Address—D. Mearns
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Could you turn with me to Acts Chapter 7? Acts Chapter 7?
Just to introduce what I have in my heart.
As Stephen tells this story and he says in verse 9, the patriarchs moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt.
But God was with him, and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, And he made him, made him governor over Egypt, and all his house. Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers found no sustenance.
When Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers 1St. And the second time Joseph was made known unto his brethren, and Joseph kindred was made known unto Pharaoh, then sent Joseph and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred 3 score and 15 souls. So Jacob went down into Egypt and died. He and our fathers were carried over into psych him and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham brought thought for a sum of money of the sons of Emor.
Father of Psychom. When the time of the promised June I which got born to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt.
Until another king arose which knew not Joseph.
Two phrases in this portion, the ninth verse. But God was with him.
And the end of the 11 verse. Our fathers found no sustenance. Now turn with me to the Psalms, Psalm 100 and 505th Psalm, and the 16th verse. Moreover, he called for a famine upon the land, and he break the whole stop of bread. And he sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant whose feet they hurt with fetters. He was laid in iron until the time that his word came, the word of the Lord tried him. The king sent and loosed him, even the ruler of the people.
Go free, He made him Lord of his house and ruler of all his substance, to bind his Princess at his pleasure.
And to teach his senators wisdom.
I have in my heart this afternoon.
To look in the book of Genesis at 7 times that Joseph weeps, 7 times that Joseph weeps, it's been a touching subject to my own heart.
I don't know if there's any of us here who haven't been touched by the story of Joseph. I've never taken enough in this setting, but I thought we might look at those seven times that Joseph weeps. Let's turn back now to Genesis. The first time that we find it is in Genesis chapter 42, just to.
Touch a little onto the history that went before this. We all know the story well, so we don't have to read the verses, but we know that.
Joseph at 17 years old.
We find him.
And he goes to seek his brethren in the 37th chapter.
And we find that his brethren, they hated him with other cause.
And they take Joseph, and they throw him in the pit.
And as we mentioned this morning, they afterwards they took a kid of the goats.
And they slew it. They dipped the coat in the blood, and they went to their father and they fabricated this story and they said, is this your son's coat? Yes.
This.
Was Joseph's coat.
And.
They deceive their father.
What a horrible thing it was for Jacob to go through that thought process.
As later on in his life, he reflected on this situation, I'm sure he thought that's just been like me and the deception of my own heart.
And we find that Joseph is taken to Egypt.
And as we read the account in Acts, we find that Stephen says that God.
Was with Joseph.
And everything that Joseph put his hand to.
Umm, just worked marvelously.
But if I looked at it and everything he put into Joseph hand, he did in such a marvelous way that pretty soon Joseph was over all his head.
And then that situation comes.
With his wife.
And it would have been such a discouragement to.
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To Joseph to go through that trial and to be taken and thrown into prison.
Wrongfully.
But then to.
To win the prison, to do everything with the Lord.
So that pretty soon everything in prison was given into his hand because he'd done it. He did it so well.
The Lord was with him.
We find that.
He's taken out of prison after.
The dreams of the Butler and the Baker, which we may touch on a little later. And then the dreams of Pharaoh. And then finally Joseph is exalted in Egypt as Lord over all the land. Only Pharaoh was above him.
And here in this chapter it says.
Let's turn the few verses in the 40 the last verses of the 41St chapter, the 53rd verse.
And the seven years of plenteousness that was in the land of Egypt were ended.
And the seven years of birth began to come, according as Joseph had said. And the dearth was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 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. And the famine was over all the face of the earth. And Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold under the Egyptians. And the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn, because that the famine was so sore in all lands.
Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, Why do you look one upon another? And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt, Get you down thither, and buy for us from fence, that we may live and not die. And Joseph's 10 brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. But Benjamin, Joseph's brother Jacob sent not with his brother. And he said, lest her adventurer mischief befall him.
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 of the land.
And here it was that sold to all the people of the land, and Joseph's brethren came and bowed down themselves before him, with their faces to the earth. And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them.
What a moment in the history of Joseph. What a moment. Here he is, 21 long years after he was taken out of that pit and he last laid his eyes on his brother, and a little bit longer than that since he has seen his father.
