It is not always true, but generally
speaking, men are at their best when they are at their oldest
age. If their mind remains strong,
they will be filled with wisdom. And if we will listen, they'll
teach us wisdom. This is certainly true with regard
to God's elect in this world. Believers are at their best when
they're about to leave here. You can mark that down. They're
at their best when they're about to leave here. In Genesis chapter
49, we see one of God's choice servants, Jacob, on his deathbed. And here we see him at his best. Now, Jacob had shown himself
to be a noble man in many things before, but his final scene is
by far his best scene. Like the sun when it's setting
is seen in its greatest splendor, so this old patriarch shows himself
best in his last words on his deathbed. Mr. Spurgeon expressed
it so very poetically. He said, like good wine which
runs clear to the very bottom, Unalloyed by dregs, so did Jacob
till his dying hour continue to sing of love, mercy, and goodness,
past and future. Like the swan, which the old
writers tell us sings not all its life until it comes to die,
so did the patriarch remain silent as a songster for many years. But when he stretched himself
on his last bed of rest, He stayed himself up in his bed, and although
with faltering voice, he sang a sonnet to his offspring. And
in verses 22 through 26, we have the best verses of the song.
Here, Jacob gives the richest of his benedictions, the fullest
benediction for all the sons of his family is given to Joseph,
his beloved son. Let's read the benediction together.
Genesis chapter 49, verse 22. Joseph is a fruitful bough, even
a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall. The
archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him. But his bow abode in strength. And his arms, the arms of his
hands, were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. from the mighty God of Jacob
is the shepherd, the stone of Israel, even by the God of thy
father who shall help thee. And by the Almighty, who shall
bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the
deep that lieth under, blessings of the breast and of the womb,
the blessings of thy father hath prevailed above the blessings
of my progenitors, that is, above my fathers, unto the utmost bound
of the everlasting hills. They shall be upon the head of
Joseph and on the crown of the head of him that was separate
from his brethren. Now I knew when I began last
week reading this passage of scripture and preparing for the
message that I would be greatly blessed of God in preparation,
but I had no idea just what a blessed, blessed passage this is. The
title of my message tonight is Boundless Blessedness. And lest
I fail to say it later, I want you to understand, children of
God, that in Jesus Christ, yours is a boundless blessedness. Blessed in everything. Blessed
by everything. Blessed at all times, in all
circumstances, and in all conditions. Now I'm certain that some of
you sitting where you are, in your present circumstances cannot
help but to ask, Brother Don, how can you say this is blessed? How can you call this blessedness? How can you call the rending
of my heart blessedness? How can you call the lonesomeness
and isolation I feel blessedness? How can you call the sickness
that wracks my body blessedness? Listen to the word of God and
you'll see. Now without question, the benediction that is here
given to Joseph speaks of the blessedness of him of whom Joseph
was a type in picture, the Lord Jesus Christ. Because the one
spoken of here is Christ our Lord, the blessedness that is
here pronounced upon Joseph and here pronounced upon Christ is
also a declaration of blessedness given to God's elect in Jesus
Christ. Our text declares to us then
that the portion of God's people forever is a blessed portion. A portion of sorrow, yes, but
blessedness. A portion of pain, yes, but blessedness. For everything that is mixed
in the portion of our cup is mixed by our heavenly Father's
hand and is for us blessedness. So as we read these lines together,
I will endeavor to show you how that these words and everything
written in them apply first to Joseph, as they certainly did,
and then to our Lord Jesus Christ, as they most fully do, and then
to you and I, who are Christ, here and now. First, we read
in verse 22 that Joseph was made to be a fruitful bough. Joseph is a fruitful bough. even
a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall. Now
try to picture, if you can, a garden in a rich eastern country where
a man has an orchard enclosed with a wall, and in the garden
he has his plants and his flowers and he has his trees that bear
fruit by a well. And the Lord here speaks by Jacob
to Joseph, and he says, My son, You will be like a tree, so loaded
down, so heavily loaded down with fruit, that your branches
will bend over the wall bearing fruit. Now certainly he's talking
about Joseph C. not just his physical seed, the
Jews, but those who are his spiritual seed, you and I, who are God's
elect in Jesus Christ. He's talking about Christ the
Lord and the fruit that Christ shall bear. Without question
then, the picture is given concerning the bountifulness of that great
harvest that belongs to Jesus Christ as the Son of God, as
the result of his suffering and death as our substitute at Calvary. Let's look in the scriptures
and see. And Isaiah chapter 53, turn there if you will. Isaiah
chapter 53. Our Lord Jesus Christ is here
described in his sacrifice and in his death. And men looking
at it see him, and this is how the prophet describes it. In
verse 7, he was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened
not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the
slaughter, and as a sheep before his shearers is done, so he opens
not his mouth. Verse 8. He was taken from prison
and from judgment. He's cut off in the prime of
his life. Cut off as a young man who just reached the prime
of his life, about 33 years old. Who's going to declare his generation?
