Sermon – “Re-United”

⁶ Now Joseph was governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth. ⁷ Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted as a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them. Then he said to them, “Where do you come from?”

And they said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”

⁸ So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. ⁹ Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them, and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!”

¹⁰ And they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. ¹¹ We are all one man’s sons; we are honest men; your servants are not spies.”

¹² But he said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”

¹³ And they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.”

¹⁴ But Joseph said to them, “It is as I spoke to you, saying, ‘You are spies!’ ¹⁵ In this manner you shall be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. ¹⁶ Send one of you, and let him bring your brother; and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be tested to see whether there is any truth in you; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies!” ¹⁷ So he put them all together in prison three days.

¹⁸ Then Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God: ¹⁹ If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses. ²⁰ And bring your youngest brother to me; so your words will be verified, and you shall not die.”

And they did so. ²¹ Then they said to one another, “We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us.”

²² And Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us.” ²³ But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter. ²⁴ And he turned himself away from them and wept. Then he returned to them again, and talked with them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
²⁴ And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.

And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack. ² Also put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money.” So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. ³ As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. ⁴ When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? ⁵ Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing.’ ”

⁶ So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words. ⁷ And they said to him, “Why does my lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing. ⁸ Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? ⁹ With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”

¹⁰ And he said, “Now also let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.” ¹¹ Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack. ¹² So he searched. He began with the oldest and left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. ¹³ Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

³³ Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. ³⁴ For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father?”