And in Joseph's wisdom.
He has been set over all the land of Egypt, and he has worked diligently to gather in corn.
And he knows that the famine is not just in the land of Egypt, but it's throughout the land.
And the people from other lands are coming to buy corn and all. How he must have watched those lines. How much he would have watched those lines so carefully. And at last he looks. And Joseph saw his brethren. What a moment, 21 years.
And he knew them, but he made himself strange unto them, and speak roughly to them, and 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 him not. And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies.
To see the nakedness of the land, ye are come. And they said unto him, Name my Lord, but to buy food of thy servants, come.
We are all one man's sons. We are true men. My servants are no spies. And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land here come. And they said, Thy servants are 12 brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. Behold, the youngest is this day with our father. Oh, what a moment this was for him, to hear that his younger brother, whom he didn't see, there was a lie.
And he says, The youngest is this day with our father. The one is not, ah, not only is his younger brother alive, but his daddy's alive. Go through the thought process here after so many years. What a wonderful thing this was for Joseph as he first lays eyes on his brother. The old youngest is this day with our father, one is not. And Joseph said unto them, This is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies. Hereby shall ye be proved by the life of Pharaoh.
Ye shall not go forth hence except your youngest brother. Come, hit her, send one of you and let him fetch your brother.
He 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 ye are spies. And he put them all together in ward 3 days. And Joseph said unto them the third day.
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Now here's a test for the brothers.
Joseph has proved for these 21 years that the Lord was sufficient.
Free soul. And so he tests his brethren.
Because never once up to this point in the Word of God.
Do we ever read any thought or word of any of the brothers?
In connection with the Lord, never once 37th chapter is taken up with the brothers. Joseph brings the evil report of the two concubines to his father Jacob. There's no mention of God.
The 34th chapter, you go through the whole chapter, it's devoted to Simeon and Levi and all the transpires there in connection with Shechem. And as Jacob could March away from Shechem in the 35th chapter, he says to his boys, you have made me distinct.
Among the inhabitants of the land, no mention of God whatsoever.
From any of the 10 brothers, Never once.
A whole chapter devoted the 38th chapter to Judah, not one mentioned whatsoever.
Of the word God coming from Judas mouth.
That whole chapter, never once do we have recorded that there's been any tenderness toward the Lord.
That Joseph has ever heard from his ten brothers. And so he says here Joseph said unto them in the third day, this do and live, for I fear God. What a strange thing for those boys to hear in the land of Egypt, those words, I fear God, a godless nation. And here they come. They've heard that from their father, but they come all this way, and they stand before the Lord of Egypt, and they hear a man say, I fear God.
Strange words.
To here in the land of Egypt.
This do and live, for I fear God if He be true. Men, let one of your brethren be bound.
House of your prison and go ye carry corn for the family of your houses, and bring our youngest.
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. I believe it's these next 3 verses.
That cause Joseph to weep for the first time.
And I said one to another, we are verily concerning our brother. Notice you can just picture Joseph listening. He's been speaking through an interpreter, but he understands fully and so he's lifting very closely to hear after just having said, I fear God as to what they're going to have to say.
We are very guilty concerning our brethren, that we saw the anguish of his soul when He besought us. He knows that they're speaking about him, and we would not hear. Therefore this distress come upon us. And Ruben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child, and you would not hear. Therefore be held 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 from them, and wept.
You know.
To have gone through those years.
Of such extremity in his own soul, and to realize the sufficiency of God year after year, trial after trial, you know we read no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous, but afterward it worketh the peaceable fruits of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby. And Joseph, Joseph had proved that.
And now he listens.
And you know, the first thing he hears is they bring up that situation.
Which is on their, on their conscience, the guilt of it, and to realize that there's no owning of the claims of God on their hearts. Oh, what a blow it would have been such joy to his heart to realize that his younger brother was alive. And such joy to realize that they were alive and that his father Jacob was alive. But he sees no evidence whatsoever.
That there was a working of God in their hearts.
And turns from them and he weeps. Oh, what a moment this was.
In Joseph's life.
