Message of the Week
The Little White Community Church
Scripture: Gen. 42:29 – 44:34
July 12, 2026
Message: “A Change of Heart!”
by Pastor George Gnade
Introduction:
1. There is a chorus that we sing that says: “Things are different now; something happened to me when I gave my life to Jesus.” Praise God we can change and become better people.
2. Today’s lesson is about that kind of change. As most of you know, we’ve been studying the story of Joseph who was sold by his brothers as a slave and never expected to see him again.
a. They never dreamed he would someday be raised up and become the second in command over all of Egypt.
b. They never imagined that 20 years later, due to an extreme famine, they would have to go to Egypt for food only to meet their brother again.
3. This time Joseph had the advantage. He looked like an Egyptian and worked through an interpreter.
So Joseph recognized them, but they did not recognize him.
a. He said they looked like spies. They were being profiled and didn’t like it. Rueben was the oldest and told his brothers this was their own fault for what they had done years ago. They didn’t know Joseph understood every word they said.
b. He drilled them with questions. Then he put them in jail for three days. Finally he gave them food but hung on to Simeon.
4. They had told him they had an elderly father and a younger brother who was deeply loved by him. Joseph said they had to prove their innocence by bringing their brother with them. Then he would release Simeon to them and give them more food.
a. Simeon was next to the oldest. He and Levi had once murdered an entire village just to get even with a man who had dishonored their sister Dinah. Not only that, he had had no pity on Joseph when they sold him as a slave. So he was the logical one to keep behind.
b. Joseph had Simeon put back in prison before sending them home to help their father and brother. This brings us the passage we are studying today.
A. Let us consider how some of them reacted, beginning with Jacob, Joseph’s father.
1. He had been through this once before. Rachel had been his favorite wife. She had had two sons, namely Joseph and Benjamin. But she died giving birth to Benjamin. Jacob’s other ten sons were older.
a. One day Jacob had sent Joseph to check on them as they cared for the sheep. When they return-ed, Joseph was not with them. They said he was killed by a wild animal. Joseph’s grief was unbearable. Now they returned without Simeon and said they had to bring Benjamin with them to get more food and to get Simeon back.
b. His grief immobilized him. His concern for Simeon was bad enough. His fear of losing Benjamin was overwhelming. But the food ran out.
c. Something had to be done. No one can solve a problem by ignoring it. At a certain point, we must trust the Lord and do what we have to do.
3. As Christians, we can be comforted by remembering how Jesus died for us. Thus God knows what grief is all about. In fact, that is why Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to take His place and to comfort us in the process. As the song writer put it: “The Comforter has come! The comforter has come!” Jacob would soon discover how God would comfort him too.
B. The second person to consider today is Rueben.
1. He had once hurt his dad by committing adultery with one of his concubines. That was a terrible mistake, but he learned from it. He saw the pain in his father’s eyes and did not want to hurt him again.
a. So when his brothers wanted to kill Joseph, he tried to stop them. When they sold him as a slave, he had great concern for his father (Gen. 35:22).
b. Now he begs his father to entrust Benjamin to him. If he fails, his father can kill his own two sons, to make up for the loss of Jacob’s two sons.
c. That did not comfort Jacob. It would only add to his grief. After all, he loved his grandchildren too.
2. That is why some folks misunderstand the death of Christ. Why would God kill His own innocent Son to help us? That doesn’t seem right or fair to Jesus.
a. They forget that Jesus died willingly. No one could take His life from Him. He laid it down, but also had the power to take it again (John 10:17-18).
b. Not only that, they forget that Jesus is also God. So God was not punishing someone else. He was punishing Himself. That is what love is all about (Acts 20: 28 N.I.V., also John 15:13).
3. But Rueben’s reactions do teach us an important lesson. After he sinned, he saw the grief in his father’s eyes and that changed his life. He wanted to do better. When we as Christians come to realize how much grief our sins are causing our heavenly Father, it should motivate us so that we want to change too.
Peter is an excellent example of that. After he denied the Lord, he saw how Jesus looked at him. He broke down and cried. He never denied Him again.
C. This brings us to the reactions of Judah.
1. Knowing his father was most concerned about Benjamin, he said to him: “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go so we may live and not die… I will be surety for him, of my hand you may require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I will bear the blame forever”(Gen. 43:9).
a. History has a way of repeating itself. Instead of Joseph being the favorite son, now Benjamin was.
b. The other sons still had good reasons for being jealous. They could just as easily plot and plan to get rid of Benjamin as they had planned to get rid of Joseph (Gen. 37:18-20).
2. But that was no longer the case. It was certainly no longer the intention of Judah. Like Rueben, he could no longer deliberately hurt his father by hurting his brother. But Judah went one step farther. By putting himself on the line, he hoped Jacob would let them go. So they went back to Egypt.
3. Joseph released Simeon and invited them to his house for dinner (Gen. 43:11-25).They expected him to make slaves of them. Instead he gave them plenty of food to eat and then sent them on their way.
a. Then came the biggest test. Joseph put his own silver cup in Benjamin’s sack and sent his men to accuse Benjamin of stealing. So the stage was set.
b. Would the brothers care or be glad to get rid of him like they had Joseph?
4. This time Judah gave a passionate speech, pleading for his grieving father and the life of his brother. Then he added: “Now, therefore, let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord. But let the lad go back …for I fear to see the evil that would come upon my father” (Gen. 44:33-34).
a. In doing so, he became a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ who willingly gave his life that we may live. Judah had really changed; he had a changed heart. He was different now. This was sacrificial love.
For this reason, God chose Judah to be the one through whom Christ would be born.
b. We have all sinned and hurt our Father in heaven. Although we have all helped to put Jesus on the cross, if we will repent and show a true change of heart, Jesus will forgive us and bless us.
5. As it turned out, that is what Joseph did too.
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