Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. The life of Joseph is an
amazing illustration of the provision which God has made for the sustenance
and well-being of his people. From Joseph's earliest days of
being the favorite son of his father and prophesying of the
servitude of his brethren, his life was ordained to be for the
salvation of the nation of Israel. In this we see him clearly revealed
as a type and foreshadow of Christ, who being the only begotten of
the Father, came into this low land of sin and sorrow, and through
much tribulation triumphed and provided life itself for those
of his kinsmen, even while we were yet sinners. The majority
of Joseph's life was spent in the land of Egypt, yet he knew
that this land was not the final chapter in God's design for those
of the chosen race of Israel. He even served the king of Egypt
for a season in order to fulfill the very purpose of God, but
he was confident that the visitation of the Lord upon that nation
was yet to come in a full deliverance from that land of darkness to
which he was consigned at the present time. He testified of
his disdain for Egypt and his hope in the resurrection by instructing
them not to leave his bones in that land forever. Death is an
awful prospect for even the bravest of men. Death is that which strips
men naked and puts an end to all the dreams and hopes which
belong to men in the flesh. The scripture speaks of it as
an enemy, which it truly is to this moral body in which we dwell.
Contrary to all of the psychologists and other physicians of no value,
there can be no joy in the hour of death, except a man has been
given a hope in the resurrection. All of that confidence which
the ungodly may have in that approaching hour of death is
but an empty vessel. The simple pass on and are punished.
They have no fear of the judgment which is to come, because they
lack the knowledge of it. God's children, on the other
hand, cannot be buoyed up by the world's platitudes and its
experts on dying. There is but one hope and expectation
which can give them any peace in that approaching hour. But
I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which
are asleep, that ye saw or not, even as others which have no
hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even
so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For
this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are
alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent
them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and
with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. The hope of the resurrection
is the very lifeblood of the saints. It alone can minister
unto them in the vicissitudes of life, and most especially
when the darkness of the approaching sunset of life begins to steal
into their view. Paul said, for if the dead rise
not, then is not Christ raised. And if Christ be not raised,
your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins. Then they also
which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life
only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
That faith which is delivered to the saints is built on the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This was no mere
apparent resurrection, for there was no body left in that tomb.
This body with which he arose was no cloud of vapors, but a
real body that should be touched and felt. one in which he ate
with his disciples and ascended into heaven, and shall so come
again. The resurrection of the saints'
bodies takes place, first of all, according to the power of
God, and none in men. And God hath both raised up the
Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. The resurrection
of the bodies of the saints is the final testimony and demonstration
of the grace of God. But we have the sentence of death
in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in
God, which raiseth the dead. The resurrection of the saints'
bodies takes place because Christ has purchased it. But now has
Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them
that slept. All of the benefits of the sons
of God are those which are bought and paid for by the blood of
the Lamb. He has demonstrated His redemptive work by being
the leader of His sheep. He is our example. The resurrection
of the saints' bodies takes place because the gift of eternal life
has already been given to the saints. It is impossible that
anything which is eternal should ever perish. But whosoever drinketh
of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. But the
water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water, springing
up into everlasting life. Adam was barred from the garden
so that he could not eat of the tree of life and live forever.
All that Adam lost has been restored in Jesus Christ, and we have
eaten his flesh and drank his blood. He is the tree of life.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life. He
that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth
in me shall never die. Believest thou this? For a free
CD containing 15 of these radio broadcasts, send an email to
forthepoor at windstream.net.