Well, it's good to be here. Took
us a little while, but we made it. No thanks to GPS and the
old Atlas roadmap. That's what finally got us here. We're going to be in Genesis
42, but before we go there, I want to just Thank you all for inviting
me. Thank Caleb, Bobby, for having
my wife Melinda and I. The folks at Sovereign Grace
Church in Jackson send their greetings and love to you. Nathan Terrell, which I'm sure
you know Nathan, Joe's son, is filling in for me, as he often
does. I would like to share with you,
just like I say, stay in Genesis. When we go to preach, we pastors,
elders, whoever, we go to preach the word, Paul sums it up very
well. When I come to you, I shall come
in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. And
that's what I desire to do. And he also said this, that I
may come unto you with joy by the will of God and may with
you be refreshed. It's not just one man up here
saying some stuff. It's fellowship. Iron sharpens
iron. By itself, it's not going to
work. So we need one another. That's why we gather together.
That's why we're here. Now if you would, please turn
with me to Genesis 42. I'm going to read the first, well, Verse 24, so bear with me please.
Genesis 42, now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt,
Jacob said to his sons, why do you look one upon another? And
Jacob 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. So it's pretty important. It's a famine and they're in
distress, tremendous distress. And Joseph's ten brethren went
down to buy corn in Egypt, but Benjamin Joseph's brother, the
youngest one, 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 the land.
And Joseph's brethren came and bowed down themselves before
him, with their faces to the earth. And Joseph saw his brethren,
and he knew them, but made himself strange to them, 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
are 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, and we are true men. Thy servants are no spies.
And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land
you are 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." And Joseph said unto them, That is that I spake unto
you, saying, You are spies. Hereby ye shall be proved. By
the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your
youngest brother come hither. Send one of you, and let him
fetch your brethren, and ye 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. And Joseph
put them all together in the ward three days, and Joseph said
unto them the third day, this do and live, for I fear God. And if ye 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 house, but bring your
youngest brother unto me, so shall your words be verified,
and ye shall not die. And they did so. And they said
one to another, we are verily guilty concerning our brother,
and that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us,
and we would not hear. Therefore is this distress come
upon us. And Reuben answered them and
said, 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.
And he turned himself about to them, and wept, and returned
to them again, and commanded them, and took from them Simeon,
and bound him before their eyes." Now this goes on several chapters,
that's going to be enough. I just got a few things. I want to look at a few thoughts,
notes, perusal of what's going on and then I want us to look
at how Joseph is a type of Christ in this short section here. One
thing that I noticed which Psalms 105 tells us pretty plainly that our sovereign manipulated these
events in Egypt to promote Joseph he manipulated all these things.
He's sovereign. He's in charge. He's in control
in Psalms 105 And in verse one, he says, oh,
give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his
deeds among the people. Verse 16 and 17, moreover, he
called for a famine upon the land, he break the whole staff
of bread, he sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold
for a servant. Now this is, this whole thing,
He sets up to make sure Joseph is going to be known. And I think
we see here, not only does he set Joseph up, but he sets him
up as a type and a picture of our most honorable Lord Jesus
Christ. So as I said, first we're going
to peruse the story and just some things of note. And maybe
these things are going on in your life right now. Maybe they
have gone on. But it's always interesting to
see what the Lord's doing in us and by us and through the
Lord Jesus Christ. But to me, perhaps one of the
sweetest verses in the text is in verse 8. And when we think
we're something, when we're nothing, when we compare ourselves to
others, and we always do a little bit better, when a man thinks
himself to be something when he's nothing, the scripture says
he deceives himself. Look at verse 8. like our Lord Jesus Christ, knew
his brethren, but they knew him not. And sometimes we still act like
this. Even the believers. I'm convinced
more and more of the flesh, it's never going to get better. It's
never going to get better. Paul Peter says, unto whom come
ye? We don't stop coming, we get baptized, I'm fine, or I
go to church four or five times a year, I'm fine, no. Unto whom? Unto Christ, we continually come.
