THE GRACE OF GOD FOR THE IMPERFECT

Genesis 37-45

Genesis 37:25-28

Then they sat down to eat a meal. And as they raised their eyes and looked, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing aromatic gum and balm and myrrh, on their way to bring them down to Egypt. Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. Thus they brought Joseph into Egypt.

“They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelite traders for twenty pieces of silver and they took him to Egypt…so his brothers took Joseph’s coat, dipped it into the blood of a goat and took it back to their father and said, “We found this coat. Please examine it and see whether it is your son’s robe.”He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal ha devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”The Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, in mourning will I go down to the grave to my son.” So his father wept for him. “Genesis 37:28-35

PRINCIPLES OF DECEIT“IF YOU BELIEVE A LIE LONG

ENOUGH, IT BECOMES TRUTH TO YOU! (JACOB BELIEVED THE LIE

FOR 22 YEARS!)

PRINCIPLE OF DECEIT

Deceit will always cause grief, sorrow, and loss and it is always destructive! “Jacob tore his clothes and put sackcloth and ashes on himself and he mourned for his son may days…and Jacob wept for him.” Genesis 37:34,35

PRINCIPLE OF DECEIT

“Those who practice deceit, sooner or later have to face the truth!”

“Now when the news was heard in Pharoah’s house that Joseph’s brothers had come, it pleased Pharoah and his servants. Pharoah said to Joseph, “load your beasts and go to the land of Canaan, and take your father and your households and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt; and you shall eat of the fat of the land. Now you are ordered, “Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come.”

“And do not concern yourselves with goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours. Then the sons of Jacob did so; and Joseph gave them wagons according to the command of Pharoah, and gave them provisions for the journey….And to his father he sent ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten ffemaled donkeys loaded with grain and bread and sustenance for his father on the journey. And Joseph sent his brothers away…. Genesis 45:20-24

“Then they went up from Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan and to their father, Jacob. And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” But he was stunned, for he did not believe them.

“When they told him the words of Joseph and WHEN HE SAW THE WAGONS that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. Then Jacob said, “It is enough; my son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.” Genesis 45:27-28

PRINCIPLES OF GRACE AND TRUTH

“The grace of God provides the evidence to overcome deceit and enables on to accept the truth!”

“WHEN HE SAW THE WAGONS…his spirit revived.” Genesis 45:27

PRINCILES OF GRACE AND TRUTH “Change in one’s life is hard! (the old lie will often sound more like truth than the truth itself) but the grace of God doesn’t give up!

“…but he was stunned, and he did not believe them.” Genesis 45:26

PRINCIPLES OF GRACE AND TRUTH

When the truth wins out over deceit, the grace of God leads a person, not only to believe the truth, but to act on the truth!

Jacob said, “It is enough. I will go and see him before I die.” Genesis 45:28

PRINCIPLES OF GRACE AND TRUTH

The grace of God enables the truth to change everything in a person’s life!

“YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE” (John 8:32)

Jacob’s life would never be the same again!