Gen 33:10, And Jacob said, "No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then take my present from my hand, for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably. 
We are ongoing with our reading of the Bible together as a fellowship. We continued this morning with the 33rd Chapter of Genesis in which we are given the account of the meeting of Jacob and Esau after a twenty year separation. Jacob had been sent, ostensibly to get a wife from the homeland of Rebekah rather than from the daughters of the Canaanites. However, the true reason was that Rebekah and Jacob feared the retribution of Esau for the manner in which Jacob had received both the birth-right and the blessing of Isaac. 
Jacob had lived those twenty years in the fear of what Esau would do when, once again, he would be in the presence of his brother. Jacob had no idea what type of reception awaited him in the land of his father. Therefore, as he returned home, he set forth a manner of trying to appease his brother and to allow his family to survive in case Esau, with his four hundred men, was plotting his revenge. First Jacob sent forth gifts of the flocks and the herds for Esau. Then, he divided his family into three companies, the maids with their children in the first, then Leah with her children, and finally Rachel with Joseph. This was so that if Esau attacked one group, the rest might flee and be saved. 
As we read, Jacob’s meeting with Esau went far better than Jacob expected. Rather than facing the brute force of Esau’s hatred, Jacob encountered the effective dealing of God in Esau expressed in his gladness and rejoicing at the return of his twin brother. God had used those twenty years to effect a change in Esau’s attitude to his brother to the point that Jacob made the statement of this morning’s verse …for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably. 
As Phil pointed out in his message in May, there had taken place a true forgiveness in Esau’s heart that was even expressed in his face and his demeanor of dealing with Jacob. All the fear that we have recently discussed, was for naught as Esau embraced his long awaited brother. All the animosity and anger and evil intent was set aside in the coming together again of these two sons of Isaac and Rebekah. We do not know what happened in Esau’s life in the course of the passing of those twenty years. Scriptural details are not given as to what the Lord had to do to deal with that anger which had so alarmed Rebekah that she sent Jacob away to safety with her brother’s family. All that we do know is that after God had finished His good work in Esau’s heart and mind, he was very glad to see Jacob, even to the point of showing favor in his looking upon the countenance of his sibling.
This is something that we need to explore in greater detail, this matter of God’s bestowment of favor in the very expression of the face of the blessed one. Let us begin with Lot as he was dealing with the angel whom he had rescued from the inhabitants of Sodom. As they were hurrying Lot and his family out of the valley of the coming destruction, we hear Lot give the following plea. Gen 19:19-21, "Now behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your lovingkindness, which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest the disaster overtake me and I die; now behold, this town is near enough to flee to, and it is small. Please, let me escape there (is it not small?) that my life may be saved." And he said to him, "Behold, I grant you this request also, not to overthrow the town of which you have spoken. 
Because Lot had been faithful in the manner of his dealing righteously in the midst of the corruptness of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, he was being saved by the very hand of God. In the midst of the course of that salvation, Lot realized that he could not make it all the way to the safety of the hills surrounding the valley before the destruction descended from heaven. Therefore, he beseeched his heavenly rescuers to allow him to find shelter in the little town they were approaching. He began his request with the following recognition, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your lovingkindness, which you have shown me by saving my life… 
Lot recognized that he had found favor in the sight of God through the course of the process of the Lord’s searching for any righteous men within those cities in order to accommodate Abraham’s request for grace if but 10 righteous men were found. Only Lot and his family were so blessed as to be brought out from the midst of what was soon to befall all the other inhabitants of those wicked cities. There was the expressed sense that God’s blessing was upon Lot in the fulfillment of his salvation, even as he was not physically able to get to the high ground of safety and security. The Lord’s face shone upon him even into the shelter of tiny Zoar.
Next, we come to the passage of Gen 47:29-31, in which we find the passing away of Jacob, or Israel, in the land of Egypt. Israel declared his final request to Joseph, the second highest official in all of Egypt and the favored son of his old age. When the time for Israel to die drew near, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "Please, if I have found favor in your sight, place now your hand under my thigh and deal with me in kindness and faithfulness. Please do not bury me in Egypt, but when I lie down with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place. "And he said," I will do as you have said." And he said, "Swear to me." So he swore to him. Then Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed. 
The patriarch, Israel, spoke to his son with a reverence in seeking a binding oath not to be buried in Egypt, but to be buried within the land given to him and to Isaac and to Abraham. He desired to be put to rest within the lands that he had wandered and received by the voice of God, Himself. In that faithful dedication to honor God even as his bones turned to dust, Israel placed a great burden upon Joseph to carry out his dying request. Please, if I have found favor in your sight, place now your hand under my thigh and deal with me in kindness and faithfulness. 