He has no wife. He has no sons or daughters.
Who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the
land of the living, for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
And he made his grave with the wicked and was with the rich
in his death, because he had done no violence, neither was
any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise
him. This didn't just happen to him by chance. This wasn't
just the work of men. This was the work of God. It
pleased the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief. When
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. He will have his generation.
There is a people who will serve him. He will be a fruitful bow. And he shall prolong his days.
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Well,
what's that? He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall
be satisfied. Everyone for whose life he came
and gave his life shall live by him. He shall see of the travail
of his soul and shall be satisfied. Read on. By his knowledge. Now sometimes we read that by
the knowledge of him, mere justified by knowing him. But the text
reads by his knowledge. By his knowledge of his people. By his knowledge of his accomplishments. By his knowledge of what he has
done as I substitute, he shall justify many. Shall my righteous
servant justify many? How come? For he shall bear their
iniquities. Now turn back to Psalm 22. Let's
see if this is not the same light in which we read of this same
thing in Psalm 22, verse 30. We preach the gospel with confidence. When tempted to do something
to make things appear to happen as preachers and churches are
wont to do. When we are tempted to by our
hands try to make it look like things are happening that are
not happening. We are always to be sustained with this confidence. Our God will save his people. They will all hear his word. They will all be born of his
spirit. They will all come to Christ.
They will all serve him without exception. And so we preach the
gospel with confidence knowing this. Look at verse 30. A seed
will serve him. He's going to save somebody.
I don't know who they are, where they are, or how He's going to
save them, other than by the preaching of the gospel, but
this I know. Somebody will be saved by His grace, and they
will serve Him. It shall be counted to the Lord
for a generation. Who shall declare His generation?
His seed. Look at verse 31. They shall
come and shall declare His righteousness unto a people that shall be born.
In other words, in every generation, He's going to have a seed who
will serve him and declare his righteous accomplishments to
the generation yet to come and there will be a seed born as
they declare the Lord has done this. This promise is also a
promise concerning each of God's elect in Christ. Every child
of God, every true believer shall be a fruitful bough. bringing
forth fruit to God by the power of His grace. He says in Hosea
chapter 4 verse 8, from me is thy fruit found. One great difference between
the preaching of the gospel and all other forms of religious
exercise that's called preaching, gospel preaching simply declares
what God has done, is doing, and will do. Gospel preaching
declares who God's people are. Other religious orders, other
religious exercises endeavor to get folks who don't know God
to act like they do. They try to get you to do something. They say, if you're a believer,
this is what you will do. If you're a believer, this is how
you ought to behave, now let's start acting this way. And since
you're not inclined to, we'll bribe you with promises of reward
or we'll terrify you with threats of punishment. But the Word of
God declares this is what God's people are. This is what they
are. Now this is what you are, this is what I am, if we're His. Turn to Galatians chapter 5.
Let's see. Joseph shall be a fruitful bough.
Fruitful bowel. If you're Joseph's, you're a
fruitful bowel. You'll go and bring forth fruit.
You know what the Lord said? I've chosen you that you should
go and bring forth fruit, that your fruit should remain. What
fruit? But the fruit of the Spirit.
Fruit. The works of the flesh, that's
another thing. That's what you do. But here
in Galatians 5.22, the fruit of the Spirit. And it doesn't speak of fruits.
