Genesis chapter 43, I'll begin reading in verse 15. So the men took that present and Benjamin and they took double money in their hand and arose and went down to Egypt and they stood before Joseph. When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, take these men to my home and slaughter an animal and make ready for these men will dine with me at noon. Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph's house. Now the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph's house. And they said, it is because of the money which was returned in our sacks the first time that we are brought in so that he may make a case against us and seize us to take us as slaves with our donkeys. When they drew near to the steward of Joseph's house, they talked with him at the door of the house and they said, oh sir, we indeed came down the first time to buy food. But it happened when we came to the encampment that we opened our sacks and there each man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it back in our hand. And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks, but he said, peace be with you. Do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks. I had your money. Then he brought Simeon out to them. So the man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water and they washed their feet. And he gave their donkeys feed. Then they made the present ready for Joseph's coming at noon, for they heard that he would eat bread there. And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present. which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the earth. Then he asked them about their well-being and said, is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive? And they answered, your servant, our father, is in good health. He is still alive. And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves. Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me? And he said, God be gracious to you, my son. Now his heart yearned for his brother. So Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there. Then he washed his face and came out and he restrained himself and said, serve the bread. So they set him a place by himself and them by themselves. And the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. And they sat before him, the firstborn, according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked in astonishment at one another. Then he took servings to them from before him. But Benjamin's serving was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him. So here in this section of scripture, we find many lessons related to the gift of salvation, which Christ, by his Holy Spirit, teaches unbelievers as he is leading them to the place where he will reveal himself personally to those whom God has chosen. A person who is thus being drawn to Christ may not understand the reasons for the many unusual things that are happening to them, but they will find the grace of Christ to be irresistible. This is the picture that's being given to us in the verses that I've just read to you. We have seen in past studies that Joseph was intending to save his brothers from their predicament of their not having grain. But in the process of doing so, he would also teach them how much he loved them personally. His love, however, was hidden from them for a time. He concealed it behind a mask of suspicion and disapproval. Strange way to show love, you say to me. Perhaps, but all of God's purposes in salvation must have their accomplishment. So the question that I will set before you at this hour is this. What are the spiritual misconceptions that these brothers had concerning Joseph's loving generosity? Things which prevented them from immediately coming to know Joseph for who he really was. For these are the very same misconceptions that needy sinners often have today in how they view Him. And therefore, as we look more carefully into the words of our text, I believe that we will see that these men had three spiritual misconceptions, which perhaps you or others whom you love might have as well. When I relate these misconceptions to you, I hope that it will convince you to draw near to Christ so that you may partake of the rich spiritual blessings which he has prepared for you. First of all, Joseph's brothers did not understand that his inviting them into his house was not for the purpose of making them slaves. verses 18 to 23. Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph's house. It says in verse 17. So we've seen in past studies that Joseph so ordered his relationship with his brothers during this time period before he revealed himself to them that he brought them to conviction over their former sins against him. He also led them to the place where they would have to lose their life. so that they might find it. Both of these are essential lessons to learn as we are coming to Jesus Christ for salvation and as we are living the Christian life. So this morning there is another lesson that Joseph would teach his brothers. It's often the case with unbelievers whom God is intending to save from their sins that they do not understand the ways of God's gracious dealings with them. They're expecting favor to be shown to them based upon their own preparations, their own works, when in reality they will be shown mercy and grace simply because Joseph would demonstrate his love and generosity to them even though they had sinned against him. When we take Joseph to be a type of our Lord Jesus Christ, how then can we apply this invitation given by Joseph to his brothers to come to his house? We can apply it by thinking about what it means to be brought to church. for the first time. I wonder if you remember the first time that you were brought into an evangelical Bible-believing church, or even more amazing, when you were brought into a Reformed church, which holds to the doctrines of grace and a serious and reverent worship. Truly, it's an experience to remember. Verse 18 says, now the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house. And they said, it is because of the money which was returned into our sacks the first time that we are brought in so that he may make a case against us and seize us to take us as slaves with our donkeys. Now, I want you to see that Joseph had intended this invitation to come to his house to be a special treat to