Joseph Part 2

Q: What does the Bible say about Joseph as a picture of Christ?

Joseph's life story is a profound foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, illustrating themes of suffering and redemption. The narrative of Joseph in Genesis serves as a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. Joseph, beloved by his father and rejected by his brothers, symbolizes Christ who was sent by God and rejected by His own people. His experience of betrayal, imprisonment, and eventual exaltation reflects the passion and resurrection of Christ. Just as Joseph interpreted dreams through God's revelation, Christ reveals the deep truths of God's kingdom and the gospel, showing that He is the ultimate answer to humanity's plight.

Q: Why is it important for Christians to understand God's sovereignty?

Understanding God's sovereignty reassures believers that He is in control, even in difficult circumstances. God's sovereignty is a core doctrine in Reformed theology, emphasizing that God governs all events according to His divine purpose. Romans 8:28 states that God works all things together for good for those who love Him. This truth provides comfort and strengthens faith amidst trials, as believers can trust that their suffering has purpose. Just as God was with Joseph through his trials, Christians can find assurance that God is intimately involved in their lives, orchestrating circumstances for His glory and their ultimate good.

Q: How do we know the doctrine of Christ as the revealer is true?

The doctrine of Christ as the revealer is affirmed by Scripture, illustrating His role in disclosing God's truth. Jesus Christ is depicted in Scripture as the ultimate revelator who discloses the mysteries of God. John 1:18 highlights that no one has seen God but the only Son has made Him known. This unique role confirms that understanding comes from divine revelation rather than human wisdom. Throughout the history of redemption, Christ reveals hidden truths and completes the work of salvation, which is essential for believers to know and embrace. In Him, all wisdom and knowledge are found, encapsulating the essence of Christ's mission.

Q: Why should Christians look to Christ for hope?

Christ is the ultimate hope for salvation and life, embodying God's promise and deliverance. Believers are called to look to Christ as their only hope for salvation. Just as Pharaoh instructed the Egyptians to go to Joseph for bread in times of famine, Christians are encouraged to look to Jesus, who provides spiritual nourishment and eternal life. He fulfills the promise of salvation through His atoning sacrifice and resurrection. In Him alone can believers find the answers to their spiritual needs. This reliance on Christ positions Him as central to the believer's faith and assurance of God's love and faithfulness.

Turn with me to Genesis 39. Genesis 39, I'm enjoying so much looking at these Old Testament stories. I never know if the Lord is pleased to continue a study, then we will continue, and if not, then we won't. There have been so many times that I've set out to go through a book, or go through a series of some kind, and if the Lord doesn't bless it, we don't continue it. But this has been such a blessing to me, and if he's pleased, I do pray he will let us continue in these.

Last week, we started looking at Joseph being a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. The story of Joseph, you know, every story in the scripture is a beautiful picture of Christ. Everything is a picture of Christ and Joseph is well among them. Joseph is one of the most beautiful pictures of Christ in the scripture. He was the son of the father's love of all the brethren. He was the son of the father's love.

He was hated by his brethren for this. He was sold into slavery. And that's what the apostle Paul said, I'm carnal, sold into sin. That's what Paul said about himself. And that's what all of God's people are. And as a picture of Christ, Joseph became sold into slavery. He was lied on, falsely accused. He was cast into prison. But here's the thing about it. Here's the thing about it all. Look at chapter 39 verse 21 says, But the Lord was with him. That's the thing about it. The Lord was with him.

In everything that he had to endure, the Lord was with him in verse 22 says everything was placed into Joseph's hands. Verse 22, the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand, all the prisoners that were in the prison. He entered that prison with them. And while he was in that prison with them, all of them were in his hand.

What a beautiful picture of Christ. Don't you thank God for that? The keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. They were all looking to Joseph. They were all looking to Joseph.

That's just such a blessing to my heart. If I have to be in this prison, I want him in here with me. Prisons would palaces prove if the Lord Jesus would dwell with us there. The end of verse 23 says, the Lord made him to prosper everything he did. The Lord made it to prosper. He made him to prosper. Now, we're going to really see how the Lord made him to prosper.

This Bible study is going to set up the morning message. We're going to read for a minute. Up until this point, a lot of what has been written, I've been summarizing it for you and paraphrasing it for you, and I was going to do that here. I made the decision that reading it may just be the better way to go. I'm going to read for a little bit in this Bible study, and we're going to see some details that need to be understood, some details of this entire story, and we're just going to let the scripture tell us the details. We'll go through it.