It says fruit, Wes. Fruit. That's one thing. Got
lots of clusters, but it's just one fruit. And it comes not by
your hand, but by God's hand. It's the fruit of the Spirit.
Not the produce of your will. Not the produce of your hands.
The fruit of the Spirit. And here it is. It's love, joy,
and peace. Love toward God. Every believer
loves it. Say, we ought to love the Lord.
You ought to, but if you're His, you do. You do. There's no question about that.
Joy. Joy. We ought to rejoice in the
Lord. Yeah, you ought to, but if you're
His, you do. We rejoice in Christ Jesus. Peace that passes understanding. Peace with God, peace of God,
peace from God. You say, well, you ought to have
peace. Yeah, you ought to, but if you're His, you do. You do.
Now, I don't suggest by any means that it is perfect or that it
is absolutely grown in any child of God here. Oh, no, no, no,
no. We won't enjoy these things in perfection until we drop this
robe of flesh. But love God, joy in God, peace
with God, bless God they're mine. Never mind. Fruit of the Spirit,
love, joy, peace. I don't love Him like I ought
to or want to, but I love Him. I don't rejoice in Him like I
ought to or want to, but I do rejoice in Him. I don't walk
before Him in peace like I ought to or want to, but David, I do
walk before God in peace. Peace. Longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness. Now that's fruit toward your
brother. If I am born of God, I deal with
God's people in long-suffering patience. That's exactly right. That's exactly right. Not perfectly. You forgive me. Not as I want or should. But
God's people, Lindsay, are long-suffering with each other. They're long-suffering. Gentle. Gentle. Those who are born of God are
made gentle by his grace. They're gentle. And good. God's people will do you good.
Remember what he said to Abraham? He said, I'll not only bless
you, I'll make you a blessing. If you're his, he makes you a
blessing to others. And then he speaks of fruit with
regard to yourself. Faith, meekness, temperance. Believers are men and women who
believe God and believe in God, they're faithful. The word faith
would better be translated faithful. Every child of God in the tenor
of his life is a faithful man, a faithful woman. You can count
on them. You can count on them. Temperance. That word temperance. have somewhat of an idea of what
it means when we talk about being able to control your appetite
and so forth. But it's not temperance exercised
by your strength. It's not temperance exercised
by your decision, by your determination, by the power of your will. No,
no, no. It's talking about temperance,
which is Christ ruling in you. It's control from within. So
that you still have the same lusts you used to have. You still
have the same corruptions you used to have. The flesh hasn't
changed, but the spirit rules and the flesh serves. That's
what he says. Not willingly, but we make our
flesh to serve the will and purpose of our God. Temperance. The cause
of meekness. Meekness. Meekness is simply
recognizing who we are before God Almighty and what He's done
for us. That's meekness. That's meekness. I can't say this enough. People
have the idea somehow that meekness is acting like a throw rug, you
know, or a dish rag and not having any boldness, not having any
character. Moses was the meekest man who ever lived other than
our Lord himself. And I'm going to tell you something,
he wasn't a doormat. He was a 110% man. A meek man
always is. He knows who he is before God
Almighty, and he knows that God's his God, and he serves him with
meekness. All right now, look at verse
23 in Genesis 49. Joseph was a man made to be a
fruitful bough. And secondly, God's Joseph, all
of God's Josephs in this world are marked hated men. You can just mark it down. That's
just so. That's just so. The archers have
sorely grieved him, and shunned him, and hated him. You familiar
with Joseph's history? His brothers envied him. Oh,
how they envied him. And it was a constant grief to
Joseph. He was tempted by Potiphar's wife. Then he was slandered,
slandered both by his brothers whom he loved and slandered by
Potiphar's wife and those who imprisoned him. He was the object
of uncaused hatred from everybody around him. He didn't do anything. He did nothing to Potiphar. He
did nothing to Potiphar's wife. He did nothing to his brethren.
