Transcript [00:05] So, thank you, Jonathan, for being our [00:07] service host today. Uh, it's great to [00:09] see everybody. You're looking wonderful [00:11] and beautiful. Uh, glad you're back. [00:13] King of Kings members, welcome home. [00:15] Everybody that may be a visitor to [00:16] today. We welcome you. We're glad and [00:18] honored that you're with us today. [00:20] Welcome online, everybody watching Kings [00:22] Community Live, Facebook Live, YouTube, [00:24] Alpha Omega Ministries, other platforms [00:25] around the world. Blessings to you from [00:27] Jerusalem and the King of Kings family. [00:29] We're so glad you're here. There were so [00:31] many uh different countries uh watching [00:33] today. We just want to honor those from [00:36] uh uh Colombia are watching. Nicaragua, [00:39] Poland, Slovakia, so many other [00:41] countries. Norway, and yes, I'll go [00:43] ahead and say it, from Brazil. [00:49] >> You have to be ready for Brazil. [00:52] It's just like when you, you know, you [00:54] tell the the uh poem story, [00:59] there's a person's name in there you [01:01] have to be careful for. You got to be [01:03] ready for it. Hallelujah. Uh [01:06] congratulations to all of those in our [01:09] community who registered for and [01:13] completed the Dead Sea Marathon. Good [01:15] job everybody that did that. [01:18] I did a quick survey and uh it is [01:21] official. Everybody who did the marathon [01:24] is still sore today. I maybe unofficial, [01:29] but u but good job. We like to do things [01:31] that are healthy here at the [01:32] congregation. Speaking of that, uh we [01:34] like to offer and connect in ways that [01:36] are outside of only kind of these formal [01:40] service moments. We love to build [01:43] community together, make friendships, [01:45] tie our life together. So, tomorrow [01:46] morning is one of those times to do it. [01:48] It's casual. It's relaxed. If you like [01:49] American football, great. 9:00 in the [01:52] morning, come to the celebration center. [01:53] Uh bring your own breakfast or fast. [01:56] That's up to you. Whatever you want to [01:58] do. Uh come and just enjoy the game. [02:00] It's really a community time for us. [02:02] Just like when you're connecting in [02:04] community groups, small groups, home [02:06] groups, or a Shabbat at the park or a [02:08] holiday party. Speaking of holiday [02:10] parties, we've got one coming up in just [02:12] a few weeks for the feast of Pim, right? [02:16] We're looking at the book of Esther. Uh [02:18] there'll be games and food that night as [02:21] well as our youth program is putting [02:23] together a wonderful play that we're [02:24] excited about. [02:26] >> Yep. And the theme, you know, last year [02:28] was so amazing. They did the 70s. This [02:31] year we're going 90s. [02:34] >> So, uh get ready for very clean rap [02:38] music. I it's wasn't easy to find in the [02:42] '9s, but we found it. Right, Simon? We [02:44] found some. Liz Stephano. Okay. I've [02:46] been assured it's all clean. It's good [02:48] for all ages. Hallelujah. Praise the [02:51] Lord. Listen, we've been in our series [02:53] called the covenant table. [02:57] And um the first week we looked at [02:59] Genesis 14, the the meal or the taking [03:03] of the Lord's supper really and the [03:05] priestly blessing from MelkiseDC to [03:08] Abraham. Then we looked at Genesis 18 [03:10] where Abraham uh meets the three [03:12] visitors. Two are identified as angels, [03:16] but one is identified as Adonai, the [03:18] Lord, Yu VH, God himself in human flesh. [03:22] That was Abraham's eyewitness account. [03:24] Last week, Pastor Wayne did an amazing [03:26] job uh reviewing for us and really [03:30] building these important elements of [03:31] Exodus 24 about the 70 elders of Israel [03:35] meeting on Mount Si with Yeshua, the [03:37] Lord, and doing what we kn know was the [03:40] covenant of marriage between the Lord [03:43] and Israel, going through all of the [03:46] relationship [03:48] steps like come out of Egypt. That's not [03:51] a relationship you should be in. [03:54] That's like the wrong boyfriend [03:55] girlfriend over there, right? Come out [03:57] of that. Get over here and I I want to [03:59] make a proposition to you. That's the [04:01] betroal, the courtship phase. And then [04:03] it was God says, "I will do these [04:05] things." That was God saying, "I will [04:07] and I do." And Israel, it's now up to [04:10] you. Will you? And Israel answers in [04:12] that chapter. Yes, we will do everything [04:14] the Lord says. And it completes the [04:16] marriage. And then they have the meal [04:18] together, the wedding supper. And that [04:20] foreshadows the age to come where we [04:22] have the wedding supper of the lamb. You [04:24] understand, Pastor Wayne did such a [04:25] great job last week. Tonight, I want to [04:28] look at the uh story of Joseph and his [04:32] brothers. I'm going to call this Joseph [04:34] and the players. And we're going to be [04:36] in Genesis 42. So, if you grab your [04:38] Bibles or your devices, turn with me to [04:40] Genesis 42. Genesis 42. [04:45] Now, to get started, just in case [04:47] there's maybe some tonight that are [04:49] young in the faith, do a a quick summary [04:51] of the story of Joseph. This is the [04:54] patriarchs, you know, Abraham and Isaac, [04:56] and then Jacob. And Jacob has the four [05:00] wives. They end up being the four wives. [05:02] And with those four wives, he has 12 [05:04] sons. There's also daughters, but they [05:06] were the 12 sons. The 12 sons become the [05:09] 12 tribes of Israel. We understand that. [05:11] But when they're younger and they're [05:12] still here on earth uh in in like their [05:15] earthly story, uh Joseph is born of of [05:21] of Rachel. And Rachel is uh Jacob's [05:27] favorite of the wives. Now, that's not [05:30] great in marriage counseling. It's not a [05:31] direction you want to go, but he decided [05:34] to give it a shot. Okay? And uh maybe it [05:37] backfired a little bit, but he it says [05:39] he loved Rachel more. He worked for [05:41] Rachel. Rachel was the goal from the [05:43] beginning. The other three wives were [05:45] bonuses. I like to call them bonuses. [05:48] That's good. [05:50] Could have helped Jacob on that one a [05:51] little bit. [05:53] And but but he he loves Rachel and and [05:56] Joseph [05:58] and Benjamin are born of Rachel. So he [06:01] has this affection for these boys [06:02] different than the other ones. [06:05] Now when it comes to Joseph, we know [06:07] that there was the coat of many colors, [06:09] the special gifts. He he always kept him [06:11] close to home. Resentment built up with [06:14] the other brothers who were older, born [06:16] of the other wives. They realized that [06:18] he had this favor on Joseph unlike the [06:20] rest of them. And then even when [06:23] tensions were high and they didn't [06:24] really like Joseph, he was a little bit [06:26] of a bug. [06:28] That's what we say in my family. We say, [06:31] "Don't be a bug." [06:33] I'm not going to say who we say that to. [06:36] You think we would say it to the [06:37] littlest one. Ah, not always. [06:41] So, Joseph was a little bit of a bug. [06:43] And and right when the brother's [06:46] emotions were at their height, he [06:48] decides he's going to share with them a [06:51] dream that he had from God. And in that [06:54] moment of sharing the dream, of course, [06:55] we have the the stalks of wheat and [06:57] grain and all these other stalks bowed [07:00] down to him. [07:02] He decides to share that. I don't know [07:05] if that was wisdom, but he decided to [07:06] share. Then he says, "Guys, I got one [07:08] even better than that. Listen, last [07:09] night I'm going to double down on this. [07:12] Sun and the stars and the moon and every [07:14] everybody bowed down to me." So, y'all [07:17] take that. Enjoy that interpretation [07:19] over dinner. Tell me what you think. [07:22] It created more anger in the brothers [07:24] and eventually they were out in the [07:26] fields and and and Jacob sends Joseph to [07:29] go see the brothers and to bring them [07:31] something. They bring them and the [07:33] brothers say, "Ah, this is our chance. [07:37] Finally, dad is not around. Let's let's [07:41] kill him." That's got to be the solution [07:43] to a bad dream. I mean, kill him. [07:47] and and and and and they decide, well, [07:49] no, we're not going to kill him and [07:50] we're going to throw him in this pit and [07:51] let him die in there. And then the one [07:53] says, "No, don't do that." And then the [07:54] slave traders are coming by. Let's sell [07:56] him as a slave. So they do. They sold [07:58] him as a slave. Joseph is taken to [08:00] Egypt. He he first is bought by Piphar, [08:04] one of the officials in Egypt, and he [08:05] gets accused of Piphar's wife of of of a [08:09] sexual impropriety, which he didn't do. [08:12] was a false accusation, but still to [08:14] save her own reputation because she's [08:16] the one that came on to him. She lies [08:19] about him. They believe her. He goes to [08:21] prison. In prison, he's calling out to [08:24] the Lord. His giftings are still [08:26] working. Dreams, interpretations still [08:28] going on. Your giftings never leave you. [08:31] No matter where you are, they're still [08:33] with you. So, he uses his giftings. He [08:36] gets brought back to the palace. He [08:38] interprets Pharaoh's dreams. He gets put [08:41] in charge of all of Egypt. [08:44] Great stories, you know, from from the [08:46] pit to the palace, right? [08:49] And all the while as he's growing in in [08:52] power and authority and stature over in [08:55] Israel, there's a famine. And now Jacob [08:58] and the other boys who they have lied to [09:00] their dad about, they said that an [09:03] animal attacked Joseph and that's how he [09:05] died. That's not the truth. [09:07] So Jacob thinks his son is dead. [09:10] But there's a famine. So he says, [09:12] "Listen, I know they have food in Egypt. [09:14] Go to Egypt and get me some food. [09:19] But you're not going to take baby [09:20] Benjamin with you. [09:22] He's the last son of my beloved Rachel. [09:25] He's staying with me." So the other 10 [09:27] brothers, they go. Remember, he thinks [09:28] Joseph's dead. He keeps Benjamin. The [09:30] other 10, they go. [09:34] Now, [09:36] when they first meet Joseph, he [09:39] he he sets up this [09:42] trap, if you will, and I want to pick it [09:44] up right there, right? I call it the [09:46] setup. Genesis 42:8-9. [09:50] Although Joseph recognized his brothers, [09:53] they did not recognize him. Then he [09:56] remembered his dreams about them and [09:58] said to them, "You are spies. you have [10:01] come to see where our land is [10:04] unprotected. [10:06] What's unique here is Joseph recognized [10:08] them. He knew they weren't spies. [10:10] But he's decided to play a little game [10:13] with them and he says, "I know you're [10:16] not spies, but" and he's looking right [10:17] at them like, "Wouldn't that be weird? [10:20] You're staring at I mean, I've done it, [10:21] guys. Forgive me if I've done it to some [10:23] of you. I know I've seen you in the [10:25] mall. I've seen you on Jaffa Street. And [10:28] if I don't have my glasses on, I don't [10:30] know who you are exactly. [10:33] I can see a figure coming to me and it [10:36] looks like a friendly figure, [10:38] but I'm not sure who it is. [10:41] Forgive me for that. But Joseph sees [10:44] them. He knows who they are. And he [10:47] recognizes in their eyes that they don't [10:49] recognize him. Oh, he's got all the [10:51] cards now. You know, when you know [10:54] something that the other person doesn't [10:55] know, you got all the cards. So he [10:57] decides to play the well you're a spies [10:59] and no I'm not and yes you are and [11:01] you're going to try to hurt our country [11:05] and [11:07] Joseph realized in counting the brothers [11:09] that Benjamin was missing. Now remember [11:12] that's his full brother. Now for those [11:14] of you in the audience who maybe you you [11:16] you came from a wonderful family [11:18] background and you don't understand what [11:19] a broken family is like. Maybe you don't [11:21] understand. I came from divorced [11:24] families on both sides. I have a full [11:26] sister. She's probably watching. Trish, [11:29] I love you. I have a half sister. I have [11:33] a half brother. I have an adopted [11:36] brother. And I have two stepbros, [11:39] right? Like all from a whole bunch of [11:40] different people. I feel like like Jacob [11:41] and the wives, you know what I mean? [11:42] Like I I've got them coming from [11:44] everywhere. But I understand what it's [11:46] like because you have some that you know [11:48] the parents are a little bit different [11:50] and then you've got the one like uh like [11:53] Benjamin where Joseph knows that's my [11:55] father and my mother is is a tight. So [11:59] he surveys and he says you don't [12:00] recognize me. I'm going to play my cards [12:02] here and you don't have Benjamin. Oh my [12:04] goodness. Where's my brother? Where's [12:05] Benjamin? So he devises the setup and [12:08] the plan and look at verse 15. [12:12] And this is how you will be tested. He [12:14] calls them spies. You're going to be [12:16] tested and as surely as Pharaoh lives, [12:18] you will not leave this place unless [12:19] your youngest brother comes here. [12:23] Isn't that funny? [12:25] He's going to make a deal. He's going to [12:27] say, "All right, listen. I put pressure [12:29] on you, but the deal to get you out of [12:31] the this problem is you go get your [12:33] brother." And immediately Reuben, the [12:35] oldest brother in the bunch, he knows [12:39] this is a problem. Like as soon as it's [12:41] he Joseph says it, "Go get your [12:43] brother." He goes, "Oh, this is going to [12:44] be a problem." Because he knows when he [12:46] gets home to Jacob, Jacob's not letting [12:48] that boy go. And so probably the whole [12:51] journey he's probably thinking, "How am [12:53] I going to spin this one?" And he gets [12:56] there and he's like, "Dad, we we we we [12:59] have to bring Benjamin." The the [13:00] Pharaoh's second in command says it. It [13:02] says in verse 22, "Ruben replied to the [13:05] brothers." The old hindsight is 2020. [13:09] Didn't I tell you not to sin against the [13:11] boy? But you wouldn't listen now. We [13:13] must give an account for his blood. [13:16] Reuben's He's on him now. He's like, [13:18] "Guys, I told you back in those days, [13:20] don't kill him. Don't hurt him, but you [13:23] did it anyway. It's all your fault." [13:24] That's what the journey was about. I [13:26] like to think the whole journey was [13:28] about whose fault was it. [13:32] Now, after making these guarantees, [13:35] Reuben comes back to to Jacob and he [13:37] says, "We need Benjamin. [13:40] He won't give us food without Benjamin." [13:42] And finally, they talk the dad into [13:44] letting Benjamin go with him on their [13:47] second trip. So, Joseph's plan, Joseph's [13:49] setup is working really well. He's going [13:52] to get to see his brother Benjamin. Look [13:53] what it says. The next chapter, Genesis [13:55] 43, verse 16. Follow with me here. When [13:59] Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said [14:02] to the steward of the house, "Take these [14:04] men to my house, slaughter an animal, [14:06] and prepare a meal. [14:09] They are to eat with me at noon." [14:14] So, he recognizes the brothers again. [14:17] They still don't recognize him. He sees [14:18] his baby brother Benjamin this time, and [14:20] he says, "Finally, I get to see my [14:21] brother. Now that you've come, [14:25] go take him to a special meal." And of [14:27] course, we're getting to the concept of [14:28] the covenant meal, right? The covenant [14:30] table. He says, "Go prepare for this [14:32] special meal." At the same time, he gets [14:35] Simeon out of jail. They say, "Wait, [14:37] whoa, whoa." Little curveball there. [14:40] Little twist. Why was Simeon in jail? [14:42] Well, first of all, we'll come back to [14:44] Simeon in a little while, but when the [14:45] brothers come with Benjamin to the meal, [14:48] Joseph says, "Go get Simeon and release [14:50] him. Let him come." That means Simeon [14:52] had been in jail in Egypt the whole time [14:55] the brothers went and got Benjamin [14:58] and Jacob. That's part of the father's [15:00] argument. I've already lost one son in [15:02] animal killed and you've got one son [15:04] caught up in prison. I'm not letting you [15:05] have Benjamin. Like he's just starting [15:07] to tick off all the boys. You can see [15:09] why the dad was so anxious about this. [15:12] We'll get to Simeon a little bit later [15:14] because the Lord gave me some new [15:15] revelation on Simeon that I'd never seen [15:17] before this week. [15:19] But stay in Genesis 43 with me. Let's [15:22] continue to understand the story. Verse [15:24] 25 and 26 about this covenant table. It [15:27] says, "They prepared their gifts for [15:29] Joseph's arrival at noon because they [15:32] had heard that they were to eat there. [15:34] And when Joseph came home, they [15:36] presented to him the gifts that they had [15:37] brought into the house. And they bowed [15:39] down before him to the ground." And [15:43] right then the dream came true. [15:47] Right? It was it was while they were [15:49] bowing down, Joseph, who remembers the [15:52] own dreams, said, "Yeah, this is the [15:54] stalk and the and the moon and the stars [15:56] bowing down to me right now." [15:59] God's validation. [16:02] I'm sure later in the meal, once [16:05] everybody knew who everybody was, he [16:06] probably reminded I would have [16:11] I, you know, my flesh would have been [16:12] like, "Hey guys, let's go back a few [16:14] years. Remember what made you so mad? [16:17] Remember when you on the ground? Yeah. [16:19] Today, you know what? Let's practice [16:20] that again. Why don't we go back down? [16:22] Let's practice that again. Because there [16:24] were two different dreams, you know? So, [16:25] let's have one bow down session for the [16:28] stalks. Let's have a whole another bow [16:29] down session for the stars. [16:32] That's my flesh coming out. [16:35] Now, why is Benjamin so important in [16:39] this story? And why is Benjamin so [16:40] important to Joseph? Well, let's read [16:42] Genesis 