘我们不能下去,我们的小兄弟若和我们同往,我们就可以下去,因为小兄弟若不与我们同往,我们必不得见那人的面。’27你仆人我父亲对我们说:‘你们知道我的妻子给我生了两个儿子,28一个离开我出去了。我说:他必是被撕碎了,直到如今我也没有见他。29现在你们又要把这个带去离开我,倘若他遭害,那便是你们使我白发苍苍、悲悲惨惨地下阴间去了。’
犹大提出条件,他要代替便雅悯在埃及作奴隶。22年前,正是犹大将约瑟卖为奴隶,22年后,犹大愿意为代替便雅悯,自己成为奴隶。
30我父亲的命与这童子的命相连,如今我回到你仆人我父亲那里,若没有童子与我们同在,31我们的父亲见没有童子,他就必死。这便是我们使你仆人我们的父亲,白发苍苍、悲悲惨惨地下阴间去了。32因为仆人曾向我父亲为这童子作保,说:‘我若不带他回来交给父亲,我便在父亲面前永远担罪。’33现在求你容仆人住下,替这童子作我主的奴仆,叫童子和他哥哥们一同上去。34若童子不和我同去,我怎能上去见我父亲呢?恐怕我看见灾祸临到我父亲身上。”
犹大代表弟兄们开口讲话,他们开始体恤父亲雅各的心肠。为了我的父亲,我们不能撇下我们的弟弟便雅悯,我们一定要与他在一起,他作奴仆,我们就与他共同作奴仆。我们的父亲已经经历丧子之痛,我们不能再让他经历丧子之痛。
结语
上帝的恩典就是如此的奇妙,试验一方面让我们认识自己,试验同时也把我们带到上帝的面前,因着对上帝的敬畏,祈求上帝的怜悯。按着我们所行的,我们所配得的,是上帝公义的刑罚;然而,我们却蒙了怜悯,因着我们的救主——耶稣基督——他所受的刑罚,我们得到平安;因着耶稣基督所受的鞭伤,我们得到医治和安慰!
*以下英文翻译由DeepL提供 Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
Many products will be tested before they are released to the market, such as the car we drive to church, after careful design and production, we have to carry out safety tests to check its braking performance, collision damage; fatigue test, in the heat or cold, as well as plateau areas to test the reliability of the car; and so on. It is in this process that engineers find out what is wrong with the car and then improve it. A good finished product, a popular and trusted car, must have gone through all kinds of tests. The more critical, expensive, and sophisticated the parts, the more rigorously they need to be tested. The passage we have just read is a test that Joseph's brothers went through.
I use this as an analogy to help you realize the important truth that the Bible teaches us-that everyone who comes to God will surely go through trials. Trials will reveal our true condition, our motives, our pursuits, what we are about. Even 2 Corinthians 13:5 exhorts us to test ourselves, “Always examine yourselves whether you have faith or not, and test yourselves. Or do you not know that you have Jesus Christ in you, if you are not rejectable?” We are told in the Bible to watch and observe, to reflect in the midst of what we are experiencing. These trials are to lead us to God, by seeing our hidden, carefully wrapped up evils that we don't want to be known, and for that reason confessing our sins, repenting and turning to God, and showing a true trust in salvation.
It happened like this, 43:1-2 “The famine in the land was great. When the grain they had brought from Egypt was exhausted, their father said to them, 'Go and buy up more grain for me.'” From the Biblical portrayal, it appears that these sons were not proactive or even reluctant to go to Egypt to buy grain.42:1 describes the first time they went to Egypt to buy grain, and when there was no food in the house, they looked at each other in dismay, and it was Jacob who finally urged them to go to Egypt to buy grain. Why were they reluctant to go to Egypt? Although their father Jacob didn't know what had happened 22 years earlier, these brothers did, and they hid it for 22 years, no one willing to talk about it, no one willing to face it. But now they had to go to Egypt, they had to go to the place where they had sold their brother Joseph into slavery.
For the last 22 years, none of Joseph's brothers wanted to bring up the incident and pretend he never happened. But God just made it so that at some point in their lives, they had to face, and still physically go to Egypt where they sold Joseph into slavery. They even fell on their faces to the ground and bowed down to him, except that they could not recognize that this Egyptian prime minister was Joseph.42:7 “When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he acted as if they were strangers, and spoke harshly to them, and asked them, ‘Where have you come from?’ ”
When Joseph begged his brothers bitterly and cried out with his heart in the pit, they just sold him away cruelly and mercilessly. This time they meet again, and Joseph is able to recognize them, these men who once wanted to harm Joseph are right in front of him, and at this time Joseph is in a position of power and can do as he pleases. “Enemies meeting enemies”, would Joseph take revenge? You know, this kind of thing happened many times in Chinese history.