them. It was a special blessing. that he was giving to them. Joseph was showing them his good intentions toward them. He was showing them that he had a real concern for their welfare. He was attempting to convince them particularly that he was intending great good for them, but they didn't believe it. At least at first, they came into Joseph's house because they knew this was going to be the only way that they could obtain food for their stomachs. but God and Joseph intended something much more. And this is how it often is when a person who knows themselves in general to be a sinner and is thinking about coming to Christ. They know that there are problems in their lives. They are afraid. They suspect the Lord is making a case against them. Through the preaching of the word, they feel this. They feel guilty, but yet they want an answer. for the meaning of their life. But they think that God is intending to seize them and take them to be his slaves along with everything that they own that is of any real value. This is often why people are so shy of coming to church. They are afraid of what might happen to them and what they might lose of their present life. When a person is first thinking about what coming to know the Lord might mean, these are the kind of thoughts that come to them. They don't see the good things that the Lord will do for them in bringing them into his house, the church. They fear that they are entering a sort of bondage from which they will not be able to escape. No man can convince them differently. They must be convinced by the Lord himself that this is not true. They know that they have physical needs that must be met, and often the Lord will arrange their circumstances and work in their hearts so that they will see that it would be good and helpful to themselves if they went to church They're beginning to see Jesus as the answer to receiving real and tangible help for themselves, but they do not as of yet realize the depth of the problem of sin in their hearts. They simply would like the Lord to help them. They still see themselves as self-sufficient. They see themselves as self-made men or women. They can make their own decisions. They think that they can do what God's word tells them, but they're blind to who Jesus really is as the savior of the world, the one who will save them from all their sins. They want very much to see him simply as the one who will help them through their present trial. To them, the Lord Jesus is not their absolute and permanent, Savior and teacher, but he is to them the only answer. So that they can get through their current predicament. Now, let me ask you the question. Is this you? Are you afraid of becoming the Lord's slave? Are you afraid that he is making a case against you because of your past sins? Or even a case against you based on the things that you really have not done? You need to know that Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He knows everything that has brought you to this point in your life. He really does know every sinner who comes to him, why they are coming and what they need. So don't be afraid of coming into his house, the church. This is the place where he often shows his greatest kindnesses. It is where he reveals his saving love. You have nothing to be afraid of. You have everything to gain and nothing but sin and ignorance to lose. The help that Christ will give you, the greatest help that he will bring to you will come through the preaching and teaching of his word. And that takes place in his house. the church. He sends a helper to begin and to continue the good work of revealing himself. In our story, Joseph's steward is a good picture of the Holy Spirit. He is acting on Joseph's express orders. In verse 19, it says, when they drew near to the steward of Joseph's house, they talked with him at the door of the house and they said, oh sir, we indeed came down the first time to buy food, but it happened when we came to the encampment that we opened our sacks and there each man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it back in our hand. and we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks." So these words do indeed show what the major concern was in their hearts, and it shows us also what the major concern is in the heart of sinners as they come to Christ for help. In their minds, it's the idea that they're sincerely trying to do the right thing, that they're sincerely trying to transact salvation with Him based upon their own works and their own being responsible for themselves. They're trying to righteously pay for the things that they need and the things that they want in this life. So Christ, by means of his spirit, must convince them that salvation is not by their works, but he does this without destroying the sincerity of the sinner to want to do whatever they can to help themselves and to be responsible. And truly, this is a legitimate concern in righteousness, for it is wrong not to pay for the things that you need to sustain your life, the things that you come to obtain from or through other men. But you must understand that the things that God gives in relation to eternal life, the things that He gives to you that will lead you to be responsible and prosperous in His sight, all of these things come to you freely by His grace. This is a truth that the Holy Spirit has to convince every person of, those who come to Jesus Christ looking for salvation. It's a truth which affects everything you do in coming through the door of salvation. and in living the Christian life. In verse 23, it says that Joseph's steward said, peace be with you. Do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks. I had your money. Then he brought Simeon out to them. Now I want you to see that Christ's steward, the Holy Spirit, sees all the intentions of your heart. If you are coming to Jesus Christ for help and salvation, you must come to understand that it is the very real work of the Holy Spirit to speak comfort and peace to you when you're doing the right thing. Peace be with you, He says. Do not be afraid. Well, the Holy Spirit is the porter or the steward at the door of Christ's house. He's the one who lets people in, who opened the door of Christ's house to them. So you'll find that the Lord Jesus himself speaks of the Holy Spirit in this divinely appointed office of his in John