43. [16:45] Look at verse 29. I'm going to read [16:46] several verses here. [16:48] It says, "As he looked about and saw his [16:50] brother Benjamin, his own mother's son, [16:54] he asked, "Is this your youngest [16:56] brother, the one you told me about? And [16:58] he said, God be gracious to you, my [17:00] son." Deeply moved at the sight of his [17:02] brother. Joseph hurried out and looked [17:04] for a place to weep and cry. He went [17:07] into a private room and he wept there. [17:09] And after he had washed his face, he [17:10] came out and controlling himself, he [17:12] said, "Serve the food." They served him [17:14] by himself, the brothers by themselves, [17:17] and the Egyptians who ate with them by [17:19] themselves, because Egyptians could not [17:21] eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable [17:23] to Egyptians. [17:26] The men had been seated before him in [17:28] the order of their ages, from the [17:30] firstborn to the youngest, and they [17:32] looked at each other in astonishment. [17:34] When portions were served to them from [17:36] Joseph's table, Benjamin's portion was [17:39] five times as much as everyone else's. [17:41] So they feasted and drank freely with [17:43] him at this covenant table, at this [17:45] covenant meal. Couple of things I don't [17:47] want you to to miss. They were seated in [17:49] the order of their ages. How would they [17:51] know that except that Joseph had already [17:54] told the servants where to put them? And [17:57] yet the brothers don't clue into it yet. [18:00] You know, they they they weren't really [18:01] sensitive to what was going on. How did [18:04] Joseph know to go get the younger [18:06] brother? They didn't pick up on it. How [18:08] did Joseph know to put him in order of [18:10] ages? They didn't pick up on it. [18:14] They didn't recognize his face. They [18:15] didn't pick up on it. [18:17] As people of God, we should be alert. [18:20] What is the spirit saying? What is the [18:22] symbolism? What are we supposed to be [18:23] picking up in the spirit? Don't get so [18:26] so preoccupied with all of those daily [18:29] problems because there's an eternal [18:30] kingdom that's bigger than that. [18:33] They didn't see it. It was it was [18:34] blinded in their eyes. [18:37] But great favor is shown to Benjamin. I [18:40] like to think Benjamin had my kind of [18:42] appetite. [18:44] He got served five times as much. [18:47] That is how it works in my house, by the [18:49] way. [18:52] You know, we had a great Shabbat meal. [18:54] My wife made some meat, some potatoes, [18:56] green beans, and homemade kala. And and [18:59] and and we're diving it up and and and [19:02] the kids are eating and and uh one of [19:05] the kids says, "Can I can I get [19:07] seconds?" And I love my wife so much. [19:10] She says, "Yeah, you can have some, but [19:12] make sure you leave enough for your dad [19:15] cuz he's going to want more tonight and [19:17] tomorrow." [19:19] And I was like, I'm like Benjamin. I get [19:21] it. Five times as much. Praise the Lord. [19:26] But what I want to bring out to you [19:27] tonight, now that I've laid all that [19:29] story, I want to bring out to you the [19:31] significance of each person, each player [19:34] in this story. [19:38] The brothers [19:40] represent all of the believers from the [19:44] nations, every tribe, every tongue. They [19:46] are the nations in this story. [19:49] How do we know that? Well, there's 10 of [19:51] them. It'll make a lot of sense here in [19:53] a minute. We know that Joseph in this [19:57] story is the savior, right? He's the [19:59] symbolic savior of the story. He's not [20:01] Yeshua. He's symbolic of Yeshua because [20:04] his brothers needed him to save them. [20:10] And they looked him in the face and they [20:11] didn't recognize him. [20:15] And Joseph is the one that's going to be [20:17] used by God to bring salvation to the [20:19] Jewish people. Joseph symbolizes Yeshua [20:23] in this story. The brothers, the 10 of [20:25] them, symbolize the nations from every [20:27] tribe and tongue. Benjamin represents [20:30] Israel and the Jewish people, the people [20:32] of the covenant. Why? Because Benjamin [20:35] and Joseph are of the same mother. [20:40] They are Jewish [20:42] by that connect point. [20:45] It was important that we catch that that [20:48] Yeshua is Jewish. [20:52] born in Israel, born from the Jewish [20:53] line, the tribe of Judah, born in [20:56] Bethlehem, worshiped in the synagogues [20:59] and in the temples, obeyed every law in [21:02] the law of Moses because he wrote it. [21:06] Joseph is Yeshua. Benjamin