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Proclaimed from the Roofs

Words of Faith Final

Proclaimed from the Roofs
Words of Faith 7-21-2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Genesis 42
When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you just keep looking at each other?" [2] He continued, "I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die."
[3] Then ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. [4] But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him. [5] So Israel's sons were among those who went to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.

Guilt has a remarkable way of soaking in over time. As the famine got worse and worse in Canaan, the brothers were more and more miserable. For 13 years, Joseph's brothers had lived with the memories of his cries for mercy. How many times had they relived the terrible moments of betrayal? How often had their minds drifted to the final moments when they sold him into slavery and the image of their brother being carried away?
For years, a great cloud had hung over the family because of the brothers' terrible secret and Jacob's great grief. How many times had one of them urgently wanted to blurt out the truth to their father?
Guilt also has a remarkable way of coming out. Jacob asked, "Why do you just keep looking at each other?" The air in this scene was so thick you could cut it with a knife! As the famine had worsened, the brothers must have suspected that their misery was a direct result of their treachery. This was not necessarily the case, but the furtive glances around the fire puzzled Jacob.
Jacob finally demanded that the brothers go to Egypt and purchase food for the family. Egypt was the last place the brothers wanted to go. Egypt was like a haunted location for them. They did not want to venture in the direction of their guilt. They could never have dreamed what was ahead or that Joseph had such a high place of influence. How ironic that the only path to food led to the very abyss into which they had sent their brother.
There is a powerful message here. Secrets don't stay secret forever. Conspiracies come out. Eventually, we are led to the very place where we need to make reparation and seek forgiveness.
Jesus tells us that what is said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what is whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs (Luke 12:3). Guilt has a way of coming out. More importantly, our guilt is a constant miserable companion until we deal with it.
David put it this way when he was burdened by terrible guilt, "I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me" (Psalm 51:3). The prophet Nathan finally exposed his guilt, and only then did he find peace.
Are you carrying a burden? A secret sin? A reparation that needs to be made? Forgiveness that needs to be sought? We can only sit around the fire in silence for so long. Our sin will be exposed. Why not face it now and come clean with God. He is waiting.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. (Psalm 51:10-14).

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.