Joseph: Unknown To His Brethren

Q: What does the Bible say about election and salvation?

The Bible teaches that salvation is based on God's election, not human decision, as seen in passages like 2 Timothy 1:9 and Ephesians 1:4. The concept of election is central to Reformed theology, asserting that salvation is not achieved through human decisions but through God's sovereign choice. As stated in 2 Timothy 1:9, God has saved us and called us, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace. This aligns with Ephesians 1:4, which reveals that believers are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. Thus, God's foreknowledge and election provide the foundation and certainty of salvation, emphasizing that it's God's love towards the unlovely that assures our salvation, not our actions or decisions.

Q: How do we know that salvation is truly from God?

Salvation is from God, demonstrated in Galatians 1:15-16, where Paul affirms that God revealed His Son in him, signifying divine initiative. The assurance that salvation is solely from God is rooted in Scripture, particularly in Galatians 1:15-16. Paul illustrates that it was God who separated him for salvation and revealed His Son within him—not through human effort or decision but distinctly by divine intervention. This assurance is fundamental in Reformed theology. God is the initiator of salvation, illustrating His sovereignty through scripture's consistent narrative of Him reaching out to lost sinners. We also see in John 6:44 that no one can come to Christ unless the Father draws them, further emphasizing the divine nature of salvation.

Q: Why is understanding man's sinful nature important for salvation?

Understanding man's sinful nature is crucial as it leads to genuine repentance and reliance on Christ, as shown in Romans 3:10-12. The doctrine of man’s sinful nature plays a vital role in sovereign grace theology, as it highlights humanity's inherent inability to achieve righteousness apart from God. Romans 3:10-12 clearly states, 'None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.' This realization of our sinful condition is pivotal for understanding the need for a Savior. As Joseph revealed his brethren's guilt, it's essential to recognize our own unworthiness before God for true repentance to occur. This recognition shifts reliance from human merit to divine grace as the means of salvation, invoking the need for a Savior who reconciles us with God.

Q: How does God reveal Himself to sinners?

God reveals Himself to sinners through hard truths and divine interventions, as seen in Joseph's interaction with his brethren. God's revelation to sinners often begins with hard truths that confront their unworthiness and need of grace. In the story of Joseph, he reveals himself to his brothers in a way that forces them to confront their past and their guilt. This act of speaking 'harshly' as a means to draw out their contrition is a pattern seen throughout scriptures, underscoring the necessity of recognizing one's sinfulness before receiving grace. In John 16:8, the Holy Spirit convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment, showing that God opens hearts to make His truth known. Thus, God’s authoritative revelation serves to bring about genuine acknowledgement of sin, paving the way for grace and salvation.

Q: What is the importance of Christ as mediator in salvation?

Christ as the sole mediator is essential for salvation because He bridges the gap between a holy God and sinful humanity, as seen in 1 Timothy 2:5. In Reformed theology, the role of Christ as our mediator is paramount for understanding salvation. 1 Timothy 2:5 proclaims, 'For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.' This highlights that Jesus reconciles sinners to God, fulfilling the requirements of justice through His sacrifice. As Joseph’s brethren could only be saved through the acknowledgment of their relationship with their brother, we too must recognize that salvation is exclusive to Christ. Hebrews 9:15 further emphasizes this by stating that Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, ensuring that redemption is available to those who are called. Thus, it underscores that approach to God must always be through Christ, the ultimate and sufficient mediator.

