Let's turn to Genesis chapter
41. Before we begin, let's go to the Lord in prayer. Our God and our Father, we ask
You now, in Christ Jesus, our great High
Priest, for His sake and for His and glory, that you would open the Scriptures
to us, make us to truly see Christ, make us to see that He's all
your salvation, that He's the one mediator between God and
men, that He is the successful, victorious Redeemer
of your people. And Lord, we pray that You would
indeed make us to behold Him, make us to see by Your grace. Forgive us of our sins, forgive
us as our minds wander and as we try to focus. And we pray,
Lord, You make us focus, make us put everything out of our
minds. It's in Christ's name we ask these things. Amen. Alright brethren, our subject
this morning is Joseph opens the storehouses. Joseph opens
the storehouse. Let's read just a portion of
our text. We'll start here in Genesis 41
and we'll read in verse 55. Genesis 41, 55. And when all
the land of Egypt was famished, The people cried to Pharaoh for
bread. And Pharaoh said unto all the
Egyptians, Go unto Joseph, what he saith to you, do. And the
famine was over all the face of the earth. And Joseph opened
all the storehouses and sold unto the Egyptians. And the famine
waxed sore in the land of Egypt and all countries came into Egypt
to Joseph for to buy corn because the famine was so sore in all
the land. Haven't these pictures been good?
I've enjoyed these pictures of Christ in Joseph. I've seen things
in these messages I've never seen before. The Lord showed
me things I've never seen and I've been blessed by it. I hope
you have too. And we see another picture today.
Joseph opens the storehouse. Now, the picture here is that
for all who come to Christ, truly famished, truly starving for
righteousness and holiness and all things that pertain to life
and godliness. For those that come truly hungry
to Christ, Christ opens the storehouse. He opens the storehouse. Nobody
has ever been turned away that came to Christ with a true need. Christ opens the storehouse.
Now last time when we looked at Genesis 41, we saw eternity. We saw a picture of God the Father
and God the Son and how all things were determined beforehand and
how Christ was set over all by God in eternity to be the Christ,
to be the Savior of His people before as yet God made anything. Now today, we begin the picture
by seeing Christ come into this earth and begin His earthly ministry. The first thing we see here is
verse 46, a picture of Christ entering His earthly ministry. It says, verse 46, Joseph was
30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Now Christ
was in this earth. He was born of a woman, born
under the law, grew in wisdom and stature as
a man, grew in favor with men as a man, though he's God overall,
as the God-man. But he entered his public ministry
to serve his people when he was 30 years old, around 30 years
old. Look over at Luke chapter 3.
We'll see this. Luke chapter 3, verse 21. It
says in Luke 3.21, when all the people
were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also being baptized
and praying, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Ghost descended
in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him. And a voice came from
heaven which said, Thou art my beloved Son, and Thee I am well
pleased. And Jesus Himself began to be
about 30 years of age. So he's entering his public ministry. God bears witness. He enters
through the ordinance of baptism. He's following God's order of
setting forth this ordinance of baptism. And the Spirit of
God descended upon him and God bore witness. This is my son
in whom I'm well pleased. And he was around 30 years old.
And Christ was fervent. He was zealous in the work that
God sent him to do. We see this pictured in our text
in Genesis 41-46. It says there, Genesis 41-46,
it says, And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh
and went throughout all the land of Egypt. Now, he had work to
do. Remember, Joseph was with Pharaoh
and he told all this work that would need to be done. And Pharaoh
gave it all into his hand, just like God gave the whole work
of redeeming his people into the hand of Christ before the
foundation of the world. And Joseph wasn't lazy, he didn't
rest, he was fervent about this business. There was a lot to
be done. He had to appoint those overseers,
Christ appoints His preachers. He came into this earth. He appointed
His apostles. He called His disciples. He established
the earthly church. Joseph had to make sure those
fields were planted with seed. Christ established His church
to see that His Gospels preached, that that seed scattered abroad. Then there was the storehouses
that were to be built in the cities. Those officers were to
take up the fifth part of that corn and it was to be laid up
in store in every city in the storehouse. This is all pictures
of what Christ did when He came in redeeming His people. There
was work to do. And Christ came and He was fervent,
He was zealous for that work. We're going to see in our second
hour, the message is Christ's charge to urgency. Christ's charge to urgency. And
this is the words of Christ. And this will be our text in
the second hour. Let me just read it to you now.