He was a man who had caused no offense by his actions, and yet
he was the object of hatred and envy and slander, temptation,
trial, one on another, at the hands of men. They set their
arrows, drew them back, and shot at him. Just constantly. Just constantly. Our master,
like Joseph, was hated without a cause. He was tempted in the
wilderness, envied by the Pharisees, hated by the Sadducees, slandered
by the Jews, grieved in his very soul as he knelt in the garden,
at last he was slaughtered on trumped-up charges as a common
criminal. And I say to you, sons and daughters
of God Almighty, such is your lot in this world. We must, through much tribulation,
enter into the kingdom of God. The disciple is not above his
master, nor the servant above his Lord, our Lord taught us.
Though blessed of God, boundlessly blessed, everlastingly blessed,
in all things blessed of God, in this world, our lot is Joseph's
lot. We must, as believers, endure
temptation. Temptations from Satan, trials
in God's providence. We must as believers endure the
envy of men, being betrayed by friends, slandered by evil tongues,
hated of many. This is our lot in this world.
But you hear me now, and what I'm saying to you, Bible, I hope
God will make me hear it. This is part of our blessedness. Just as much a part of our blessedness
as when men praise us. Just as much a part of being
blessed of God. is having the wicked to shoot
his arrows at you as it is to have your brother embrace you
and kiss you and welcome you home. Just as much. Listen to
what the Lord said. No turn there. Luke chapter 6.
Luke chapter 6. You'll recall, we looked at this
a few weeks ago. This is not our Lord's Sermon
on the Mount. This is another sermon. And here he's not talking
about spiritual things, but rather he's talking about carnal things.
In the Sermon on the Mount, it says, Blessed are the poor in
spirit. Here it says, Blessed are the poor. In the Sermon on the
Mount, he speaks of those who are hungry and thirst after righteousness.
Here he's talking about folks being hungry. Hungry for the
gospel's sake. Poor because of their faith and
faithfulness to him. All right, now look at it, verse
20. He lifted up his eyes on his disciples and said, Blessed
be ye poor. Blessed. For yours is the kingdom
of God. You who are brought to poverty,
you who suffer need because of obedience to faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ, you're blessed. Blessed are you that hunger now,
for you shall be filled. Blessed are you that weep now,
for you shall laugh. Your weeping now will be cause
of laughter here to come. Your weeping now will be the
things over which you'll laugh and rejoice and say, thank God
for those tears. Thank God for that time of sorrow.
You'll laugh. Blessed are you when men shall
hate you and when they shall separate you from their company
and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evil. Tell folks
you're a wicked fellow. For the son of man's sake. Blessed
are you. Blessed are you. Rejoice ye in
that day and leap for joy. Behold, your reward is great
in heaven, for in like manner did their fathers to the prophets. This is the lot of God's people. This is their lot. You're going
to have to endure the same kind of things our master endured
in this world if you walk in his steps. And that's blessing. That's blessing. So I don't see
how on earth men could be expected to endure such things. Oh, my. Bobby, this is nothing compared
to what he endured for us, is it? This is nothing. This is nothing. Envy, malice, betrayal, slander,
hatred. That's nothing. That's nothing.
Have a look at verse 24, Genesis 29, 24. Joseph was a man made strong
by the mighty God of Jacob. Now when I read this verse, the
opening portion of it, I looked at it and scratched my head and
cross-referenced it and scratched my head some more. And finally,
I got some help. His bow, though he was the object
of envy, though wicked men like archers, as enemies to him, made
their aim and set their mark for him and drew back their bow
and shot their arrows at him. Look at it now. But, but his
bow, his bow, abode in his strength. What on earth does that mean?
Try to get a picture. This is back before the days
of compound bows. This is when fellas, if they
had a bow that shot anywhere, they had to have some strength.
You picture a man, got his bow and he pulls back the string. And the arrow is there. Now I've
shot a bow a few times. And when you get a real heavy
one, I don't care how stout you are, after a little bit, that
hand begins to shake. Doesn't bother you. I don't care
how stout you are, here's a man facing his enemies, shooting
arrows at him, holding his bow steady in his hand. Not a quiver. Not a quiver. How come? The arms of his hands were made
strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. That's how it goes. The arrows of his enemies didn't
touch him. But wait a minute. They slandered
his name. They got him in prison. They
sold him into slavery. They didn't touch him. They didn't
touch him. What did he do? Go back and read
the record of Genesis again. Go back and read it again. When
Joseph's brethren reviled him, how did he respond? He didn't. He didn't. When they sought to
murder him, how did he respond? He did as they were. When they
sought him in the slave world, how did he respond? He never
responded. He never responded. when he was
in Potiphar's house and Potiphar's wife slandered his name. How did he respond? Not a word. When Potiphar threw
him into prison, how did he respond? Not a word. Not a word. Oh, what a picture. What a picture. You see, we are such frail Fickle
creatures. We vainly imagine that because
men speak evil of us, somehow that's going to ruin our character.
