BIG PICTURE: Genesis 44 and 45 close a three-chapter unit that documents the reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers. As such, it focuses on the tests that Joseph sets for his brothers, which leads to Judah’s crucial intervention. It is Judah’s willingness to sacrifice himself on behalf of Benjamin, out of deep concern for his father, that enables Joseph to see the change that has taken place in his brothers. This paves the way for Joseph to reveal his identity to his brothers and for the reconciliation to reach completion. Joseph has one last mission for his brothers: go home and get Jacob, their father. This mission has no strings attached, no test at the end. When they get there and tell Jacob the good news— “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt!” — he can’t believe it; it’s too good to be true. His beloved son was lost, but now he’s found. He was dead, but now he’s alive again. The news of Joseph’s resurrection brings Jacob back to life.

Compatibilism Defined: The bible as a whole, and sometimes in specific texts, presupposes or teaches that both of the following propositions are simultaneously true:

1. God is absolutely sovereign, but his sovereignty never functions in such a way that human responsibility is curtailed, minimized, or mitigated.
2. Human beings are morally responsible creatures – they significantly choose, rebel, obey, believe, defy, make decisions and so forth, and they are rightly held accountable for such actions; but this characteristic never functions so as to make God absolutely contingent (secondary, a responder, dependent upon us in some sense).

Compatibilism Assumed or Taught in Scripture

• Genesis 50:19-20
• Leviticus 20:7-8
• 1 Kings 8:46ff
• 1 Kings 11:11–13, 29–39; 12:1–15
• Isiah 10:5ff
• John 6:37-40
• Acts 18:9-10
• Philippians 2:12-13
• Acts 4:23-31

This sermon is indebted to Sam Emadi’s “From Prisoner to Prince”; D.A. Carson’s “Priorities From Paul and His Prayers”; Ian Duguid’s “Genesis”; Alex Duke’s “From Eden to Egypt”; and “Bible Talk” with Jim Hamilton and Sam Emadi.