1. Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide? Genesis 42
The Pinch of Want The Pain of Harsh Treatment The Press of Solitude The Proof of God’s Presence The Pattern of Necessity The Power of True Affections The Purge of Self-Confidence 1

2. Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide? Genesis 42
The Pinch of Want (42:1-5)
The consciences of Joseph’s brothers
They looked at each other at the mention of Egypt, even after 20 years!
We often work hard to kill the conscience.
Under it all, Joseph’s brothers’ consciences had not been totally killed.
God now begins to work on the brothers’ consciences by bringing a pinch of want or need through famine. 2

3. Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide? Genesis 42
The Pinch of Want
God gives us many examples in Scripture of hunger being used to bring man back to Himself.
Hosea – Hosea 2:5-12 3

4. Hosea 2:5-12 (NASB)
5  “For their mother has played the harlot; She who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers, Who give me my bread and my water, My wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.’
8 “For she does not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the new wine and the oil, And lavished on her silver and gold, Which they used for Baal.

5. 9 “Therefore, I will take back My grain at harvest time And My new wine in its season. I will also take away My wool and My flax Given to cover her nakedness.
11  “I will also put an end to all her gaiety, Her feasts, her new moons, her sabbaths And all her festal assemblies.
12  “I will destroy her vines and fig trees, Of which she said, ‘These are my wages Which my lovers have given me.’ And I will make them a forest, And the beasts of the field will devour them.

6. Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide? Genesis 42
The Pinch of Want
God gives us many examples in Scripture of hunger being used to bring man back to Himself.
Hosea – Hosea 2:5-12
Amos – Amos 4:6-10; 8:11-12 3

7. Amos 4:6-10 (NASB)
6  “But I gave you also cleanness of teeth in all your cities And lack of bread in all your places, Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares the Lord.
7  “Furthermore, I withheld the rain from you While there were still three months until harvest. Then I would send rain on one city And on another city I would not send rain; One part would be rained on, While the part not rained on would dry up.

8. 9 “I smote you with scorching wind and mildew; And the caterpillar was devouring Your many gardens and vineyards, fig trees and olive trees; Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares the Lord.
10  “I sent a plague among you after the manner of Egypt; I slew your young men by the sword along with your captured horses, And I made the stench of your camp rise up in your nostrils; Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares the Lord.

9. Amos 8: (NASB)
11  “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the Lord.
12  “People will stagger from sea to sea And from the north even to the east; They will go to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, But they will not find it.

10. Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide? Genesis 42
The Pinch of Want
God gives us many examples in Scripture of hunger being used to bring man back to Himself.
Hosea – Hosea 2:5-12
Amos – Amos 4:6-10; 8:11-12
The Prodigal Son – Luke 15
Psalm 119:67 summarizes all of this. 3

11. Psalm 119:67 (NASB)
67  Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word.

12. Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide? Genesis 42
The Pain of Harsh Treatment (42:6-16)
Sticks and Stones
Joseph recognizes his brothers and speaks harshly to them, perhaps in the same manner they had used with him.
God uses Joseph to get the attention of his brothers and to bring repentance.
Joseph does not allow his own desires to get in the way of God’s plan.
Joseph is following God step by step. 4

13. Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide? Genesis 42
The Pain of Harsh Treatment
The Play’s the Thing
God begins to orchestrate a plan to help the brothers remember, that will bring about repentance.
Joseph calls his brothers spies like they had labeled him.
The brothers are thrown into prison, reminding them of the cistern – v.21. 5

14. Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide? Genesis 42
The Pain of Harsh Treatment
The Results
We must never resent or resist the harsh treatment that God’s Word deals out to us.
God hates sin! He calls us to repentance when that sin is revealed in our hearts through His Word, His Spirit, and His people. 6

15. Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide? Genesis 42
Application
Do you need to confess and repent of your sin as an unbeliever and receive Christ as your Savior?
As a believer, is there unconfessed sin of which you need to repent and be restored?
Is the Holy Spirit acting as your conscience to remind you of unconfessed sin? Is He calling you back into fellowship? 7