Good morning and happy Thursday. Margie and I have a fun little day planned. We are heading down to the tourist mecca that has become Waco, Texas. It’s very funny to me to see all that has become of Waco. We live only one hour north of Waco, it’s basically in our backyard. To hear of people that are travelling from all over America to see Waco is fairly amusing to me. In fact, at one time when I was in the exciting and glamorous world of wholesale commodity chemical sales, Waco was my territory. I would travel there about every month and even though it had Baylor and some cool sights, it was not what most see it as today. So today we will drive down early, see the Magnolia silos (and hope to get a glimpse of Chip and Joanna), have a famous “Gut Pak” frito-pie at Vitek’s BB-Q (Google it!), enjoy the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame (law agency not baseball), hit the famous Czech stop bakery in West, Texas, and maybe hit the outlets briefly in Hillsboro. A fun-filled day indeed.
Well, this morning I popped out of bed, speedily made some coffee and got in front of God’s Word. As I did, I encountered Genesis chapter 44. If there were background music to Joseph’s drama, it would be building greatly as we see our story continue to unfold today. His brothers are back in Egypt with Benjamin to get food and Joseph has a grand meal with them but has not revealed himself to them yet. Before he does, he has one more test for them. A big test. Have their hearts changed?
This has always been a big question for me throughout life. I’m just like all of you out there and I’m sure that you have seen hearts that run the gamut. Some hearts seem to perpetually dance to the beat of Jesus, full of joy, goodness and love and it all seeps out of them and coats the world they walk in. But I’m sure you seen the antithesis of this as well. Some people just seem to be a factory of evil, like little machines are in their heart churning out anger, bitterness and violence. They speak ill of all in their path, it seems they relish the opportunity to dish out pain. Beyond that it seems the potential for this behavior flows from an endless well of meanness deep within their heart. But the question I have always pondered is, can a heart truly change? Can the latter of these hearts genuinely and honestly become transformed to be as the first? We see in our story today just this litmus test given to a heart that had sold its own family into slavery some 24 years ago.
Joseph loads his brothers up with food and sends them on their way back home to Cannaan and their dad Jacob. But Joseph adds a little something to their backpacks. He returns all of the money they paid for the grain and in addition he carefully places his own personal silver chalice in the mouth of Benjamin’s bag. All a staged test to dip his finger into the waters of his brother’s hearts to truly see if change had happened or those bitter angry hearts remained. They sold him into slavery and left him for dead 24 years ago, would they do the same to Benjamin today?
Joseph sends out his guards to apprehend them just outside the city and they of course unbeknownst, are caught red-handed with the money and the cup. They are dragged back into the city and stand, stunned, in front of Joseph. He pours it on thick and basically says, how could you do this to me after how well I just treated each of you? The penalty for their “crime?” The one that stole the cup will remain as a slave in Egypt but the rest of you are free to go. You see what Joseph is up to right? He has handed them an opportunity to truly show the colors of their heart. Can a heart change?
The result is something that will give you goosebumps. Of all the brothers, Judah steps forward. Now it’s important here to back up and remember who these brothers are again. There are 12 brothers total, all sons of Jacob. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel back in Genesis 32 so therefore these 12 are “the sons of Israel.” As a result, these 12 will create the 12 tribes of Israel that we will see continue to be a major thread throughout God’s Word all the way to the end of the entire book, Revelation. But it’s super important to note that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will only come from one of these tribes, the tribe of Judah. The man that has just stepped forward, a man with a new changed heart, will deliver one of the most soulful, honest, monologues in God’s Word. When a man is brought to his knees, his heart is bared. Listen to the words of Judah:
“So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father, and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy’s life, sees that the boy isn’t there, he will die. Your servants will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave in sorrow. Your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father. I said, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!’ “Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come on my father.”
Listen to Judah. Let me remain in his place. Let me take his place. Let me be the substitute for his wrongs. Punish me for his sin. Folks, what you see here is a heart that is shining with the light of God. What you see is a changed heart. What you see here is the heart of Jesus Christ.
Jesus came long ago for a purpose. We have all committed sins against our Holy and Righteous God. “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23) How can we ever hope to take this ugly, dark sin into the presence of a Pure and Holy God? The answer is you can’t. We will never be able to bring our sin into the presence of God in Heaven. So out of the strongest love that ever existed, God made a way. “ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Jesus Christ’s purpose was that of a sacrifice. He came to give Himself for us. He came to hang on a Cross and say, “Let me take their place.” His actions on that Cross 2000 years ago said, “Punish me and let them go.” Jesus Christ, from the line of Judah, will save all those that call upon His name...for eternity.
Folks, I've learned that hearts can change, but not on their own. Newton’s first law of dynamics states that an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. A heart can change if it is acted upon by an outside force. And that force is the Holy Spirit of God. A bad heart can become a good heart and a good heart can become like the heart of God, if and when the Holy Spirit moves into it and does the remodeling. So, if you’re seeking a heart change today, how do you usher in this change? Folks, it’s the most beautiful offer the world has ever known…just ask. Ask the Holy Spirit of God to come into your heart and change it. Maybe you’ve thrown people into pits in your past but today is a new day. Today can be the single biggest day of your life. Call upon the name of Jesus and just as Judah did for Benjamin, Jesus will step in to be your substitute. He has taken your place and fully paid for your guilt, your sin and your shame. Call Him Lord today and enjoy a new changed heart.
If you’re reading this, you are being prayed for.
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