The sky this morning my message the title read United going to continue in Genesis the story of Joseph and we know that from previous messages that Joseph was a strange from his brothers because his brothers sold him into slavery but they are reunited in Egypt and will be talking about that today so before we begin us go ahead and I want to pray 1st because there’s Bobby pause a lot through the scripture so let’s go ahead and begin with the word of prayer Grace is heavenly father we do magnify you and thank you for your worthy you are worthy of our praise and not a ration because you truly are God and Father we thank you for your great salvation which you have freely given to all who believe when your son Jesus Christ we thank you for the power of that salvation and father we know that that cannot be taken from a sweet thank you for that that the devil can steal that away for once we believe in you he cannot take it away that our eternal salvation is sealed our names are written in Outlands book of life we just give you praise and glory and honor for that we thank you father that we can gather in your house to worship you we thank you for your word and Father I pray that you would guide and direct your servant today I pray that every word spoken would be for your glory and for your Honor Father God and there would plant seeds in the hearts of those that may be curious that may be seeking Father God if you would help those seeds to grow and bear much fruit and father I just pray that this work would help all of us who are to better understand who you are and what you’ve done and and just of your amazing grace and your love Father I just pray to just touch each of our hearts in our minds and father just search our hearts in Jesus name Amen so we’re going to look at Genesis Chapter 42 to begin with verses 6 through 24 here the word of the Lord. No Joseph was governor of the land and it was he who sold to all the people with the land edge of his brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth Joseph Saul was brothers and recognize them but he acted as a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them then he said to them where do you come from and they said from the land of Canaan to buy food so Joe’s of recognized his brothers but they did not recognize him so just a little clarification or to understand 10 of Joseph brothers traveled from the land of Canaan to Egypt to buy food Benjamin the youngest brother stayed behind with his father remember Joseph and Benjamin war were the sons of Rachel his favorite wife so Benjamin stayed behind of course now Joseph is the one at their stand before they did not recognize him and you might be wondered how could they not recognize their own brother their own flesh and blood How did they not recognize him well there could be many reasons why for one Joseph was only 17 years old the last time they saw him he was a just call him a very young man not quite 18 yet so a young man and now it’s been at least 17 years 15 years so he was 13 years either as a slave or a prisoner we’re 2 years into the famine so it’s been at least 15 years minimum says they have seen Joseph and you have to remember he is now an Egyptian he’s basically an Egyptian he is dressed like an Egyptian which stress very differently from Hebrews right. He has an Egyptian haircut and I think you’ve probably all seen you know the kind of straighten it goes right around here straight like that and probably straight across here so he now has an Egyptian haircut he is speaking Egyptian language he is not speaking to them in Hebrew he’s speaking to them through an interpreter he does not have a beard he is clean shaven most likely his brothers all are bearded and he may have even had a beard at 17 we don’t know we know that when he was taken from the prison before Pharaoh he had to be shaved and given a haircut and cleaned up we talked about that last week so he doesn’t look anything like he looked before Now granted you know if they were to look to desire as maybe features but they’re probably fair full scared you know here’s this guy with all this power the one they’re trying to buy food from They’re probably not looking to intently at his eyes or is knows because he has power and authority over them they bow before him so there’s a few reasons why they probably didn’t recognize their own brother verse 9 then Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them and said to them you are spies you have come to see the nakedness of the land and they said to him No my lord but your servants have come to buy food we are all one man sons we are honest men well I’m not so sure about that you know they’re calling themselves on us but we’ll see you right your servants are not spies but he said to them no but you have come to see the nakedness of the land and they said your servants are 12 brothers the sons of one man in the land of Canaan in fact the youngest is with our father today and one is no more put yourself in Joseph shoes. Think about that for just a moment imagine hearing your brother say the one is no more and then he knows that they’re talking about him as far as they know he’s dead and gone your one is no more but Joseph said to them it is as I spoke to you saying your spies in this manner you shall be tested they are going to experience and test by the life of Pharaoh you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here send one of you and let him bring back your brother and you shall be kept in prison that your words may be tested so he say’s we’re going to test your word to see if you are honest men right to see whether there is any truth in you or else by the life of Pharaoh Surely your spies so I put them all together in prison 3 days then Joseph said to them the 3rd day do this and live for I fear God If you are honest men let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house but you go and carry grain for the famine of your houses and bring your youngest brother to me so your words will be verified and you shall not die and they did so then they said to one another we are truly guilty concerning our brother for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us and we would not hear therefore this distress has come upon us and Reuben answered them saying Did I not speak to you saying do not sin against a boy and you would not listen Therefore behold His blood is now required of us but they did not know that Joseph understood them for he spoke to them through an interpreter and he turned himself away from them and wept. Then he returned to them again and talked with them and he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes you know back in chapter 37 of Genesis Joseph revealed the dream to his brothers we remember that dream the dream that they’re out in the field in their binding up their sleeves and his rose above all of the herbs and there are 11 seeds bow down to his at the age of 17 reveals that he is now at least 32 years old because there are as I said a couple years into the famine he’s probably thinking to himself God Now I have seen the fulfillment of your plan I have seen Lord and I understand now Father what you were showing me how humbling