Let us turn to God's Word in
the Psalm that we were reading, Psalm 105. And drawing your attention for
a little while to the words that we have here at verse 17 through
22. I'll read the verses in Psalm 105, verse 17 through 22. He
sent a man before them, Even Joseph who was sold for
a servant, whose feet they hurt with fetters, he was laid in
iron. Until the time that his word
came, the word of the Lord tried him. The king sent and loosed
him, even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. He made
him lord of his house and ruler of all his substance to bind
his princes at his pleasure and teach his senators wisdom. Well as we turn to these verses
I want to conclude this short series of sermons that we sought
to preach somewhat on the history of Joseph looking at various
portions in the closing part of the book of Genesis Remember
from chapter 37 through to the end we have the generations of
Jacob and how those generations as we're told at the beginning
of the 37th chapter there they center in Joseph. Then again we read of this man.
The psalm of course relates many things concerning the history
of God's covenant people as we've read through the psalm you may
have observed that we have mentioned there in verses 9 to 12 of Abraham
and Isaac and Jacob and then in the portion we've just read
for our text from 17 through 22 we read of Joseph and then
at verse 26 following We have mention of Moses and the deliverance
of the children of Israel from Egypt. All these things we are told
happened to them for examples or types and they are written
for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come. And so as we've tried to say
something with regards to Joseph and his history we'd be more
concerned with the spiritual significance and what we read
concerning that man relates principally to the Lord Jesus of whom he
is a remarkable type but also in some measure relates to us.
Last time we were considering those words in chapter 49 of
Genesis There at verse 22 through 26
where we have the blessing that his father Jacob pronounced upon
that son. That 49th chapter is the account
of the last days of Jacob calling his sons, his 12 sons and telling
them of those things that were obtained to them in the last
days. And so we looked at that passage
there in Genesis 49 from verse 22. How that Joseph we are told
is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well. And his branch
ran over the wall. We thought of his faith. I said
something about the faith of Joseph in terms of the well. That was the source of his faith.
and the wall also which indicates something of his trust the branch
that runs over the wall that needs the support of the wall
but the well or the wells of salvation the well of Bethlehem
all of these things of course indicate where his faith lay
in the Lord Jesus Christ But now as we come to consider these
verses in the psalm I want more particularly to say something
with regards to the testing of his faith, the triumph of his
faith, the truth of his faith. What a remarkable faith this
man had. As I said he has said before
us clearly as one who directs us to the Lord Jesus is a type
of the Savior. We looked at those words back
in Genesis 41-38 where Pharaoh says unto his servants concerning
this man Joseph who had interpreted Pharaoh's dreams when none of
the wise men of Egypt could make anything of those dreams. But
Joseph interprets the dreams but then also gives advice with
regards to what the dreams are conveying to the Pharaoh. Pharaoh
says unto his servants, can we find such a one as this is, a
man in whom the Spirit of God is. He was a man in whom the
Spirit of God is. Well, principally, primarily
that man is the Lord Jesus. God giveth not the Spirit by
measure unto him, the Lord Jesus. He is the one who is the Christ,
the Anointed. And as Joseph prospered there in the
land of Egypt, so he was able to make every provision for his
own family. He was that one who opened all
the storehouses in the time of great famine. we read in the psalm of how such
a time came upon the land verse 16 the Lord called for a famine
upon the land He break the whole staff of bread He sent a man
before them before Jacob and his sons and it was Joseph of
course who made the provision he opened all the storehouses
he nourished his father and his brethren, or does he not direct
us to the Lord Jesus Christ? It pleased the Father that in
him, that is in Christ, should all fullness dwell. In him dwelleth
all the fullness of the Godhead body, and of his fullness have
we received, and grace for grace. What a remarkable man then is
this Joseph who directs us to the wonder of the person and
the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. But in some ways we have to recognize
he's also a type of the believer. The believer who is united to
the Lord Jesus. Remember the opening words of
Genesis 37 as I said it's the second verse I think that tells
us these are the generations of Jacob. And then we read immediately
of Joseph. Joseph is the typical Israelite. He's a spiritual Israelite. And
spiritual Israelites are those who are united to the Lord Jesus.
