after the resurrection on the
road to Emmaus when the Lord was speaking to those two disciples. We read in verse 27 of Luke 24,
and beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto
them in all the scriptures, the things concerning himself. I
can't help but wonder if he brought Joseph in this great message. There's not a greater type of
Christ in all the Bible than Joseph. Somebody once said, Genesis
is the seed plot of every doctrine in the New Testament. Every doctrine
in the New Testament is illustrated in this book of Genesis, and
I believe We have a beautiful, uh, what's the word, uh, declaring
of that in this passage of scripture. Now, let me briefly give you
the history of what led to this point. Joseph was his father's
favorite son. His brothers betrayed him, sold
him into Egypt. He worked. 11 years for a man
by the name of Potiphar, and he excelled, did well. Potiphar's wife accused him of
something he did not do. He was thrown into prison. While
he was in prison, he interpreted the dreams of the butler and
the baker accurately, and he said, remember me when you get
out of prison and you're restored. and the butler forgot him. In the meanwhile, Pharaoh has
dreams. He dreams of seven skinny cows
with their ribs sticking out eating seven fat cows and they
remained just as skinny. And then he had another dream.
He dreamed of seven full ears of corn and seven Blasted, wind
blasted of the east wind, ill favored, ears of corn, ate the
seven fat ears of corn. And he woke up and he was troubled. And that's when the butler remembered
that Joseph interpreted those dreams. And he told Pharaoh about
it. And Pharaoh said for him and Pharaoh gave him those dreams. And Joseph gave the interpretation
of those dreams. He said, this is what God is
about to do. I love the way he said that to Pharaoh. No apology. This is the living God. And this
is what he's going to do. He said the seven fat cows and
the seven fat ears of corn represent seven years of plenty. The seven
skinny cows that eat the fat cows and the seven bad ears of
corn that eat the good ears of corn represent seven years of
famine. And those seven years of plenty
will not be remembered. because of the grievousness of
the great famine that is going to take place. It's going to
happen for sure. Now here's what you're to do. You're to, for those seven years
of plenty, keep back 20% of the corn and get enough food for those seven
years of famine. And find somebody wise to do this. Pharaoh said,
well, who's as wise to do this as you are? And in the same day,
Joseph went from being a prisoner to the most powerful man on earth. If you were going to eat, it
was up to him. He was given the head position
by Pharaoh. He was the prime minister of
Egypt and he's the one that oversaw these seven years of plenty. And what years those must have
been spectacular years, seven years of prosperity for everybody. Now let's look in verse 46 of
chapter 41. And Joseph was 30 years old when
he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out
from the presence of Pharaoh and went throughout all the land
of Egypt. And in the seven plenteous years, the earth brought forth
by handfuls. And he gathered up all the food
of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt and laid
up the food in the cities. The food of the field, which
was round about every city, lay he up in the same. And Joseph
gathered corn as the sand of the sea very much until he left
numbering." It was without number. It was a whole lot more than
the 20% that he thought of. It was a vast Supply without
a numerical value. And this speaks of what the Lord
achieved when he went out from the presence of the father, infinite
merit. You can't put a number on it.
Infinite grace, infinite mercy, infinite redemption as great
and grievous as my sin is. His grace is greater. You believe that? His grace is
greater. Grace that's greater than all
our sin. Infinite, immeasurable grace. Verse 53 of the same chapter.
And the seven years of plenteousness that was in the land of Egypt
were ended. Seven great years. I mean, everybody's
having a good time. Everybody was enjoying life.
Couldn't be better. And all of a sudden, it was over. The seven years had ended, verse
54. And the seven years of Darth
began to come, according as Joseph had said. He told them this was
going to take place. How did he know? God told him.
He was simply giving God's word. It happened just as he said. And do you know, everything happens
just as he says. I'm so thankful. And the Darth was in all lands.
This was not just in Egypt. It was everywhere. You know,
we think of the, we've called what happened a pandemic. This
is a whole lot worse than the pandemic. We've known something
about this is where everybody was starving. There was no food
in the land. That's how grievous this famine
was. Then in all the land of Egypt,
there was bread. There was one place where you
could have bread, one place. Egypt. Nowhere else. There was no food to be had anywhere
else in all the world, but there was one place where there was
food. Egypt. Verse 55, and this is
through Joseph's wise management, but really we know better than
that. It's through the Lord's mercy and through his bounty.