We confess our sins, confess, he's faithful and just to forgive
us our sins. Oh, to grace, how great a debtor. daily I'm your constrained to
be. Isn't that the truth? Well let's
look at a few things in our passage here. We knew him not when in
providence He caused us to be in hunger and in need and sought
us long before we sought him. This is in the first four verses.
Jacob says we're in the middle of a famine, there's corn in
Egypt, get down and that we die not. He's gonna bring, this is
what he does often times. He will show you yourself and
show you himself. It is perfectly exemplified in
Zechariah 12. The spirit of grace and supplications,
every family, every man apart, every woman apart, weeping over
their sins. And then in chapter 13 verse
1, then there's a fountain opened. We're going to have to be emptied.
We're going to have to be emptied, we're going to have to be stripped,
and I know this is not psychologically correct. You know, people, we
don't want to, yes, we want to tell you the truth. It's my responsibility
when I'm up here is to open this book and tell you the truth.
Not to interpret. This is already written. The
Bible's written. We tell back what's in here. This is not Baptist
doctrine, this is not, this is the doctrine of Christ. So, long
before we sought him, he brought a need. He will always create
a real need in us and cause us to rightly know this famine of
soul. Or even, it may be physical,
you may be going through some physical things, well God's over
that. Monetary things, God's over that. But mainly, he will bring you
through heart and soul and conscience. And so I ask this, is there anybody
here like that today? Is there anybody here that has
a real need? That knows that they cannot stand
on their own? Not 50%, not 90%. I'll never
forget the first time Henry Mahan came to our church in the 80s.
He's preaching and he just stopped and he goes, Christ died for
sinners. As he says, is there any sinners
out here? And one guy raised his hand and said, Christ died
for you. That's what we're saying. There
was a need. They were fine. They were fine
in the land where they were coming from. They were fine. And then
a famine hit. Now we've got to do something. Now we have to
do something. This known want or poverty of soul will also
turn to confessions of sins and repentance of guilt and godly
sorrow over Iniquities. Look at verses 21 that I read.
And they said to one another, we are guilty. That's what Job
said. Put his hand over his mouth.
Guilty. Concerning our brother in that
we saw the anguish of his soul, he besought us. Didn't bother
him then, it's bothering him now. Ruger answered, didn't I tell
you? Do not sin. They're calling it
by name against the child. You would not hear this. Therefore,
behold, also his blood is required. That's confession of sin. That's
repentance. Godly sorrow. Another thing we
see in perusal of this chapter, this section, our God he'll lock
us up, he'll lock us up unto himself so that his glory and
his grace will be unquestionably understood and his mercy absolutely
revealed. Verse 16 and 17, send one of
you and let him fetch your brother and you shall be kept in prison.
Yeah, kept in prison, but I'm the deacon I preached for years. It doesn't matter. It doesn't
matter. We need grace. We need mercy. Be kept in prison,
that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in
you. He kept him in the ward three days, and then he kept
Simeon, and then sent the boys back with food. Isn't that something
like our Lord? Read Hosea. Read Hosea. Gomer, who played the harlot,
and Hosea, who led, who fed her, he left her presents and gifts,
and she thought her lovers, that's what it says, I thought my love,
that's what we think. Well, I thought my good works
did it. I've been raised right. I've done this, I've done that.
He may lock you up. You may really see the king in
his beauty. As I said previously, great need
will must have and will have a great remedy. How great is
your need? How great is your need? Verse
two, we must have corn. We must have corn or we will
die. Fourthly, God in his good and
sweet providence will order all events, good and bad, to bring
every elect sinner unto himself. Look at verse 20. But bring your
youngest brother unto me. He's elect, he's not going to
be left out. Bring him, and Jacob, bring them
all, bring them all. I'm not going to lose one. I'm not going to lose one. I
suffered, I bled, and I died for those my father gave me from
before the foundation of the world, and I'm going to see to
it that I bring them back. Another lesson in Genesis. All that the Father gives me
shall come to me, and I will in no wise cast him out. We rob ourselves of so much joy
and so much peace by not laying hold of his promises. I mean,
it doesn't, if it's a half a verse. We're in, on Wednesday nights,
we're in Samuel, First Samuel, and David's, you know, his brother
is accusing him, you want to see what's going on, this and
that, and he says, is there not a cause? Is there not a cause
here in Olney? What is that? The grace of God,
the sovereignty of God, or His glory, His honor, the salvation
of His elect, the growth of His people. There's the cause. That's why we stand up here.