Joseph commands to fill their sacks with corn, to restore every man his money into a sack, and to give them provision for the way. And thus he did. He laid their ***** with corn departed fence.
You know the first awakening we find of these boys is in the next few verses when it says in the 27th verse one of them opened his sack to give his *** provender in the end and he aspired his money.
For behold, it was in the sacks mouth. And he said unto his brother, My money is returned, and lo, it is even my sack. And their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us? First time ever recorded any tenderness, any owning that God was in the picture.
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And it's in connection with their guilt. And they say, what is this that God has done unto us? But it's not said to anybody else. It's only said to themselves. Now let's go.
Umm.
Let's continue on 29th verse. And they came to Jacob their father into the land of Canaan and told them all that befell them, saying the man who is Lord of the landscape roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. And we thought them we are true men. We are no spies. We'd be 12 brethren, sons of our father. One is not. And the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.
And the man, the Lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that you are true men. Leave one of your brethren.
Here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone, and bring your youngest brother unto me. Then shall I know that you are no surprise but to your true men. So I deliver you your brother, that ye shall traffic in the land. And it came to pass, as they emptied their sacks, that behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack. And when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. And Jacob their father sent unto them. Ye me have bereaved of my children. Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and you'll take Benjamin away, and all these things are against me.
And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to be.
Deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again. And he said, My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he is left alone. If mischief shall be fallen by the way in which he go, then shall ye bring down my Gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. Now I want to go to the 43rd chapter now and.
We'll start from the 26th verse. It's pretty hard to go through this story without reading the whole story, but we don't have the time.
So we're going to, we're going to start from the 26th verse here. It says when Joseph came home, they brought him the present, which was in their hand in the house, and they bowed themselves to the earth. And he asked them of their welfare and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom he spake, is he yet alive? And they answered by serving, Our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads and made obeisance. And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son.
And said, Is this your younger brother, of whom he spake unto me?
Such a question he should ask.
And he said, God, be gracious unto thee, my son.
And Joseph made haste, for his bowels did yearn upon his brother, and he sought where to weep, and he entered into his chamber, and he wept there, you know.
Joseph weeps here.
And there's a particular reason why he's found weeping here.
Because he lays his eyes on his younger brother, Benjamin.
And we've all heard time and time again of how Joseph set the same scene as he did it as there was a dolphin where there was a father, there was ten brothers and there was a boy. And the boy was cast into the pit. And the brothers, they couldn't care less about their father and they couldn't care less about their younger brother.
And so in a sense, Joseph, he lays the same scene. He's wanting to see if there was an appreciation for Jacob, their father.
And an appreciation for their younger brother, Benjamin.
But the reason why Joseph weeps here is because.
Joseph.
Set an extreme test.
For his father, Jacob.
And when he laid eyes.
On his brother Benjamin.
He knew.
What it had cost Jacob.
For Joseph to be able to lay eyes on his younger brother Benjamin, what a tremendous cost.
That was for Jacob.
And Jacob, in his matchless wisdom, he knew the conniving of his father's heart.
He knew as a younger brother that that he was the favorite and that had no place in a family of the people of God. He knew that.
And when he saw his ten brothers earlier, as we read about and he saw that Benjamin wasn't there, he knew that there was still that situation in his father's heart, that is, that the Lord had to deal with. And so he says to his brother, you're not going to see my face again unless I see your younger brother. And that was for the express purpose of Jacob.
You know, if we go back now, in this portion, we read about Reuben and how Reuben said to Jacob, you know, I'll take the boy with me. And incidentally, the boy had at least eight children and probably 10.
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At this time, Benjamin.
Had at least eight children and likely 10. And Reuben says to Jacob, his father, Send the boy with me, and if I don't bring him back to me, you can slay my two sons. And what kind of a comfort would that have been to a grandfather to have his two sonsling none whatsoever.
But we find Judah spake in the third verse of the 43rd chapter. And Judah spake unto him. The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, He shall not see my face, except for your brother be with you. And the ninth verse he says, I will be surety for him. My hand shalt thou require of him. I will bring him not. If I bring him not unto thee. Then set him, and set him before thee. Then let me bear the blame forever. Except we lingered. Surely now we have returned the second time.
