Discipline Has A Face

DISCIPLINE HAS A FACE
6th Sermon: 1 NOVEMBER
Resources: Genesis, Derek Kidner
Genesis, Bruce Waltke
Genesis, Walter Brueggemann
Genesis, in Expositor's Bible Commentary, John Sailhamer
Discipline, a sermon by Tim Keller

Reading: Genesis 41:46--42:28
The story thus far…
Joseph pushed his ten brothers once too often, so they conspired to detain him and sell him to slave traders passing by.
Joseph is sold again to Potiphar, a high-ranking Egyptian, who recognized his unusual abilities and placed him in charge of his entire household.
Potiphar’s wife attempted to seduce Joseph, then when he refused, falsely accused him as the aggressor. Potiphar had Joseph arrested and placed in prison.
After two years in prison, Joseph was given charge of the prison by the chief jailer. While there, two of the King’s arrested court officers had dreams, told Joseph, who then interpreted their dreams accurately. No credit was given.
Two years later, Pharaoh had a dream, called for interpreters, who could do nothing. Joseph’s name was recalled; he interpreted the dream to the Pharaoh’s satisfaction.
Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of preparing for the dream’s fulfillment.
Now that he is out of prison, married to an Egyptian, and the father of two sons, the story grows more complex: his brothers show up looking to buy food for the famine.

NOTICE:
1. Joseph’s sons—the birth account marks the pivot point of the story.
Manasseh—nasa, ‘forget’
Ephraim—hiprani, “made me fruitful”
2. Doublets:
Literary device: doublets to “prove” that God set this up…

Sailhamer, EBC The central theme of chapter 41 is expressed clearly and forthrightly within the narrative itself by Joseph in
v.32: “the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.”
…the ASSURANCE that God will surely bring future events to pass comes from the fact that the dreams relating those events are repeated twice.
• In the previous chapter the “two” (shene 40:2) officials of the king each had a dream.
• “Two” dreams with the same meaning show that God will certainly bring about that which was foreseen in the dreams. One dream was good, the other bad. The dreams and their interpretations are repeated twice, once by the writer in the narrative of chapter 40 and then again by the cup-bearer before the Pharaoh in vv.9-13.
• After “two years” (shenath ayim v.1), the king himself had “two” (shenith v.5) dreams, one part of each dream was good (“years of great abundance,” v.29) and the other bad (“years of famine,” vv.27, 30).
• Within the narrative, each of the two dreams is repeated twice, once by the writer (vv.1-7) and again by Pharaoh (vv.17-24).
The point of the narrative is that such symmetry in human events is evidence of a divine work.


I. The Story
Waltke--The original prophecy to Joseph is about to be fulfilled quickly in the three journeys to Egypt:
first by Joseph’s ten hateful brothers (42:1-38),
second by them and his younger full brother Benjamin (43:1-45:28), and
third by all the brothers and his father, Jacob (46:1-27).

The family cannot find salvation in Egypt until the brothers are first reconciled with Joseph.

a. Scene I 42:1-38
Waltke: In Scene 1 (42:1-38), the first journey to Egypt, Joseph imprisons Simeon, promising his release upon their second journey with Benjamin in hand. However, by clandestinely placing money in their sacks, Joseph gives them the choice of either returning the money, guaranteeing Simeon’s release, or of keeping it and jeopardizing his freedom.

b. Scene 2 43:23
Waltke: In Scene 2, Joseph’s steward returns Simeon to them as soon as, but only after, they return the money to him (43:23). At the end of that scene, Joseph tests the brothers by giving Benjamin preferential treatment, but without envy the joyous brothers drink freely together.

c. Scene 3
Waltke: In Scene 3, Joseph puts the brothers to their final test of loyalty to a needy brother. This time he makes Benjamin alone appear guilty by clandestinely placing his silver cup in his sack and counseling the other brothers to return home in peace. Judah, however, offers himself as a slave in his brother’s place. Joseph is now free to discard his Egyptian mask; they prove they are brothers he can trust through thick and thin. He assures them of his good will.
…he brilliantly regroups the brothers in the same way as in the first scene of this book. However, instead of the brothers ganging up against Rachel’s son (Joseph), they rally round Rachel’s son (Benjamin). Instead of being cold and indifferent to their father, as in Scene 1, they are now filled with compassion for him.
In retrospect, it is clear that Joseph’s harsh, accusing treatment of his brothers serves both to discipline them and to test them, not to vent his spleen. Through his severe mercy they confess their sin and renounce their hateful ways (42:21, 28; 44:16). At the end of the day, he does them only good, not harm.

d. Scene 4
Waltke: In Scene 4, the act’s denouement, the whole family migrates toward Egypt to find salvation with Joseph.

II. The Meaning of the Story
a. The patterns in the story are repetitive but purposeful.
i. Joseph’s ups and downs are repeated for his brothers.
ii. The family’s ups and downs are repeated for Israel.