is Israel. [21:08] The Jewish people, the 10 brothers are [21:11] representative of the nations here. [21:18] Joseph and Benjamin [21:21] because they share this uniqueness. [21:25] Joseph shows [21:27] a unique favor on Benjamin [21:31] that God shows to Israel. [21:39] Benjamin is also protected in a special [21:43] way that no one else is. By whom? By [21:47] Jacob the father. [21:50] In this story, Jacob is God the father. [21:54] He's protecting Benjamin in a special [21:56] way. Benjamin is Israel. He's protecting [21:58] Benjamin in a special way. Look at this [22:01] from Deuteronomy [22:03] chapter 33. [22:06] Verse 28. So Israel will live in safety. [22:09] Jacob will dwell secure in a land of [22:11] grain and new wine where the heavens [22:13] drop dew. Blessed are you Israel who is [22:16] like you, a people saved by the Lord. He [22:19] is your shield and your helper and your [22:20] glorious sword. Your enemies will cower [22:23] before you and you will tread on their [22:26] heights. There's no other nation that [22:28] God writes about like that. [22:30] He only writes about Benjamin like that. [22:34] Benjamin Israel in this story. Remember [22:38] I taught you several weeks ago that [22:40] though God is a a covenant-making God, [22:42] he makes covenant with lots of [22:43] individuals, but the only nation he ever [22:45] made covenant with was Israel. [22:50] And so in this story, Jacob the father [22:52] protects Benjamin in a unique way from [22:55] the other brothers because Benjamin is [22:56] Israel. He's protecting him. [23:00] But Benjamin is related to Joseph by [23:03] that same mother. That Jewish family [23:05] connection between people of Israel and [23:08] the Jewish Messiah Yeshua. [23:12] Everybody has a role in this story. I [23:16] want you to understand that. It makes a [23:18] lot more sense now too when you read [23:19] Zechariah that the 10 brothers represent [23:22] the nations that come. Zechariah chapter [23:25] 8:22. [23:28] And many peoples and powerful nations [23:30] will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord [23:32] Almighty and to entreat him. This is [23:34] what the Lord Almighty says. In those [23:36] days, 10 people from all languages and [23:39] nations will take firm hold of one Jew [23:42] by the hem of his robe and say, "Let us [23:43] go with you because we have heard that [23:45] God is with you." [23:48] 10 people from the nations, that's the [23:50] brothers, [23:52] need to go and get what they need from [23:56] Joseph. [23:58] It's a clear symbolic connection between [24:01] these numbers. [24:03] It doesn't mean the brothers are not [24:05] Jews. Of course, they're Jews. It [24:06] doesn't mean doesn't mean the brothers [24:08] don't end up being the tribal leaders. [24:09] Of course, they do. I'm talking about [24:10] the symbolism and the numbers in the [24:12] story. [24:13] Joseph is Yeshua. Benjamin is Israel. [24:16] The brothers are the nations. Jacob is [24:17] the father. [24:20] Let me give you the key phrase of [24:21] tonight. [24:23] The 10 brothers, the Gentiles, needed [24:26] Benjamin the Jew, the Jewish people, in [24:30] order to connect to Joseph, Yeshua. [24:36] Ah, the brothers needed Benjamin, [24:39] otherwise they weren't allowed to go see [24:41] Joseph. The Gentile nations need the [24:44] Jewish people. That's their calling. the [24:46] calling of the priestly nation to invite [24:49] other nations into the salvation plan of [24:53] God. The 10 brothers needed Benjamin so [24:55] they could go see Joseph the same way [24:58] the nations today need Israel to [25:00] function in their priestly role so that [25:02] we can bring them to Yeshua. [25:05] I hope you see it. I hope you see the [25:07] players in the story. [25:11] Now, I promised you earlier I would come [25:13] back and I'd circle back and talk about [25:15] Simeon for a second. So, let me do that [25:16] right now. Genesis 42 [25:20] verse 23. [25:24] Remember, they did not realize that [25:26] Joseph could understand them since he [25:28] was using an interpreter. [25:30] He's sneaky. [25:32] He turned away from them and began to [25:34] weep, but then came back and spoke to [25:37] them. He had Simeon taken from them and [25:40] bound before their eyes. Remember, this [25:43] is after the first trip to Egypt. [25:48] He plays the setup. You're spies. No, [25:50] we're not. Go get your brother. No food [25:53] unless you get your brother. Right? It's [25:54] this whole deal. He gives them some [25:56] food. And then he puts the the silver in [25:58] their bag so that he knows he has [26:00] blackmail on him. Right? The