Third as the last. OK, back to Genesis 42 now. Genesis 42. Why is a person saved? Because they make a decision? No, but because God Almighty
made the decision to save them. Peter said we are elect. God's
people are elect according to the foreknowledge of God. What is it that saves? What is
it that saves our souls? Faith? Works? No. The blood and righteousness of
Jesus Christ save our souls. Nothing plus Nothing else. When is a person saved? When they accept Jesus? No. When it pleases God to reveal
Christ in them. That's when they're saved. And
this last point, that point there, is what our story typifies, I
believe. These were Joseph's brethren. They were his brethren. They
were known by him, but he was unknown to them. Nevertheless,
they were his brethren. They were dying. They were in
the grips of a famine, and they were dying. Joseph was sent before
them by God Almighty to save them. That's the reason he was
where he was, to save his brethren. They were physically sustained
by Joseph from that time forward. Physically sustained, taken care
of by Joseph, totally. And Joseph hid himself, though. He hid himself. He made himself
strange to them until his good time. until the time that he
revealed himself. All right, let's look at the
first two verses again, and this is what this story is about.
The title of this message is Joseph, Unknown to his Brethren. Unknown to his Brethren. Let's read verses 1 and 2 again.
Now, when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt Jacob said
unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? He said, Behold,
I have heard that there is corn in Egypt. Get you down thither,
and buy for us from thence, that we may live, and not die." I believe these verses are a
picture of a faithful believer warning his children of their
sad condition and their need for the gospel. Bread being a
type of Christ of the gospel, Jacob a believer, and he's warning
his children of their sad condition. You're going to die if you don't
get some bread. So get down to where the bread
is that you might not die. And that's as we should be. We
should constantly exhort our children from the Scripture. of their need of the gospel of
Christ. But chiefly, if it's within our
power, have them where the gospel is. Have them where the bread's
being served. Just like a mother faithfully
serves up bread and meals to her children, parents should
be even more faithful in having their children where the soul
bread is served up. which is able to save them. All
right, verses 3 through 5. Let's read those verses. And
Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. But Benjamin,
Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren. For he
said, lest for adventure mischief befall him. The sons of Israel
came to buy corn among those that came. For the famine was
in the land of Ten brothers went to buy some
corn. That was their reason for coming, and they ended up meeting their
Savior. Benjamin was left at home for
a reason we'll see later on. But there was a famine in the
land, and these ten brothers came down to Egypt to buy corn. I believe these brethren represent
religious people, religious but lost. Nearly everyone has some
sort of religious persuasion. Most people have had some sort
of religious upbringing. have gone to church somewhere,
so-called church. And many, many if not most of
those, make professions of faith. They make professions of faith.
Many go for many reasons, many reasons. These men went to buy
bread, or that is, to satisfy their hunger. Many people go
and attend church for to get their problems solved, to get
in good with God, you know, get a new job or find a wife or a
husband or whatever, get in better circumstances. Many go for many
reasons. People begin to attend church
services because of death or sickness or fear of something,
fear of something or someone. They make their profession of
faith. The salvation is salvation is. Is coming into contact with
a person. Salvation is knowing the true
God through Jesus Christ. That's what salvation is. It's
not going to church. Salvation is meeting Jesus Christ. It's having him reveal himself
to you. All right. Look at verse six. And I believe
these men represent religionists. And Joseph was the governor over
the land. He was governor over all the land, and he it was that
sold all the people of the land. He's Lord over all. And Joseph
here represents Jesus Christ, who is indeed Lord over all. He is the sovereign ruler. It says here in verse 6 that
Joseph's brethren came and bowed down themselves before him with
their faces to the earth. Joseph dreamed a dream that this
would happen. And it did. It did. And this is the type of our Lord