how humbling to come to the place where God has allowed you to see the fulfillment of the dream which he given you many years before you know when we read desperate Sure it might seem that Joseph Streetman of his brothers was a little bit harsh what might seem a little harsh but remember this these are the same characters that sodium into slavery sauteing sold their own flesh and blood in the slavery and is it said he pleaded with them these same guys so there’s a reason for him to speak to them roughly there is a reason for him to test to see if they are truthful you know there’s what appears to be a little bit of trickery in this stole story surrounding Joseph and his brothers and him send them back to to Canaan but these things were necessary it was his way it was God’s way of seeing if they were still the hate filled brothers that he once knew or if they had changed their ways it was his way for them to experience to test the see if they were truly repentant in their hearts. We can see right away that Joseph of is a man of compassion in a well where it I might have missed that right is 1st what did he say I’m going to keep all of you in send one back to the land of Canaan to bring your brother back to bring your youngest brother Benjamin and he didn’t call him by his name he didn’t want to reveal that he knew that but if someone to send one back in you’re all going to stay but after 3 days they was in prison he brings them out he says here’s what we’re going to do we’re going to keep one in prison and let the rest go back so he kept Simeon he’s won the ballon kept him in prison in set the 9 back you might say well why did he do this well for one as I said Joseph is a compassionate man he understands God’s mercies but he also knew that it’s a long way back to the land of Canaan it’s 250 to 300 miles and it’s a very dangerous journey especially for one man one man alone might not make it so he might be overtaken it’s it would take approximately 6 weeks roundtrip for this journey for them to go back and then bring the brother back Cop possibly would take 6 weeks. And Joseph compassion for one thing is revealed because he’s already hearing how Reuben says didn’t I plead with you not the selling so he’s feeling a little compassion toward them which County Register in arresting because he’s going to understand them but they don’t know it you know way back in 1907 there was a movie and we watched it it was called what the Death Man heard it was about a family that had a very very young boy my wife’s thinking what I don’t remember this a very young boy in they moved to a new town. And when he got to this new town the young boy pretended like he couldn’t hear couldn’t speak like he was deaf and mute he did this to protect himself maybe to keep from getting bullied in this work for 20 years for 20 years this young boy was the custodian of all the town secrets because anybody would say anything around him because they thought what he can hear me and he’s sure not going to tell my secrets so for 20 years he held all the secrets in his heart in his mind he knew Malvo if they’d say anything they wanted to run his boy 20 years later though his secret was revealed that he knew and so to the town surprise what Joe’s of Con had the same advantage over his brothers didn’t they thought they could discuss anything because he’s not going to understand us he doesn’t know what we’re say in their begin their talk about the reveal deeds in their you know Greville all know we know that this come upon us because of what we did way back then ruins as a not pleaded with you so he’s here in all this he understood everything they were sayin so they had they said to one another in verse 21 so they’re speaking among themselves we are truly guilty concerning our brother he’s hearing this we saw his anguish we saw the anguish as he pleaded with us they’re dragging him up out of that pit and taken into the mission life to sell him and he’s pleading with them don’t do this to me I’m your brother let me go back to my father don’t do this I want to go home but they would not listen Reuben said I tried to tell you and you would not listen and Joseph hearing all of this in his heart is breaking but it’s not yet time to reveal who he is not yet time but he say’s a god is already working on their consciences. There’s 3 days you can buy em and gave them time to think about what they have done in the past someone 39 versus 23 and 24 says Search me Ogaden know my heart try me and know my anxieties and see if there is any wicked way in me in lead me in the way everlasting my friends this is a prayer the sourness is asking God search me Search me search my heart search my heart God in the person any wicked way in may lead me in the way everlasting which is the way of righteousness Have you prayed that have you humbled herself and said Lord please search my heart and if you can find any wicked way I’m a father please reveal it to me that I may repent of it in lead me in the path of righteousness and he will be paid to do it if we search it and ask it with a humble heart there were more tests to come for justice brothers there would be a nother a further test of honesty So Joe’s is going to send the 9 away to let them go back to the land of Canaan and he commanded his steward Does it fill the sacks with the grain but then place every man’s money back in the sack so he filled them up with a grain they you know they didn’t know what was going on and put all their money sacks right back in top on top of the grain tied to sacks up so they’re heading back to Canaan and out it doesn’t say how far they were in the journey but they came to an a cameraman and one of them opened his sack and he’s going to get a little grain out to feed the donkey in noticed my money’s in the sack. In his says the scripture says it is way too much Scripture because too many chapters it says that their hearts failed them when they saw that money not sacked their hearts failed them they ask themselves what is this they God has done to us they thought that if they return for more supplies that not only now would he say they were spies but there are things because they had their money they think they know that they are beginning to experience the consequences of their past sins but they they want to head continue on to Cain and they didn’t go back they went on to Canaan they arrived at Canaan they did tell their father Jacob all that has happened all that happened in the land of Egypt how the governor there treated them harshly how he spoke to them asked so many questions about their family accuse them of being spies shared with their father how when they got to the cameraman they opened up the sack of grain and there’s the money and he says well maybe it was just an oversight so and they tell us Father they they tell their father and they ask about he asked about our youngest brother Jim Benjamin and said that we cannot come back and buy food unless we bring Benjamin with us and their father says that’s not going to happen I’ve already lost Joseph I cannot bear to you to lose my youngest son Benjamin if that were to happen my gray hair would go to the grave because of sorrow he