Joseph - Part 4

Q: What does the Bible say about spiritual death?

Spiritual death is the consequence of sin, as indicated in Romans 3:23 and Romans 5:12. The Bible teaches that spiritual death is the result of sin affecting all of humanity; Romans 3:23 states that 'all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,' indicating that every person is impacted by sin. Furthermore, Romans 5:12 explains that 'death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.' This spiritual death separates humanity from God and necessitates the need for reconciliation through Christ.

Q: How do we know Christ is our only hope for redemption?

Christ is the only hope for redemption, as He is presented as the source of life and fullness for those who are spiritually dead. In the story of Joseph, he symbolizes Christ, being positioned as the only source of sustenance for his family during a famine. Just as Joseph provided for the Egyptians during famine, Christ offers redemption and life to those who are spiritually dead. The reality of humanity's ruined state—being 'empty, dead' due to sin—makes it clear that there is no other hope for righteousness or fullness apart from Jesus Christ. He alone can restore life to the spiritually dead and is the embodiment of mercy and grace for the lost.

Q: Why is acknowledging our sin important for Christians?

Acknowledging our sin is crucial because it allows us to understand our need for Christ and His righteousness. The significance of acknowledging our sin is underscored by God's action when His Spirit convicts us of our true condition. As seen in the story of Joseph's brothers, they realized their guilt and recognized the anguish they caused him. This mirrors the biblical principle that true understanding of sin leads to a greater appreciation of God's grace. Without acknowledging our depravity, we cannot fully grasp the necessity of Christ's righteousness as our only means of salvation. Acknowledging sin brings the realization that we cannot achieve righteousness on our own and directs us to seek mercy from Christ, the only one who can redeem us.

Q: What does it mean that Christ knows us before we know Him?

It means that Christ establishes the relationship with us, having chosen and loved us before we were aware of Him. The concept that Christ knows us before we know Him is rooted in the doctrine of divine election and God's sovereign grace. Just as Joseph recognized his brothers while they did not recognize him, Christ knows His people intimately before they even begin to seek Him. Ephesians 1:4 emphasizes this idea by stating that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. This assurance of God's initiating love highlights that our salvation is purely based on His grace, not dependent upon our actions or understanding. This divine foreknowledge grants every believer confidence in God's unfailing love and purpose for their lives.

Q: Why do Christians come to Christ begging for mercy?

Christians come to Christ begging for mercy because they recognize their sinfulness and desperate need for His grace. The portrayal of coming to Christ in a state of begging demonstrates a profound understanding of our fallen condition and the grace offered through Christ. In the story of Joseph, his brothers came to him in need, acknowledging their dire situation. Similarly, Christians who feel the weight of their sin and recognize their unworthiness before God are compelled to approach Christ, not with pride or expectation, but with humility and contrition. This posture of seeking mercy reflects a heart truly aware of its need for salvation, knowing that it is only through Christ's sacrificial love that we can find forgiveness. Such cries for mercy are met with the abundance of grace that can only flow from Christ's redemptive work.

Genesis 41, we are going to continue this morning, and Lord willing, we're gonna finish the story of Joseph. He is an amazing picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. And last Sunday, we saw how he was raised up from the prison to the throne. and how all things were placed in his hand. Everything was placed in his hand. All power, all authority, all provision, everything was placed in Joseph's hand. If you look at chapter 41, verse 55, it says, 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. Here's the answer. Here's the remedy. Go to Joseph. Go to Joseph. What he saith to you, do. And the famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses. I love that so much. I just, wide open. Abundant. Abundant. 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 that the famine was so sore in all the lands.

Now this famine spiritually represents death. It represents spiritual death because of sin. That's what this is. Romans 3 23 says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God everybody the whole land Romans 5 verse 12 says death passed upon all men for all have sinned Sin has come to this entire world. Therefore, death has come to this entire world.

Ruin. That's what the flesh of man is. That's what man in his natural state before God is. Ruined, empty, dead. That's the state of the flesh of man by nature. And there's only one hope of redemption fullness and life. Man is ruined, empty and dead. And there's one hope of redemption, fullness and life. And that's Christ. Go to Christ. Come to Christ. Joseph in our picture, the one who represents Christ. And where we are in the story now is his brethren who sinned against him. I don't have time. I don't have time to be telling you that I don't have time to say this. I really have to move all morning, especially in the message. We had to move, but I don't have time to recap everything, but you know, the story of Joseph. Okay. Well now here's where we are in the story.