That's why there was food in Egypt. But Joseph was the one
who was used to gather up all this in the storehouses. Verse
55. And when all the land of Egypt
was famished, you see that famine was in Egypt, the people cried
to Pharaoh for bread. And Pharaoh said unto all the
Egyptians, go unto Joseph. What he saith to you, do. Now, all of God's blessing All of
God's grace, all of God's mercy, all of God's love, all of God's
favor is in one place. The Lord Jesus Christ. Turn with me, hold your finger
there, and turn with me to Ephesians chapter one. Now what that lets me know is
that if I'm gonna have mercy, If I'm going to have grace, if
I'm going to have God's favor, if I'm going to have God's love,
I'm going to have to be in Christ because that's where all of God's
favor is. It's in his son. God will not speak to me or you
or be spoken to by me or you apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, God is holy. I mean,
you're sinful. I must have Christ representing
me. Now look here in Ephesians chapter
one, verse three. Blessed be the God and father
of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us. Not he's offered us blessings
if we're willing to receive them. He hath blessed us. with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places in Christ. All of these spiritual blessings,
and those are the saving blessings. Somebody says, well, I got a
lot of money in the bank. Well, there may be a blessing, there may
be a curse. Material blessings are not necessarily spiritual
blessings. Spiritual blessings are those
in Christ. Now here's what they are. Verse
four, according as he has chosen us in him before the foundation
of the world. Here's the first blessing election.
He has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that
we should be holy and without blame before him. Now there's
a blessing. What a spiritual blessing to be holy and to be
without blame, blameless before the living God. In love, there's a blessing,
God's love. In love, having predestinated
us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, what
a blessing to be predestinated. God is the God of absolute predestination. That's who he is. And he has
adopted us predestined to be his children, according to the
good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his
grace, wherein he hath made us accepted where, where in the
beloved. All of God's blessing, all of
God's favor is in Christ. Look in verse 7, in whom we have,
notice he doesn't say we have redemption, he says in whom we
have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according
to the riches of His grace. Now just as there was food only
in Egypt, the only place of survival, the only place of life was in
Egypt. All of God's blessing, all of
God's favor, all of God's grace is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Here's the way Paul stated in
Ephesians chapter four, verse 32. Be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving
one another, even as God for Christ's sake. hath forgiven
you. He didn't forgive you because
you asked for forgiveness. He didn't forgive you because
you demonstrated sufficient sorrow for your sin. He didn't forgive
you because of your promises that you were going to become
a better person. He forgave you for Christ's sake. That one singular reason. In Egypt, there was bread. Nowhere else was there bread.
In Christ and nowhere else is there the grace of God. He is the grace of God. Now back to our text. In Egypt, there was bread, verse
55. 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. What he saith
to you, do. Why are you crying to me? Go to Joseph. Now, these people were famished,
hungry, and needy, and they go to Pharaoh, And they were going
to the wrong place. He said, why are you looking
at me? Go to Jesus. I want to say that
as reverently as I can. When I use his name, go to Jesus. I despise how his name is used
so flippantly. I want to use reverence and fear
in using his name, but here is The word to me and you, go to
Jesus. Go to Jesus, the son of God. Now, if I ever, and if you ever
understand who God is and who we are, we will understand the
only way we can come into God's presence is through him. I am
the way, the truth, And the life, no man comes to the father, but
by me. Do you understand that you can't
come into God's presence apart from him bringing you into God's
presence. Do you need grace? Go to Jesus. Do you need the forgiveness of
sins? Go to Jesus. Do you need righteousness? Go
to Jesus. Do you need mercy? Go to Jesus. Do you need acceptance? Go to Jesus. Do you need faith? Go to Jesus. If you can't come
to him with faith, come to him for faith. Ask him to give it
to you. Do you need repentance? Go to
Jesus. He's exalted as a Prince and
Savior for to give repentance to Israel, even the forgiveness
of sins. Do you need a new heart? Go to
Jesus. Do you need the Holy Spirit? Go to Jesus. Do you need perseverance? Go
to Jesus. Do you need understanding? Go
to Jesus. Do you need renewal? Go to Jesus. That is the Word. And we have this glorious promise. He is able to save them to the
utter most that come to God by him. That's the only way we come. And he said, him that cometh
to me, I will in no wise cast out. What he saith to you, do. You know, he said to the woman at