And so now here we find in the 11Th verse, this is the test that.
Joseph and his wisdom was putting his dad through.
And so he says so here in the 11Th verse. It says their father said unto them, if it must be so now do this. Take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels. They didn't want to hear about taking any best fruits and carry the man down a present. They didn't want to hear about carrying the man down a present. Take a little bomb, take a little honey. They didn't want to hear about that. They knew that that wasn't going to do the trick.
Spices and myrrh and nuts and almonds. Dad, that's not going to work. That's not what the man wants. And take double money in your hand and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks carried again in your hand. Peradventure was an oversight. You know, you could just see the boys just.
Shaking their heads and thinking that's not going to work, that that's not what they want. And then the time in Jacob's life where we find that Jacob comes to the bottom and that's what the Lord's desire is for every one of us, that we would come to the end of ourselves.
The time in Jacob's life where that happens is right here in this chapter. And we find that in the 14th verse, the 13th verse, he says, take also your brother and arise and go unto the man. You know, the boys, the men that could probably hardly believe their ears, because they know how much Joseph had meant to Jacob, and now they know how much Benjamin meant to Jacob, and they knew what was on the line here and to hear.
Say these words.
Take your brother and arise and go unto the man and then to see this next phrase. Oh such a such a comfort to my heart and God Almighty give you mercy before the man. Jacob comes to the point in his life where he realizes he can't do anything anymore about conniving to get his own way and his own will. And he says, God Almighty give you mercy before the man that he may send away your brother and Benjamin, if I.
That my children, I am bereaved. You know, we had brought before us this morning, Neil mentioned Jacob leaning upon the top of his staff, worshipping. We find that in Hebrews 11, we find here in this portion that Jacob finally comes to that point.
Where the arm of the flesh is not going to work here, it seems to have worked in every other time in Jacob's life. You know, it didn't matter what he did, what he put his hand to, if he could work the angles a little bit.
He would try and we see that, we see that history all the way up to this point and we find that there's 21 years, there's 2021 years. That's veiled from us as to what the Lord has wrought with Jacob. When we come to this portion, we realize that there's still that situation and he comes to this point finally and he says.
Take Benjamin and he says God Almighty give you mercy before the man.
And when Joseph lays eyes on his ten brothers again, he's looking, imagine looking the lines over and justice wondering when those boys are going to show up. And at last they show up and there's not ten of them. There's eleven. Oh, what this meant to his soul. And, and to look at his at his younger brother Benjamin. And it says, and he entered into his chamber and he wept there. He knew what it had cost his father. He knew the tremendous cost that it had been.
To Jacob to let Benjamin go down.
To Egypt. And he washed his face, and went out and refrained himself, and said, set on bread the last verse of that chapter. And he took and sent messes unto them from before him. Now he used Benjamin as a test for his father. Now he uses Benjamin as a test for the brothers. And he took and sent messes under them from before him. And Benjamin's mess was five times as much as any of the others. I wanted to do that. He knew that the brothers were jealous of him, because Jacob loved him more than the brothers.
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And he knew that that was the same case with Benjamin. And he wants to see if that jealousy is still there. So he's just going to add, as the world would say, insult to injury. He knows that that that happens in the next, in the next chapter. The sacks are filled with food. The silver cup is very carefully taken and put into Benjamin's sack. And away they go. And as soon as they're gone, it says, And Joseph said unto the steward in the fourth verse, up follow after the man. And when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, wherefore have you rewarded evil for good?
Is not this that is in it which my Lord drinketh, and whereby indeed He divineth? Ye have done evil in so doing. The sixth verse. He overtook them, and spake unto them these same words. And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my Lord, these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing. Now this is the first recording now of them mentioning anything of the Lord outside of themselves, and it goes to the stewards here. I'm sure that was passed on to Joseph. It's veiled from us as to what what is said.
But we find there.
That they each open their sacks, they go through all the stacks, they come to the youngest and they open his sack Benjamin. And lo and behold, the 12Th verse. He searched and began at the eldest and left at the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamins sack. Then they rent their clothes and laid it every man his *** and returned to the city.