But in Isaiah 62, verse 1, Christ says, For Zion's sake will I
not hold my peace. And for Jerusalem's sake I will
not rest. I will not rest until the righteousness
thereof go forth as brightness and the salvation thereof as
a lamp that burneth. Christ said I must be about my
Father's business. Now, sinner, you sitting here
without Christ, you have one business in this world. It's
just one business you have in this world. That's to know Christ. That's to be found in Christ.
Not having a righteousness of your own, not having any works
of your own whereby you're going to come into God's presence,
but to be found in Christ in His righteousness alone. That's
the only business you have in this earth. Nothing else is important
than that. And believer, you that God's
quickened and regenerated and called to faith in Christ, Your
business is to keep casting your care on Christ, to keep casting
all your care into His hands, and this is our business. This
is what our subject is going to be in the second hour. He
sent us forth to preach this gospel. He sent us forth into
the world to declare this message, and this is our business. Our
business is the Father's business. Our business is Christ's business.
Nothing else in the world matters but this. I wish we really believed
that. I wish we knew it and believed
it. Really, really. Look here at
this second thing, the success of Christ's work. Not only did
He go to do this work and come to do this work and set about
fervently to accomplish the work, He was successful. Christ was
successful in everything He did in this work of redemption. Verse
47, this is the picture. In the seven plenteous years
the earth brought forth by handfuls. Who made the earth bring forth
by handfuls? God did. Nobody else could have
made it bring forth but God. And God made it bring forth by
handfuls. Well, when Christ came into this
earth, you know who He is? He's God. He's God. He's the second person in the
Trinity. And He's man. He's made like unto His brethren. He's the God-man. And He made
His work to bring forth plenteously, bountifully in everything that
He did in this world. He came and this is what Daniel
said he would do. And this is what he did. This
is what Christ accomplished. He finished the transgression. The first Adam sinned in the
garden and he transgressed against God. This last Adam came and
for his people, for the glory of God, he finished the transgression. What does that mean? He put an
end to sins. I know we sin, and you sin, and
we see our sins, and we mourn our sins, and we pray for the
day we won't sin. But this is the glorious good
news of the gospel. In Christ, there is no sin. Christ
put an end to sins. That's the splendid bounty that
He brought forth when He worked. He brought in everlasting righteousness. Never to end. He made reconciliation
for iniquity. He reconciled His people to God. When we were enemies, because
we'd broken God's law and we were enemies in our minds by
wicked works, He reconciled us to God. Well, if He's called
you and brought you to the feet of Christ and made you to bow
to God now and roped you in His righteousness, Shall He not continue
to provide for you? If He did that for you when as
yet you were enemies, now that He's given you the atonement,
He'll surely provide for you. Plenty, plenty, plenty. He sealed
up the vision and the prophecy. He anointed the Most Holy. We
have an access to God now through the flesh, the blood and the
righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ. There's access into God's
presence. This is that plenty that He brought
forth when He walked this earth. Christ gathered up life and He
laid it up for His people. Look at verse 48. Verse 48. He gathered up all the food of
the seven years which were in the land of Egypt and laid up
the food in the cities. He gathered up the food. What's
this food? What's this corn that Joseph
gathered up? It's life. That's what Christ
gathered up for His people. Christ is the life. He's the
life for His people. The life of His people. What
is righteousness? Righteousness is life. There's
no such thing as life, true life, before God, with God, in communion
with God. There's no such thing as life
except it be righteousness. Now this thing we call life,
We're dead in trespasses and in sins by nature. But what Christ
gathered up for His people and what Christ is to His people
is righteousness. Life. That's life. Life. Holiness is life. Holiness is
life. You know, we were talking Thursday
night about the milk and the meat. Well, this is what I'm
telling you now. This is meat. You think about
that. Life, righteousness is life. Holiness is life. If you're righteous
and holy, you've got life eternal. And Christ is sanctification
unto His people. He's made of God unto us sanctification. The life that we have in us,
the holiness that we have in us, the holiness of the new spirit
and of the new man is Christ, our holiness. Christ formed in
you is the life. He's the righteousness and He's
the life. Redemption is life. To be brought
out from under the curse, to be brought out from under condemnation,
to be made free, to worship God and commune with God, that's
redemption. That's what Christ accomplished.
Redemption is life. And all of this is in Christ.