All right, look with me at chapter 40, verse 1 says, And it came to pass after these things that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their Lord, the king of Egypt, the butler and the baker. And Pharaoh was wroth against the two, against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers and against the chief of the bakers.

And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard into the prison. the place where Joseph was bound. And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them, and they continued a season in ward. And they dreamed a dream, both of them, each man his dream in one night, on the same night. Each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison, And Joseph came in unto them in the morning and looked upon them and behold, they were sad.

And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his Lord's house saying, wherefore look ye so sadly today? And they said unto him, we have dreamed a dream and there's no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, do not interpret interpretations belong to God? Tell me them, I pray you." They're so sad because they said, there's a mystery, there's something that we can't understand. And he said, only God can reveal these things.

Verse nine, and the chief butler told his dream to Joseph and said to him, in my dream, behold, a vine was before me. And in the vine were three branches And it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth, and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes. And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. And Joseph said unto him, this is the interpretation of it, the three branches are three days. Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head and restore thee unto thy place and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand after the former manner when thou wast his butler. He's gonna restore you to what you were. He said, but think on me when it shall be well with thee and show kindness. You remember me in here. Show kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house. For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.

When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and behold, I had three white baskets on my head. And in the uppermost basket there was all manner of baked meats for Pharaoh. And the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head. And Joseph answered and said, this is the interpretation thereof. The three baskets are three days.

Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee and shall hang thee on a tree. and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee. And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants, and he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. But the hand of the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them, but he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgot him. He forgot him.

Now Joseph is the revealer of secrets. He's the revealer of secrets. He said that revelation comes from God only. And that's Christ. That's Christ. He is the revealer of the Word of God. He is the revealer of the secrets of God Almighty. That's our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, the knowledge. Oh, the wisdom.

How unsearchable. How unsearchable. Known unto him is the end from the beginning. We get so worried about the end. We get so worried about tomorrow. It's already known unto him. Known unto him already is the end from the beginning. He said he's working all things together for good, for the good of his people. He has said it, it shall come to pass. Whatever he says, that's what's going to happen.

All right, look with me at verse 41. And it came to pass at the end of two full years that Pharaoh dreamed. And behold, he stood by the river. And behold, there came up out of the river seven well-favored kind and fat-fleshed, and they fed in a meadow. Seven healthy cows. And behold, seven other kind came up out of them. came up after them out of the river, ill-favored and lean-fleshed, and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. And the ill-favored and lean-fleshed kine did eat up the seven well-favored and fat kine.

So Pharaoh awoke. And he slept, he went back to sleep and dreamed the second time. And behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good, fat and good. And behold, seven thin ears, and blasted with the east wind, sprang up after them. And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.

And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled. And he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all the wise men thereof, and Pharaoh told them his dream, but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh. Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day. Pharaoh was wroth with his servants and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker.

And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he. We dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. And there was there with us a young man in Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard. And we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams, to each man according to his dream did he interpret. And it came to pass as he interpreted to us, so it was, me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged."

That butler said, now I remember there is a man. There is a man who can reveal all these things. Like that woman at the well ran into the city crying, come see a man. Come see a man. Which told me all things. Is not this the Christ? Is this not what Christ has done for us? Revealed the secret things.

I'm just gonna tell you that Religion is full of blindness. Religion is full of error. Religion is full of men and women who can read the pages of this book and not see the truth. They can read the pages of this book and not see the gospel. They can read the pages of this book and not see Christ.

These things must be revealed. They have to be revealed. And this is what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for all of his people. He has revealed the secret things. You know, they said, I know what happened in my dream. There was seven fat cows and seven lean cows. And this is, you know, seven fat ears of corn and seven lean ears of corn. And I don't know what it means. And we can read this word and that's what it says, but I don't know what that means. Our Lord has revealed the hidden things of God. He's revealed the truth. Look at verse 14, Genesis 41 verse 14.

Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon and he shaved himself and changed his raiment and came in unto Pharaoh. When Christ arose from the grave, they brought him out of the prison. When Christ arose from the grave, he changed his raiment. Not only did He put off the filthy, stained raiment of our sin and put back on the spotless purity of His holiness, but He literally folded His grave clothes and left them there. That's what Christ did.

