WHEN JOSEPH SAW BENJAMIN
Genesis 43:15 ¶ And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. 16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon. 17 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house. 18 And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses. 19 And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house, 20 And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food: 21 And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand. 22 And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks. 23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them. 24 And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender. 25 And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.
1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. This is most certainly true! For the holy essence of the eternal God is but scarcely known as we seek him in all the pictures and types he has presented of himself throughout bible history. The Apostle Paul speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ as the last Adam, as he compares him to the first man. See 1 Corinthians 15:45.
Yet in his Roman letter we are brought to deal with those statements that begin with those words of contradiction, “not as,” in his comparisons. Romans 5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For no one person, or type can perfectly present to us the great I AM!
We see Abraham taking his only Spirit-given son up on the mount that shall be called Calvary in the New Testament to offer him. For the Lord God would have the greatest manifestation of his love shown there. But he does not allow Abraham to fulfill the completeness of that act, as he would provide himself to be the sacrifice. Yet it would seem that the Lord God would have a man of faith act out that sacrifice in the early stages of religious history in order for men to begin to have but a glimpse of him.
And here in our lesson context we see that there is a double type of the Lord God in both Joseph and Benjamin. For Joseph, ruling that entire world, is said to be “a father to Pharaoh,” (Genesis 45:8), represents God, the Father. And Benjamin, whose name was first Benoni, which means “man of sorrow,” has his name changed to Benjamin, which means “son at the fathers right hand.” Genesis 35:18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.
And we see both of these attributed to our Lord Jesus Christ. For he was a man of sorrows. Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. And he is, most assuredly now, presently reigning Lord at the Father’s right hand! Hebrews 1:3 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; Acts 7:56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
Therefore when we are told that Joseph saw Benjamin, we have a picture of the Father looking at the man of sorrows, who comes to be the son at the father’s right hand. And we have been clearly instructed that none shall be allowed into the presence of the Sovereign Ruler to receive our bread, except with the presence of our Benoni/Benjamin! Genesis 43:3 And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. 5 But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
But there is yet another occurrence of Joseph seeing Benjamin in our chapter. Genesis 43:29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son. 30 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 wept there. 31 And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.
In our first instance of Joseph seeing Benjamin, recorded in verse sixteen, we have The Benefit of the Church. For thereafter the ruler of Joseph’s house, a picture of the Holy Spirit, is instructed to slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon. But in this latter occasion, (recorded in verses twenty nine through thirty one), we have The Bereavement of the Father. And in this we have but a glimpse of the Father’s bereavement as he sees the travail of his soul. For here Joesph, representing God the Father, leaves all human presence and goes aside to weep alone. Jeremiah 13:17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears,…
And throughout the prophet’s ministries we see the example given them of great bereavement and lamentation as being that of losing one’s only son! Jeremiah 6:26 O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us. Amos 8:10 And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day. 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.
Now the brothers, fearful for their lives, commune with the ruler and steward (same Hebrew word – verses 16 and 19), at the door of Joseph’s house. This is exactly how we all come to the Lord Jesus! Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom:… Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge:… John 10:2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. 9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
And the Holy Spirit is both ‘ruler’ and ‘steward.’ For he is both sovereign as the God-head, and he is the humble teacher of the church. 1 Corinthians 12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
And the Holy Spirit is the only one who can participate in both the accomplishment and application of redemption. It has already been stated that it was to this steward of Joseph’s house alone that the instruction to slay, and make ready was given! Hebrews 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
For it is into his capable hands that the entirety of accomplished redemption is placed for its application! John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Notice in verse twenty three of our above listed context that the steward states, I had your money. It was he who was responsible for the price of their corn to be placed in the mouth of every man’s sack! For redemption is applied without cost. Justification is not by works of righteousness which we have done. Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
No matter what the Harlot Church has claimed down through the centuries, she, nor anyone else, has ever been in charge of the ability to apply redemption to a single soul! For that is not by the might of one, nor of the power of many, but solely by the working of the Holy Spirit! Zechariah 4:6 …This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
And some previous writer has well said that it was the Godhead in Christ Jesus that supplied “the impulse to the self-sacrifice.” For the sacrifice must not only be capable of purging sin, but also willing to do so! And that is one reason that the Son came into the world stating that the Father had no pleasure in animal sacrifice. But instead, he provided a human body, in which God dwelt, for the accomplishment of redemption. Hebrews 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
For not one animal had a willing consent to be sacrificed! Romans 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, But listen at the Lord Christ express his willingness to go forth to the cross, in order to please his Father in that offering. John 14:31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.
Blessed be his holy name! It is well that the redeemed sing unto him the praise that can only be attributed to him! Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
And it was that obedience unto death, even the death of the cross that was the cause of his exaltation! Philippians 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
For it is only he that humbleth himself who shall be exalted! Luke 14:11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. And just how did the Eternal Son of God obtain this willingness? He learned it by the things which he suffered. Hebrews 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Pastor Gene Breed
September 9, 2016