Jesus Christ whom God Almighty has made Lord. Men don't make
Him Lord. We don't. We deny that statement. People
say that all the time. You know, make Jesus Lord. more
than just splitting hairs or trying to be divisive. Salvation
is at stake, in a few words. Anyone who believes that they've
made Jesus Lord, they've got the wrong Jesus. You're going to see in a minute
how these men had the wrong perception of this ruler. They were going to find out who
he was. They were going to find out. Now God Almighty says, I
have made my Son Lord from the beginning. He says, I'll declare
the decree. Listen to Psalm 2. The Lord has
said, Thou art my Son. This day have I begotten thee. He said he set his King upon
his holy hill of Zion. He said he would break them with
a rod of iron. He said, you serve the Lord with
fear. You serve this son of his, the
Lord, with fear. Rejoice, kiss him and not his
cheek. That's not the position you're
to take before this great Lord. It's at his feet. If you're going
to kiss, kiss his feet. Kiss his feet, lest he be angry. Judas is always betrayed. with a kiss on the cheek. Joseph was governor over all,
and Jesus Christ his Lord over all, because God made him so,
not men. Look at Isaiah chapter 45. And these men bowed before Joseph,
as he said they would. And all men and women do. They do. bow to, in some sense,
they do bow to, or they do at least do his bidding. All men
and women do his bidding, their Lord. The wrath of man, even
the wrath of man will praise him, the scripture says. Even
the wrath of man shall praise him, and the rest, the remainder,
he will restrain. But men do his bidding. All men
and women do his bidding. Unwittingly, maybe, but they
do his bidding. Look at verse 23. Now look at
this. Isaiah 45, 23. God says, I have
sworn by myself that where he is gone out of my mouth in righteousness,
and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, and
every tongue shall swear. And over in Philippians 2.10,
the scripture says, at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow,
and every tongue confess that he is Lord, to the glory of God
the Father. All right? Every knee shall bow. God has sworn it. Like Joseph prophesied it, and
it happened, God says, I've sworn it. And whatever I say is going
to happen now. Salvation is God Almighty making
us bow now. That's salvation. God Almighty
bringing us to the place of bowing down before Jesus Christ now. And God's sworn by a covenant
that all whom He's chosen are going to do that. They're going
to bow down. now, willingly. They're going
to be made willing. They're going to see His power,
His glory, His beauty, His worth, their own unworthiness, and they're
going to bow willingly, bow down as willing bond slaves before
this great, high, potentate King, Lord Jesus. They're going to
bow down now. But every flesh, all flesh, will
bow someday. Now, in salvation, some. Then, all flesh, every knee,
John, he says, every knee shall bow. And every tongue, and men's
knees are just going to, they're not going to do it willingly,
stand. Then, in condemnation, in judgment, their knees are
just going to buckle. and they're going to fall down
and bow. And their tongues are going to say, He is, He's Lord. But salvation is for God Almighty
to do that to us now. Willingly, make us willing and
lovingly love the truth of His Lordship and bow down now. Salvation. Look at verse 24. This is a key also. Surely shall
one say," Now, every knee will bow, but here's salvation. One, an elect out of the many, will
say this, "'In the Lord have I righteousness and strength.'"
There's salvation, too, isn't there? "'In the Lord have I righteousness.'"
All right, back to the text now, Genesis 42. So every knee will
bow, just as Joseph prophesied of his brethren. And they did
it. They did it. But I don't believe they did
it in the sense that we're speaking
of. I'll show you that in a moment. All right, let's read verses
7 and 8. Joseph saw his brethren, and
he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake
roughly unto them. And he said unto them, Where
do you come from? Where do you come from? And they
said, From the land of Canaan, to buy food. And Joseph knew
his brethren, but they knew him not. He knew them, but they didn't
know him. Now, the Scriptures say, The
foundation of God standeth sure. The Lord knoweth them that are
his. That's the foundation of our
salvation. You remember Brother Nybert's
message on that? In that no god, or rather, are
known of him. Now, there's salvation being
known of him. For whom he did foreknow, he
did predestinate. See, there's salvation. them
that are his. The Lord knoweth them that are
his before they know him. He said, I know my sheep. I've