And they know something of what it is to suffer for the sake
of Christ. Peter says in his first letter
In chapter 4 and verse 13, rejoice in as much as ye are partakers
of Christ's sufferings. And Paul says much the same at
the end of Philippians 1, unto you it is given in the behalf
of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for
His sake. Well Joseph knew what it was
to suffer because he had faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But
he also experienced in those sufferings the reality of the
support of the Lord Jesus as the prophet Isaiah says in all
their affliction he was afflicted. The Lord was with him. The Lord
strengthened him, sustained him. Well let us come now to consider
something of what we are told here concerning the trying of
his faith. He sent a man before him, even
Joseph. who was sold for a servant, whose
feet they heard with fetters, he was laid in iron, until the
time that his word came, the words of the Lord tried him. We have that sentence here, one
sentence from verse 17 through 18 and 19, and it's speaking
very much of the trial of his faith. And what a trial it was,
It was a spiritual trial. We remarked last week on the
alternative reading in the margin in verse 18. I know it says in
the text he was laid in iron, but we're told in the margin
the Hebrew literally means his soul came into iron. It was not
so much the physical aspect of his sufferings being sold by
his brethren to the Ishmaelites who sell him into slavery and
then he's cast into the prison. he's suffering in a real physical
sense but now it was his soul that was suffering principally
the iron came into his soul so great was
the trial that this man was having to endure and what was that trial? well we're told at the end of
verse 19 the word of the Lord the word of the Lord what God
had said to him God had blessed him with prophetic dreams we
have the account of those dreams remember I know here I'm beginning
to repeat, I suppose, in some measure, and yet it's necessary
in part, I say, because we know the scripture tells us it's ever
precept upon precept, precept upon precept, and line upon line,
and line upon line, here a little, and there a little, and we read
of that good man that the Lord speaks of in the gospel which
bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. So you excuse
me if I make some repetition concerning things that we've
said over these past weeks concerning this man and how all that God
had said to him, the dream or the dreams that he had had in
which God had clearly spoken to him, they were prophetic dreams
and we know how in those days God would speak to men in such
a manner because the scriptures were not complete when king Saul is established
for a while in the kingdom he then is so disobedient as a king
and we read those terrible words concerning him in 1st Samuel
28 verse 6 that when Saul enquired of the Lord the Lord answered
him not The Lord answered him not by dreams, or Urim, or prophets. There were those remarkable ways
in which God was communicating with man in those days before
the Bible was in existence or complete. He would speak to man
by dreams, Elihu, Remember in Job 33 and there at verses 14
and 15 and 16 speaks of the way in which God would speak to a
man by dreams. But there was also the Urim and the Thummim
in the breastplate of the high priest and there was some mysterious
way in which they were able to discern what God's will was for
them by the Urim and the Thummim. and then there were the prophets
and the seers who were able to speak directly the words of God
they could say thus and thus saith the Lord but when Saul
enquired of the Lord he answered not but the Lord favoured this
man Joseph and spoke to him and there in Genesis 37 verse 5 following
we're told of those dreams he had in which he sees his brother's
sheaves coming and bowing down before his sheep doing obeisance
and then he dreams another dream and he sees the sun and the moon
and the eleven stars all bowing down before him not only his
brethren but his father, his mother would also do obeisance
to him how Jacob lays all these things up in his heart the Lord didn't speak to that
man Saul but the Lord very much spake
to Joseph but what comes of the word of
God? what comes of the word of God? why this is a man who is cast
into prison? and why is he in the prison?