Joseph so swore in his love and allegiance to his father and in the fulfillment of the multi-generational blessing given by God upon this family lineage. As Israel received the promise from Joseph, note how he responded, Then Israel bowed in worship… He turned his attention wholeheartedly to the God of his father’s and proceeded to worship even as he was in his death bed. He paid homage unto God for the fact that he had found favor in the sight of his son and in the sight of God to so bring him back into the land of his desire, the land of God’s so great promise. Israel knew that God deserved all blessing and praise for all that He had brought forth and so with his dying breath he offered worship unto the Lord God, Almighty. 
And, please note how this carried forward in Joseph’s faithful response to his father’s dying request. Turn in your Bibles to Gen 50:4-9 and let us read together how God prepared even Pharaoh to have favor in his sight upon the sons of Israel in the request to bury their father in the land of Canaan. Gen 50:4-9, And when the days of mourning for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, "If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak to Pharaoh, saying, 'My father made me swear, saying, "Behold, I am about to die; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me." Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.'" And Pharaoh said, "Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear." So Joseph went up to bury his father, and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household and all the elders of the land of Egypt, and all the household of Joseph and his brothers and his father's household; they left only their little ones and their flocks and their herds in the land of Goshen. There also went up with him both chariots and horsemen; and it was a very great company. 
Notice how God’s favor so infused the faithful fulfillment of the oath of Joseph to his father even to the point that the Egyptians joined in the very process of carrying Israel back to the land of God’s promise. They even joined in the mourning with the sons of Israel. Not only did Pharaoh give permission for this group to leave Egypt, but he added to this mourning procession all his servants and all the elders of the land of Egypt and his chariots and horsemen. As the Word tells us, it was a very great company, all going to mourn the death of the father of Joseph and his brothers. God so blessed His people, that the entire realm of Egypt was affected and put into mourning for the sake of the family of Israel as his body was returned to the land of his fathers. 
When the favor of the Lord is upon us, we are often so blessed by His moving hand in the hearts and the minds of even those of this realm who do not yet recognize Him as Lord and Savior. We often find that our walk on this earth is filled with all those myriad touches of God as directed by His hand even in our generous and peaceful treatment at the hands of those whom we would consider outsiders to the family of God. You see, God does not just deal effectively with His people. His sovereignty rules over all people, no matter what their stated beliefs or religions. We often tend to forget this and try to box God into a very limited role as ruler of only those who will see and acknowledge Who He is.
We are often guilty of making God only the Lord of Christendom, not realizing that He is the Lord God Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth. He is The Creator of every living being in Heaven and on the earth. All are under the sovereignty of His hand in operation. All are subject to His rule and His authority and His power. All are under the power of God to accomplish His perfect plan and purpose in the dispensation of His Omnipotence and His Omnipresence and His Omniscience. As He moved the heart of Pharaoh to join fully in the honoring of the father of Joseph, so does He move in the hearts and minds of all whom He chooses to bless and to honor those who have found favor in His sight. 
This brings us to a great passage with regard to Moses and his plea to God as He was leading forth the multitude of the Children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, more than 400 years later. Please turn to Ex 33:12-19 as we read it together. Ex 33:12-19, Then Moses said to the Lord, "See, Thou dost say to me, 'Bring up this people!' But Thou Thyself hast not let me know whom Thou wilt send with me. Moreover, Thou hast said, 'I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.' "Now therefore, I pray Thee, if I have found favor in Thy sight, let me know Thy ways, that I may know Thee, so that I may find favor in Thy sight. Consider too, that this nation is Thy people." And He said, "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest." Then he said to Him, "If Thy presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Thy sight, I and Thy people? Is it not by Thy going with us, so that we, I and Thy people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?" And the Lord said to Moses, "I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight, and I have known you by name." Then Moses said, "I pray Thee, show me Thy glory!" And He said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord  before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion." 
	We will be able to but start our consideration of this passage this morning. Initially, please notice that Moses was very clear and deliberate in his discourse with God in terms of what was needed if he had found favor in the sight of God. 
The first request, if he had found favor in the sight of God was let me know Thy ways, that I may know Thee. Moses knew that favor with God was only possible as he learned more and more personally the nature and the ways of God. Moses was not relying on anyone but God to do all that was necessary in the deliverance of the Children of Israel. The great responsibility that God had put upon him could only be met in the reality of learning more and more fully the very person of God Who had called him out of the wilderness and put him into this place as the deliverer of God’s own people. He had to know God and His ways in order to please God and to lead the people aright. In that course of building a living relationship with God in his desire to know God, Moses would be enabled to further please God in obedience to all that was necessary.
	Moses had a very astute recognition that it is only as we know God in greater and greater depth that we can please Him fully in the lives that we live on this earth. It is one thing to know doctrine and theology and theoretical concepts about God. However, it is a completely different thing to know the living God in a very personal and conscious manner as He reveals Himself and His ways to us each and every day of our lives. As we so desire to know Him in the trueness of Himself, so will we come to know, in richness and matchless beauty, the reality of the favor of His divine sight upon us. So be it!
And Jacob said, "No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then take my present from my hand, for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably. Amen.

	This morning’s benediction is Ps 18:46. The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation, Amen.