come looking for them. They don't know me yet. I know
them. I know them all. I'm going to
call them by name. I know my sheep. He said, my
father gave them to me. He knows them. And he gave them
to me. And I know them. for whom he
did foreknow." Now, the certainty of salvation is in this. The
certainty of salvation is in this. God Almighty chose certain
individuals. That's the certainty of your
salvation. The world may scoff at and reject and argue with
election, but the believer says, that's the certainty of my salvation.
that I'm elect according to the foreknowledge of God Almighty.
That's the reason I'm going to be saved. That's the reason I'm
going to be saved. God Almighty chose certain individuals. Yea, a multitude, lest somebody
argue not fair, he chose a multitude which no man could number. And
he set his love upon them, none lovely. altogether unlovely,
but he chose to love them anyway and gave them to his son in an
agreement, in a covenant, gave them to his son to come down
here and do for them, to save them, do for them what they could
not do. And Christ did that for the elect
and only the elect. He did it. He saved them by his
blood and righteousness. God knew and loved those people
before the world began, long before they knew him. Long before. And know means not just to be
aware of, it means to enter into a union with. Just like Adam
knew his wife Eve, and the two became one. And I was in Christ. Isn't that what Ephesians 1 says,
verse 4? According as God has chosen us
in Christ. I was his bride. He left his
father to cleave unto his wife. But I was in his mind, in his
heart, before the world began. That's what it said then. I was
foreknown. Christ entered into a loving
relationship with me, long before I knew him. And I was like Gomer
when he found me, a harlot on the auction block when he came
looking for me at Isaiah's. He married this old harlot. And
that's another story. But he says, I know my sheep,
and in time I've known of mine. I know my
sheep, he said. I've known them before the world
began, and I came calling on them. And in time, they're going
to know me. They're going to know me. But
not, not until he reveals himself to us. Can a man by searching
find out God? No. God is spirit. We're flesh. Now, that which
is flesh is flesh. No man has seen God at any time,
the Scripture says. The only begotten Son, which
is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. Right? Right. Not until He reveals Himself
to us will we know Him. All right? Look at Galatians
chapter 1. Galatians 1. I promise you I'm not going to
be long tonight. Galatians 1. Galatians 1. But this is what our story in
Genesis is about. Galatians 1, and I quoted this
earlier, salvation is not a man or a woman choosing, deciding,
dedicating, consecrating, or even believing. Even believing. Salvation is
not man doing anything. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation
is what Christ did. Salvation is not man doing anything,
but God doing it all, Christ doing it all, and revealing himself
to a man. All right, look at Galatians
1. Look what Paul said. Verse 14. He said, I was religious
at one time. And you remember him saying this
over in Philippians. See, I was religious, verse 14,
profiting in the Jews' religion, and that's most people are religious
for gain, for profit. God really is their belly. As
I said before, people get religion to get a better job or find them
a wife or a husband or whatever, you know, for better circumstances. And Paul said, I did, I profited
in Jews' religion above many of mine, and I was zealous. I
was sincere about my religion, zealous of the traditions of
my fathers. I was a zealous Baptist or a
zealous Methodist, a zealous about this and that and the other.
But, now here's salvation. I, I, I, I, he said. I was this. I was that. I did that. But here's
salvation. God butting in. Salvation is God butting in. But God, who's rich and merciful. But when it pleased God. When's a man saved? When it pleases
God. Who separated him from his mother's
womb and called me by His grace to reveal His Son in me. Not to me, although he does that. To is to the head, the vehicle
of the head. In is in the heart. Christ formed
in you, in you, in the heart. And he says over in 1 Corinthians,
I'll not have you turn, but he said over there, he said, these
things are revealed unto us by his Spirit. God hath revealed
these things unto us by his Spirit. I had not seen, neither had I
heard, neither have I entered into the heart of man the things that
God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed
these things unto us by his Spirit. And it went on down to say, John,
that the natural man receiveth not the things of God. They are