whole [26:02] setup. [26:03] And he says, "And and and for [26:05] collateral, I'm going to keep one of the [26:07] brothers. I'm going to keep Simeon." [26:10] And you think, well, nothing in this [26:14] story is random. I'm pretty sure Simeon [26:17] has a meaning here, if you're with me. [26:21] He binds Simeon right in front of all of [26:23] them before they leave to go get [26:24] Benjamin. He takes Simeon. He puts him [26:26] in jail. [26:28] So, that's where we are in this moment. [26:30] Simeon is now in jail. So, who is [26:32] Simeon? And why did Joseph feel like [26:35] that was what needed to be done? Well, [26:38] let's remember Simeon was the second [26:41] oldest son. So, if you go from top to [26:43] bottom, remember he sat them he sat them [26:45] in order of ages. He knows them all. [26:47] Reuben is first, Simeon is second. [26:49] Simeon is the second oldest. [26:53] Simeon had also been involved in the [26:55] killing of the men of Shechham against [26:58] his father's instructions. He has a [27:00] history of violence is what the Bible [27:03] tells us. [27:05] But you know, Levi did that with him. It [27:07] wasn't Simeon alone at Shechum. He was [27:10] Levi was also involved. So maybe the [27:12] answer is not only because he was [27:14] violent. Maybe there's something else. [27:17] But you know, when the brothers were [27:18] discussing killing Joseph, Reuben is the [27:21] one that stepped in and said, "Don't [27:23] kill him." [27:25] And that provides Reuben with an alibi. [27:27] He's not guilty. We know it's not [27:29] Joseph. Joseph is Joseph. It's not [27:31] Benjamin. He's still a baby. It's not [27:33] Reuben. Reuben said, "Don't kill him." [27:37] And do you know later in the story when [27:39] they say, "Throw him in the pit." It was [27:41] Judah who said, "Don't kill him in the [27:43] pit. Don't let him die there. [27:46] Maybe we sell him as a slave, but don't [27:48] let him die." So now Judah has an alibi. [27:50] He's not guilty of it. [27:53] And you start to check them off like, [27:55] "Who did this? Who is the one [27:57] instigating? Who's the one so angry? Who [28:00] is the one wanting Joseph dead more than [28:02] the others? [28:06] Well, Simeon had a lot of influence [28:08] as that second oldest and had this [28:11] history of violence. You know, in Jewish [28:13] tradition, they say that it was Simeon [28:16] who initiated the idea of killing [28:18] Joseph. [28:21] Genesis 37:18, by the way, it says, "But [28:24] they saw him in a distance, and before [28:26] he reached them, that's Joseph coming to [28:28] the brothers. Before Joseph reached [28:30] them, they plotted to kill him. Here [28:33] comes the dreamer, they said to each [28:35] other. And you might want to say, I'm [28:38] pretty sure they didn't all say it in a [28:39] a a perfect harmony unison all at the [28:43] same time, right? [28:45] They didn't break out into a a perfect [28:47] harmonic song. Here comes the dreamer. [28:52] Now, you sing the harmony. You sing the [28:54] third part. No, somebody had to say it [28:57] first. And do you know Midrashik [29:00] writings from Jewish history [29:03] are pretty unanimous that the first [29:05] voice was Simeon. [29:08] And that may be why Joseph said, [29:12] "I know it was you. [29:14] I heard, you know, I heard you and [29:16] because you don't know who I am, I can [29:19] hear you now. I'm using an interpreter. [29:21] I don't need the interpreter, but I can [29:22] understand you." [29:25] when they came to him. [29:29] Interestingly enough, Simeon's name [29:32] Shimon, [29:34] God has heard. [29:37] You know, and whether you want to think [29:39] it's Joseph saying, "I heard you," [29:42] or whether you want to think it's God [29:44] saying to Joseph, "I heard you [29:47] in the dungeon." [29:49] Either either one of those ways can work [29:51] fine. But here's the main point. What's [29:54] the main point? [29:57] The main point is that Simeon had great [30:00] influence on the brothers in a negative [30:02] way. And Joseph said, "In order to [30:06] convince Jacob to let Benjamin come see [30:10] me, I have to get Simeon, the negative [30:12] influence, out of the way. So, Simeon, [30:15] you go to jail." [30:18] And when I was waiting on the Lord for [30:20] this, I thought, "Oh, Lord, there's [30:21] something there. I can feel it. [30:24] And I felt like the Lord gave me this [30:25] word [30:28] that [30:30] Simeon is representing [30:33] bad theology [30:35] and anti-Semitic theology in the church. [30:40] It's it's it's the influence that [30:43] negative influence on the church that's [30:45] going to