That's why we gather together. And I, George Whitfield, it just
blew my mind. I always, there's a few things
I looked at and I looked at were too narrow. Faith cometh by hearing,
hearing the word of God. And I thought, well, that's not
a salvation. That's everything. Why do we gather together? Who
here does not want to grow in faith? Didn't the Apostle say
increase our faith? Every believer wants to grow in faith and grace.
How does faith grow? By hearing the Word of God. Whether it's this man or whoever,
if they're a believer, they're just tell you the words back.
Faith comes by hearing, hearing the Word of God and that's why
we gather together. That's why we gather together.
Now let's look at a few things Christ revealed typically in
Joseph. First, Christ. He knew us before
we knew him. From all eternity Christ was
the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world, Ephesians
1 and Revelations 13. He knew us, and boy does that
just kick pride out. We have nothing to boast of.
Secondly, we will never come or seek him unless he makes us
to know of a certainty our famine of hearts and our nature. Isaiah, turn with me to Isaiah
chapter one. Isaiah knew this, he found out.
Isaiah chapter 1. Look at verse 4 and 7. I'm sorry,
verse 1. The vision of Isaiah, the son
of Amos, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days
of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, kings of Judah. He says, a sinful
nation, a people laden with iniquity. Look at verse 7. Your country
is desolate. Turn to Isaiah chapter 5. Isaiah 5, verse 8, woe unto them. Verse 11, woe unto them. He's
got his fingers, he's pointing. The pope, it does sit up higher
than everybody else, right? I'm just being facetious. No, no, that's what he's doing. Woe unto them. Look at verse
18, woe unto them. Look at verse 20, woe unto them.
Verse 21, woe unto them. He's preaching at them, isn't
he? Okay, Isaiah 6. In the year King Uzziah died,
Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up,
and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims,
each one had six wings. With twain he covered his face,
with twain he covered his feet, with twain he did fly. And one
cried unto another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord
of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory. And the post
of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house
was filled with smoke. Then what does he say? Woe is
me. It's got to start there first.
It's got to start there first. Woe is me. Woe is me. My, my, my, we will never come
to Him unless He makes us to know of a certainty, our own
famine, our own famine. Thirdly, oftentimes, and I've
found this to be true, the Lord does not relieve us instantly,
but rather He's a governor. He's a governor, verse 6, and
Joseph was a governor over all the land. And he sold all the
people. In verse seven, Joseph knew his
brethren, but made himself strange to them and spake roughly. It's
not very polite. It's not very enjoyable when
somebody speaks roughly to you. And then you think in the back
of your head, well, they don't know me as well as the Lord does. We
just, I do think too highly of myself. He is rather a governor. He may
be a governor towards you tonight. He speaks roughly to you. I don't
care for this message. God's holy, supreme, and righteous.