spiritually discerned. God must reveal himself to us
and Christ in us. The revelation of Christ to a
person's heart. Faith. I said a while ago, salvation
is not the person believing. That comes after the fact. Yeah, it does. Yeah, it does. Faith is the gift
of God. Listen to II Thessalonians 2.13.
We're bound to give thanks to God, brethren, beloved of
the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation
through what? Sanctification of the Spirit,
not faith first, but sanctification of the Spirit, assailing a part
of the Spirit. God chose us, and the Spirit
rounds us up and puts us into the gospel right there, and the
wind blows, and life. comes. Life, just like that infant
in the field. God passes by and says, I said,
live! What does a person do? First
thing they—after life comes, then what do they do? They live. And it's almost instantaneous,
but faith is not life. I mean, faith's not give life.
It's a sign of it. Right? It doesn't give life.
God gives life. Christ gives life. The Spirit
gives life. Faith is just a sign of it. It's
like a child being born in this world. When is he alive? When
he's aware of it. Hell no. He just realizes it
later on. Hey, I'm alive. Mom. Dad. And that's spiritual life,
too. All right? Okay, back to the
text now. All right, now how does God first
reveal himself to somebody? How does God Almighty make himself
known to a person? Well, according to modern-day
preaching, modern-day thought, this is it. This is how—this
is the simple plan of salvation in a nutshell. You go to men
who are—they're not dead, but theoretically speaking, they're
dead. This shows the absurdity of this. to go to dead people
and say, now, if you will, as they say, God loves you. First
thing out of a preacher's mouth is what? God loves you. Christ died for you. Now, won't
you accept Jesus as your personal Savior? If you'll take the first
step, God will meet you halfway. And know what they say? If you
will give your heart to Jesus, come on now, give your heart
to Jesus. God loves you. Is that how God first speaks
to a son of Adam? A hell-deserving, God-hating, Christ-despising—unbelief is
just that, not interested in the Son of God. Is that how God
all my—find me that in the Bible. Find me anywhere in the Bible
where one of the prophets or apostles ever said that. God
loves you. He won't find it. John 3.16 was when Christ was
talking to a Jew. They didn't say that. And look
at how Joseph speaks, first of all, to his brethren. Look at
it, verse 7 again. Joseph saw his brethren. He knew
them, but he made himself strange unto them, and he spake roughly
with them. Now, what does it say? Do you
have a margin? A number beside roughly, what
does it say? Hard things with them. Did you hear Martin say
that? Did you hear him say that, John?
Joseph hid himself, made himself strange
to them, a strange ruler. Who is this strange one? That
sounds like Paul at Mars Hill. He seems to be a setter forth
of strange gods. But he spoke hard things to them. He said, verse 9, You're spies. He didn't say, Well, I'm so happy
to see you. I'm so glad you came up to Egypt.
We're glad to have you. Won't you make yourself comfortable?
We love you. God loves you, and so do we. Is that what he said? He spoke
hard things. You're spies. He said that three
times, John. Now, why did he do this? They didn't fear Joseph. They
lived down in Canaan. They weren't under the rule,
the immediate rule of Pharaoh. They didn't fear Pharaoh. They
didn't fear Joseph upon first coming to him. I don't believe
their bowing was inferior to him. I believe it was a formality. I really do. A mere formality. Like people
bow their heads in prayer to that. A mere formality. Let us bow. Huh? These were hard and wicked men.
You remember what these guys have been doing up until this
point? These weren't meek and mild and gentle fellas. Good,
sweet men. Kind. These were hard, wicked
men. Marauders. Murderers. They didn't fear anybody. Sure
didn't fear Pharaoh. They didn't fear God. They came
to get some corn. This guy had it, so, well, we'll
pass the time. They didn't fear him. They're
going to when they leave this place. They're going to be shaking
in their boots. They're going to have to see
who this is. They're going to have to see who this is they're
standing before. This is not somebody they've
made Lord. This is somebody that is Lord.
And now they are in His hands. They're going to have to see
His power over them. He's got the power to make us
to make them live or die. They don't know that yet. They're
going to fear him. They're going to have to fear
him. They're going to have to acknowledge what they've done, who they are. Right? You're spies. You're spies. When God Almighty
