THE SILVER CUP IN LITTLE BEN’S SACK (GENESIS 44:1,2; 12-17)

·         Many times we are led thru places where all we can do is depend on God

·         Unexpected they may sweep us off our feet.

·         However, Remember that Silver in the Bible represents REDEMPTION.

Here in the context we read….Benjamin was an innocent party that was placed in a trying situation. He was someone that had no knowledge of what had been done in the past, yet he was the one that was suffering for what his brothers had done in their lives. He knew nothing of his brother’s betrayal 22 years before. He had not stolen the cup that was in his sack from Joseph. But He was the one that was facing the embarrassment and the danger of the accusation that had been leveled against him. If something doesn’t happen in his life, he was gonna be a slave the rest of his life or possibly put to death.

THE SACKS = life,

CONTENTS IN THE SACK= necessities to sustain life corn/nutrients.

The contents of Ben’s sack was gonna control his future life.

UNEXPECTED INSTANCES WILL TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE

SICKNESS

1-Cancer

2-Diabetes

3-Heart Disease

Will control your life for the rest of your life.

EMOTIONAL

1-Financial Hardships

2-Failed Relationships

3-Fatalities in your family/friend circle

What has God allowed to be put in your life that will control your life? I am asked the question: “ Is God Angry at me?  If God loves me, why is this happening to me?” “Does God not love me anymore?”

BENJAMIN’S LIFE

·         Sovereign God in charge

·         Joseph’s dealing with Benjamin

·         Changes to bring about Reunions and confessions in our lives.

·         God is not an angry God that just wants us to suffer

·         God always works with a Reason and a Purpose

I. SOVEREIGN COMMANDER—vs. 1-3

            A-JOSEPH

·         Beaten up by his brothers and Placed in a pit

·         Sold into slavery

·         Sent into Potiphar’s house and Falsely accused

·         Thrown into prison and finally got out of prison.

·         Number two man in the world. IN control of what’s going on in people’s lives.

·         A CLEAR PICTURE OF OUR LORD JESUS.

·         He is the one that’s in control of what is placed in their bags. —(They don’t know what they’re getting. They don’t know if it’s good corn, rotten corn, etc. They don’t know if their money is in there or not.)

·         JOSEPH orders the way their bags are filled.

·         JESUS loads us up the way He wants us loaded up.

·         Vs. 1-“fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry.”

·         Different amounts to each one.

·         The younger brother could probably carry more.

·         God controls the amount.

·         We waste a lot of time in jealousy: anger and animosity toward one another.

·         Somebody got a bigger sack than I did.

·         WE NEED TO QUIT WORRYING ABOUT WHAT IS IN EVERYBODY ELSE’S SACK…AND TAKE CARE OF WHAT IS IN OUR OWN SACK.

·         BE FAITHFUL WITH WHAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR SACK.

·         GOD KNOWS HOW TO LOAD YOUR SACK.

·         JOSEPH CONTROLLED THE CORN

·         JOSEPH CONTROLLED THE CURSE(The Silver Cup) IN BENJAMIN’S LIFE.

-NOT A TUMOR WITHOUT GOD’S PERMISSION

-NOT A TRIAL WITHOUT GOD’S PERMISSION

·                     COMPASSIONATE COMMANDER vs. 1-2

A-22 years before, the Brothers did everything in hatred and jealousy…Now Joseph is doing everything with compassion.

·         Even when we don’t do right, God loves us.

·         Everything He loads in our lives, he does it because He loves us.

·         Everything happening in your life is not necessarily for you….It could be to bring someone else closer to God.

·                     COURSE OF LIGHT--vs.3 “As the morning was light”

A-Evidently the sacks were loaded at night

B-They were loaded when these people were asleep

C-They were loaded when these people had no idea whatsoever what was being loaded in their lives or their heart.

D-I wonder what God put in your sack last night.

·         There might be a disease in your body that got loaded last night.(Scientists say that Many are there just laying dormant)

·         Last night there could‘ve been a death or divorce in your family that will affect you for the rest of your life.

·         Your boss man could have made a decision that your services will no longer be needed at the company wherewith you are employed.

Illus: I spoke with a pastor last night and He shared this with me….On September 11, 2001…There were 141 people that were members of the same Baptist church that didn’t show up for work that morning. Some were sick, some had car trouble, some were on vacation, but none showed up for work.

When they woke up sick, they were probably aggravated. They probably kicked the tire on the car cause it wouldn’t start.

·         If they were caught up in traffic, they probably even cussed.

·         The Silver Cup that God placed in their sack…SAVED their lives.

·                     STRANGE CONSEQUENCES—VS. 4-13

How quickly our circumstances can change from..

·         Great to Gruesome AND Delight to Danger

·         Catch us off guard to the point where we can’t even believe it’s happening.

·         Vs. 4-Everything is good in life.

·         When life is good you better enjoy it.

·         Benjamin didn’t know what was put in his sack.

·         Life may be good today, but worse next week.

      1-Tumor in your body

      2-Trouble among believers

      3-Terminated in your business

              RIDE ON HIGH CHANGED TO REALM OF HALLUCINATION.

Vs 4-11 Joseph’s servants talk to the boys…Commander sent them to look for the cup. The boys said—“Remember what we returned. Remember all that we did.”

Nothing could be further from the truth…

“This could never happen to me”--Don’t ever say that.

VS 12-THE REALITY OF THE HORROR

They go down the line…no cup, no cup, no cup, no cup…THEIR CONFIDENCE HAS GROWN…

THE CUP IS FOUND IN BENJAMIN’S SACK.

Vs. 13-Knocked off their feet because it was so TRUE…yet so horrible…Couldn’t believe it was Benjamin.cause he had never done anything wrong.

The best people I know, are the ones that suffer the most…NO figuring it out…No adding it up…No tallying it out. Their whole lives were changed because of what God had placed in Benjamin’s sack.

V.   SCENE CONCLUSION 14-34

          You might be in the midst of a silver cup in your life…and don’t 

           know what God is doing…

            GOD WAS PLANNING OUT SOMETHING GOOD FOR  

          BENJAMIN’S LIFE.

---Brother’s Confession—vs16 (hidden 22 years.)

---Brethren’s Change vs 17-34

                             It doesn’t do you any good to admit unless you quit. 22  

                             years before, they abandoned their brother, would they

                            do it again?

                                ---Benjamin’s Calmness vs. 13, 14

                        IN the initial report…Benjamin was scared to death…but 

                        now, Benjamin is calmer. Benjamin has turned everything

                       over to Judah.His older brother is pleading his case for him.

                              HIS BROTHER’S NAME IS JUDAH…Jesus is the

                              Lion of the tribe of Judah interceding for us.

·         Even though Benjamin couldn’t change the circumstances…He turned everything over to his older brother.

                        ---Benjamin’s Continuance Genesis 45:21,22

                           What seemed to be his wipe out, made him have five times as  

                      much as anybody else.

                              Keep things in our older brother’s hands, and we’ll continue.

Praise God that there is a land that is fairer than day

·         Trials for Triumph

·         Old Age for youth

Through it all, Old Joseph had his eye on Benjamin.

When Benjamin got afraid, Joseph probably looked at him and grinned.

If it would have gotten to be too much, Joseph would have comforted him.and given him the needed peace in those circumstances.