We often say the idiom of “tasting gall while lying down on firewood”. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, King Goujian of Yue was humiliated after he was defeated by King Fuzha of Wu, so he slept on a woodpile every day and ate bitter herbs every day as a reminder to himself and to show his determination to take revenge. Later, he struck back at King Fu-chai of Wu when he gained his ambition, and Fu-chai was forced to commit suicide. Also, Wu Zixu's father, Wu She, was killed by the King of Chu because he was falsely accused by the King of Chu. Wu Zixu swore to avenge his father's death, and he later succeeded in defeating Chu with the help of the King of Wu, but by this time the King of Chu had already passed away, so he had the grave dug up and the King of Chu's body beaten with a whip. And these people who harmed Joseph knelt before him, what was Joseph going to do with them?
An insignificant sentence in the scripture may be the turning point of the whole story, and it will also be the turning point of human life, the turning point of the whole history - 42:9 “Joseph remembered the two dreams he had had in the old days.” It was in this blink of an eye that God brought Joseph to a full understanding of God's marvelous providence and leading over the past 22 years, and he realized in his heart that although his brothers, with malice aforethought, had sold him into slavery, meaning to do him harm; yet God had a beautiful and good plan to raise him up to be a vizier of Egypt, with the purpose of preserving the lives of men in the midst of the famine. Man meant to harm him, but God meant well to save many lives. But then again, just because God meant it for good doesn't mean that what Joseph's brothers did was therefore justified. Next Joseph tested them in three actions designed to guide them and awaken their hearts.
1/3 The first test occurred on their first trip to Egypt to buy grain, 42:16-17, where the brothers were suspected of being spies (spies) who were snooping around Egypt, to test whether the brothers had honestly faced up to the fact that they were plotting against Joseph.
And they gave an account of the twelve brothers of the servants, the sons of a man of the land of Canaan, the youngest of whom is now with our father, and one of whom is no more. Joseph's brothers were deceived from the land of Canaan into the land of Egypt. Actually, Joseph was not no more, but he was sold by them as a slave. After they did this 22 years ago, in order to hide the truth, they killed a lamb, smeared the blood on Joseph's colored clothes, and made up a lie. Making their father believe that Joseph had been torn apart and devoured by wild animals. They conspired to deceive their father and let the incident pass as if it had never happened. 22 years they had been telling this lie and came to Egypt and stood before Joseph and told the same lie. The irony is that the “one who is no more” is the very same Egyptian prime minister they see before them.
Dostoevsky's novel Crime and Punishment tells the story of a young man, Raskolnikov. He is a poor student, and when he can't pay his rent, he tries to avoid it by killing his landlord. And he also feels bad for the rent collector, thinking that her death will not harm society, but will instead bring him a fortune to help himself and others. So he secretly murders this person he detests. Joseph's brothers did just that, and together they murdered Joseph.
But not long after Raskolnikov's murder, his conscience began to torment him. He constantly experiences inner struggles and moral condemnation, feeling extreme anxiety and guilt. Despite his attempts to rationalize his actions, his inner torment prevents him from escaping the reality - you killed someone. Eventually, Raskolnikov chose to turn himself in and speak publicly about his sins.
Twenty-two years had passed, and it was at this point that Joseph's brothers began to speak openly about this evil matter - 42:21 They said to one another, “Truly we have sinned in our brother, and when he cried out to us, we refused to listen to him when we saw the anguish of his heart, so that this affliction has come upon us.” Their hearts began to awaken to the fact that they were experiencing some degree of “self-cannibalization,” which is often the best way for God to help us recognize our sin.
So they were put in prison. It's unlikely that they didn't think about the three days they spent in prison, and whether this would be the beginning of a period of introspection and repentance?42:18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “I am the fear of God; do what I say and you will live.” Joseph's brothers lacked the fear of God, their consciences were as if they were dead to the world, and for 22 years the gang sinned and made up a lie for all to live in, and they had no sense of conscience. Joseph tells them here, “I am the fear of God,” and Joseph is trying to awaken his brothers to that proper fear before God, to awaken their conscience. Even if they could hide it from everyone, they could not hide it from the reproach of their conscience and from God's scrutiny.
2/3 The second test was when Joseph's brothers came to Egypt a second time to buy grain, this time bringing Benjamin with them. Joseph wanted to test his brothers' treatment of Benjamin.