the well, woman, believe me. What he sayeth to you do. He
said, you believe in God? Believe also in me. Whatever
you believe about God, do you believe God's all powerful? You
believe the same thing about me. Do you believe God is absolutely
sovereign? You believe the same thing with
regard to me. Whatsoever he saith to you, do. When he says, thy
faith has saved thee, go in peace, go in peace. Whatever he says
to you, do. You know, there was a leper who
came to him. Oh, I love this. There came a leper unto him saying,
Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. And he said, I will
be thou clean. clean. Verse 56. And the famine was over all the
face of the earth, a worldwide famine. And Joseph opened. all the storehouses. Remember
we read that it could no longer be numbered? You know what Joseph
did at this time? He opened them up. You know,
Christ said, I came not into the world to condemn the world,
but the world through him might be saved. he opened up all the
storehouses, the vast storehouses of his grace 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
the famine was so sore in all the lands. There was one place for food, only one, Joseph. Now, when Jacob saw that there
was corn in Egypt, you see that famine was in Canaan where Jacob
was and his other ten sons, and they were hungry, and they were
in a bad way. And as far as he knew, Joseph
was dead. He had no knowledge that his
son was the prime minister of Egypt. He had no understanding
that his son was the one you'd get bread for, but he heard that
there was corn in Egypt. And you know, that's what the
preaching of the gospel proclaims. There's grace in Christ. There's
corn in Egypt. There's food to be had. He heard or saw that there was
corn in Egypt. Well, how did he see this? Well, he tells us in verse 2,
Behold, I've heard that there's corn in Egypt. That's how he
saw it. He heard somebody brought him
this message. There's corn in Egypt. And so
look what he says to his sons. Now, when Jacob saw that there
was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, why do you look
upon one another? What are you doing? Do you think
you all can help each other? You think there's anything you
can do to each other? If you stand here and just look at each
other, we're all going to starve to death. Why are you looking on one another
like that? It's an exercise in futility. Can bread come from any of you?
There's only one place to find bread. Quit looking at each other.
Don't look to yourself for anything. Have you and I ever learned to
quit looking to other people? To quit looking within? To look to Christ only. Why are you looking on one another?
It's not gonna do you any good. You'll end up starving if that's
all you do. Why look ye upon one another?" He said, behold,
I've heard there's corn in Egypt. Get ye down, thither. You know, the way up in the kingdom
of heaven is always down. Get you down. When you've reached the bottom,
you're closer to the truth if you go a little further down.
Get ye down, thither. and buy for us from them, that
we may live and not die. Here's why we want you to go
to get corn, that we may live and not die. That's simple, isn't
it? That we may live and not die.
Now, it's interesting in this passage of scripture, there's
something that has always occurred to me when I read this passage
of scripture and something I've thought about. Jacob was rich. He was very wealthy. He had a lot of money. He had
the resources to buy food. You know, I think it's interesting
that the money he brought, if you go on reading in the story,
you're gonna find out Joseph wouldn't take it, would he? You
see, that would destroy the type. He's not gonna sell anybody anything.
He's the giver. He doesn't have to sell. He gives,
and he wouldn't take their money. But what if you were someone
who didn't have any money? You didn't have any way of buying
this corn. What about that? I wonder if
there's somebody here thinking, I hear what you're saying, but
I don't have anything. I don't have any money to get
the corn. Well, I want you to turn with me to Isaiah chapter
55. Isaiah chapter 55. The Lord begins with this word, ho. Ho. And I have no doubt that
that should be spoken loudly. I don't know how loud, but this
is an intention getter. How merciful that the Lord says
to me and you, ho, hold up. Listen to what's getting ready
to be said. Ho! Everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. Now he's talking about spiritual
thirst. You think of the beatitude, blessed
are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness. Now, if
you're a believer, one thing you know about yourself, you
don't have any righteousness in yourself. It doesn't come
from you, but you hunger and thirst for righteousness. I mean,
yeah, I'm glad it doesn't say how thirsty. Somebody says, well,
I'm afraid I'm not thirsty enough. I'm sure you're not. We can just
get that settled. But you do thirst. You want to
be found in Christ. You want to have his righteousness. You know you can't produce a
righteousness that God could accept, but you hunger and thirst
after righteousness. The Lord says, if any man thirst,
doesn't say how much thirst, why thirst more? Sure you should,
but it doesn't give a quantity. It just says, if any man thirst.