And Judah's brethren came to Joseph's house, and he was yet there, and they fell before him on the ground. And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that she have done? What she not that such a man as I can certainly divine? And Judah said, What shall we say unto my Lord? What shall we speak, or how shall we clear ourselves now?
In the 45th chapter and the 1St 2 verses it says, And Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him. And he cried, 'cause every man to grow out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. And he wept aloud. Now the reason he weeps aloud in the 45th chapter is because of what he hears in the speech of Judah. And so we go back to the.
The 16th verse. And Judah said, What shall we say unto my Lord? What shall we speak, or how shall we clear ourselves? God, I found out the iniquity of thy servants. Oh, that was music.
To Joseph Sears, to seeing his brethren a repentant heart. Oh how that would have touched Josephs heart. To know the history of his brethren. To know the history of Simeon Levi, to know the history of Judah, who is now the spokesman.
And to hear these words, God have found out the iniquity of our servants. Behold, we are thy Lord servants, both we and He also with whom the cup is found.
And he said, God forbid that I should do so. Notice thou again the wisdom of Joseph. I'm not going to keep you all servants, but the man in whose hand the cup is found. He shall be my servant. As for you, get you up in peace unto your Father.
All Judah now pours out his heart. He came near unto him and said, Oh my Lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my Lord's ears. Let not thine anger burn against thy servant. Thou art even a Sparrow. And my Lord asked his servant, saying, You have a father or brother? And we said, My Lord, we have a father, an old man, child of his old age, a little one, and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father in love with him. And thou said, son to thy servants, bring him down unto me, that I may set my eyes upon him. And he said unto my Lord, The lad cannot leave his father.
If he should leave his father, his father would die. And thou said, son, to my servants, except your youngest brother come down with you. Ye shall see my face no more. And it came to pass when we came up under thy servant, my father, notice the tenderness in which he's speaking about his father Jacob. At that time when he was at the pit, he could say, oh, let's not kill Joseph. Let's try to make a little money off him, and we'll sell him. And now?
It's thy servant, my father. We told him the words of my Lord, the 25th verse, and our father said, go again, buy us a little food.
And we said, We cannot go down. If our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down, for we may not see the man's face except our youngest brother be with us. And thy servant, my father, said unto us, You know that my wife bare me suits two sons, that one went out for me. And I said, surely is torn in pieces. And I saw him not again, not since. And if you take this also from me, and mischief before him, you shall bring down my Gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. Now, therefore, when I come to thy servant, my father.
And the lad be not with us.
Seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life, it shall come to pass. When he sees that the lad is not with us, he will die. And thy servants shall bring down the Gray hairs of thy servant, our father, with sorrow to the grave for thy servant. Oh, notice the loneliness here. You know this is the hyssop we're Speaking of in the previous, In the previous meeting. For thy servant became surety for the lab under my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father forever. Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide.
Instead of a ladder barman to my Lord, and let the lad go up with his brethren. For how shall I go to my father in the lab? Be not with me, lest prayer, adventure. I see the evil that shall come in my father. And Joseph could not refrain himself before them all that stood by him. And he cried, Cause every man to grow up for me. And there stood no man with him. While Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. He wept aloud.
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And the Egyptians in the House of Pharaoh heard, And Joseph said unto his brethren, Oh, what a moment was this? What a moment. You're up to this point.
Jacob Joseph has been speaking to his to his brother through an interpreter.
And I mentioned earlier what a strange thing for the brothers to come to Egypt and hear a man say.
Hear this, for I fear God and live. And now to hear this.
In perfect Hebrew.
I am.
Joseph.
Doth my father yet live?
I I can't, words can't describe this moment. They, they can't. Here's the brothers. They've gone through this whole scenario with this Lord and all of a sudden it's Joseph. You know, maybe they'd come and maybe they'd looked around at the slaves as they came into Egypt and wondered, no, is there someone that looks like Joseph? They've gone through this whole scenario and.
Now they're standing here, and Joseph says I am Joseph, thus my father yet live. And so when he sees the repentance of their hearts.
He weeps. Now we'll go to the.
The fourth time that Joseph weeps.
45th chapter.
The 10th verse. Thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen. Now shall be near unto me, thou and my children, my children's children, my flocks, thy herds, and all thou hast narrow will I nourish thee, for there are yet five years of famine, lest thou and thy household and all that thou hast come to poverty. Behold your eyes. See that the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh with you. And you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen, that you may shall haste and bring down. My father. Hit her, and he fell.
Notice now here's our subject the 4th time that the seven times that that.
Joseph weeps. He fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck, where ovary kissed all his brethren and wept upon him, and after that his brethren talked with him.
Well, here we find Joseph weeps.
And the reason that he weeps here is because he reflects.
He's reflected on all that it cost his father in sending Benjamin.
He's seen the repentance that's manifested in his Britain, in the heart of his brethren. But now he goes through and he reflects in his own heart the workings of the Lord in his own circumstances, and he weeps. And I say that because let's turn back now to the 40th chapter.
This is where.
The Butler and the Baker.
They tell their dreams.
And.
Joseph, he tells the dream to the Butler.
And he tells the dream to the Baker.
And then we find a weakness here now in Josephs life.
Where he seeks to rely on the arm of the flesh.
We had before us this morning a little bit about the staff.
And it was the comments were made of about many many brother made the comment as the staff being that picture of dependence.
Spoke a little bit about David and how there was a time in his life where he relinquished that staff and he wanted this sort of Goliath. And we see that same thing here in Joseph's life, where here Joseph, his desire now is to is to reach out with the arm of the flesh. And so we find that he tells the dreams to both the Butler and the Baker. And then it says in the 14th person. Now notice how many times Joseph refers to himself in these next couple of verses. But think on me.
Shall be well with the insure kindness, I pray thee unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house. For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also have I done nothing, that they should put me into the dungeon.
He's in a hard circumstance here.
And he wants out.
But his focus is on himself.
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And so.
He says here at the end of the portion at the end of the 14th verse, rather make mention of me into Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house where I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews.
And you know, I tried to picture the next little while as the two.
The two servants go out in the 21St, it says it came to pass. The third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, he made a feast unto all his servants. And he lifted up the hand of the chief Butler, and his chief Baker among his servants. And he restored the chief Butler unto his Butler ship again, and give the cup under Pharaohs hand. But he hanged the chief Baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet did not the chief Butler remember Joseph, but forgot him.
You know.
Joseph here, I'm sure the next day he was listening to here if there was any footsteps that were coming to the prison, you know, I'm going to get out of here at last. And, you know, it doesn't happen. And every time someone comes to the prison, oh, he perhaps thinks, you know, maybe there's going to be a word coming. I'm going to be set free. And a couple days goes on. And he sort of wonders, you know, I wonder if this man is really relayed that message to Pharaoh. And a week goes by and two weeks goes by and a month goes by.
And then he realizes, oh, it's not going to happen. You know, I believe that when the Lord heard that little discourse as to Joseph seeking to reach and to hang on to the arm of the flesh, that the Lord said, you know, Joseph, you need two more years in this prison, two more years. And I believe that this is where Joseph came to the bottom of himself.
We've had Jacob coming to the bottom of his cell.
We've seen Judah and how he pours out his heart to first of all Jacob and now to Joseph and it's obvious he's at the bottom.
This is the point when we find that Joseph comes to the bottom of himself. You know, I've so appreciated the thought of repentance because if we were to look at the 41St chapter now, we see a true picture of what we had this morning in connection with the hyssop. We find a man here, it says.
The 41St chapter It came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he stood by the river, and behold, they came up out of the river, seven well favored, kind, fat fleshed, and they fed in the Meadow, and behold, seven other kind, and so on.
And he said the fifth verse he slept and dreamed the second time. And behold, 7 years of corn.
And the eighth verse that came to pass in the morning, that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof, and Pharaoh told them his dream, but there was none that could interpret unto them. Then spake the chief Butler unto Pharaoh. Now he'll, if you could go to that scene in that room, whatever it was, and who all was there, you could hear the Butler listening to this story. And if it had been me, I'd have put up my hand and said, I know someone that can tell the dream.
But that's not what the Butler does, and what we have here is true repentance, because what the Butler says is not I know some of the can tell a dream. The Butler says unto Pharaoh, saying the ninth verse. I do remember my fault this day.