His brethren who sinned against him so greatly. So greatly, they're now going to have to come to him for deliverance. And this is the reality for us. I do want to bring this into right now. This is the reality for every one of God's people right now. All that the father gave to Christ shall come to Christ. We're going to have to go to Christ. We're going to go to Christ. And what I want us to see from this is we're all going to come bowing. We're all going to have to come bowing. We're all going to have to come begging.

This whole story, if you remember, this whole story started with Joseph having a dream. This is where the whole thing started. He dreamed that all of his brethren bowed down to him. Well, that is about to happen. right here with Joseph and his brethren, and that's exactly what's going to happen with Christ.

All of his brethren are going to bow down to him, and they're all going to be happy to do so. We're all going to be thankful to do so. We want to bow down to our brother. We need to know, all of us right here need to know that if the Father draws us to Christ, no man can come to Christ except the Father which sent Christ. Draw that man or woman. But if the father draws us to him, we are going to come before him lowly, shamefully begging for mercy. That's how we will come. And, uh, we'll go over there.

Go to John 16. Hold your place right here and go to John 16. I do want us to see this. John 16. This is our Lord speaking to His disciples. John 16, verse 7. He said, Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away. For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you. And that's God's Holy Spirit. That's the one who comes with this quickening power. The Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

And when he is come, he will convince. That's what the word reprove means. He will convince the world of sin. He said, this is what happens when God comes, when God's spirit comes, he will convince of sin. and of righteousness and of judgment, of sin because they believe not on me, of righteousness because I go to my father and you see me no more, of judgment because the prince of this world is judge. He said, when the spirit of God brings the awakening of the gospel to one of God's own, The first thing that will happen is he will convince that sinner of his or her own sin. First thing. That sinner will hear the gospel preached and will say, I'm not a sinner. I'm not a sinner. I'm not that kind of sinner. That's not me. I'm that sinner. God's spirit says, thou art the man. You're the woman. You're the woman. You're the man. And all of a sudden it's like, oh, I am the sinner. That's the first thing that happens. You're the sinner.

And he will convince that sinner of Christ's righteousness alone. Alone. Christ being the only one who's able to enter into heaven. Before God's spirit comes, men and women say, I can get to heaven on my own. Don't you see my righteousness? Oh yeah, God will surely let me come in. And then once God's spirit comes, All my righteousness is a filthy rag.

There's none righteous but Him. He's the end of all the obedience and perfection and holiness of the lawful right. This is what God reveals. He reveals his or her own sin, a man or woman's own sin, Christ's righteousness alone. And He'll convince that sinner of God's certain judgment on sin. Men and women think that they can live a life full of sin and then all of a sudden they're just going to be catapulted into glory. It's just automatic. God's spirit will convince God's certain judgment on sin and the only hope of salvation being in the judgment of Christ for that sin. The judgment of Christ in the stead of his people. Now that's why God's people will come to Christ begging That's why they come begging. It's because they will know they've sinned against him.

And he's the only one who can redeem them from that sin against him. He is the only one. And that's what we're going to see here in Joseph's dealings with his brothers. You can go back to Genesis 42. He's going to cause them to know their sin. He's going to cause them to know his glory, his highness, his righteousness. And he's going to cause them to know that their lives are in his hands. All right, we're going to go to chapter 42.

And in these dealings of Joseph with his family here, we're going to see how God deals with his people in salvation. Chapter 42, verse one, it says, Now, when Jacob, all right, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph's father. Now, when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, why do you look one upon another? And 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. All right, this is where it all starts. Jacob heard. This is where it all starts.

Faith, faith, and I'm talking about true faith. I'm not talking about what man naturally thinks faith is. People think faith is something in them, of them, by them. That's not faith at all. Faith is in Christ, of Christ, by Christ. Faith has nothing to do with us until Christ takes it from himself and performs it in his people. Faith, true God-given faith comes by hearing, and hearing this word, this word.

Jacob heard that there was corn, there was bread, there was life, and he knew it was not there with him. He saw, he felt his lack, his emptiness. He said, we're gonna die. But he heard that it was with another, with another. He heard that there was one who had in his possession everything that was needed to sustain their lives.

In the end of verse one says, Jacob said to his sons, why are you standing there looking at each other? Get to Egypt right now. This was an urgent thing to Jacob and that's what it becomes. to God's people. This cannot be put off. This is life or death. Today is the day of salvation. I need it now. I need it right now. Verse 3, and Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt, but Benjamin, Joseph's brother, he was the youngest, Jacob sent not with his brethren, for he said, lest peradventure mischief befall him. And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brethren came and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth." That's exactly how it was prophesied it would be. They came before him and bowed down. Verse 7, and Joseph saw his brethren and he knew them.