The only fellow that can ruin Don Fortner's character is Don
Fortner. He's the only one. And what you say or don't say
doesn't affect my character. It just doesn't. So really, what
men say or don't say doesn't matter. It just doesn't matter. Not worth response. Not worth
a bother. And when men would do evil, they
are but in the hands of my God who has said, you are blessed. Oh, God, teach me that. God,
teach me that. Hold your bow. Steady in your
hands. Vengeance is mine, saith the
Lord. I'll reconvenge. When men render you evil, render
good for evil. Don't defend yourself. God's
our defender. Don't retaliate. God takes care
of His own. Our Lord Jesus Christ did exactly
that, didn't He? Oh, when He was reviled, He reviled
not again. Like a lamb, He's led to the
slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so opened
He not His mouth. Turn over to 1 Peter 2, let me
show you. 1 Peter 2. Peter is talking to us about
suffering, difficulties, trials, suffering in this world. He says
in verse 20, what glory is it if when you be buffeted for your
faults, you take it patiently? If you open your mouth at the
wrong time, wrong place, somebody slaps you, that's your fault.
That's exactly what he's saying. If you say, well, I deserve that,
that doesn't glory you. But if when you do well and suffer
for it, you take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
Hold your hand right there. I'll give you an example of it.
Years ago, this had been 30, let me see, 33, 34 years ago. I was just a kid standing in
a parking lot at Piedmont Bible College and there were some fellas
who were upset over the gospel of God's
grace to say the least. And one of the trustees, one
of the old men there, Dr. Earl Griffith, I never will forget
him. He used to talk, he didn't use any, what do they call that
stuff, polygrip, fast teeth, whatever he used. Every time
he'd open his mouth his teeth would clamp. And he kindly made
a practice of it. And somebody said to him, I was
standing right beside him, just listening to the conversation.
I wasn't more than 17, 18 years old. Somebody said to him, said,
Dr. Griffith, did you hear what he
said about you? He started to respond. Dr. Griffith, he said, that's
strange. I don't ever remember doing anything
for Him. You suffer when you've done good,
and bear it patiently. Now that's what he's talking
about, and that's what our Master did. Look at it. Verse 21, For
even here unto where you called, because Christ also suffered
for us, leaving us an example. Somebody said, Our Lord didn't
die as an example. Oh yes, He did. He died as more than an
example, but He died as an example. That you should follow His steps.
Who did no sin, neither was God found in His mouth. Who when
He was reviled, reviled not again. When He suffered, He threatened
not. He didn't threaten to retaliate. but committed himself to God. That's called walking before
God by faith. That's called seeking God's honor,
not man's. Joseph was made strong by his
God. His strength was not the strength
of nature, but of grace. Now look at the last part of
verse 3. From thence is the shepherd the stone of Israel. The Lord
Jesus Christ, the shepherd and stone of Israel, is that one
who is sent by the mighty God, the mighty God of Jacob, to redeem
and save his people. Let me just give you two things
about these two titles, what blessed titles they are. Christ
is the shepherd of Israel. The shepherd is the one totally
responsible. Totally responsible. to provide
for and protect the sheep. Is that right? He's the shepherd of Israel. David Coleman, the son of God,
has engaged himself as my shepherd and has sworn on the honor of
his name to protect me, his sheep. Totally. And provide for me his
sheep, everything. And therefore the scripture says
he carries his lambs in his bosom. He's the shepherd of Israel and
he's the stone of Israel. The stone of Israel. He is our
soul support. He is the foundation upon which
we have been built of God, and He is the foundation of which
we build our hopes. You remember our Lord speaking
in the parable about the wise and foolish man. The foolish
man built his house on the sand, and the rains came, the floods
arose, the wind beat on the house, and it fell. The wise man built
his house on a rock, And the same winds came, and
the same rains fell, and the same floods arose, and the house
on the rock never moved. He's the stone of Israel. Alright
now, look at verses 25 and 26. Jacob pronounced here a seventh-fold
blessedness upon Joseph. A seventh-fold blessedness upon
all who are gods. Now listen carefully, if you
belong to God, if you're His, this is God's promise to you.
