Tag: Benjamin

Updated: 5/18/2026

Sermon Prep

I wrote this and the next Joseph sermon the Sunday through Tuesday after my last message. Wanted to feel prepared and not rushed this time around given that last couple sermons I was just under the gun trying to get them done. This sermon blitz I did I think made this message and the next one very polished since I got such a leg up on the writing.

What was also on my mind was my health, which led to me leaving work early in the afternoon on Wednesday due to hemisensory symptoms I had for over 24 hours prior. I looked up my symptoms on Claude before calling a nurse in-network who said I might be having a stroke, so she helped me look up the closest walk-in clinic. That night eventually brought me to the ER where those symptoms were identified as nerve inflammation. From there I met with my PCP who ordered MRIs later in the month as well.

That health episode, along with my wife and I considering a move to Texas was on my mind heavily leading up to this message. The Texas move was on our mind because we were planning our yearly visit and we know one day we will move, so to move somewhere that family lives just adds up. It’s not happening, but at the time it felt very real. Lastly, I finally decided to share my story of bitterness publicly for the first time outside of this blog and that weighed on me the most. I’ve always avoided it because I never really knew how to go about it and was afraid to open those forgiven wounds again. For this message I finally did and the notes for the message are below:

Sermon Notes

Opening Prayer

• Father God, lead us this morning as we search the scriptures. Thank you for your Son whose sacrifice is our salvation. Dwell with us, Holy Spirit, as you teach us today. Amen.

Intro

• Story of bitterness towards brother, then finding forgiveness years later.

Main Point

• Reconciling broken relationships is a step in the spiritual journey we all must do.
  • God’s providence is more powerful than your past, which can be reconciled.

Now You See Me | Genesis 45:1-24 (NRSVue)

“[1] Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Send everyone away from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. [2] And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. [3] Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence. [4] Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. [5] And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. [6] For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. [7] God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to keep alive for you many survivors. [8] So it was not you who sent me here but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. [9] Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me; do not delay. [10] You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. [11] I will provide for you there, since there are five more years of famine to come, so that you and your household and all that you have will not come to poverty.’ [12] And now your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my own mouth that speaks to you. [13] You must tell my father how greatly I am honored in Egypt and all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” [14] Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, while Benjamin wept upon his neck. [15] And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them, and after that his brothers talked with him. [16] When the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” Pharaoh and his servants were pleased. [17] Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your animals and go back to the land of Canaan. [18] Take your father and your households and come to me, so that I may give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you may enjoy the fat of the land.’ [19] You are further charged to say, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. [20] Give no thought to your possessions, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ” [21] The sons of Israel did so. Joseph gave them wagons according to the instruction of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey. [22] To each one of them he gave a set of garments, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five sets of garments. [23] To his father he sent the following: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. [24] Then he sent his brothers on their way, and as they were leaving he said to them, “Do not quarrel along the way.””

• וְלֹֽא־יָכֹ֨ל יוֹסֵ֜ף לְהִתְאַפֵּ֗ק (Velo yakhol Yosef lehit’apek) – “Joseph could no longer control himself” in Hebrew reflects an emotional/physical empathetic response (Genesis 45:1).
• The Ten react similarly to how people act when they see angels or God (Genesis 45:3).
  • See Daniel 10:15, Matthew 28:5, and Luke 1:12
• גְּשׁוּ־נָ֥א אֵלַ֖י” (Geshu naelai) – “Come closer to me.” is used in covenant contexts like Deuteronomy 5:27 and parallels what Judah does in Genesis 44:18. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus uses a similar term in Koine Greek inviting all to “Come to me” (Genesis 45:4).
  • Egyptians considered Hebrews unclean and kept a physical distance from them.
  • Just as Judah crossed the distance for Benjamin, so Joseph does the same when he invites his brothers to come close. Given cultural norms, this was significant.
• לְאָ֖ב לְפַרְעֹ֗ה (le’āv lephar’ōh)  – “a father to Pharaoh” refers to a vizier, which was someone that advised Pharoah with their wisdom and Pharaoh listened (Genesis 45:8).
  • Joseph has three roles, which again reiterates God’s divine completion in his life.
• He gives Benjamin 5 sets of garments, which parallels 5 portions of food (Genesis 45:22).
  • In Judaism, the number 5 means divine protection and/or divine provision.
    • Also echoes to the tribe of Benjamin seen in Mordecai (Esther 2:5, 8:15).
    • Mordecai is a Benjamite given 5 sets of garments by the king.
    • Benjamin (son of my right hand) → Mordecai (i.e. man of the right hand).
  • Joseph giving Benjamin 300 pieces of silver contrasts with the Ten selling Joseph for only 20 pieces of silver in Genesis 37:28 and again tests if they’re still jealous.
• “Do not quarrel along the way” is ironic given the events of Genesis 37 (Genesis 45:24).

Why It Matters

• Just as God reconciles us to himself, so too we need to reconcile our broken past.
  • In Christ, we have the strength to overcome the brokenness of the past.

Power Text

“[21] “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder,’ and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ [22] But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment, and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council, and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. [23] So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, [24] leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:21-24)

• True reconciliation doesn’t just include repentance, but repairing what’s been broken.

“[2] All deeds are right in the sight of the doer, but the Lord weighs the heart. [3] To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.” (Proverbs 21:2-3)

• God would rather have us make wrongs right, then pretend everything is peaceful.

Outro

• What relationship is on the backburner? Who are you pretending isn’t there?
  • Cross the distance and go the extra mile in order to right past wrongs.
• If Jesus was willing to cross the distance at one moment by dying on the cross for you when you deserved death, then you can do the same and right the wrongs of your past.

Final Thoughts

My best friend Andrew said it was a powerful message on forgiveness after the fact, but I didn’t like how I went about sharing the story of my brother and I. It didn’t come out right and in retrospect I just don’t think that story should’ve been made public. I even feel the same way about blogging about it today where a younger me used it as a way to forgive myself and work through that in written word, but that should’ve been done in a private journal not online. That post is still on my blog, but the damage has already been done at that point. By damage I mean, everyone knowing that story now from my community at least.

Because of how much I felt so nervous to share that story of my brother and I, the reception and delivery was okay. It ended up being so serious and the tone was quite dark. Again, I’m grateful it’s not recorded because I have regrets in telling that story openly. Not all of your testimony needs to be public knowledge. God knows who you were, who you are, and who you will be one day. Leave all of your heart and it’s heartache with him, then be wise with how and who you share your heart with on Earth. With that, Godspeed and Jesus bless.