He doesn't stop there. He doesn't go on and say and I know someone that can tell the dream. So I remember my fault this day there was wrath with his servants. He put me in ward and the captain of the guard says both me and the chief Baker, we dreamed the dream in one night. I and he, he goes through the whole scenario.
And then he says there's someone that can tell the dream.
You know, a beautiful picture.
Joseph reflects on all this. He reflects on his time now as Lord of all Egypt, and he reflects on it all. And Joseph weeps in the 45th chapter and the 14th verse. Hell upon his brother Benjamin's neck.
You know, if you go back to the 7th verse of that chapter, we went through the little speech that Joseph gave to the Butler where he was the the focus of that whole speech. But now notice it's it's the same speech. But now notice where the focus is the 7th verse.
The fifth verse Rather be not therefore grieved or angry with yourself that you sold me Hitler, for God did send me before you to preserve life. These two years have the family been in the land, and there are yet five years in which there shall neither be earring nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you with posterity in the earth, to save your soul.
By a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me Hitler, but God, and if maybe a father to Pharaoh, Lord of all his house and rooter of throughout the land of Egypt.
Hey, Steve grew up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph. God hath made me Lord of all Egypt. And we find that Joseph weeps now He sends them away.
He knows all that's going to transpire. He knows they have to go to their dad and they have to say, well, dad, then we deceived you. We.
00:40:03
We took Joseph coat and we dipped in the blood. We, we held it up to you. We, we fabricated this story. You know the whole scenario. But he sends them away. Mr. Darby translates the end of the 24th verse. So he sent his brother away and they departed and he sent them to them. See that you do not quarrel by the way.
Turn with me to the 46th chapter and the 28th verse.
It's interesting in this chapter we have a list of the brothers.
We have 12 Times the list of the 12 sons of Joseph in the Word of God, each time a different order. We have an order here. We don't have time to look at that, but it says the 28th verse speaking about Jacob. He sent Judah before him unto Joseph to direct his face to Goshen, and they came into the land.
A Goshen.
And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father to Goshen. He presented himself unto him, and he fell on his neck, and he wept on his neck a good while. The fifth time. Now that Joseph weeps five times he swept. Joseph made ready his chariot, he goes to meet his father. Oh, what a moment this was.
Lay eyes on the brothers. He's laid eyes on his younger brother Benjamin, and now he lays eyes on his father. And it says he fell on his neck and he wept on his neck a good while, you know, I believe, because he knew in his soul.
The way that the Lord had worked in his heart.
You know, if we were to turn to the end of the previous chapter, the 45th chapter.
When the boys they come to Jacob and they, they tell him the whole story, and you know he doesn't believe them at first. He looks out, he sees the wagons, and it says the 27th verse. They told him all the words of Joseph which he has said unto them. And when he saw the wagons with Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived. And Israel said, it is enough. Joseph, my son is yet alive. I will go and see him before I die. You know in Jacob's life there had never been enough of anything.
Never. Never been enough cows. Never been enough cattle. Never been enough goats or sheep, never been enough wives.
Never been enough. The Lord had said that he could, that all the land was his, but that wasn't enough. He had to go buy some. It was never enough of anything. Now at this point, there's enough Joseph. Jacob Farley says it is enough. I will go and see Joseph before I die. And so here in our chapter, the 46th chapter.
Joseph reflects on all that the Lord had brought Jacob along, and there's not even any discussion. He just falls on his father's, on his father's neck, and he wept on his neck.
A good while now let's go.
I wish we could go through the next couple of chapters, but we can't. Let's go now to the 50th chapter.
The end of the 49th chapter where we find the blessings of the 12 sons and water chapter that is.
33rd verse, when Jacob had made an end.
I'll come and get sons.
Gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people. And Joseph fell upon his father's face, and he wept upon him, and he kissed him.
You know, this was quite a time 17 years later.
As Joseph looks.
On the dead form of his father.
And thousands of memories gone through, I stood by the.
By the casket of my mother.
How many memories went through?
All those characteristics of the character that brought me into such blessing and and Joseph, he goes through this at this point. Just think of him going through the you know, it mentions in.
We're sometimes hard on Jacob, but Jacob had tremendous character, tremendous character in different ways. Just to mention one, if we were to go to the book of Malachi, the 1St chapter, we find that a little phrase that says Jacob have I loved. And if we were to go to Romans, the 9th chapter, we find that it's reversed and it's the same phrase, but it says I have loved Jacob, and I just thought of the Lord looking down at Jacob.
And appreciating a character where Jacob was concerned so much that he makes this remark. I love Jacob.
00:45:02
Jacob have I loved if you can think in your mind of Jacob and how he worked seven years for Rachel and he got married to Rachel on that that night and he woke up.
In the morning. And it wasn't Rachel. You know I can't conceive.
That situation, it's beyond my mind to to wake up in the morning and and find that you've married the wrong person.
You know at that point.
Many of us here would have said that's it, I'm God.
But not Jacob. His love for Rachel was so strong that he says all work another seven years.
I want Rachel, that love was so strong.
The Lord could look down and say, I love Jacob, Jacob have I loved, you know, Joseph, he goes through all those characteristics at this time.
When his father head is bowed and death and he weeps. Now he remembers that time when there was a wrestling match. And if we were to turn back to the portion when it says that Jacob wrestled, it doesn't say that Jacob wrestled with a man, but it says a man wrestled with Jacob.
What a time that wasn't Jacob's life.
How many of us here had come to that point in our life when the Lord has wrestled with us, and what was the outcome? You know, I look here over this audience and there's some old men here. They're Princess of God, Princess of God. And why? Is it because the Lord has wrought with them, the Lord has wrestled with them, and they're indeed Princess of God?
And Joseph now, as he looks down at his father, having passed away from the scene, oh, what a loss it was to his heart to realize that a Prince of God and a Prince with God was now with God. And so here in the 50th chapter and the first verse, Joseph fell upon his father's face and wept.
Our time is gone.
We'll finish by that clock.
Of the 50th chapter. And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph, will prayer, adventure, hate us, will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, My father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin.
For they did unto the evil, and now we pray thee, forgive the trespass of thy servants.
The trespass of the service of the God of my father. Oh, what a blow this was to Joseph, after all that Joseph had done.
To think of how he gathered that corn for those seven years, knowing that there was going to be a famine in the land.
As we had in.
In the book of Acts there was number nourishment for the people of God. And Joseph knew that. And so he brought in discouragement, I I believe, for the express purpose that his father and his father's house would have bread to eat. And he gathered it up, and when they came he made sure they had lots of food, and he sent them away, and he sent their money away.
He did everything he possibly could for them. He sent wagons to bring them down. His heart was so manifest.
And after expressing that and giving them the best of the land of Egypt and living years and giving them the best for years and years, they come to him with this fabricated story.
Our father said you know when he died, that you really should forgive us.
Noel, Joseph weeps, Joseph weeps here, and Joseph wept when he spake unto them. His brother went and fell down before his face, and said, Behold, and be thy servants. You know we think of the Lord, and how he wept over Jerusalem. Cough. And would I have gathered these henders? Gather chicks under her wings.
Said he would not think of at the grave of Lazarus, Lazarus and weeps. And to think, brethren, of how He's brought us thus far along the pathway year after year, while our own goal has been manifest time and time again. And he brings us into such blessing, and we go our own way again. And he brings us into such blessing, and we go away again time after time.
Does he react in the same way that Joseph reacts here?
Where his brother and they came to him, they said, oh, you know, they had no understanding of his heart of love. Does the Lord look down and realize in my heart, I just don't understand his heart of love? And here Joseph, there's only one recourse for him. It says Joseph wept. He had nothing to say. He just weeps after all that he could possibly do for his brethren.
00:50:02
And they come up with this.
The little hymn puts it so nicely in the 85th. Him well knowing we should ever be so cold, so negligent of thee. What a wonderful thing, though, to realize for that Blessed One.
Although he may weep, his love is unchanged. He looked down at Jacob. He saw those characteristics and his love toward us is the same. It hasn't changed. What a wonderful thing to realize that Blessed One and his love for us.