He changed His raiment. And I'm not going to take the time to go into this. We have a whole message on this from Matthew 27. You can go back and listen to it. Christ was our Nazarite. And if you don't know what that means, I'll point you to the message. Matthew 27. I don't know what I just said. Matthew 27. Christ our Nazarite.

He died on the cross fulfilling a vow. And it was concerning the redemption of God's people. According to God's law, the moment a Nazarite's vow was accomplished, he was to shave him. It said he could then have wine again. That's the moment our Lord said, I thirst. And they filled a sponge with ruined wine, vinegar, put it to his mouth. And the Nazarite's vow, when it was accomplished, he was to shave himself and cast his hair into the fire. And a man's hair, you know, according to the scripture, a man's hair represents his shame.

And spiritually speaking, that's what Christ did for his people. He took all that shame that he bore for them and he cast it into the fire of God's judgment and wrath. And it was burned up and it was gone. Forever. That's what Christ did. So that's what that represents.

Verse 14, then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon and he shaved himself and changed his raiment and came in unto Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I've dreamed a dream and there is none that can interpret it. And I've heard say of thee that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me. God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. He said, The words I say to you, they're going to be the very words of God Almighty. Pharaoh then told Joseph his dream. Seven fat cows, seven lean cows. The lean cows ate the fat cows. Seven full ears of corn, seven withered ears of corn. The seven withered ears devoured the seven full ears.

Look with me at verse 25. And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, the dream of Pharaoh is one. God hath showed Pharaoh what he is about to do. God hath showed Pharaoh what he is about to do. And that's what happens when the gospel is made known. The work of God is revealed. That's what happens when the gospel is made known. The work of God is revealed, not the work of man.

But the work of God, verse 26, the seven good kind are seven years and the seven good ears are seven years, the dream is one, it's got the same meaning, and the seven thin and ill-favored kind that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh. What God is about to do, he showeth unto Pharaoh.

Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, and there shall arise after them seven years of famine, and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine shall consume the land, and the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following, for it shall be very grievous.

He said, things look good now, but utter destruction is coming. Utter destruction is coming. Verse 32. And for that, the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice. It is because the thing is established by God and God will shortly bring it to pass. The end is near. Judgment is coming.

Verse 33, now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise and set him over the land of Egypt. He said, your only hope is a man. Your only hope is a man. You need a wise, fit, willing, able man to order and purpose, to carry out and accomplish, to fulfill and apply the salvation you need or it's certain death for you and all the land. You need a man. Verse 39, look at verse 39.

And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art. Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled. According to your word, all my people shall be ruled. Only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.

And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand and put it upon Joseph's hand. God the Father said to God the Son, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. And he arrayed him in vesture of fine linen. and put a gold chain about his neck. And he made him to ride in the second chariot, which he had, and they cried before him, bow the knee. And he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt." Amazing, isn't it? Look at verse 50.

And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath, the daughter of Potipharah, priest of On, bear unto him. And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. That means forgetting. For God said he hath made me forget all my toil in all my father's house. In the name of the second called he Ephraim. That means fruitful. For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

And the seven years of plenteous, plenteousness that was in the land of Egypt were ended. And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said, and dearth, the dearth was in all lands. But in the land of Egypt, there was bread. And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. And Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, go to Joseph. Go to Joseph. If you want to live, look to Joseph. Get to Joseph.

He's your only hope. He's the only way. And that right there is the very cry of the gospel. Your only hope is Jesus Christ. Look to Christ. Run to Christ. He's the only way. He's the only life that there is. He's it. Now I'm just going to tell you. We just got to the good part. All right.

And what we're going to do is we're going to take a break for just a minute and we're going to come right back to here and we're going to see this glorious deliverance for every soul that was in need in, by, through Joseph alone. Joseph alone. We're about to see that there was no other name given among men whereby they could be saved. There was one hope, Joseph alone. He represents the true one and only hope of eternal life that there is. Christ alone. Christ alone. That's it. All right. We'll come back in just a moment. You're dismissed.

Joseph Part 2

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about Joseph as a picture of Christ?

Why is it important for Christians to understand God's sovereignty?

How do we know the doctrine of Christ as the revealer is true?

Why should Christians look to Christ for hope?

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Joseph Part 2

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about Joseph as a picture of Christ?

Why is it important for Christians to understand God's sovereignty?

How do we know the doctrine of Christ as the revealer is true?

Why should Christians look to Christ for hope?

Sermon Transcript

About Gabe Stalnaker

Comments

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