After all this time now, he saw and he knew. Our Lord has said to all of his people, before I formed you in the belly, I knew you. You didn't know me, but I knew you. When you were yet polluted in your blood, I saw you. Whom he did foreknow. Whom he did foreknow. Whom he knew before they knew him. This is how salvation starts. It doesn't start with us knowing God and us coming to God. It starts with him knowing us, him seeing us.

He knew them means, if you look it up in the concordance, it means he discerned them. He distinguished them, but it also means he cared for them. It means he loved them. He loved them. Verse seven, and Joseph saw his brethren and he loved them. That's amazing, isn't it? After all that that happened to Joseph, he loved them. These sinful, hateful, rebellious sons of Jacob. He loved them, he knew them, and he loved them.

Verse seven goes on to say, but made himself strange unto them. He didn't reveal who he was, he didn't reveal himself. And spake roughly unto them. And he said unto them, whence come ye? And they said, from the land of Canaan to buy food. And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, You are spies to see the nakedness of the land. You are come. What he said to them was, You're the enemy. That's what he said to them. You're the enemy. Do you know that is literally what God reveals to his people when life comes to them?

That is literally. Hold your place right here and go to Ephesians 2. Yep, Ephesians 2. Verse three. Verse, wait a minute. Gotta turn the page. Verse one. Ephesians two verse one, and you have, he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, the way the whole world was going according to the Prince of the power of the air. That's the adversary influencing the whole world.

The spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, those who are not obeying God. among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Look at verse 11. Wherefore, remember that you being in time past Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that at that time you were without Christ. being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ, for he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.

He said there was a wall between us. us and him, and he broke it down, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, the hatred, the resentment. Enemy, enemy, that's what it means ultimately. Even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace. Paul said, wherefore remember we were his enemy. We were his enemy. Look over at Colossians 1. Turn just a few more pages over to Colossians 1. Colossians 1 verse 21. And you that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind.

It just said it. You were enemies. in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight." His own brethren, the very ones that he saved, were his enemies. They were his enemy. God reveals that to us when he reveals life to us.

The light of our true condition gets turned on and we see we were not partners in cooperation with him. We were his enemy. Go back to Genesis 42. Genesis 42 verse 8. And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them and said unto them, you are spies to see the nakedness of the land or you come.

And they said unto him, nay, my Lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. We are all one man's sons. We are true men. Thy servants are no spies. And he said unto them, nay, but to see the nakedness of the land are you come. And they said, thy servants are 12 brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. And behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not. One died, that's what he's saying.

And Joseph said unto them, that is it that I spake unto you, saying, you are spies. Hereby, you shall be proved. By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. Send one of you and let him fetch your brother, and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you, or else by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.

When God deals with one of his own, everything becomes exposed. Everything becomes exposed. We're going to get to the bottom of everything. Hebrews 4 says, The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." Everything is going to be exposed. Everything is going to be brought to light.

Verse 17, and he put them all together into ward, prison, three days. And Joseph said unto them the third day, this do and live. Or I fear God, if you be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison. Go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses, but bring your youngest brethren to me. So shall your words be verified and you shall not die. And they did so. He said, this do and live. That's what the law says. That's what the law says. For the first time, they were confronted by the law. For the first time, they truly saw what the law required of them. Galatians 4, 21 says, tell me, you that desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?

Paul said in Romans 7, I was alive without the law. I was alive to myself. I was alive to my sin. I was alive to my flesh. I was alive to my religion. I was alive. But he said, when the commandment came, the moment the law truly came to me, I died. My sin was made alive to me, and I died.

And that's what happened to Joseph's brothers right here. Their sin was made alive to them. Verse 21, and they said one to another, We are very guilty concerning our brother. They're speaking of Joseph. All of a sudden, they're realizing and they're remembering their sin that was directly against Joseph. David said in Psalm 51, have mercy upon me, O God, for I acknowledge my transgression against thee. Thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight. Verse 21, they said one to another, we're very guilty concerning our brother. in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us. Every time I read this, I'm imagining Isaiah 53.

We esteemed him to be this. We wanted him to be this. Verse 21, they said, we're very guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us and we would not hear. You know, our face is turned away from him. Therefore is this distress. come upon us.