first deals with the son of Jacob, When God Almighty first deals
with the Son of Jacob in salvation, the first thing He does is speak
roughly to us. There's none good, no not one. We're glad to see Brother So-and-so.
He's such a good man. None good, no not one. What are you doing here? Well,
I just thought I would grace the service. You're a spy. You're a rotten, no good worm. That's a hard thing. Lord, don't
you know that those are hard sayings. Who can hear them? My
sheep hear them. It's the first thing they want
to hear, too. They're altogether become filthy,
and the word is stinking. And Isaiah 64, 6 says their religion
is as filthy rags. God says it's your solemn feasts. Isaiah 1, read that. Your solemn
feasts, your new moon, your Sabbaths. He said they're abomination to
man. That's the first thing God says
to the son of Jacob, son of Adam. He doesn't say, I love you. No. He says, you're spies, you're
sinners, altogether unclean. And this is a missing note in
modern preaching. You ask me what the one missing
note in modern preaching is? It's this. They got the cart before the
horse. The horse is the knowledge. Wisdom is the rider. What's the
knowledge that men first must come to? Fear of the Lord is
the beginning of wisdom. And men don't fear a God that
loves them. Men fear a God who's God, though,
and they're in His hands. That's where it's got to start.
Well, they protest. Look at verse 11. They protest.
No, no, no. We're all one man's son. We're
true men. There's servants and no spies. No, we're true. We're not spies. We're good men.
We're Christians. We're not sinners. What does
he say to them again? Verse 12. Joe, he keeps saying this. He
keeps, you're spies. And this is what God Almighty
first says to his people, you're sinners. That's the first thing he says
to his people. First thing, you are sinner. No good. I don't need you. What about that woman, that Syrophoenician
woman that came to Christ and said, Lord, Heal my daughter. And he didn't answer her. Remember
that? He didn't answer her. Well, here's
a woman, poor, pitiful, begging woman, surely gentle Jesus, you
know, will deal kindly and compassionately with her. Yes, he will, but not
first. He's going to speak right up to her. And she's going to show her true
faith. She's going to show true faith, the kind that God Almighty
marvels in. The only time it said He marveled
at somebody was this woman right here. Listen to it. He doesn't
have to at first. Why? He doesn't have to. Men
think God Almighty's at their beckoning call, doesn't He? He's
waiting. He's hanging over heaven. Won't
somebody please call on me? Oh, I'm so glad. Yeah, I've been
waiting for you to call me. No, He's not. No, he's not waiting on anybody
to call on him. Ain't nobody going to call to
him. He calls them. If he waits on somebody to call
him, he's waiting for eternity. So he doesn't answer this woman.
He doesn't answer this woman. I'm preaching like it's Sunday
morning, aren't I? You can't accuse me of saving
my messages. But he doesn't answer this woman.
Why? He doesn't have to. She's not worthy of his notice. Right? And she keeps calling,
though. He's testing her. She keeps calling. She says, Lord, heal my daughter.
He said, what's this next thing he says to her? Oh, honey, I'm
sorry, I didn't hear you. Oh, sure. He said, it's not right
to give the children bread to dogs. Oh, that's hard, isn't it? Hard? Hard things. How could you deal
with that woman like that? Listen to her response. These men said, no, we're true
men. We're not spies. This woman said, that's true,
Lord. I'm a dog. But dogs eat the crumbs that
fall from the master's table, and it says that he marveled.
He said, I've not found great faith. No, not in all of Israel.
Oh, I'm a great, it's not faith. You want to know great faith
or the definition of great faith? I'm a dog. That's great faith. That's what
the word worship means. When that leopard came down from
the mountain and it says, fell at his feet and worshiped him,
the word worship means a dog licking his master's hand. That's
what the word means. Look at that. I told you Sunday, all dogs go
to heaven. Mephibosheth went there. Silphonesi
woman went there. That leper went there. We'd better
take our place, hadn't we? Dogs at the feet of the master,
in search of a few crumbs. But he's a good master. He doesn't
just give table scraps. He lets his dogs sit up at the
table. Now some people I know with their cats and other animals. Treat them like they're humans,
Earline. Well, that's a good picture,
isn't it? God Almighty treats us like sons of God. We're nothing
but dogs. That's a good picture, isn't
it? That's a good picture. He said