When the Scripture says, He gave us all things, that pertain to
life and godliness. You know where these all things
are? You know what this life and this godliness is? You know
where these things are to be found? In Christ. Christ is all
things that pertains to life and godliness. Christ is. Christ
is. Christ is all. Christ is all. And Christ lays up this life
in His churches. where He's established for His
gospel to be preached. The gospel is the living Word
of God. It's the ever-living Word of
God, the Word that lives and abides forever. And this life's
laid up in His churches, where He's been pleased to establish
His name and set forth His name and declare His works. That's
what these cities represent. Look at verse 48. It says there,
He laid up the food in the cities. The food of the field, which
was round about every city, laid He up in the same. Every church
that Christ has established is like these cities where the food
is laid up. That's why Christ, one of His
first things He did when He came to this earth is He went about
calling His apostles. And He went about calling disciples
and establishing His church was because It was in that first
city that He laid up this life. He gave this hidden treasure.
He gave them this corn, this life, this good news, this word
of this gospel. And He told them after He ascended,
He said, you go to Jerusalem and you wait there for the Holy
Spirit to be poured out, which was poured out by Him. Peter
said, He's done this which you see and hear. And He said, you
go there and you just declare this word. And He declared it.
And He saved some people there. And then through the persecution,
He scattered them. And everywhere He scattered them
into this earth, there was His cities. Wherever He planted His
churches, there was His cities. And that's where His people were
to go to get the corn, to get the life, to get the bread. That's
what these cities are. And in Christ now, when He sends
you there, He gives His preachers and His people. And you know
what we are? We're dispensers of bread. That's all we are. We don't have any ability to
make the life. We don't have any ability to
create the life. We don't even make the life.
You know, like a person in a lunch line, when you go down the lunch
line at school and the people are there serving you, cafeteria
style, they serve you, you know. That's all we are. We're just
dispensing the bread through preaching this gospel. through
preaching this gospel. Just like these cities had the
storehouses, that's where you went for the bread. And then
when you go there in Christ, you find plenty. You find plenty. Look at verse 49. And Joseph
gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he
left numbering, for it was without number. There's plenty in Christ. That's the picture here. You
noticed how God's grace is described in Scripture? You never read
about God's grace and His salvation and His righteousness and all
the things God's provided for His people. You don't read about
it in Scripture and read that there's just barely enough. There's
just enough crumbs for you to get some crumbs. No! You know
how His grace is described? In Christ, Ephesians 1, 7 says,
in Christ we have redemption through His blood. The forgiveness
of sins. Listen to this. According to
the riches of His grace. Riches of His grace. Listen to
2 Corinthians 4.15. It's called abundant grace. Abundant grace. It's called the
exceeding grace of God in you. It's called the manifold grace
of God. Ephesians 3.20 says, He's able
to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. In
2 Corinthians 9.8, Paul said, God's able to make all grace
abound towards you, that you always, having all sufficiency
in all things, may abound to ever good work. Why is all this
so? Why do we have abounding grace? Why does God give abounding,
exceeding, manifold, abundant, overflowing grace to every chosen
child that He put in Christ before this world began. Why does God
do that? Look here, verse 49. Read it again. I'm going to read
it to you the way I read it. It's because by the finished
work of Christ Jesus the Lord, He gathered up all the blessings
of the grace of God as the sand of the sea, very much, until
he left numbering, for it was without number." That's what
Christ did. That's what Christ did. Alright,
now. Here's another picture of this.
Same picture of this plenty. Same picture of this abounding
grace and this abounding salvation that Christ accomplished. We
see it here in these children that were born to Joseph. And
in the names of these children. These children were born before
the famine came. Now look here, this is a picture,
verse 50. Genesis 41, verse 50. And unto
Joseph were born two sons, this is important, before the years
of famine came. This is a picture of what Christ
accomplished before as yet you and I were
made to know anything about this famine. This was already accomplished
before you and I were made to know anything about the famine.
Watch this. These were two sons which Asenath,
the daughter of Potiphar, priest of Omberon, to him. Alright?
The focus here and the way to see this as a picture of Christ
is in the meaning of the names. The meaning of the names. Genesis
41, 51. My firstborn son Joseph called
his name Manasseh. Here's the meaning. For God,
said he, hath made me forget all my toil and all my father's
house. He made me forget all my toil
and the affliction of leaving my father's house. We saw throughout
all of Joseph's life what a picture of Christ he is. Christ, like
Joseph, Christ left His Father's house. He left the glory of His
Father's house. Christ suffered. He went down
there and He served faithfully, but He was falsely accused. Christ
was falsely accused. He was numbered with the transgressors
as Christ was numbered with the transgressors. He suffered the
prison of the cross, was forgotten, forsaken in justice by God on
that cross in the place of His people. He's the man of sorrows
and acquainted with grief. That's who Christ is. The man
of sorrows and acquainted with grief. But look at Isaiah 53. But when He satisfied divine
justice, when Christ satisfied divine justice, He saw all that
affliction and all that toil and he saw that it was all worth
it, because he saw the joy that God set before him. Remember
Hebrews says, for the joy that was set before him, he endured
the cross, despising the shame. He saw that joy set before him,
and it made it all worthwhile. Look at Isaiah 53, 11. He shall
see of the travail of his soul, Just like Joseph was in his affliction
and the toil that he was in, he shall see of the travail of
his soul and shall be satisfied. Justice is satisfied. By his
knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he
shall bear their iniquities. And when he bore their iniquities,
hold your place there in Isaiah, I'm going to come back. But when
he bore their iniquities and he satisfied the divine justice,
Christ saw his children born. He saw all His children born
because He put away our sin. He brought in righteousness.