He revealed himself as a governor before in a later chapter he
says, I'm your brother. Isn't that what he did? He's
going to reveal himself as a governor and speak roughly perhaps. Great
revelations of our need produce sweet unions of forgiveness,
and therefore, our enduring love and service to him. I wonder
why we don't serve him like we should. It's probably a lack
of love. Let's ask the leper. The leper cleansed in Matthew
8. Came down, he knew his condition. Lord, if you will, you could
make me clean. I will. What about the woman
with the issue of blood that spent all of her living and grew
worse? If I can just touch a sinner,
a dead dog, as old Maurice would say, a dead dog sinner. If I
can just touch the hem of his garment. And she's clean, cleansed. Fourthly, it was sometime before
Joseph said in chapter 45 verses 1 through 4, turn there, I'm
your brother, I'm your brother. 45, then Joseph could not refrain
himself before them all and stood by him and he cried and caused
every man to go out from him. And there stood no man with him,
while Joseph made himself known unto his brother." Joseph has
to make himself known. Christ has to make himself known. And he does that through the
preaching of the gospel. And he wept aloud. And the Egyptians in the house
heard it. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph, does
my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer
him, for they were troubled at his presence. And Joseph said
unto his brethren, come near me, I pray you. And they came
near, and he said, I am Joseph, your brother, I am Christ. Before
he reveals himself as the elder brother, he may speak roughly to you. Well, the prodigal. I wish I could find this. I've
mentioned this in several different places. I wish I could find this.
But when Scott Richardson, one time he was preaching at our
place, and he preached the prodigal son, and he entitled it, Much Kissing. Much Kissing. That rascal prodigal. That rascal
gomer. You know, go do whatever they
want to do. I don't care what you said, I've got my inheritance,
I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that. I want my will, my
way. But when the father saw him afar
off, he knew him. And he gave him the ring and
the robe, and he kissed him. I probably exaggerated, but it
seemed like Scott took ten minutes just talking about how the love
Grandparents? Tim James told me we've got one
grandchild now. Tim James told me you never thought
you could love something so much and that's exactly right. Much kissing. Oh, he totally
makes himself known and then our fellowship is that much more
pleasant and delightful. Lastly, All the blessings that
his brethren received came as a result of him knowing them. Chapter 50. Chapter 50 in verse 20. Joseph is talking to his brethren,
he says, but as for you, you thought evil against me.
But God meant it unto good to bring the past, as it is this
day, to save much people alive. Our Redeemer cannot fail. He just can't do it. He just
cannot do it. He cannot do it. He loved us,
as 1 John says, we love him because he first loved us. In Deuteronomy
7, he tells the children of Israel, the type of picture of the church,
I didn't choose you because you were more in number, you were
the fewest number. The fewest number. In his keeping us, Jude
24, he keeps us. Him who is keeping from falling
and presents you faultless. That's all outside of us, but
we're the recipients. And he's, in Hebrews 13, he's
called the great shepherd of the sheep. And he is. The shepherd loves the sheep. I could go on and on with the
illustrations, but I believe you get the point. The point
has been made. But I ask you always and often, go back to
chapter 42, and put in verse, and read verse
eight, and rehearse it in your eyes. knew me, but I didn't know him. That kind of, as they say, levels
the playing field. It does indeed. And I tell you
these things in closing. It's his hold of us, it's not
our hold of him. I pray that we would lean completely
and fully upon the everlasting arms. I'm going to close and
read you one of my favorite hymns. Lord, with glowing heart I praise
thee for the bliss thy love bestows, for the pardoning grace that
saves me and the peace that from it flows. Help, O God, my weak
endeavor, this dull soul to rapture raise. Thou must light the flame
or never can my love be warm to praise. Praise, my soul, the
God that sought thee, wretched wanderer far astray, found thee
lost and kindly brought thee from the paths of death away.
Praise, with love's devoutest feeling, him who saw thy guilt-born
fear, and the light of hope revealing, bade the blood-stained cross
appear. Praise thy Savior, God that drew
thee to that cross, new life to give, held a blood-sealed
pardon to thee, bade thee look to him and live. Praise the grace
whose threats alarmed thee, roused thee from thy fatal ease. Praise
the grace whose promise warmed thee. Praise the grace that whispered
peace. Lord, This bosom's ardent feeling
vainly would my lips express. Low before thy footstool kneeling,
deign thy suppliant's prayer to bless. Let thy love, my soul
chief's treasure, love's pure flame within me rise. And since
words can never measure, let my life show forth thy praise. You know who wrote that? The
same guy that wrote the Star Spangled Banner, Francis Scott
Key. Now that man, if he believed
that, he knew he didn't love Christ first, Christ loved him.
Pastor.