Both Joseph and Benjamin were born to Rachel, and they were the only two who were brothers from the same father and mother, and half-brothers to everyone else. Jacob's favorite wife was Rachel, so he had a fondness for Rachel's child, and at that time he clothed Joseph in colored garments, which, as we mentioned in our previous sermon, were very rare and expensive in ancient times when dyes were scarce, and it was often only the court nobles who could afford to wear colored garments. Jacob dressed Joseph in colored garments, and Joseph was treated as if he were an honored prince. This caused jealousy among the other brothers.
Were Joseph's brothers still slaves to jealousy? He would test them on the occasion of the banquet that followed. Once it was because of this jealousy that they plotted to kill Joseph. Proverbs 14:30, “Envy is rottenness in the bones.” Jealousy is a very deadly sin. Jealousy does not bring the slightest benefit to a person, and not only does it hurt others, but it also torments oneself. The movie “Mozart” is about the relationship between the court musician Salieri and Mozart. In the beginning of the movie, Salieri, by virtue of his birth, he grew up in a musical family and became a court musician by practicing hard and presenting a masterful performance. But when he meets Mozart, he feels a heartfelt admiration for Mozart's talent, that Mozart is God's favorite, and he feels a deep inferiority complex about it. Salieri knew that his own achievements were insignificant in front of Mozart, and he also knew that it was impossible to surpass such incomparable compositions of Mozart.
Jealousy burned like a flame in Salieri's heart. He spread rumors about Mozart at court, and he even manipulated secretly to make Mozart lose some important performances as a way to elevate himself and weaken his opponent. But Mozart's talent was so great and his work so sought after that Salieri tried to get Mozart killed. Jealousy was like a rot in the bones of Salieri's life, destroying his relationship with Mozart and his own life. Mozart's death is inextricably linked to Salieri. At the end of the movie, Salieri admits to being “a slave to jealousy”.
43:33-34 “Joseph arranged the brothers to sit before him in order of seniority, and they were all amazed at each other. Joseph divided the food before him and gave it to them, but Benjamin received five times more than the others. And they drank wine, and feasted with Joseph.” In the order in which they acted, first Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, and finally Benjamin. If any one of them should have been given special hospitality, it would have been Reuben, their oldest brother. In any case, it was not the youngest, Benjamin. However, Joseph chose Benjamin from among them and gave him the most honorable treatment without any explanation. Five times as much food meant that he was more prominent than all the others, just as Jacob had put the colored garments on Joseph to make him more prominent among all his brothers. Benjamin was the most honored guest at the feast, just as Joseph was the most beloved son in Jacob's family. How would his brothers react? Would they have turned pale and given Benjamin a fierce look?
Brothers and sisters, sometimes similar scenarios, or even the same scenarios will recur in our lives, and these are tests of our lives over and over again. How will we react? By this time, Joseph's brothers had begun to realize that they had harmed Joseph through jealousy, and they confessed that we have sinned in our brotherhood. We know that it was God who was at work in their lives, even if it took some time for the work to be completed. But the Scripture describes, 43:34, that they drank wine, and these brothers laid aside the guard of their hearts. Feasting together, there was no longer the jealousy of old. Their hearts were beginning to be turned in the grace of God!
3/3 The third test, and we might say the most severe, occurred when they left Egypt to go back to the land of Canaan. It was a test to see if they would selfishly abandon Benjamin as they had once abandoned Joseph.
44:1-2 “Joseph commanded the householder, saying, ‘Fill the pockets of these men with grain, as much as their donkeys can carry, and put each man's silver in each man's pocket, and put my cup of silver in his pocket, along with the young man's silver with which he bought up the grain.’ ” Then Joseph's housekeepers put the silver cups in Benjamin's pockets, just as Joseph had commanded them.3 As soon as it was light, they sent the men away with their donkeys.4 When they had gone a short distance out of the city, Joseph said to the housekeepers, “Get up! Go after those men, and when you have caught up with them, say to them, 'Why do you repay good with evil?5 Is this not the cup from which my master drinks? Is it not the cup with which he divines? In so doing you have done evil.'” Only Benjamin was in danger at this point; everyone else was safe. They had deserted Joseph and returned to their father's house; would they desert Benjamin and return to their father's house this time?13 So they tore their clothes, and each of them carried the pack on a donkey, and went back to the city.6 The khazar caught up with them, and spoke these words to them.7 They answered, “Why did my lord say such a thing? Your servants must not do such a thing.8 Look, how can we steal gold and silver from your master's house, when we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver that we used to see in our pockets?9 And whosoever of your servants searches it out in any one of your servants, let him die, and we will be slaves of my lord.” 10 The householder said, “Now do as you say! Whosoever is searched out shall be my slave, and the rest shall be without sin.” 11 Then each of them hastened to remove his pocket to the ground, and each one opened his pocket.12 So the husbandman searched it, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was searched out of Benjamin's pocket.13 But the cup was found in Benjamin's pocket.14 And Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and while he was still there they fell down to the ground in front of him.15 And Joseph said to them, “What is it that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me will be able to divine?” 16 Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What more is there to say? How can we confess it ourselves? God has found out the sins of the servants, and we are slaves of my Lord, along with him who searched out the cup in his hand.”