you're spies. That's the way God Almighty first
deals with a sinner. You see, we've got to fear God
first. We've got to see God's power. We've got to see our sinfulness.
We've got to fear God. And now, the heart and the soul
and the envy, Joseph declares unto them the only way that they're
going to be accepted by him and not condemned to die. Look at
verse 15 and 16. He said, all right. He said,
verse 14, you're spies. That's just what you are. You're
a spy. No more argument. You're spies. Now he said, Hereby shall you
be proved, verse fifteen, by the life of Pharaoh. You shall
not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. Send one of you that infects
your brother, you will be kept in prison, that your words may
be approved, whether any truth in you Or else, by the life of
Pharaoh, you're a spy. You're going to stay a spy, and
you're going to die a spy, unless your brother comes to see me.
Unless I see your brother. That's the way it is. And then over in chapter forty-three,
verse three, Judah pleased with his father. I can't wait to get
to this next week. Judah pleased with his father.
Verse three, he says, the man said solemnly, did protest on
this solemnly. Protesting protested. Are you
reading that? It says he did solemnly say unto
us, You shall not see my face. You won't even see my face again,
except your brother be with you, because you're spies. I could quit and all of you would
know what this is about, wouldn't you? And this is how God Almighty
proves us. This is how He proves us and
reveals us. He reveals Himself through Christ. He said, all right, you're an
unworthy... you're spies. You're a sinner. That's what
you are, John. You're a sinner. Unworthy, unfit
sinner. You can't come to God. God says,
no man cometh unto Me. But in one way. Through Christ. And except you come by Christ,
you're not going to see My face. No, but, but, but, but, I, I,
no. Unless you come through Christ, you're not going to live. Isn't
that what he said? You're not going to live. Him
only will I accept. I've got to see that brother
of yours. I've got to see him. Only through
him will you sinners be accepted and set free. Otherwise, you're
condemned to die. You're going to die. And like Pharaoh's dream, Pharaoh's
dream, remember Pharaoh dreamed the same thing, he dreamed it
twice. Joseph established this mandate,
look at verse 18 through 20, he established this three times,
twice. Three times. Verse 18 through
20, it says, Joseph said unto them, Now this do and live, in
case you didn't hear me the first time. I fear God. If you be true men, You're in the truth. Let one
of your brethren be bound in the house of your prayer. Go,
carry corn for the family of your house. See, he's merciful,
he's gracious. But bring your youngest brother
unto me, so shall your words be verified, and you shall not
die." Now, they hurt him this time. He means it. They finally hurt him. He means
it. Bring your brother, and you won't
die. See, at the mouth of two or three
witnesses, things stop. God has spoken once, the Old
Testament, unto the fathers by the prophets, yea, twice, in
the last days, by his Son, Old and New Testament. Scripture
said, but men perceiveth it not. Some do. Some finally say, I
heard what you said. Through Christ? That's how saved
is he? We come to you through Christ? Yes, that's what I'm saying.
That's what I've been saying. from the very start. And I've
established it from the beginning. Salvation is in a substitute.
Just come through the substitute, and I'll receive it. Salvation
is in a lamb. You've got to have a lamb. Only
one will do. Come through him, through his blood. Salvation
is in a daisman. You've got to have a daisman
betwixt you. One to lay a hand on me and one on you and bring
us together. Reconcile us. Jesus Christ. You hear what I'm
saying? Salvation is in a mediator. You've got to have one, and Mary
won't do. There's only one. One mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. You'd better come
through him or you're going to die, he said, if you spy. One high priest, and it ain't
Pope John, what's his calling? One potentate, Jesus Christ. He's the one wearing the crown.
come through him. Salvation is in Christ. Come
to God by faith in Christ alone and you won't die. He said you
won't die. I hear, I hear. Did you hear that? They said
they did it. OK. OK. And they did so. They're going to run into some
obstacles, but buddy, they're going to come. They're going
to come. And listen to their reaction
and I'll quit. Here's their reaction, finally,
when they hear all of this. When they see this man's power
over them, that they're in his hands, he controls their very
life or put them to death. And he issues this divine mandate