because of all those events that had befallen him in God's providences. They were the bitter words that
his brethren had spoken when he had been sent by his father
to join them when they were caring for the sheep. Behold his dream
had come and what did they do? They were minded to kill him
but they don't kill him eventually they sell him to the Ishmaelites. and the Ishmaelites take him
into Egypt and they sell him into slavery and he's in the
home of Potiphar. And then there's the wickedness
of Potiphar's wife, the lustful ways, and the false accusations. Now we see something of the the rectitude of this man God's
fear is in his heart he says to that wicked woman how can
I do this great wickedness and sin against God he will not lie
with her and so she falsely accuses him to her husband and he's cast
into the prison and he's languishing there in the prison and he interprets
the dreams of the butler and the baker he's a man you see
in whom the spirit of God is God speaks to him and the butler
is going to be restored to his office in the court of Pharaoh
and Joseph asked could he remember him yet did not the chief butler
remember Joseph we're told but forget it all we knew what outward
trials were but the chief trial of all had
to do with the word of God It was the word of the Lord that
was his great trial. He wasn't having his feet hurt with
fetters and his soul laid in iron. No, until the time that
his word came it was the word of the Lord that tried him. And that indicates to us that
the trial is really a spiritual trial. Not so much the physical
aspect. what would be in the mind in
the heart of this man concerning that that God had given to him
prophetic dreams or was God's words to him only that a dream
a dream nothing more than a dream when he came it was it was a
pleasant and a sweet experience to have that dream but it was
all false didn't really come to anything and yet there was a sense surely
in which in the midst of all that is happening Joseph has
some insight into what is in his own heart and what is in
his heart as in the hearts of all of those who have ever lived
upon the face of the earth since the days of Adam and Eve what
is in our hearts of course continually is the power and the working
of unbelief We are truly the children of Adam and Eve. When Eve was tempted, what does
she do? She's full of unbelief. She rejects
God's Word. She doesn't believe what God
says. But she rather embraces the lie that the devil presents
to her. God had said clearly to Adam,
concerning that tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt
not eat of it. In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt
surely die. And the devil says thou shalt
not surely die. Your eyes shall be opened. You
shall be as gods. And she partakes of the fruits
that God had forbidden. She believes the lie of the devil.
She rejects the truth of God and she's dead not physically
but she's dead in trespasses and in sins and wasn't Joseph
made to feel something of the workings of unbelief in his own
heart at that time how the the flesh will always lost against
the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these two are contrary
one to the other And Paul says you cannot do the thing that
you would be speaking of course of a believer. The believer has
a new nature. The believer is partaker of the
divine nature. If any man is in Christ Jesus
he is a new creation. But there is an old nature. As
the Lord says even in John chapter 3 where he speaks of the necessity
of new birth. He must be born again. That that
is born of the flesh is flesh. that that is born of the spirit
is spirit and they're contrary and there's unbelief and it's
unbelief that's in the hearts of all and it's in the hearts
of even those who are the Lord's people and Joseph this remarkable
character who has the fear of God in his heart but what must
have been working then in his soul we think of the language
that we read of in a previous Psalm, in Psalm 77 verse 8 Asaph,
Asaph says, Is his mercy clean gone forever? Doth his promise
fail forevermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his
tender mercies? Selah and I said this is my infirmity
but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most
High I will remember the works of the Lord surely I will remember
thy wonders of all I will meditate also of all thy work and talk
of thy doings thy way O God is in the sanctuary who is so great
a God as our God but the God whose way is in the sanctuary
he goes on to say later that same God has his way in the sea. Verse 19, thy way is in the sea,
and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.
Or there are mysteries in the ways of God, in the way in which
he deals with his people when he tries the faith of his people.
And there will certainly be the trying of faith. that where true faith is tried
out, how it endures. The words of dear Joseph Hart,
he says, true faith's the life of God. Deep in the heart it
lies, it lives, and labours, under load, though damped, it
never dies. No, it never dies, until the
time that his word came, the word of the Lord tried him. But
what do we see as the consequence of the trial? The trial of this
man's faith. What is the result of that trial? Well we see the truth. The truth of his faith. Even
the triumph of his faith. There was a time when God's word
would come to pass. until the time that his word
came, it would come, but not in Joseph's time, it would come
in God's time. God says, doesn't he, through
Jeremiah, I know the thoughts that I think towards you, thoughts
of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Those
words, of course, historically are being spoken to the children
of Israel who are being taken into exile, into captivity. But
God knows his thoughts towards them. They're not going to be
there languishing in Babylon forever. No, no. The true seed of Abraham is there.
