I AM JOSEPH
Genesis 45:1 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. 2 And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. 3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence. 4 And 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 ye sold into Egypt. 5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
The scriptures, as well as all creation, are designed to set forth the glorious person of the eternal Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
And the man Joseph is a strong personal type, or picture of the Lord Jesus Christ! For they both were hated and betrayed. Both had their garments taken from them. Both went down to Egypt. Both were cast into confinement before coming to reign. And here in out text we have Joseph, like Christ, revealing himself to his brothers from his exalted position. Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
But before that revelation happened, there was a surety! Genesis 43:9 I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever: 44:32 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.
A surety is a person to sustain a pledge for future compliance. Judah was a surety to his father Jacob, that Benjamin would be brought safely home to him from their trip to Egypt. And so is our dear Lord and Savior, who stands as a surety before the Father to secure a better covenant, and better promises for all those chosen in him! Hebrews 7:19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. 20 And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest: 21 (For those (Old Testament) priests were made without an oath; but this (this man, the Lord Jesus), with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) 22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
For the Lord Jesus stood as a slain Lamb from the foundation of the world to assure that all those chosen in him would safely be brought home to God! Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Ephesians 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
1 Peter 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
And before that personal revelation occurred, Joseph had only spoken to the brothers through an interpreter. But now he speaks to them face to face in their own native tongue. Genesis 42:23 And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. 45:12 And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.
Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
And it was their past sin that established his identity! In verses four and five of our context listed above we read of Joseph speaking of them selling him into Egypt. But this was not for blame, nor for their shame! But as there were only the twelve sons of Jacob who knew of this, and here they were all assembled together again, he had to be Joseph. For no one else could have known what they did! So it was for identification, and not for condemnation that he spoke of this! Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
And that is exactly how the man, Jesus of Bethlehem, was introduced to the world regarding our sin! John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. And it is how the man, Saul of Tarsus came to have the Lord Christ introduced to him. Acts 9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
It is exactly how the prophet foretold of Christ being identified among his people !Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
For the common denominator between fallen man and the infinite and almighty God is their sin. That is where the elect of God and the Lamb of God come together! 2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. For that is where we identify with both the first and last Adam! Romans 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
And as sin and disobedience changed the languages of the entire human race, so the brothers sin did cause Joseph to speak to them in a foreign language. Genesis 11:1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. 6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
And it is only by the ‘language’ of the Holy Spirit that we, praying in our own native tongue, are heard before the sovereign! Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. This is how the Lord Jesus states that he had already been heard outside Lazarus’ tomb, when there is no written record of any previous prayer. His spiritual groaning had been a prayer in the language of heaven. John 11:38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
The groans and sighs of the human spirit under the afflictions of the cross are immediately heard in the heart of the Father. And all heaven is silenced in order for their full attention! And the shakings of earthly matters are the direct results of such prayers of spiritual groanings.
Revelation 8:1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. 5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
Here is the kind of earthquake that this refers to. It is referring to the directing of providential affairs in order for Christ’s kingdom to advance among men. Hebrews 12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: 26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29 For our God is a consuming fire.
And what was the result of Joseph revealing himself to them? In verse three of our text we read, “they were troubled at his presence.” Would to God that this was the case among professing ‘Christians’ today! But we have a little familiar Jesus, who is just a servant to our wants! It will require the revelation of the supernatural, sovereign and holy God to bring today’s true church out of her apathy, and back to a reverential fear of his glory! Mark 6:48 And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. 49 But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: 50 For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.
The reality of the crucified Lord shall be necessary to recall today’s church back to true, spiritual, God-acceptable worship! Luke 24:36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. 38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
The spirit of the Harlot church has permeated the minds and hearts of even the true believers. For even the five wise virgins slumbered and slept with the five foolish! And the only awakening power shall be the sovereign, effectual call of the reigning Lord! For the reality of his absolute power to do with us as he wills shall be required to awaken and return the church to spiritual life again! Job 23:13 But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. 14 For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him. 15 Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him. 16 For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me:
We read of two times they were told, “I am Joseph.” The first regarded his father. For the Lord revealed himself primarily for the Father’s glory! John 17:1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: The second regarded his brothers. That is the second priority of the cross! John 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
Pastor Gene Breed
October 8, 2016