derail the whole process of the [30:47] Jewish people coming to faith and [30:52] thereby bringing all the brothers to [30:54] Joseph [30:56] because of that negative influence that [30:58] errant theology that anti-semitic [31:00] theology that we see in the world today. [31:05] And it's if you're awake at all, you're [31:08] you're seeing it all over the world now. [31:13] It's not just bad theology in the [31:15] churches. It's it's it's in the [31:16] mainstream now. And no matter what the [31:19] Jews do or don't do, what the government [31:22] chooses to do, not to do, open the [31:24] border, close the border, fire back, [31:26] don't fire back, it doesn't matter what [31:28] they do. [31:30] That demonic spirit of anti-semitism, [31:33] that negative influence like Simeon is [31:36] trying to influence the process of [31:38] salvation. [31:39] And it is up to the Lord Yeshua to put [31:42] that in jail just like it was up to [31:45] Joseph to put it in jail and say, [31:47] "You're not going to influence this [31:48] process." [31:51] Interestingly, before I came up here [31:53] during our worship service, one of our [31:55] prophetic members sent me this note, and [31:58] I thought I would just read it for just [31:59] a second because [32:02] we didn't know what it was connected to [32:03] in the beginning, but we certainly [32:05] understand it now. No matter what the [32:07] outcome of the current US, Iran, and [32:10] other negotiations are during this war, [32:14] we know that Israel and the Jews will be [32:16] blamed. [32:18] We need to be prepared in prayer for [32:20] increased anti-semitism in the nations. [32:24] Being prepared for more and providing [32:26] for the Jewish people, encouraging all [32:28] of them to come home. [32:33] I believe that's a word of the Lord for [32:34] us tonight. [32:37] Let me conclude with this summary. [32:41] This covenant table, this meal of [32:43] Genesis 42 and 43 between Joseph and all [32:47] of his brothers was not only an [32:49] important reunion, but it was also full [32:52] circle redemption story orchestrated by [32:54] the Lord. Joseph was used to save his [32:58] own people and to ensure their salvation [33:01] and survival in a harsh time. However, [33:04] in the midst of the story, we also see [33:06] that God used this covenant table to [33:08] explain the relationship between [33:10] himself, the father Jacob, [33:13] the coming Messiah, Yeshua, Joseph, his [33:16] relationship to the Jewish people in [33:17] Israel, [33:19] Benjamin, and his relationship to the [33:21] nations and the one new man, the other [33:23] 10 brothers. [33:25] Everything that we needed to understand [33:26] in the new covenant age is explained in [33:29] the relationships of this story so that [33:31] all of it can be accomplished according [33:33] to God's plan, [33:36] including how God wants to deal with [33:39] anti-semitism [33:41] in the world right now. Would you stand [33:42] with me? Let's pray. We got to pray [33:44] these things into action. [33:48] Lord, we love your word. [33:50] It's so rich. I'm so grateful that after [33:53] all of these years, 46 years being in [33:56] Yeshua, [33:58] it's still fresh every time I read it. [34:01] Thank you, Lord, for new revelation [34:02] going deeper into our heart. Let us see [34:05] these relationships [34:07] to not take this symbolism too far [34:10] beyond the boundaries of your intention, [34:11] but to understand what they mean. That [34:14] you're building toward the one new man. [34:16] that you have an incredible purpose for [34:18] the Jewish people to help bring world [34:20] revival to usher in the nations that [34:22] they may see Joseph [34:25] Yeshua. [34:28] Father, let us be wise during these [34:32] times of rising anti-semitism in the [34:34] world, the unfortunate [34:37] misunderstanding of the role of Israel [34:38] in today's global churches. [34:41] Let us not stand in arrogance but [34:43] humility. [34:45] We choose to be your servants, God. We [34:48] want to celebrate [34:50] at the same level that these brothers [34:51] got to celebrate once they understood [34:55] the role of all the players that [34:57] whatever the enemy meant for evil, you [35:00] turned it around and you used it for [35:02] good. And because you can do that, [35:05] Savior Yeshua, our Jewish Messiah, we [35:07] thank you today. We honor you. We bless [35:10] you. We celebrate you at this covenant [35:13] table in Yeshua's name. Amen. Amen. [35:16] Listen, let's worship and let's lift the [35:18] name of the Lord high before we close. [35:20] The worship team's going to come and [35:22] lead us.