When God moves in people's hearts, people will no longer ask, why is it me who has suffered these things, and why has God treated me so, but they will deeply recognize our shortcomings, and see that according to what we have done, has God been unjust in any way? Categorically not! Joseph's brothers knew that we were worthy of such a punishment, and that we would be slaves together with Benjamin.
Joseph tests them further 44:17 Joseph said, “I can never do this, and in whose hand the cup is searched, he shall be my slave; but as for you, you may go up to your father in peace.” Joseph here gives them a reasonable excuse, so that they can come down on the pedestal and excuse themselves. Is it not better that all of you may go, as if they had once stayed in the time of many slumps, and Joseph had all gone, and now they could also leave Benjamin behind, and all be set free and go home?
In fact we all know that Benjamin did not steal this silver cup. But they give up defending themselves here, they have nothing more to say, even though they didn't commit a crime in this matter, they really weren't innocent people. Judas says here that God has found out the sins of the servants, Judas is talking here about the sins that they had committed on Joseph 22 years ago, and when Joseph was pleading with his brothers, they saw his sorrow, but they stuffed their hearts with pity, so they thought it was our sins that had caught up with us, and that we had fallen under the judgment of the living God. They no longer have any defense or explanation to excuse themselves, what has happened to us today is what we deserve.
18 Judas drew near to him and said, “O my lord, allow your servant to speak a word to my lord, and do not be fiercely angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh. 19 My lord has asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father, or a brother?’ 20 We said to my Lord, 'We have a father, who is old, and a little child born to him in his old age.' His brother is dead, and his mother has left him alone, and his father loves him.' 21 And you said to your servant, 'Bring him to me, that I may see him with my own eyes.' 22 And we said to our Lord, 'The child shall not leave his father; if he does, his father shall die.' 23 And you said to your servant, 'If your little brother does not come down with you, you shall not see my face again.' 24 And we went up to your servant our father, and we told him the words of our Lord. 25 And our father said, 'Go again and buy up some grain for me.' 26 Then we said, 'We cannot go down, but if our little brother goes with us, we may go down; for if our little brother does not go with us, we shall not see the face of the man.' 27 And your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons, 28 and one left me and went out.' I said, “He must have been torn in pieces, and I have not seen him until now. 29 Now you are taking this one away from me, and if he is killed, it is you who have caused me to go down to Sheol with gray hairs and sadness.'
Judah made the condition that he would replace Benjamin as a slave in Egypt. 22 years earlier it was Judah who had sold Joseph into slavery, and 22 years later Judah was willing to become a slave himself in order to replace Benjamin.
30 My father's life is bound up with the life of this child, and now I return to your servant my father, and if there is no child with us, 31 when our father sees that there is no child, he will die. And this is how we have caused your servant our father to go down to Sheol with gray hair and sorrowful eyes. 32 For the servant had given assurance to my father concerning the child, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to my father, I will be guilty before him forever.' 33 Now let the servant stay, and be my lord's servant for the boy, that the boy may go up with his brothers. 34 If the boy does not go with me, how can I go up to my father? lest I see calamity come upon my father.”
Judas spoke on behalf of the brothers as they began to empathize with their father Jacob. For my father's sake we cannot leave our brother Benjamin behind; we must be with him, and if he serves as a slave, we will serve as slaves together with him. Our father has already experienced the loss of his son, we cannot let him experience the loss of his son again.
Conclusion
God's grace is so marvelous that trials on the one hand make us recognize ourselves, and trials at the same time bring us into the presence of God, and through the fear of God, we pray for God's mercy. According to what we have done, we deserve the punishment of God's righteousness; yet we have recived mercy, and because of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we have peace through His punishment, and healing through His stripes! and comfort!