chapter 10, verses one to six. He says, most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. So Jesus is speaking of the difference between true and false teachers, and especially relating it in the context of himself being true. He says in verse 3, to him that is the true teacher, the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice. And he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them and the sheep follow him for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him for they do not know the voice of strangers. So Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which he spoke to them. Then he said to them, most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. Verse nine, if anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. So you see Christ is the door and the Holy Spirit is the doorkeeper to your entering into all the blessings of salvation. He's the doorkeeper in relation to your entering in the house of the Lord. Favor will be shown to you to enter Christ's house and into all the blessings of salvation. Not on the basis of your best works, not on the basis of your best intentions, but only because of Christ's grace to you. He has your money, but he gives it back to you. And you cannot understand why. The reason is, is that salvation is all of grace. And so you come to understand how truly gracious and loving and generous Christ is. Now second, Joseph's brothers had a craven fear in relation to Joseph's inquiries about their father. So the man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water and they washed their feet and he gave their donkeys feed. Then they made the present ready for Joseph's coming at noon for they heard that they would eat bread there. And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present, which was in their hand, into the house and bowed down before him to the earth. This present we saw in our last sermon was the present of their sincere desire to show Joseph their good intentions. The fact that they were not only honest men, but also that they had the desire to bring something to him, which would show him their good intentions to please him. Their intention was to give him the things that would please him, and delight him, and refresh him. Then he would know for sure that they were true men, so they thought. And indeed it was a good thing for them to have done. It says in verse 26, and when Joseph came home, they brought him the present, which was in their hand into the house and bowed down before him to the earth. So it's always a good thing when you come into the house of the Lord that you come with the intention of giving him the gift of your sincere attention. to see if perhaps you might find mercy from him during the preaching of his word. It's often in his house where the greatness of Christ's mercy and his grace are realized. But when you come to church, you should realize that as he's speaking to you through his word, that he's also inquiring about your welfare and the welfare of the people who are closest to you as well. He's especially concerned about the thoughts of your heart. the thoughts of your mind, what your impression is of the welfare of the Christians who have brought you to the place where you have wanted to come to church. Let me ask you this. Do you think about the welfare, for instance, of your sainted father, if your father is a believer? Do you think about your loving mother? and all the prayers that both she and your father have prayed for you, that you might come to this place and receive the blessings of salvation by listening to the word of Christ? Are there hopes for your salvation and eternal blessing being realized by you? Verse 27 says, then he asked them about their wellbeing and said, is your father well? the old man of whom you spoke, is he still alive? And they answered, your servant, our father is in good health. He is still alive. And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves. And Joseph lifted his eyes and saw his brother, Benjamin, his mother's son and said, is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me? And he said, God be gracious to you, my son. Now his heart yearned for his brother, it says, so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there. Let me set before you this important truth. Jesus Christ remembers the Christian father or mother who prays and hopes for the salvation of their children. Jesus Christ is the man who wept over Jerusalem and the hardness of the hearts of those who did not recognize the time of his visitation to them. He did this by the words that he spoke to them of his grace. Now I wonder if we truly understand the heart of our Lord Jesus and how as a man He truly must weep in secret over many of us. Joseph's heart yearned over his brother Benjamin. And so too, the heart of our Lord Jesus yearns for each and every sinner who has been given to him by his father to come to him and learn of him. He truly cares for you more deeply than any person can care for you. The brothers, it says, bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves to Joseph twice in this conversation. And I believe that they were still afraid of what Joseph's intentions were toward them. They wanted to make sure that he knew that they were straightforward and sincere in all that they did and said, but Joseph only wanted them to know how much he loved them. and how much he wanted God's blessing for them. God be gracious to you, my son, he says to Benjamin, and then he cannot hold back his tears. He must leave the room. So too, I am sure that the Lord Jesus has great and mighty affections in his heart for the salvation of sinners and for the loving obedience of his saints that no one knows but himself. Do you realize this today as I speak to you, that Christ is seated on the throne of grace, and although his eyes are a flame of fire, as it says in one place, that it is also just as true that he is the God-man who is filled with compassion, pity, love, and feeling for all those who come to him for grace? Oh, that I could convey to you the depths of this love of Jesus Christ. how ready he is, how eager he is to save you and to help you, how I long to be able to convince you even now to apply to him for grace, how he yearns over his elect people's salvation, all sinners who will come to him, how open and generous he is with his grace to all who will come to him. There's no reason for a craven fear. Every knee will indeed bow and every tongue will indeed confess him someday, even those who go away to eternal destruction. But there's no need for craven fear now. Come unto Jesus and you will find every blessing of salvation that you will ever need. And then third, Joseph's brothers did not understand why Benjamin should have five times as much as the rest of them at the meal that was served. Verses 31 to 34, then Joseph washed his face and came out and he restrained himself and said, serve the bread. So they set him a place by himself and them by themselves and the Egyptians who were with him by themselves because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. And they sat food before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked in astonishment at one another. Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin's serving was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him. Now, what does all this mean for us? I think that we can apply it in this way. Our Lord Jesus Christ is now in a place by himself in regard to dining with his people and also with the people of this world. He is seated at the right hand of the majesty on high. He watches over the affairs of all men, and he notices everything. All power and authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. worldly people may come to church and they may partake of the same sermon, the same meal of the gospel feast, and yet they are not brought into the same kind of communion as those who are his spiritual relatives. This is because of their own prejudices and not because of a lack of goodwill on the part of the master of the house. It says concerning the Egyptians that eating food with the Hebrews was an abomination to them. Both the Egyptians and the Hebrews ate at this meal, but not together. So it is with the person who would hold on to the world and their own ideas of salvation. They cannot eat with the Hebrews, those people who are chosen of God for salvation. This is not Christ's fault, for he desires that all would partake and be saved. He knows that all will not, but still this is his holy desire. Among those who are to become Christians, Some receive greater measures of grace than others, and we who are Christians do not understand this. We tend to think that all grace should be equally dispensed, but grace and truth are distributed by Christ according to the measure of his gift. In Romans chapter 12, it says, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service, and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say to you through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function. So we being many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. And Ephesians 4, 7 says the same type of thing. But to each one of us, grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore, he says, when he ascended on high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men. Why did Joseph give five times as much to Benjamin as he did to the rest of the brothers? Well, for one thing, I'm sure that he wanted to test the brothers to see if their eye would be envious as it had been toward him 20 years before. His father had favored him and they hated him as a result. He had had dreams of their bowing down to him, and his father said to him, What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you? And then it says, And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind. So whenever you see a brother or sister who seems to have been given more grace or greater gifts than you have been given, what should you do? Do you envy them? Do you say, I sure wish that I could be favored like that? Or do you consider the matter and say, surely God has given them these gifts? and these abilities for his own good reasons. I should be glad for them, but I will not envy them. For God's purpose for them, having been given so much, is that much shall be required of them. It says in verse 34, then Joseph took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin's was five times as much as any of theirs. It was Joseph that took them their servings. And it says then, so they drank and were merry with him. That is with Benjamin. They rejoiced, even though they did not know the reason for this. So too, we ought to rejoice over those who have been given what appears to us to be much greater grace and gifts than we have. We ought to be merry over them and to thank God for this unequal distribution, which fulfills his good purposes and his good pleasure. The apostle Paul said, in 1 Corinthians 15, 10, but by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God, which was with me. Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach, and so you believed. So the truth is that none of us deserves the gift of salvation. And when Christ is serving at the table, it may appear that others are receiving more than you have received. But will you not remember that Christ knows what measure of grace is right for you, what it will take to save you, and what it will take to sustain you, your soul and your body and your faith, in the days after you have come to him for salvation? So come and receive grace from Christ today in the way spoken of here in Genesis 43, 23 by Joseph Stewart. Peace be with you. Do not be afraid. Your God and God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks. for that is what God's grace is, treasure in the hearts of all those whom God chooses to show mercy to. Well, let's pray together. Father, we do give you thanks that we were able to study these things this morning. We pray that even as you have been abiding with us during the preaching of this message, we ask that you will bless each one of us with a good understanding of these things, that we would see that we do not need to be envious of other people and their gifts, that we would be like the brothers with Benjamin, and receive what Joseph, you, our heavenly Lord Jesus, gives to us in terms of grace and our portion in this life. Help us not to be envious, but help us to serve you with all that you do give to us and be faithful servants in righteousness to you. Bless us, we pray now with these truths, and help us to make due improvement upon them in the days to come, we pray in your blessed name, Lord Jesus. Amen.