that they cannot see him again and live without their mother.
Listen to what they say. You know what this brings? Repentance. Verse 21, we're guilty. We are
guilty. All of a sudden, they're sinning
against Joseph, none other. Against Joseph. They remembered
Joseph. Isn't that marvelous? And the
very one who's telling them this is the one that they killed.
And isn't that what Peter said at Pentecost? You with wicked
hands have taken and crucified the Lord of glory. You know,
the Lord of Glory, Job, is the one that sent Peter to tell him
that. They said, men and brethren, what are we going to do? Repent. Repent. They were guilty. We're
guilty. Guilty. Oh, my. And verse, read on down. You know, all this time, Joseph
had been speaking to them through an interpreter. Verse twenty-three,
they knew not that Joseph understood them. They were talking among
themselves, and they didn't know it was Joseph. See, Joseph had
been speaking unto them by an interpreter, a man. He'd been
speaking through a man. It was a man that was relaying
this message to them all the time. Now, Joseph says, Joseph
said, Ah, we're not true men. But Joseph says. And finally,
Joseph says, and finally they came to themselves and they were
guilty. Joseph was listening to them. He knew what they were saying.
He wasn't talking directly to them. Verse 24 says, Oh, this
is beautiful. He turned himself about from
them and wept. The shortest verse in the scripture
when Christ wept, didn't he? When he wept. Turned and wept. fools and slow to believe all
that the prophets have said. Must not Christ suffer? Well, must he not suffer to enter
into his glory and turn from them and wept and return to them
again? How long must I suffer with you?"
He returned again and communed with them. This time he communed
with them. Their hearts were softened, John. They were broken. They were brought down. They
saw one hope. If we obey this man's word, one
hope. And they were broken. He took
the starch out of them. They feared this man now. They
weren't talking high, proud now. Now what is it, Mr. Lord Senior,
Lord Sir, what is it that we're to do? Tell us. Whatever you
say we'll do. And he communed with them then.
Communion, verse 25, he says, fill their sacks. Fill their
sacks with corn. Put the money back. See, they
come and buy wine and milk without money and without price. These
are breads free to family. Doesn't cost a thing. Fill their
sacks up. And from this day forward, Joe,
he's going to take care of them. But the first thing they're going
to hear is hard things. Who can hear them? They ought
to be brought down in the dust. But once they've been brought
down, way down, as low as you can get—lower, as Donnie would
say, lower than a snake's belly. That's in the dust. Once you've
been brought down that low, then where else is there to go but
up? And oh, is he going to bring
them up. The whole rest of the story, John, is about him bringing
them up, bringing them up to Egypt. You've got time we'll
just go right into it. We don't have time. All right,
Sherry, come up and we'll sing a closing hymn. I think it's
474. Is that what I wrote down? Yeah. 474. Lord, have I gotten. A fancy word for nothing. Nothing
have I gotten but what I receive. Grace hath bestowed it, since
I have believed. Boasting, exclusive. Pride, I
abase. What are you? Who are you? I
am a spy. Only a sinner. Saved by Joseph. All right, stand with me. Lord, I'll tell I've gotten,
but what I've received, Grace hath bestowed it, since I have believed. Costs ain't excluded, pride I obey,
I'm only a sinner, save my grace. Only a sinner's made by grace.
Made by grace. This is my story to God be the glory. Only a sinner's made by grace. Be as second as the
last. Once I was foolish but sinning. Only a sinner saved by grace
Only a sinner saved by grace Only a sinner saved by grace This is when the rain will stop.
And only a sinner said, I pray. Hear this music.

Joseph: Unknown To His Brethren

What does the Bible say about election and salvation?

How do we know that salvation is truly from God?

Why is understanding man's sinful nature important for salvation?

How does God reveal Himself to sinners?

What is the importance of Christ as mediator in salvation?

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Joseph: Unknown To His Brethren

What does the Bible say about election and salvation?

How do we know that salvation is truly from God?

Why is understanding man's sinful nature important for salvation?

How does God reveal Himself to sinners?

What is the importance of Christ as mediator in salvation?

Sermon Transcript

About Paul Mahan

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