Let him come to me and drink. Whosoever will, let him take
the water of life freely. Oh, everyone that thirsteth,
come ye to the waters. Now he gives a qualification
for this person who thirsts. Here's one qualification. You
got to fit this description. He that hath no money. You don't have a penny's worth
of merit. You don't have anything to buy this glorious water with. You don't have a penny's worth
of righteousness. You're bankrupt. You're broke. You're thirsty
and you have nothing. Is that you? Is that me? Do I thirst for Christ? Do I
have anything at all to recommend me? No, I don't. I do not have
a wooden nickel that God would accept. Now this is the person
who's called upon to come and drink. the person who thirsts
and he has nothing to recommend himself. He has no money. He has no merit. He has nothing
that could recommend him to God. He has nothing. He that hath no money, come ye,
buy and eat. Yea, come buy wine and milk without
money. and without price. Come to the waters, but you can
also have milk for nourishment. You can have wine that makes
the heart glad. You can have all these things
without your contribution, without your money and without any price
you pay. Oh, he paid the price, but no
price that you pay. You can ask this question in
verse two. Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread
and your labor for that which satisfies not? Now, the only thing that satisfies
me is found in this statement. It
is finished. Why would I look for satisfaction
in anything else? Because there's no satisfaction.
The only satisfaction I have is that when Christ said, it
is finished, my salvation was accomplished. Signed, sealed,
and delivered. Why go after anything that doesn't
bring satisfaction? And that's all I'm satisfied
with. That he did everything and that I'm complete in him.
He says, hearken unto me and eat ye that which is good and
let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear. Listen to what he's saying. Come
unto me. hear and your soul shall live. Faith comes by hearing, doesn't
it? And I, this is God speaking, I will make an everlasting covenant
with you, even the sure mercies of David. Now, what are those
sure mercies of David? Well, we don't have to speculate.
Turn to 2 Samuel 23. 2 Samuel 23. Verse 1 says, Now
these be the last words of David. David was dying. What if you knew you were going
to die in 24 hours? David was dying. All of the things that could
have come through his mind when he was a 17 year old boy. He
said, is there not a cause? And he came at Goliath and slew
him through the power of God and delivered all of Israel.
He was the sweet Psalmist of Israel. He was a man after God's
own heart. God said that with regard to
David, what a man David was David, the beloved. He could have been
thinking of how greatly God had used him or he might've been
thinking of A lot of other things. He might've been thinking about
that time with Bathsheba and what it cost him. And now he
murdered her husband in order to cover up himself. There are
so many sinful, glaring inconsistencies he could have been thinking about
when he was thinking about his last days. These be the last
words of David. Well, here they are in verse
five. This is the sure mercies of David. Let me read this verse.
Although my house be not so with God, yet had he made with me
an everlasting covenant. A covenant that was made before
the foundation of the world. a covenant that will never be
ended. This is an eternal everlasting
covenant and this covenant that He made with David, He made with
every single believer and this is what the Lord is saying in
Isaiah 55, listen to me I'll make with you the sure mercies
of David. The covenant I made with David,
the sure mercies of David. Now he says, this covenant is
ordered in all things and sure, for this is all my salvation
and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. Now this
everlasting covenant that he made with David, he said, my
house be not so with God. And you know what he did. And God said, the sword will
never leave your house. And he had nothing but trouble
in his home till the day he died. I think he's also referring to
this house, his body, his sinful being. You know what he's saying? Although this house be not so
with God, yet in spite of that, he hath made with me. everlasting covenant ordered. There's always a divine order. Something, is that me? There's
always a divine order. God's grace comes before my life. Before there's faith, there's
the gift of faith. Before there's life there, there's
him commanding life. There's a divine order to everything. And this covenant he made with
me is ordered in all things. And it's sure. And David says,
this is all my salvation. Is this all your salvation? And
all my desire. I don't want anything else. Now,
let me say this. All I have is the Lord Jesus
Christ. And I'm plum satisfied with that.
I don't want anything else. I'm totally satisfied to be found
in him as all my salvation and all my desire. Now. If you don't have any money.
That's not going to prevent you. from going to the greater Joseph,
the Lord Jesus Christ, and receiving all things. There was one place
where bread was to be had. There was one person to give
it. There's one place where his grace is to be had. There's one
person to give it, the Lord Jesus Christ. You go to him. And let
me say this, listen to this very carefully. There is no one who
has ever come to him for mercy that he's ever turned away. You come to him, you will be
received. Him that cometh to me, he said,
all that the father giveth me shall come to me and him that
cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. Come and welcome. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for your
word. How we thank you for your son.
How we thank you for the place of your grace and favor. Lord,
I ask, we all ask that we might be enabled to come to him and be saved by his grace. Lord, let us come thirsting and
let us come with no money and to have all we need, all you
require, all we want in thy son. Bless this message for His sake.
In His name we pray, amen.