Listen to it. Even by the God of thy father
who shall help thee. Wherever you are, whatever your
circumstance, whatever your need, whatever the condition you're
in, He who is your God will help you. I am thy help, I will still
give thee aid. Number two, by the Almighty who shall bless
thee with blessings of heaven above. What a preface to the
promise. He who blesses us with all the
blessings of heaven above is the Almighty. That means Bob
Pottser, he's able to do what he said he'd do. He'll bless
you with all the bounty of his house in saving grace and mercy. He'll bless you. Alright, thirdly,
and blessings of the deep that lieth under. Blessings of the
deep. Those things you can't see. Those
things you can't comprehend. Those things you can't begin
to understand, much less explain. The deep, deep mysteries of God's
providence. The deep things. Deep, deep,
deep depths of this world. God blesses them to His people. He's the Almighty God. He's the
Almighty God. You read at your leisure, Deuteronomy
28. He says to those who keep his covenant, and if you believe
on the Son of God, you keep his covenant. It is what it is. I bless you in the field. I bless
you in your house. I bless you when you rise up
in the morning. I bless you when you lay down at night. I bless
your family. I bless your cattle. I bless
your store. I bless that which you have and
I bless that which you give. I bless you. I bless you. He
spoke this word in Hosea chapter 2 verse 18. He said, I made a
covenant for you even with the beast of the field. Even with the beast of the field. Stonewall Jackson, as he led
his troops in battle, led his troops with confidence and seemed
never to flinch. He seemed never to take refuge.
When men thought he was being foolish, he was giving an example
to his men and it was by this at last that he was taken to
glory. But as he led his troops in battle, he sat on his horse
like a stone wall. How come? This is what he said.
He said, there are no stray bullets in the world. The bullet that's marked for
me will get me, and if there's not one marked for me, it won't
get me. I'll bless you. I'll make a covenant, even with
the beast of the field for you. All right, look at the text again. the deep that life under, and
blessings of the breast and of the womb. What's that talking
about? From the time you come forth
from your mother's womb, nursing at her breast, until the day
that you go back to the womb of the earth, you're blessed. Everything, everywhere, at all
times, blessed. Verse 26, the blessings of thy
father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors.
What's he talking about? Here's Jacob. And he says, now,
son, the blessings I'm pronouncing on you, these exceed the blessings
that were given to Abraham and Isaac. These blessings are boundless
blessings. He says, I'll bless you with
greater blessedness than any earthly man could ever give to
his sons and daughters. Look at the sixth one. Unto the
utmost bound of the everlasting hills. I told you the title of
the message is boundless blessedness. How are God's people blessed?
From eternity. As we come into the world, blessed
of God. While we live in the world, blessed
of God. When we leave the world, blessed
of God. When the world is consumed in
fire, blessed of God, forever blessed. Read on. They shall
be on the head of Joseph. The blessedness, here spoken
of now, is the blessedness of divine distinction. Look at it.
And on the crown of the head of him that was separate from
his brothers." There's a lot ought to be said
about that. Let me just say this. God takes David and Joseph. God takes Isaacs. God takes Jacobs. God takes insignificant nothings
and nobodies and separates them from their brethren. And those
who are in the eyes of men but the offscouring of the world
And God says, everlasting, boundless blessedness is yours in Jesus
Christ the Lord. Oh, now let this blessedness
bridle my tongue and teach me to sing praise to my God forever,
saying, thou hast done all things well. Amen. Let's sing it as
well, Lindsey. I believe it's number 256. That'd
be a good hymn to close with. That'll be our benediction.