The Lord Jesus Christ will come of that seed of Abraham. They
must come again. They're not going to be finished
as a nation forever. I know the thoughts that I think
towards you thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an
expected end there will be a restoration and so here with regards to this
man's faith we see the truth of it and we see the truth of
it in two ways there's the enduring of true faith first of all and
then there's the object of true faith the enduring of true faith true faith will triumph in God's time to everything
there is a season, a time to every purpose under heaven a
time to be born, a time to die and so on you know the passage
there in Ecclesiastes chapter 3 a time to every purpose under
heaven and so the psalmist can say my times are in thy hand
all our times are in God's hand what's true of this man Joseph
is true of every spiritual believer every true child of God all our
times are in God's hand and Joseph oh Joseph knew it remember what we are told concerning
the man in chapter 50 the last chapter of Genesis when his brethren
do come and they bow down before him there in Genesis 50 verse 19
they actually bow down before him just as he saw it in the
dreams but then he says to them as for you ye thought evil against
me but God meant it unto good as it has come to pass to save
much people alive. All we knew these things were
all under the sovereign hand of God. That's a great word isn't
it at the beginning of Daniel chapter 10. It says the thing was true but
the time appointed was long. God's word was true but the time
appointed was long. how often we're impatient with
God. And we have to learn that our times are in God's hands.
Again, the language of the Prophet Habakkuk, Habakkuk chapter 2
and verse 3. He says, the thing was true,
or rather the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the
end it shall speak, and not lie. though it tarry, wait for it,
because it will surely come, it will not tarry." Until the
time that His Word, God's Word, God's purpose, God's decree,
all ordained from the foundation of the earth, until the time
that His Word came, the Word of the Lord tried Him. And that's the wonder of true
faith, isn't it? It endures. and it endures because
it is waiting for God's time and not our time. He that endureth to the end,
the same shall be saved. If our faith has a right beginning,
a real beginning, it will be enduring to the end. Paul says to the Hebrews, be
not slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience
inherit the promises or let us see that word of God
followers of them who through faith and patience or faith and
endurance inherit the promise and you know when deliverance
came to Joseph it came with some haste There in Genesis 41 and verse
14, then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph. It says, and they brought
him hastily out of the prison. They brought him hastily. The
margin says, made him run out of the prison. When God's time
comes, how surprising it is. How exciting it is. It's God's
time. It's the best time. and he knows those thoughts that
he thinks towards his people who are we those friends who
desire that sort of faith the faith of this man that faith
that endures but besides the enduring of true faith there
is also the end the end of true faith or the object of true faith
and what is the object of true faith? It's the Word of God. True faith has to do with God's
Word. God's Word here in Holy Scripture. Vain men, they want signs. They
want sensible evidences. We see it in the Gospel, the
way the Lord deals with the Pharisees. Look at words that we find in
Mark, Mark chapter 8, and there at verses 11 and 12. We're told, Now the Pharisees
came forth and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign
from heaven, tempting him. And he sighed deeply in spirit
and said, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? Verily I say
unto you, there shall no sign be given unto this generation."
Then one signs, tangible things, visible things. Something to
impress the senses. What does Peter say? We have
the more sure word of prophecy. Or we have a more sure word of
prophecy. What is that more sure word?
it's the Word of God in Holy Scripture. Psalm 138 and verse 2, Thou hast
magnified Thy words above all Thy name. For when God gave promise
to Abram, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself. And we read of this God here
in the Psalm. He has remembered His covenant
forever, the Word which He commanded to a thousand generations, which
covenant He made with Abram and His oath to Isaac, and confirmed
the same unto Jacob for a law and to Israel for an everlasting
covenant. God, you see, has magnified His
Word above all His name because He has sworn by Himself, His
Word is as sure as Himself. and he is the great unchanging
Jehovah I am that I am and see how here in this 19th verse we
have the words twice until the time that his words came the
word of the Lord tried him difficult to know what the first
clause means the time of His word, is that God's word? Well it is God's word. In the
second clause we're told it's the word of the Lord. But it
was God's word to Joseph. It was Joseph's word. It was
that prophetic word that had come through the dream. It was
his. And he has to rest in the word.