He satisfied God's justice. He declared God just and to justify. He saw in His children being
born the travail of His soul. You know the picture. A woman
has a child and she's pregnant with a child and she just looks
like she's going to pop. She's so big. And she goes into
labor, and oh, that's painful. She labors, and she labors this
travail in labor. And oh, it's so painful. My wife
just about squeezed my hand completely off. But when that child laid in her
arms, she forgot to travail up. All that travail and all that
labor is gone. That's what he said. When he brought forth these
firstborn sons, Christ saw the travail of his soul and he was
satisfied. He was satisfied. Christ accomplished
their redemption. He justified them. And look at
the second son here. Genesis 41, 52. The name of the
second son was called Ephraim. And here's what that means. For
God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.
Go over to Ephesians 2. Ephesians chapter 2. I read this
to you Thursday night, but I want to show it to you again. Ephesians
2. We usually look at Ephesians 2 as regeneration, as our experience
of regeneration, and that's what it applies to. But it's also
telling us this, brethren, that when God raised Christ from the
dead, all His people were born that day in Christ. The mystical
church was in Christ and we were born that day in Him. All His
sons were born that day because He was made fruitful that day.
Because He put away the body of our sins and when He came
out of the grave, we came out of the grave in Him. Look at
this, Ephesians 2 and look at verse 5. Even when we were dead
in sins, He quickened us together with Christ. By grace are you
saved. And He raised us up together
and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Now that happened when God raised
His Son from the dead. So He saw His children born,
justified, and He saw His children raised. He saw Himself fruitful.
That's the accomplished work of Christ. All right, now, I
want to bring this home to us now. Then after all this happened,
just like God promised, God sent the famine into the land. Look
at verse 53, Isaiah 41, 53. The seven years of plentiness
that was in the land of Egypt were ended, and the seven years
of dearth began to come, according as Joseph has said, and the dearth
was in all the land. Now, in our flesh, brethren,
apart from Christ, there's nothing but famine. There's nothing but
famine. God has promised this. The days
come, saith the Lord, I'll send a famine in the land. Not a famine
of bread, not a famine of thirst for water, but a famine of hearing
the words of the Lord. And they'll wander from sea to
sea, from north even to the east. They'll run to and fro to seek
the Word of the Lord and shall not find it. Now, brethren, What
has to happen first is God's got to send a famine into you
personally and into me personally. But before God sends the famine
into us personally, He's already provided the bread. That's what
I've been trying to show you here. The bread's provided in
Christ. Look here, verse 54. It said He sent the famine, but
in all the land of Egypt there was bread. It was already provided
before as yet He sent the famine. You see, now, so when the people
were famished, where did they go? Look here, verse 55. And when all the land of Egypt
was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. And Pharaoh
said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph, and what he says
to you, you do it. Now here's the question. Has God sent a famine into your
soul? God sent a famine into your soul. Now I'm not talking
about a famine of bread and of water. I'm talking about a famine
of not having any righteousness of your own. A famine so that
there's no holiness that you can muster up or create or produce. A famine where you see that you're
in bondage and sin. You can't save yourselves from
yourselves. Has He sent that famine into
you? Well, when He sends that famine into you, you might think,
well, I'll just go to God. Well, let me tell you this. The
Scripture says this. It says, Whosoever offers the
sacrifice of a peace offering to God. You want peace with God? You want to offer Him a peace
offering? Here's what He says. It shall
be perfect to be accepted. There shall be no blemish therein.
Uh-oh. Uh-oh. If the very problem is,
is that I'm nothing but blemish within and without. If the very
problem is, is I'm nothing but imperfection within and out.
That's the whole purpose. I need to make peace with God.
