Title: Joseph’s Life, Christ the Life
Text: Genesis 49: 22-24
Date: April 14, 2013
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Let’s turn in our bibles to Genesis 49. Jacob was dying, he spoke to each of his
twelve sons. Then he came to Joseph.
These were his words for his beloved son, verse 22, “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a
well; whose branches run over the wall.”
Jacob never thought he would see Joseph again. As far as Jacob knew, Joseph had been killed
by wild animals. He had no idea his
brothers sold him into slavery and that he had ended up in Egypt. Then after many years, the Lord led him to
Joseph. So you can imagine his love for
Joseph.
Joseph is a type of Christ. Christ is a fruitful bough, even
a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall. Christ is the fruitful Bough—the Vine. His branches run over the wall—Christ is the
Vine, his people are the Branches. (Jn
15: 5) Christ shall lose none. (Jn 6:
39) He is loaded with fruit like a vine
full of fruit. Christ is the Well of
which a sinner drinks and never thirsts again. (Jn 4: 13-14)
Proposition: Joseph’s story is the story of many sitting here
today—the story of the believer. And his story is a picture of our blessed God
and Savior.
Title: Joseph’s Life, Christ the Life
Divisions: I. JOSEPH’S TRIALS PICTURE CHRIST’S TRIALS—V23: The archers have sorely grieved him,
and shot at him, and hated him; II. JOSEPH’S FAITHFULNESS PICTURES CHRIST’S FAITHFULNESS—V24: But his bow abode in strength. III. JOSEPH’S STRENGTH PICTURES CHRIST’S
STRENGTH—V24: and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God
of Jacob; 24: (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel.)
I. JOSEPH’S TRIALS
PICTURE CHRIST’S TRIALS—V23: The archers have sorely grieved him,
and shot at him, and hated him;
Joseph was not shot at by literal archers. But those who
opposed him were indeed “masters of arrows”—arrows more piercing, arrows of
hatred which sorely grieved him. Those
are the worst arrows.
The Archers
The archers who shot at Joseph were his own brethren in
his own house. From the youngest age,
Joseph was the dearly beloved son of his father.
Genesis
37: 3: Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the
son of his old age:…
Joseph was the firstborn son of his wife Rachel. “The son of his old age” means more than that
Joseph was born to Jacob when he was old.
It means Joseph was the son who had the wisdom of an aged man--“the son
of wisdom.”
In this we see a type of Christ. Christ is the Son of God’s love like Jacob
loved Joseph more than all his sons, so God the Father said of Christ,
Matthew
3:17: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am
well pleased.
Christ is the Firstborn among many brethren—Christ was
not born first in time, like Joseph was not, but he was the firstborn of the
Father. Christ is the Wisdom of God like
as Joseph was the “son of old age.”
In Joseph dwelt the Spirit of the living God, who made Joseph
holy inwardly and of a good character. His
thoughts were honorable toward God, toward his earthly father, and toward his
brethren. He was beloved of God the
Father and beloved of his earthly father. Jacob so loved him that Jacob made
Joseph “a coat of many colors”. It pictured the “raiment of needlework”, the
righteousness of Christ placed upon Joseph by the grace of God. (Gen 37: 4; Ps
45: 14)
Likewise, Christ Jesus was formed in the womb of the
virgin by the Holy Ghost. Christ is that
holy thing formed in the womb of the virgin.
(Lk 1: 35) The Spirit of God
abode on him without measure. Notice verse 26, Jacob said to Joseph, “The
blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors
unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of
Joseph, and ON THE CROWN OF THE HEAD OF HIM THAT WAS SEPARATE FROM HIS
BRETHREN.” Christ is that one who was
separate from his brethren that he might sanctify those given him of the Father.
Hebrews 7: 26: For such an high priest became us, who
is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than
the heavens.
John 17:19: And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that
they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Christ was Joseph’s coat of righteousness and Christ
himself is the Righteousness of his people—all spiritual blessings upon the head
of Joseph were the blessings given him from Christ’s abundance. So it is with us, brethren, who are born of
his Spirit and made the righteousness of God through faith in Christ.
Hated by Brethren
Therefore, for all this, Joseph’s brethren hated Joseph.
Genesis
37: 4: And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his
brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
Joseph’s brethren saw nothing in Joseph that made them
love him. Anytime, his brethren thought
their father was not looking, they sought to secretly do harm to Joseph.
More so, it was true of Christ Jesus who Joseph
typified. And when his brethren saw that
their father loved Christ more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could
not speak peaceably unto him. (Genesis 37: 4) Christ’s brethren, after the
flesh, the children of Israel saw nothing in Christ that made them love him.
John 1: 11: [Christ] came unto his own, and his own
received him not.
Isaiah
53: 3: He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted
with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we
esteemed him not.
His brethren thought God the Father was not looking, so
they sought to secretly to harm Christ.
Why? We see it typified in Joseph.
Joseph came telling his brethren of a dream he had. It
pictures the gospel which Christ came declaring. The reception Joseph received pictures the
reception Christ received of his brethren.
Genesis 37: 5: And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it
his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 6: And he said unto them, Hear,
I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: 7: For, behold, we were
binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright;
and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
Years
later, this prophecy came true. Joseph’s brothers suffered a famine of bread so
that they were about to die. Joseph’s brethren came down to Joseph where he
reigned over all Egypt but by then they did not recognize Joseph. But finally
Joseph revealed himself to them. God
brings all his elect down revealing our sin and revealing Christ in our hearts. Joseph’s brethren bowed to him, asked
forgiveness for their sins against Joseph and for mercy because Joseph was the
one with all power over the storehouses, the only who could save them. It
pictures Christ in his glory reigning over this whole world, to whom God has
“given all power over all flesh that he might give eternal life to as many as
the Father has given him.”
Application:
We must come to Christ confessing our sin, asking mercy. In the great day of harvest, like the sheaves
bowed to Joseph’s sheaves, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that
Christ is Lord to the glory of God.
When Christ preached this gospel to his brethren, the
reception Christ received was like what Joseph received from his brothers.
Genesis 37: 8: And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou
indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they
hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
Remember the parable Christ gave of himself and the
children of Israel?—Luke 19:14: But his citizens hated him, and sent a message
after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
A Picture of Crucifixion
Then one day, his brethren had all of Joseph that they
could stand. His father sent Joseph to his brethren in the field, where they
were supposed to be tending their father’s sheep. God sent Christ into Israel
where they were supposed to be tending God the Father’s sheep. When Joseph came from his home to where they
were in the field, his brethren decided to kill him. Reuben, talked them into throwing him into a
pit, instead. They stripped him of his coat and threw in the pit. Then they sat down to eat and behold there
came a company of Ishmaelites passing that way. Judah suggested they sell
Joseph. So they “sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces
of silver: and [the slavemaster’s] brought Joseph into Egypt.” (Gen 37: 28)
Then his brother’s came to their father, lying, and saying a wild animal had
killed Joseph. So Joseph endured the
agony of being separated from the father he loved and who loved him—all for the
sake of his brethren who despised him. “The archers have sorely grieved him,
and shot at him, and hated him.”
So it was when the time was come, Christ delivered
himself into the hands of his brethren after the flesh, who desired to kill him. In Christ’s parable he said,
Luke
20:14: But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying,
This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.
15 So they cast him out of the vineyard,
and killed him…
Judas betrayed Christ for 30 pieces of silver. Christ willingly gave himself to be stripped
at the hands of his brethren. Christ
gave himself to be thrown into the pit, like as Joseph was thrown in the pit.
2
Corinthians 5: 21: He hath made him sin for us who knew no sin that we might be
made the righteousness of God in him.
And Christ endured the agonies of being separated from
the father he loved and who loved him—all at the hands of his brethren who
despised him. “The archers have sorely
grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him.”
Application: Believer, just as Joseph endured these sufferings for
the sake of Christ, our Savior has told all his children to expect such bitter
arrows.
Psalm 37:14: The wicked…have bent their bow, to cast down
the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.
1 Peter 4:12: Beloved, think it not strange concerning
the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto
you: 13 BUT REJOICE, inasmuch as YE ARE
PARTAKERS OF CHRIST’S SUFFERINGS; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye
may be glad also with exceeding joy.
But Christ tells us, brethren, “he that shall endure unto
the end, the same shall be saved.” (Mk 13: 13) So now, let’s see how:
II. JOSEPH’S
FAITHFULNESS PICTURES CHRIST FAITHFULNESS—Genesis 49: 24: But his bow
abode in strength.
Faithful toward His
Brethren
When
reviled by his brethren for their bitter envy and hatred, Joseph continued
trusting the Lord. We never read anything about Joseph fighting the evil deeds
of his brethren or even saying one word against them for what they were doing
to him. How much more, Christ Jesus,
Isaiah 53:7 He was
oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as
a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
1 Pet 2: 23: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again;
when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that
judgeth righteously:
Faithful to His Master
Potiphar
was Joseph’s master, to whom Joseph belonged.
Potiphar “made Joseph overseer in his house, and over all that he had.”
Genesis
39: 7: And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her
eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. 8: But
he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what
is with me in the house, and HE HATH COMMITTED ALL THAT HE HATH TO MY HAND; 9:
THERE IS NONE GREATER IN THIS HOUSE THAN I; neither hath he kept back any thing
from me but thee, because thou art his wife: HOW THEN CAN I DO THIS GREAT
WICKEDNESS, AND SIN AGAINST GOD?
God the Father sent forth Christ into this earth to serve
the Father for his people and God the Father committed all that he has into
Christ’s hand. There is none greater in
the house than Christ. In the face of
Satan’s constant temptation, Christ said, “How then can I do this great
wickedness, and sin against God?”
Application: Brethren, I pray Christ continually remind us of the
great privilege he has entrusted into our hands to give us the riches of his
gospel. In the face of every temptation,
may he give us grace to say, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin
against God?”
Faithful When
Forgotten
Finally, Potiphar’s wife falsely accused Joseph, likewise
Christ. And Potipher threw Joseph in prison, still Joseph remained faithful. Pharaoh threw two of his servants—a butler
and a baker—into prison where Joseph was.
Joseph interpreted their dreams for them. Joseph declared justice and
mercy would be shown: the baker would die but Joseph revealed good news to the
butler—the butler would go free. Both came to pass. (Genesis 40: 1-23) This was more than just dreams like we
have—it was the Spirit of God declaring what God was about to do; Joseph
interpreted the dreams because the Spirit of God was with him so he could
reveal the truth to those men.
It pictures Christ interceding between us and God,
revealing in our hearts the gospel by the Spirit of God. Christ our Mediator sends forth the Spirit of
God and gives us the interpretation of the scriptures. He reveals in our hearts justice and mercy
met together—like as they did in the butler and the baker—when Christ took the
place of his people on the cross. Christ
died under the justice of God in place of his people. So now his people shall be released from
prison in great mercy. Christ reveals
this good news in our hearts through the Spirit just as Joseph revealed the
good news to the butler.
Then Joseph charged the butler, to make mention of him to
Pharaoh to bring Joseph out of the prison house. Joseph said, “For indeed I was
stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing
that they should put me into the dungeon.” (Gen 40: 15) “Yet
did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.” (Gen 40: 23)
Still, Joseph remained faithful to the Lord and to the
butler. For two more years, Joseph remained in prison. Then Pharaoh needed a
dream interpreted. Finally, the butler remembered Joseph. He told Pharaoh about
Joseph. So Pharaoh sent for Joseph who interpreted the dream for Pharaoh as the
butler said Joseph could do. (Genesis 41: 1-32)
Application: Brethren, in spite of all the wrongs done toward Christ
in this earth, Christ is faithful to his people to reveal the truth of God in
our hearts through the Spirit of God. When
he reveals the gospel to us, Christ charges us, like Joseph charged the butler,
to go forth and speak of him in the ear of sinner’s in this earth: to declare
Christ is the holy one, to declare Christ’s faithfulness, to declare Christ is
the Righteousness of God, so that by the grace of God, Christ shall be called
upon by needy sinners. Yet, we often do
as the butler. Though we have received good news of our salvation from Christ,
we go forth from our prison and forget the Lord Jesus who through the Spirit
guided us into all truth.
Still, like Joseph was faithful to come forth when the
butler remembered him, though we live as if we have forgotten Christ, though we
fail to tell others about him, Christ remains faithful to Intercede on our
behalf with the Father, to teach us in our hearts, to come forth in Spirit when
we call for him to help us.
May he give us grace to remain faithful to him who is so
faithful to us: to remember him always, to speak of him to others continually,
to thank him for being so true to us who are so forgetful of his mercies to us.
III. JOSEPH’S
STRENGTH IS A TYPE OF CHRIST’S STRENGTH—V24:
But his bow abode in strength, and the
arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of
Jacob. (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)
In all that Joseph endured, the mighty God of Jacob, made
the arms of his hands strong.
Illustration: Holding back a longbow or a recurve bow? A father puts his hands on his sons hands and
drawing the bow—so our mighty God holds our bow steady.
God Sent the Ishmaelites
It was
the hand of God that sent the Ishmaelites that day so Joseph was sold, rather
than remain in the pit. Likewise, it was the mighty God—the God in the Man
Christ Jesus, as well as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit—who protected
Christ while he walked this earth so that no man laid hands on him till his
hour was come. It was the triune God who
raised his body from tomb and set him at his own right hand in glory.
The LORD was with Joseph in Potiphar’s House
Whenever
Joseph was sold to Potiphar, we read this about Joseph’s time in Potiphar’s house:
Genesis 39: 2: And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a
prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3: And his
master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did
to prosper in his hand. 4 And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served
him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into
his hand.
The
LORD was with Christ as he walked this earth—“The pleasure of the LORD shall
prosper in his hand.” (Is 53: 10) Christ
enters our house, our bodies, by his Spirit like Joseph entered Potiphar’s
house. But just the opposite, we find grace in God’s sight. He makes us to see that God is with Christ,
that Christ prospered when he served for us, accomplishing our redemption. The
power of God brings his lost child to put all we have in Christ’s hand. From that day forward, Christ becomes our
Strength and Wisdom—“the overseer of all we have.”
The LORD was with
Joseph in Prison
When Joseph was thrown in prison, we read this:
Genesis
39: 21: But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour
in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22: And the keeper of the prison
committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and
whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.
Likewise, even when Christ appeared bound—nailed to the
cross—he prospered in calling one of his lost sheep—Christ was the doer of it. Christ the Word cannot be bound, he cannot be
frustrated. His power makes us to commit
all into his hands. Even when it comes
to all our loved ones yet in the prison of death and sin, we trust Christ to
call his own when he will for if they are called, Christ shall be the doer of
it. Like “the keeper of the prison
looked not to any thing that was under Joseph’s hand” so we cease our worrying
because all is in Christ’s hand.
The LORD was with
Joseph in Pharaoh’s Kingdom
When Joseph was brought before Pharaoh and interpreted
his dream. Joseph told Pharaoh seven
years of plenty and seven years of famine were coming.
Genesis
41: 39: And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all
this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
There is none in the land is wise as Christ, in whom the
Spirit of God is. God the Father was satisfied by Christ’s
finished work so God the Father exalted Christ, giving him all power over all
things and said of Christ what Pharaoh said of Joseph,
Genesis
41: 40: Thou shalt be over my house, and
according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled:… 41: And Pharaoh said
unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. 42: And Pharaoh
took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him
in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;…44: [God swore
by himself] without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land
of Egypt.
45: And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name
Zaphnathpaaneah;
The name Zaphanathpaanea means “treasury of glorious rest”—that’s
Christ!
When famine came all the land had corn in the storehouses, and all
came to Joseph to open the storehouses to them. He sold to them from the
abundance he had laid up for them. Christ is the Wisdom and Power of God. God has set him over the storehouse of
grace. All his own shall know the famine
within us by his grace revealing our sin and all his own shall be drawn to
Christ to open the storehouse of grace unto us.
But Christ does not sell anything to us.
Christ says,
Isaiah
55: 1: Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no
money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and
without price.
We buy without money because Christ is the Price—he paid
it all. All who come to him believing
Christ have the price. All grace is free
to us in Christ.
But
preacher, I am so sinful! Rememer, those
very brethren who had been so evil toward Joseph?
Genesis 50: 18: And his brethren also went and fell down
before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. 19: And
Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20: But
as for you, YE THOUGHT EVIL AGAINST ME; BUT GOD MEANT IT UNTO GOOD, TO BRING TO
PASS, AS IT IS THIS DAY, TO SAVE MUCH PEOPLE ALIVE.
Unlike
Joseph, Christ is God and our Mediator in the place of God. Like as God
overruled all that Joseph’s brethren did to Joseph so that God might show mercy
to the children of Israel, his brethren, likewise,
Acts 4: 26: The kings of the earth stood up, and the
rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27: For
of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod,
and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered
together, 28: For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before
to be done.
Application: Sinner, Christ says to those who come humbled and broken
to him, by his grace, what Joseph said to his brethren. Do you think Joseph turned them away? Nope!
Joseph said,
Genesis 50: 21: Now therefore FEAR YE NOT: I WILL NOURISH
YOU, and your little ones. And HE COMFORTED THEM, and SPAKE KINDLY unto them.
Sinner, come to Christ a broken and contrite sinner,
starved of all righteousness, seeking all in Christ and these are the words he
shall speak to you, “FEAR YE NOT: I
WILL NOURISH YOU. HE SHALL COMFORT YOU, and SPEAK KINDLY unto you.”
And for you, brethren, who believe Christ, never cease
trusting in Christ’s faithfulness and his Strength alone. Our bow shall abide
in strength by the Mighty Hand of Christ our God. The strength God gives to his Joseph’s in
Christ is real strength: full justification from all our sin, Christ’s perfect
righteousness, separation into Christ our Holiness, complete redemption from all
the chains of sin and death, the mind of Christ to guide us always. Our strength is covenant strength—“the mighty God OF JACOB”—means
covenant. Charles Spurgeon said,
“Mightier than giants are men of the race of heaven.” It is because “from thence is the
shepherd, the stone of Israel.” (Genesis 49: 24) It means Christ came through the lineage of
Joseph, yes. But it also means that
everthing Joseph had, and everything that we have, brethren, is from Christ the
Shepherd, the Stone of Israel.
Believer, Christ is our Shepherd always and forever. I’ll
just remind you to read Psalm 23, “The
LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Christ
is the Stone of his Israel. “The stone
which the builders refused, the same is become the head-stone of the corner.”
(Ps 118: 22)
Spurgeon told this story. He said it may be true or not.
Whether it is true or not it is a good illustration. The story goes that when Solomon’s temple was
being built. Amongst the stones was one they could not make fit anywhere in the
building. They tried it at this wall,
then another, finally they became so vexed by it that they threw it to the side
in anger.
Over the years, the stone became covered with moss. No
one acknowledge it or if they did they despised it for the trouble it gave
them. Year after year rolled by, the old
stone was never used of the builders.
Finally, the temple was almost finished. A multitude was gathered
to see the grand sight. The builders only needed the top-stone but there were
no more stones. Someone said, “Perhaps
that stone which the builders refused is meant to be the top-stone.” So they hoisted it to the top of the house;
and sure enough it fit right into place. The crowd shouted “the stone which the
builders refused has became the head-stone of the corner.”
That story may or may not be true. But the builders cast Christ away. Yet, when
God finishes gathering together, in one, all things that are in heaven and in
earth, in Christ then Christ shall be the glorious consummation of all
things—the Head Stone of the whole house.
So he is now! Rest in him!
Amen!