says that’s not going to happen we’re not going to know I’m not sending Benjamin so they just go back to their families the 9 brothers Well we know what happens a famine continues right they run out of food food is gone the food they went brought back from Egypt is gone. Jacob calls his sons you need to go back you need to go buy a little more food he tells them Judah. Is the one who steps up and becomes very stern with his father says Father we explained to you that we cannot go back and buy food we will not see his face unless we have Benjamin with us if you send Benjamin we will go but if you will not send Benjamin we will not go we are not going without our brother Benjamin So as Father found he relented and said he must go he goes if he is lost I will go to my grave but Judah swears to his father on his life that he will protect his brother Benjamin so they go back to Egypt and Joseph had his stewards watching for his brothers he was pretty confident that they were going to come back in assoon as the steward saw him he got Joseph and said Your brothers are here and when he saw his brother Benjamin he asked told the store didn’t asking me told the story because he has authority he says go to my house kill the animal prepare the dinner he says we are going to dine at my house today these men and the one is in prison we are going to dine in my house to day I’m going to dine with them and so when Joseph arrives he didn’t go right away so he goes to the home the old pre-prepared and when he comes in Simeon has been brought from jail and then there’s the other so all 11 brothers are there then again when Joseph comes in the 1st thing they do you know it they bow down so now he is truly seeing God’s fulfillment that all 11 brothers including Benjamin have bowed down before Joseph So Joseph. Of course guides to store ne don’t know this but the steward places seats all the brothers from oldest to youngest he seats a modus to youngest as they sit down to dine they are astonished you know they’re looking around like how did he know this but they still have no clue there are studies though that they were seated oldest to youngest they bring the food out Benjamin gets 5 times more than any of the other brothers not Joseph not sitting right with them he’s off sitting in a no table because they can’t dine together because he’s an Egyptian now supposedly right so he dines with them throughout the course of all of Joseph meetings with his brothers there are 6 times you have to go to Scripture 6 times and he has to go off by himself because he’s weeping he needs to hide it from them and regain his composure and then go back to his brothers it happened during the dinner also but the dinner is all over and they’re making plans that they’re going to fill their sacks with grain again and send them back off the cane so the next morning the test didn’t quite over going to look at Genesis Chapter 44 and he commanded the store to his house saying fill the men’s sacks with food as much as they can carry and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack also put mock up the silver cup in the mouth of the sack of the youngest and his grain money so he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken as soon as the morning dawned the men were sent away they and their donkeys when they had gone out of the city and were not yet far off Joseph said to a store get up follow them in and when you ever take them say to them Why have you repaid evil for good. This is not her is this not the one from which my Lord drinks and with which he indeed practices Devon nation you have done evil in so doing so you ever took them and he spoke to them the same words and they said to him Why does my lord say these words Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing look we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house with whomever Now this is his brother speaking with whomever of your servants it is found let him die and we also will be my lords slaves so they’re saying to the steward whoever sack you find out in let him die in the rest of us will be his slave they were that confident that they didn’t steal anything and he said now also let it be according to your words he with whom it is found shall be my slave and you shall be blameless then each man speedy speedily led down his sack to the ground and each opened his sack so he searched he began with the oldest and left off with the youngest and the cup was found in Benjamin sack then a tore their clothes and each man loaded is dunking a return to the city what is with Terry in a close Reich rending the clothes what did that one price on say of the song ran the heart ripped the heart open to reveal and let God in right they will tear their clothes they render clothes why why do they do that it has a lot to do with economics for the ancient days at least for the Israelites because Israelites. We’re angry Arion society clothing was a very valuable commodity for them they could not go up to t.j. Maxx or Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club or whatever department store and find thousands of clothes to choose from clothes had to be made they were very time intensive they were very expensive which meant most of them probably had an extremely limited wardrobe unlike most of us today right we’ve got a press art stuff down in our jurors really hard to get the door shut and we open our cause it’s up and we got to squeezed of a park to try to get the stuff in there and a hanger we got walking causus doesn’t go in shoes right now. We have abundance of clothes probably most of us was not so back then so when they tour their clothes they’re demonstrating they’re reflecting the depths of the emotional pain that they are experiencing when they would begin mourning are often right they would tear their clothes because emotionally they are distraught they are suffering emotionally experiencing great pain they were experiencing great pain because they just realize their younger brother might be killed the very one of they promise to bring back to their father and now he’s going to die because he’s the one who had the silver cup and he sacked many years earlier these same brothers the same ones that sold him to slavery with no remorse now they’re experiencing deep sorrow because of the possibility that Benjamin Benjamin might be killed they have found they come to the place where they’re experiencing genuine repentance. Not just for their current situation that they find themselves in but I believe for all the sins for the lies that they come up with the tell is Father Their father of what happened to Joseph they’re experiencing guilt for that all of the lies of schemes remember the blood on the coat some wild beast must have gotten your son he’s gone he’s no more the lies to hide your sins the way they treated Joseph all those years their experience in true repentance and you know there’s Joseph have already revealed that he’s compassionate he could have chosen to hold a grudge against his brother’s right I mean who could have blamed him for holding a grudge for the crime that they committed against him who could have blamed him for not shut Lee’s men out not