Waltke: Joseph prefigures Moses at the founding of Israel and Daniel at the end of Israel’s monarchy. All three, oppressed captives in a hostile land, come to power by pitting God’s wisdom against the wise of this world and displaying the superiority of God’s wisdom and his rule over the nations. They prefigure Christ, God’s wisdom, who astonishingly is raised from the cross to rule the world (1 Cor. 1:18-2:16; Rev. 12:1-5). As all were commanded to bow before Joseph (Gen. 41:43), so “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow” (Phil. 2:10),.

iii. …and for Moses
iv. …and for David

Waltke: In the case of Jacob, this pattern was necessary to discipline Jacob and prepare him to become a true covenant partner in God’s blessing. This is less obvious in the case of Joseph. His afflictions are unjust. But each person learns dependence on God. Roop states, “The pilgrimage of Joseph from slave to vice-regent parallels the journey of Israel as escapees from Egypt to the nation under Solomon, the life of David from shepherd’s helper to king, and the story of Jesus from manger to the right hand of God…The presence of God brings life in the place of death, honor instead of humiliation, and fertility over sterility…The story depends not on the prowess of the people, but the presence of God, Immanuel (Matt. 1:20-23).” This pattern of humility and exaltation is the pattern for all saints: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” (I Peter 5:6).

Brueggemann—“This narrative affirms that power is a good thing. It celebrates the capacity to make tough decisions, to face crisis boldly, and to practice prudence so that the empire can be fed…This is public power for the public good.”
Cf Christ on the teaching that the first shall be last, Matt. 19:30; 20:16; Mark 9:35; 10:31.

b. The purpose of God is to reconcile and restore, as a true Father.
i. The family was fractured and only God could bring reconciliation.
ii. The reconciled family could then be restored with blessing.

Joseph uses his knowledge of his brothers both to fulfill his calling and to test their love and loyalty to a brother in need.

i. What about the negative side of God’s sovereignty?
ii. Von Rad—What is theologicially noteworthy is the way in which the strong predestination content of the speech is combined with a strong summons to action. The fact that God has determined the matter, that God hastens to bring it to pass, is precisely the reason for responsible leaders to take measure!”

c. God used a roller-coaster to DISCIPLINE Joseph.
i. Privileged son & brother to
ii. Detained captive to
iii. Slave to
iv. Prisoner to
v. Prime Minister of Egypt.
d. Joseph used roller-coaster DISCIPLINE to change his brothers.
i. Joseph moves his brothers back and forth from Egypt to Canaan and back again.
1. Scene 1
2. Scene 2
3. Scene 3
4. Scene 4
ii. Joseph’s harsh tone is not surprising. 42:7
1. His brothers had been harsh to him, threatening death and imprisonment.
2. He was not responding in kind: how do we know?
a. They were not killed!
b. They were not imprisoned!
c. He wept at every contact.

43:24 “The steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet and provided fodder for their donkeys. Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there.
43:30 Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.
45:1-2 Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping.
45:14-15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them.
50:17 Afterward his brothers talked with him. ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.”

i. Kidner Behind the harsh pose there was warm affection (42:24, etc.), and after the ordeal overwhelming kindness. Even the threats were tempered with mercy (cf. 42:16-19; 44:9,10), and the shocks that were administered took the form of embarrassments rather than blows. A vindictive Joseph could have dismayed his brohers with worthless sackloads, or tantalized them at his feast as they had tantalized him (37:24, 25); his enigmatic gifts were a kinder and more searching test.
iii. Joseph is doing for his brothers what God had done for him.
1. Dreamer to slave to servant to prisoner to prime minister.
2. Shepherds to hungry to falsely accused to restored.
Kidner—
Just how well-judged was his policy can be seen in the growth of quite new attitudes in the brothers, as the alternating sun and frost broke them open to God.

III. Where do we go from here?
a. God is SOVEREIGN and good.
i. We have all been disciplined, but by imperfect parents; thus, we fear and avoid more.
ii. God superintends such that His people are certain to experience the benefit of His promises.
1. Hebrews 12:
Heb. 12:3 ¶ For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary 1band lose heart.
Heb. 12:4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;
Heb. 12:5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,
“MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD,
NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;
Heb. 12:6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,
AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.”
Heb. 12:7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
Heb. 12:8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
Heb. 12:9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?
Heb. 12:10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.
Heb. 12:11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

2. Philippians 1:6“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”


What about us?
b. We can be RECONCILED as we acknowledge the sovereign goodness of God, who DISCIPLINES us through the choices that OTHERS make.
i. Discipline requires firm love.
ii. Discipline involves genuine mercy.


c. The Gospel
Another, greater, Joseph was DISCIPLINED, not for His own sins, but for ours.
He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth.