Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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After 45.
The fourth verse Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom he sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved nor angry with yourselves that she sold me. Hit her, for God did send me before you.
To preserve life for these two years, have the famine been in the land?
And yet there are five years in the which there shall neither be earring nor harvest.
And God sent me before you to preserve you of prosperity in the earth.
Time to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me, Heather, but God. And he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and Lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
Hastie, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph. God hath made me Lord of all Egypt, come down unto me.
Thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen. Thou shalt be near unto me.
Thou and thy children, and thy children's children, thy flocks and thy herds, and all of thou hast.
There will I nourish thee, for yet there are five years of famine.
Lest thou and thy household and all thou hast come to come to poverty.
A little further down the chapter.
17th Verse. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph.
Say unto thy brethren, this do ye laid your beasts, and go get you unto the land of Canaan.
And take your father and your household, and come unto me, and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat.
The fat of the lamb. Now thou art commanded this. Do ye take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones?
And for your wives, and bring your father and come also regard not your stuff for the good of all. The land of Egypt is yours. And the children of Israel did so. Joseph gave them wagons according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way. To all of them he gave each man changes of Raymond, but to Benjamin he gave 300 pieces of.
And five changes of Raymond. And to his father he sent after this manner 10 ***** laden with the good things of Egypt, and 10 Shias laden with corn, bread and meat for his father by the way. So he sent. So he sent his brethren away. They departed.
And he said unto them, See that she fall not out.
By the way.
And this precious scene is well known to us all. Her brother has just been Speaking of a time when the Lord Jesus.
Will be manifested in his glory as the Son of Man when he takes that place of headship not only over his people, Israel, but as over the whole earth. And I believe it's brought before us here in this portion where we see Joseph in his exalted place. But I believe we also have.
The provision made before his brethren came down.
To partake of all this, and I think there's much precious encouragement and instruction for us here.
First of all, we see Joseph making himself known unto his brethren.
Well, they were troubled since a sense of guilt filled their minds.
And they were afraid at the presence of Joseph. But isn't this lovely in the fourth verse?
Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you.
Isn't this lovely? Joseph, the one who made soul into Egypt, wanted to have those guilty brethren near him. He had waited until repentance had been rotting their hearts. It had taken some time before they were broken down, and God had to work that with us. And it took some time before we were broken down.
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There was a realization of their guilt, and it was coupled also with a sense of the kindness.
Of Joseph. For those of the two things, there is the sense of our own guilt and the remembrance of what we have done.
But also what leads to full repentance is the knowledge.
Of God's goodness knowest thou not, old man, that the goodness of God?
Leader thee to repent them, and it was Joseph's goodness that finally broke them down.
Now they stood in his presence, and he said, Come near unto me, I pray you. Oh, how lovely. And He wants us, brethren, to be near him. He doesn't want us to dwell at a distance from Him. What a privilege was ours in a special way this morning, as all we could hear him saying, Come near unto me, I pray you. And we came into His presence in the remembrance of his.
And death. And it says here they came near, they came near all. If there's one here who hasn't responded to his invitation, he is saying, come near. Oh, you say, I feel so unworthy. But weren't Joseph's brethren unworthy? Indeed, each one of us that we were to look in would be overwhelmed by a sense of our own unworthiness.
But Joseph invited them. They came because he invited them.
They came to protect the provision he had made, not any provision they had made for themselves.
And now he also adds.
Be not angry with yourselves that you sold me, hit her, for God did send me before you to preserve life.
We might be occupied too with our own failure and shortcomings. But isn't this lovely? Be not angry with yourselves. Surely there needed to be self judgment and there had been on their part as to all that was unfitting to his presence. Not having felt it and judged it. Now he could say it's gone, as it were.
You don't need to be angry with yourselves. And if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.
And to cleanse this from all unrighteousness.
And then he points them to the fact that it was the hand of God that had sent him there. And how lovely it is that this morning we had the privilege of remembering God's side of the cross. But God had in that work he was glorified, our needs fully met.
And this is the privilege that we had of remembering all that has come to us, because God has been glorified about the whole question of sin.
But what particularly was on my heart was the provision that was made.
Four of them the rest of the time. Notice the sixth verse.
For these two years has the famine been in the land, And yet there are five years.
There are five years and we don't know, brethren, what trials there may be ahead.
We know that there have been trials in the past. We know that God has been faithful and that he hasn't failed.
He has brought us through and he cared for his earring brethren, and in those two years when they came down in their need, he supplied their need and returned their money in their sacks. But he said they're five years more, five years more of famine. And there's enough ahead of us, too, to test us and show us our own weakness.
For the wilderness, lessons are twofold. First, our own helplessness.
For five is human weakness, and then God's whole provision.
He said to Israel, Thou shalt remember all the way, the Lord thy God LED me these 40 years to humbly and to prove thee. But along with that also was the fact that he fed them, He clothed them, He took care of them through those 40 years. And so isn't it lovely that we can look ahead?
Not knowing what is ahead of us, but there will be famine.
But they weren't to dwell in a land of famine, if one might speak that way. They were to dwell in a place of plenty. They were to dwell in the place where Joseph, in the midst of the famine, made full and abundant provision for them.
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And so he said.
In the eighth verse, the ninth verse, paste you, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph.
God hath made me Lord of all Egypt, come down unto me, tearing up.
Thou shalt dwell on the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me. Yes, here's the whole secret. He didn't tell them how he was going to care for them for the next five years, But he said, you'll become my charge. You'll be near to me, and there I'll nourish you. And we don't know how the Lord is going to lead us through the problems and difficulties.
That may be ahead of us, but we do need to be near him.
And if we're near him by then, we have his precious promise.
I will nourish. You know how beautiful this is, how it solves every doubt. If he had told him how, it might have raised many questions in their minds as to just how this plan would work out. But he didn't tell them how that he said.
And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me.
And he said, this is lest you come to poverty, to know how many of us come to poverty in our lives because we don't dwell near him, we don't keep near him until we come to poverty. It isn't the provision isn't there for us. It is a fallen abundant provision. But we need to be near him.
And so this was Joseph's word to his brethren.
And he also says hasty, hasty.
And the reason he said haste was because there were certain links with their place down in Canaan.
That they might be loyal to break in a hurry. And perhaps there are things.
That we have two links that connect us with a land of famine, things that we say, well, I can't get away from this situation. I can't get away from that. Well, Joseph said. Hey Steve, beloved brethren, if there's anything that's hindering us from dwelling near to him, let us haste and remove that difficulty in his presence.
Let us through haste and come down to him.
And so he told them to come there because he was Lord.
Of all Egypt. And now there's more here. And he said, Thou and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast. Yes.
Children, children's children and flocks and herds.
Know how often there is a hindrance here? We say for ourselves, it's all right, but what about our children? They're not prepared for the difficulties of the path of faith. But isn't this beautiful to see Joseph anticipating? He said, not only yourselves, but your children.
And your children's children. And as we look at the children, the young people, isn't this the precious promise that we can seek to be near the Lord and we can seek to bring our children into that position? They're going to face new problems, difficulties that we haven't had to face.
But the one who has met our need is able to care for theirs too.
And in the five years of famine that are ahead, he's not going to fail if we keep near to him all how much we need to be reminded of this. And I flocks and I heard that is that would connect, I believe, with their business, their possessions, and so with us.
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They're often entanglements. Well, they were to bring not only themselves.
Their children, but their flocks and their herds. Doesn't it remind us of when the children of Israel came out of Egypt? Why, Moses said, we'll take our children with us, not blocks, and our herds, not a hook shall be left behind. Yes, they were going to bring them all out, and God would make them his charge as they passed through the wilderness.
That Alaska, their faith failed and as they looked at their little ones, they said, have you brought us out? Us and our little ones and our cattle would perish here in this wilderness. The Lord says, I'll bring your children in and their faith failed, but he brought their children in. Oh, how beautiful to see God's grace.
Caring for those children and bringing them in.
And all how good it is to turn to him in the years of famine that may lie ahead.
And now there's a place of security in this world through which we're passing.
Where there's so much to remind us that it is a world of famine. Now going down further in the chapter.