Well, I can't come to God and do it myself. No, sir. And they came to Pharaoh, picture
of God the Father, and he said, Go to Joseph. Whatever he says
to you, that's what you do. Joseph, here's a picture of Christ,
and if you come to God, you've got to be as righteous and as
holy as God. You've got to be as perfect as
God is, because God's holy and righteous. He can't accept anything
but holiness and righteousness. Where are we going to get holiness
and righteousness? Where are we going to be made
holy and righteous so that God will receive us and God will
accept us? Go to Christ. Go to Christ. And whatever Christ
tells you, that's what you do. Scripture says there's one God
and there's one Mediator between God and men. And that's the man,
Christ Jesus. That's what you see here. There's
Pharaoh and there's these famished people. And in between them is
Joseph. Gotta go to Joseph. Whatever
Joseph says, that's what you do. Jesus said this, I am the
way. The way where? The way to God.
The way of acceptance with God. I'm the way. I'm the truth. I'm
the life. No old man comes to the Father
but by me. It's the only way. Now, go to
Christ. What's going to happen? Now,
here's my whole point. This is my whole message right
here. What's going to happen, sinner, if God works this work
in you, if He makes you to see your famine, makes you to know
your need, and God's got to do it, He makes you to see your
need, and He makes you, He says to you, now go to my Son. Go to Christ. What's going to
happen when you go to Christ? I'm going to tell you this. When
God tells you to go to Christ, you're going to Christ. He said,
all my people... He said, my Father's going to
draw them. That's the only way He comes
for Him to draw us. But when He does, we're coming to Him.
What's going to happen when you go to Christ? Verse 56. The famine
was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all
the storehouses. and sold unto the Egyptians.
It didn't matter who you were. It says later on, even people
from other nations. So it doesn't matter who you
are, Jew, Gentile, male, female, bond or free, it doesn't matter.
It's not about your race. It's not about your place. It's
not about your face. It's all about God's grace. That's
the only way to come. But when you come to Christ by
God's grace, I guarantee you this, Christ delights to show
mercy. Christ will open the storehouse.
If you come famished, He said, I didn't come to call the righteous.
I didn't come to call fat and sassy people that aren't famished. I came to call famished, dead
dog sinners that can't do nothing for themselves. You come to Christ
a sinner, Christ will delight to show mercy to you. He'd never
turn one away. And it's even better than what
Joseph did here. Christ don't sell it. It's free. Isaiah 55. We'll end with this. Isaiah 55. This is what he says now. He
doesn't take the light in the death of the wicked. You know
the reason men won't come to Christ? Nobody's keeping sinners
from Christ. You know why sinners won't come
to Christ? They don't think they need Him. And so they'll go on
and perish in their famine. It takes God. We're so famished,
it takes God to make you know you're famished. That's right. He takes no delight in the death
of the wicked, so why will you die? Has He made you famished? Go to Christ. He'll open the
storehouse, and it's all free. Look at this, verse 1, Isaiah
55, 1. Oh, everyone that thirsteth. That's the only qualification.
You've got to be thirsty. Hell, everyone that thirsteth,
come ye to the waters. And he that hath no money, come
ye, buy and eat. Yea, come, buy wine and milk. Listen to this. How am I going
to buy it if I don't have any money? Buy it without money and
without price. That's the best deal I ever heard. Something you can buy without
money and without price? Salvation wherefore do you spend
money for that which is not bread? Why do you labor for that which
satisfies not? Hearken diligently unto me and
eat ye that which is good Let your soul delight itself in fatness
incline your ear and come unto me unto me unto me He said here
and your soul shall live and I will I will I will open up
the storehouse of my grace, and I'll pour it out exceeding abundantly
above anything you ever thought about. I will make an everlasting
covenant with you, even the sure mercies of day." Now, that's
God's sure word. If a man perishes, if he hears
that, he still goes on in unbelief and perishes. It's nobody's fault
but his own. Nobody's fault but his own. Isn't
that good news? God, Christ opens the storehouse.
Amen. Let's stand together, brethren.
We'll take about a 15-minute break. We'll come back. Father, thank You for Your Word.
Thank You for Christ our Lord. We pray, Lord, that by Your grace,
You'd send this famine into our hearts, that You'd truly make
Your people hungry. Make us come to You. Lord, make
us to where we don't ever stop coming to You. Make us come to
You and keep coming to You and keep coming to You. Taking this
free bread, drinking this free Water of salvation. Rejoice in
what You've done for us, Lord. We pray that You'd cause Your
people to do so now by Your mercy and Your grace. In Christ's name
we pray. Amen.