And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child, and you would not hear. Therefore, behold, also his blood is required. And they knew not that Joseph understood them, for he spake unto them by an interpreter." He's just sitting there listening to them, just knowing their hearts, their minds, their words. They had no idea that he could perceive the secret things. the hidden things of the heart. Verse 24, and he turned himself about from them and wept and returned to them again and communed with them and took from them Simeon and bound him before their eyes.

All of our Lord's dealings with his people, all of them are dealings in love. All of them. They are all in holy justice, but they're all in love. Verse 25, then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn and to restore every man's money into his sack and to give them provisions for the way and thus did he unto them. All right, here's a whole message. This is why I told you if we were going through Genesis, we'd be here for six months to two years. Because here's a whole message, okay? Thus did he unto them. That's the title of the message.

Number one, Joseph commanded three things. Number one, fill their sacks with corn. That was to satisfy and supply their need for when they got home. Number two, restore every man's money into his sack. That was to prove that mercy with Joseph is great. Grace is free. They came in need. They had a need. We got to get something from him. Free.

Number three, he said, give them provision for the way between here and there. You load them up for when they get there. Give them everything they need for between here and he supplied for the end of the journey. He supplied for the journey along the way to the end of the journey. Joseph supplied everything. It's all free. And that's how it is with the Lord Jesus Christ. Mercy with him is great. Grace is free. Free to all of his brethren. He paid the price on the cross. He paid the price. Okay, verse 25. We're wrapping it up right here.

Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way, and thus did he unto them. And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence. And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender, in the end he espied his money. For behold, it was in his sack's mouth. And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored, and lo, it is even in my sack. And their heart failed them. And they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God has done to us? Now, I'm going to tell you something. This is the absolute truth. When the truth of the gospel comes, when it really comes, When the truth of the great price that Christ paid to freely give His life to His people, when that comes, it strikes holy, reverent fear in His people. It does not make them irreverent. It does not make them want to go out and live a life of as much sin as, oh, everything's free. You're not under the law. Well, you can just go live all the sin you want to live. That is not what it produces. It produces holy, reverent fear. The beginning of the wisdom that God gives brings the fear of the Lord with it.

And verse 29 says, They came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them, saying, The man who is the Lord of the land spake roughly to us and took us for spies of the country. And we said unto him, we are true men, we are no spies.

We be twelve brethren, sons of our father, one is not. One died, the rest live." You just bring a whole message on that. Title it, one is not. Verse 32 goes on to say, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan. And the man, the lord of the country, the sovereign of the country, that's what lord meant. Title another message, the lord of the country.

The sovereign of the country said unto us, hereby shall I know that you're true men. Leave one of your brethren here with me and take food for the famine of your households. and be gone, and bring your youngest brother unto me. Then shall I know that you're no spies, but that you're true men. So will I deliver you your brother, and you shall traffic in the land.

It came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack. And when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. And Jacob, their father, said unto them, Me, have you bereaved of my children?

Joseph is not, and Simeon is not. And you will take Benjamin away? All these things are against me. And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee. That's a picture of Christ. I'll be surety for him, deliver him into my hand, I'll bring him again, bring him to thee again. And he said, my son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he is left alone. If mischief befall him by the way in which you go, then shall you bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. All right, now this is Joseph's providence. and purposed means of calling all of his own to himself.

Now, I'm done. We're closing. Let me just leave you with this. This is what's going on in the world right now. OK, this is what's going on right now. Everything that is happening is happening according to the providence and the purpose of God in calling all of his people to himself.

He is calling, he is bringing all of his people to himself. And our Lord has said in his word that once all of his people are called and gathered together unto him, there's going to be a great revealing in that day. Everything is going to be made known. All of his people will see him as he is.

And we're going to see a picture of that in just a moment. All right? We're going to see a picture. That's what we're going to see. He's calling everybody to himself for the great revelation. All right? We're going to pause. And we'll pick that up here in just a minute. You're dismissed.

Joseph - Part 4

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about spiritual death?

How do we know Christ is our only hope for redemption?

Why is acknowledging our sin important for Christians?

What does it mean that Christ knows us before we know Him?

Why do Christians come to Christ begging for mercy?

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Joseph - Part 4

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about spiritual death?

How do we know Christ is our only hope for redemption?

Why is acknowledging our sin important for Christians?

What does it mean that Christ knows us before we know Him?

Why do Christians come to Christ begging for mercy?

Sermon Transcript

About Gabe Stalnaker

Comments

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