allowing them back into his life taken the chance to get hurt again to open himself up to further wounds further emotional harm but my friends what does a word tell us if our brother comes to us for forgiveness how often are we forgive him 7 times 70 now unlimited right if your brother comes as often as he comes and asks for forgiveness we are to forgive our brother Joseph was willing to forgive the truth is holding a grudge no matter what the grievance was will not help the one who holds as grudges it will not allow healing to come to our souls James Alexander thumbs shares this about grudges he says once armies carried cannonballs with them afraid they would meet the enemy somewhere and have nothing to shoot of them in terms of specific gravity grudges are about as heavy as cannon balls but it makes little sense to carry them most likely the enemy is unaware of your empathy and surely would be surprised to learn that you’ve been stalking them with cannon balls in your pocket. So examine your grudges do what armies do when hostilities are over they unload or cannonballs and stack them on the lawn of the courthouse and they marvel at how much easier it is to get around my friends on unload your grudges unload your grudges if the jps for 31 of 32 in the New Living Translation says get rid if you’re holding a grudge listen get rid of all bitterness rage and anger harsh words and slander as well as all types of evil behavior instead be kind to each other tenderhearted forgiving one another just as God through Christ has forgiven you last have a scripture revealed that when Joseph resisted the seductress wife of conifer that he said to her that when we sin we actually sin against God is how can I sin against God So yes our sins may harm others but the really against God Remember Jesus said as you do unto the least of these you do want to May So that goes for good and bad when we do bad to others we’re doing it to him when we do good we are doing it unto him right so Joseph brothers not only came to the place of to repentance their confessing their sins remember verse 16 and Chapter 44 said that Judas said What shall we say to my Lord what shall we speak or how so we clear ourselves God has found out the iniquity of our servants here we are my lord slaves both we and he also with whom the cup was found. Judah intercede on behalf of his brother Benjamin and he asked Joseph to allow him to become his slave and that Benjamin returned to his father in Chapter 44 verses 33 and 34 it says. Now therefore please let your servant This is Judah same please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lower and let the lad go up with his brothers for house so I go up to my father at the lad is not with me that’s perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father there is a connection here friends I don’t know if you see it Judah is the tribe in which Jesus Christ came Is he not he is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah here is Judah willing to lay down his life he is willing to serve the penalty for his brother Benjamin keep me take made let my brother go and is that not what Jesus has done for each of us he served our penalty he said to the father take me take me that my brother can go free take me the time is found to come for Joseph to reveal himself to his brothers he held his motions for as long as he could his heart is overflowing You’re so many things Joseph is longing to see his father we know that he loved his father dearly he held a special place in his father’s heart and he is longing to put his arms around his father and hug and neck he’s actually longing that will hug his brothers also Genesis 45 this is the reveal that Joseph said to his brothers I am Joseph does my father still live. But his brothers could not answer him for they were dismayed in his presence. In my mind I envision all the brothers their their jaws are dropped down to their chest what dose of could you mount how going to Spain how could you be Joseph I am Joseph and Joseph said to his brothers please come nearer to me so they came near Then he said I am Joseph your brother whom you sold into slavery so he’s now revealing to them things that no one else would know right but now do not therefore be grieved or angered with yourselves because you sold me here for God sent me before you to preserve life for these 2 years of fame and has been in the land and there are still 5 years in which there will be neither plowing the harvesting and God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth and to save your lives by great deliverance so now it was not you it was not you who sent me here but God and he has made me a father to Pharaoh in Lord of all his house and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt how. How evil you again how compassionate I do not be afraid it was not you but God sent me here do not be afraid I’m not going to do you harm I love you I understand it was God’s plan God’s plan to bring me here to save not only the Gyptian is but the save my family back in Canaan is why God sent me here you know there were so many uncertainties in Joseph’s life so many uncertainties with his brothers here he’s a slave he’s in prison but yet to all of that. He trusted God he saw that it was God’s plan you know there are so many uncertainties in the world today isn’t there I mean just think about all that’s going on right now I think there are more uncertainties in the world than most of us have experienced in our lifetime I’m not sure I mean some of seen the Great Depression but there’s a lot of unrest there’s fears or political one rest there’s fears of what that might bring There is a pandemic that bring so many fears with it fears that we might catch to the virus fears that we might lose a loved one there are so much uneasiness in the world today but what did the Lord tell us in John Chapter 16 verses 3233 but the time is coming indeed it is here now when you will be scattered each one going his own way leaving me alone yet I am not alone because the father is with me I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me here on this earth you will have many trials and sorrows here that church here in the earth here on this earth you will have many trials and sorrows but take heart because I have overcome the world my friends we need to be like Joseph trust in God no matter what trials come whether we like Joseph found ourselves slaves or whether we find ourselves in prison no matter what situation comes upon us we must understand that he overcame and we too in him can overcome because he overcame we can overcome we may have to endure many things we may be the lever for many things I don’t know. Exactly what God has in store there are many uncertainties coming we don’t know but I do know this that we can trust in God His Word tells us that he will never leave us nor for sake of us that doesn’t say we will have to endure some things but we know what the final outcome is that if we are in Christ and he and us that we too can be overcomers that we can be victorious in the end because their names are written in the Lamb’s book of life we can have eternal life through Jesus Christ they meant.