And that's where we have to rest. Oh, what do we have in the Gospel?
We have God's Word, God's promise, all the promises of God in the
Lord Jesus Christ. They wrote, Yea and Amen to the
glory of God by us. We read there in 2 Corinthians
1.20. They wrote to God's glory and it's all by us. God is true
to His Word. The Gospel exceeding great and
precious promises. and all sealed with the blood
of Christ the end of faith is the Word we rest here the Word
of God in Holy Scripture but more than that remember Joseph
is a type of Christ and Christ is the Word of God incarnate the Word of God in flesh and
you know it's interesting isn't it what we read in the Gospel
there in the second chapter of Luke at the time of the birth
of the Lord Jesus there were many at Jerusalem waiting for
Messiah to appear. There were those there and they
were waiting and looking and longing for the appearance of
the promised Messiah. Amongst them was that man called
Simeon It's lovely, isn't it? The chapter,
the second chapter. Verse 25, Behold, there was a
man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. And the same man was
just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel. And the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him
by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen
the Lord's Christ. And he saw Him. Oh, he saw Him. Read the account. But then also we read of another,
Anna, verse 36. There was one Anna, a prophetess,
the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asa. She was of great
age and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity.
and she was a widow of above fourscore and four years which
departed not from the temple but served God with fasting and
prayers night and day and she coming in at that instant gave
thanks likewise just as Simeon had given thanks the nonc dimittis
as we call it there the words of Simeon, she coming in at that
instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord and spake of Him
to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. All there were
a people you see, looking and waiting and longing for the end
of faith. What is the end of faith? The
end of faith is the Lord Jesus. He's the only object of our faith. Joseph, we're told, aren't we,
how he nourished his father and his brethren. He opened all the
storehouses, he fed them. We're told here how he was made
Lord of Pharaoh's house in verse 21. He made him Lord of his house ruler over all his substance
well we're told of the Lord Jesus that Christ as a son is over
his house and the father has committed all things into his
hands even judgment in him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily this is the one that we're to
Look to, there is, as we say, a greater than Joseph in these
verses, says the Lord Jesus Christ. He is that one who is the blessed
object of true faith. That one who teaches wisdom. We read of him in verse 22, binding
his princes, that is the princes of the Pharaoh at his pleasure,
teaching his senators wisdom. Oh the Lord Jesus is that one
who must teach us true wisdom and true knowledge to know the
Lord God and Jesus Christ whom God has sent. There's our object
of faith ever always looking on to Jesus looking only on to
Jesus looking away from every other thing to Jesus alone or God will test, God will try
our faith but if it's a genuine faith it will endure the trial
and we'll come to the realization of what the blessed end of that
trial is even the truth of God's words and the trustworthiness of those
promises in Christ Jesus All of them, Yay and Amen, all of
them sealed with the precious blood of the everlasting covenant. So we come to conclude these
few sermons that we've sought to preach somewhat on the life
of this remarkable character in the Old Testament, Joseph.
Almighty ever-director sent to the Lord Jesus himself. He sent
a man before him. Even Joseph, who was sold for
a servant, whose feet they hurt with fetters, he was laid in
iron. For his soul came into iron,
as the margin says, until the time that his word came. The
word of the Lord tried him. The king sent and loosed him,
even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. He made
him lord of his house and ruler of all his substance. to bind
his princes at his pleasure and to teach his senators wisdom. May the Lord bless the word to
us. Amen.