17th Verse. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren.
This do you laid your beast, and go up, get you unto the land of Canaan.
And then further down, he says in the.
21St Verse And the children of Israel did so, and Joseph gave them wagons.
According to the commandment of Pharaoh and gave them provision for the way.
Isn't this lovely? He didn't send them down and say, well, you have to straighten out this problem yourself of getting down there and getting cleared from all those entanglements down in Canaan and then getting back here. No, he even made provision for that and saw that when they went down into the land of Canaan, they had wagons that they had.
For the way all how gracious is our God, oh how full his provision. And we are going to shortly leave this time of fellowship together. We're going to face some of the five years of famine perhaps as we return to our homes, to our businesses, to our assembly life and we realize this.
And he's given us wagons, he's given us that which would carry us along.
And saw that in spite of all the hardships of going down into Egypt and getting back to Canaan here where the wagons provided for them and for their little one, for their wives. Now in the 20th verse also regard not your stuff. What a word for all the things that they had once called.
Worthwhile.
I suppose before this they wouldn't have called this stuff. They would have said these are our possessions, these are our hard earned possessions and they would have considered them something worthwhile.
But Pharaoh and Joseph say it's just stuff. It's just stuff. I don't regard that, he said. Because the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.
And brethren, isn't it true that we have a lot of stuff? A lot of things that we place a great deal of value upon? But the Lord says it's just stuff. We have better possessions. The little hymn says. Our hearts by thee are set on brighter things above. Strange that we ever should forget.
Thine own most faithful love, nor may we look upon those possessions as being.
Just.
Stuff and this 22nd verse.
They had 21St verse rather the end of the verse and gave them provision for the way.
To all of them he gave changes of Raymond, but to Benjamin he gave 300 pieces of silver and five changes of Raymond.
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Well, this, these changes of Raymond, what would they speak about? Well, we mentioned in the young people's meeting about how those wise men went to their country another way, and the garments in Scripture are a figure to us of the associations of life. The leper was to wash his clothes.
And blade them is flashing water the man that was unclean when he was cleansed?
Wash his clothes. But here we find these people all outfitted with new garments. They were given changes of Raymond. And so when they went back, instead of their neighbors looking on them and saying, well, there are those poor travelers, they said, oh, where have those people been clothed from? They've got Raymond from a king.
How beautiful her clothes are.
Yes, they have received raiment from the king of Pharaohs, which they could display to the people whom they met. Brethren, God has given us a change of reign. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. All things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. And I hope as I return and you return from these meetings.
People will see that we've received raiment from the king that we carry, that we carry, have a different way by which we carry ourselves through this world.
As those who have been, as it were, in the King's palace, in the presence of the one who loved us.
And who has preserved and saved our lives by a great deliverance? Oh, why does it say that he gave the silver and the five changes of Raymond to Benjamin? Well, I just pass on this little thought. Benjamin was specially near to Joseph. Benjamin was one who felt a special.
Endearment of relationship with Joseph.
And so Joseph made a special provision for him.
And you know, the nearer we are to the Lord, the more we're going to appreciate His grace and the more we're going to show that we've been in His presence. And so here were.
300 pieces of silver. Silver speaks of redemption all. How lovely. Why don't we appreciate what the Lord has done for us more? Well, where He is. Perhaps all the other 10 brethren were brothers of Joseph, but here was one who especially near to Joseph.
And so he went back with his 300 pieces of silver.
Rather, I hope we'll return with a deeper appreciation of a redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
I hope we'll return with a deeper sense of what the Lord has done for us.
To make us his arms and the nearer we have been to him and the more we have enjoyed his presence in these meetings.
The more we will carry away with us of that appreciation.
And these five we mentioned the five years of famine.
Well, here were five changes of raiment. Perhaps it would speak of the whole five years that were ahead, because Joseph, or Benjamin rather, was one who was specially near. Having Joseph said the ones that were near unto him would be cared for. And so here's one who in advance gets his five changes of Raymond. All beloved brethren, how good it is to look out.
Upon a future of famine, and know that being near the Lord.
All taken care of all the way. He's not going to fail every step of the way.
Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today.
And forever some of us say, well, I know that the Lord undertake for me in the present difficulties. Yes, thank God he will, but he'll undertake for us all the way home. Five also speaks of weakness, and it's a confessed sense of weakness. It's no boasting only in him each.
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New garment that Joseph display that Benjamin displayed as those years passed by.
Was but a fresh reminder that he had been near to Joseph.
Who was Lord of all Egypt? And May God grant that as the time goes on in our lives and new difficulties and problems face us if the Lord leaves us here, that it will just be occasion to display again that we have been in His presence. We have, I believe, that thought in 2nd Corinthians 3 and 18.
For it says, we always open face, beholding the glory of the Lord.
Are changed into the same image from glory to glory.
Each one of these garments came from the king, came from Joseph, but each one had a different glory to it, I'm sure. And as we go on in his presence, there will be that reflection that will increase in our lives. More of himself that will be seen. And so as others looked on and saw Benjamin.
That youngest son.
And saw what the others didn't have. The new garments they must, they must have said.
He must be a special favorite. He must be a special favorite.
Well, Joseph perhaps, or rather John perhaps had a little of this in another way. In the New Testament he leaned on Jesus bosom. He called himself the disciple whom Jesus loved. Or you say, has the Lord got special favorites? While everyone who appreciates nearness to him is a special favorite of his?
Every one of the disciples could have called himself the disciple whom Jesus loved.
Because it says having loved his own, which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. He loved Peter, he loved James, but John was near enough to him to gain a special appreciation of that, and so he called himself a disciple whom Jesus loved. May God grant that we all consider ourselves.
To special favorites. He loves us, brethren, and he's going to love us through the whole five years of famine.
Well, these were brought down.
And it says special things were taken for Jacob, who wasn't there. Well.
Perhaps there's somebody that wasn't at this meeting. Perhaps there's a discouraged soul that says, well, I'm not going to go to the conference. It's a lot of effort and all. You just go there and you meet a lot of people and sometimes you don't get all you expect at the conference. Well, isn't this wonderful?
Here are a special provision. ***** laden and everything carried home. The poor unbelieving Jacob.
Poor brethren, what are we going to carry home? Are we going to go back and find fault with the brethren that didn't come?
And they were a bit discouraged and said, well, I'm not going to go too much effort. Well, they didn't go back and find fault with Jacob.
They went back and said, look, Jacob, he said all this for you. He said all this for you. What did Jacob do? He says I'll go, I'll go down. I'll, I'll get near him too. But that's the way he provides. Oh, how lovely. May we carry something home with us of the provision that he has given to us and.
Also for those who are not there, the ones that carried by the stuff.
Samuel's time they were depart alike. May we carry something home for them?
But then there was one little word he gave them. 24th verse.
So he sent his brethren away, and they departed, and he said unto them.
See that you've fallen out. By the way, wasn't it sad they have to add a thing like that? He said you might get quarreling. You know, on your way home you might get quarreling. He said, watch that. Well, how sad it is. The Lord's done so much for us. He's won our hearts. He's made so many gracious provisions for us.
And promises for the future. But all I'm afraid we have hearts just like Joseph's brethren. Our libel to fall out, by the way.
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May the Lord give us grace to watch this. See that she fall, not out, by the way.
One is sometimes said, the only thing that we're going to take home with us to glory when we leave this scene is not our possessions. What are we going to take home? Our brethren? Our brethren, the only thing that I look on in this world that I'm going to have in heaven is my brethren. That's all.
Not any money, not any automobile or possessions. Useful as they may be down here, they're all going to be left behind.
But you, dear brethren, into whose faces I looked this afternoon, we're going to spend eternity together.
That's what we have that really come that we value our brethren. Are we falling out of them?
Do we value them? We ought to maybe things that cause us exercise.
There may be things that cast us our knees before the Lord about one another, and perhaps our brethren about us, but all at us seek to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace. May God grant that as we face those years that may be ahead of us, till the Lord comes for those days or those moments, whatever it may be.
That in the meantime.
We will seek to dwell near him and enjoy the gracious provision that he's made.