Sold into Slavery

Kongsvinger Lutheran Church

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All right, let us pray Lord God bless your word wherever it is proclaimed

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Make it a word of power and peace To convert those not yet your own and to confirm those who have you have brought to saving faith

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May your word pass from the ear to the heart from the heart to the lip from the lip to the life

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That as you have promised your word may achieve the purpose for which you've sent it all of this we ask in Jesus name

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Amen today, we're going to be talking about Joseph some more now one of the reasons that we know that this is a

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Typological story if you would kind of a little bit of a dress rehearsal for the incarnation of Christ is due to this fact

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Is that through? Joseph all Of Israel is saved.

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In fact, the world is saved. Does this sound? Familiar to you as a motif in Scripture as Israel being saved or the world being saved and so Joseph is a character and his story so wonderfully points us to Jesus that men have throughout the ages written books on This topic and how it relates to Christ and have even written doctoral dissertations and things like that This is just amazing stuff by way of review

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Joseph had a dream Told his brothers they didn't like it because he was supposed they were supposed to be bowing down to him

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Joseph had another dream told it to his whole family they didn't like it because the dream basically implied that not only would

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Joseph's brothers, but also his father and mother would also bow down before him and then

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God immediately took Joseph and sent him to Egypt as a slave and You can say he died and then he later rose again.

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He spends 13 years in Prison and keep in mind. This is a prison long before time when prisons were clean places to be

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Yeah, all of the depiction of old world ancient dank Awful condition prisons.

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This is where he works. The Lord is with him the whole time and then

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Pharaoh has two dreams Joseph is able to interpret the dreams because God gave him the interpretation and then

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Pharaoh makes Joseph well Like Pharaoh and only one person in all of Egypt has greater authority than Joseph himself.

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And that's Pharaoh and to kind of throw it in, you know to kind of make this even a little bit more amazing when he is

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Exalted he gets to marry a bride Just like Christ and the wedding feast of lamb, right?

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Now the next part of the story is going to take a wonderful turn where you begin to see now

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Christ's grace and mercy in action because we all know that if this was us if we were

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Joseph or you or I were Joseph right the thing that you're going to be stewing on for 13 years while you're schlepping poop buckets in a

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Egyptian BC prison is if I ever get a hold of my brothers.

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Oh man when I see them they are dead That's all there is to it and you know, you would be rehearsing their names

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You would be in your mind thinking about the different ways in which you would chop them up into little pieces

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But make sure they were still alive, you know You know so that they could they could suffer the way you have suffered this is how we think right we want to get

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Even we want to be vindicated We want justice Joseph is nothing like that at all

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Which is one of the other reasons we know we're dealing with a character that is exemplifying

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Exemplifying Christ's character Because I can I guarantee you my brother did this to me as soon as I got a hold of him

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Okay, you know have you have you all seen the? seen the movie remake of the

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Count of Monte Cristo No, have you ever read the book? Alexander Dumas Yeah Okay Okay the

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Count of Monte Cristo is the exact counter -opposite of this story

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The Count of Monte Cristo because in the Count of Monte Cristo you you oh, yeah, it's it's it's about revenge

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There's a prison break and the revenge and the revenge is so Well thought out that you kind of relish the fact that the guys who did that to him

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Get theirs, right? It's a story of revenge So the Count of Monte Cristo is the polar opposite in human history of the story that we're going to read

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So for context, we're going to start at chapter 41 verse 25 So Joseph is now going to interpret

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Pharaoh's dreams. This is just by way of reminder Joseph said to Pharaoh the dreams of Pharaoh are one

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God has revealed to Pharaoh what he's about to do The seven good cows are seven years the seven good ears are seven years

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The dreams are one the seven lean and ugly cows that come up after them are seven years seven empty ears

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Blighted by the east wind are just corn from North Dakota and Minnesota. Sorry I was just I was engaging in iso

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Jesus just to see if y 'all are were awake Right blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine It is as I told

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Pharaoh God has shown to Pharaoh what he's about to do There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt But after them there will arise seven years of famine and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt The famine will consume the land the plenty will be unknown in the land by the reason of the famine that will follow

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For it will be very severe and the doubling of Pharaoh's dream Means the thing is fixed by God God will shortly bring it about Now therefore let

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Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man set him over the land of Egypt Let Pharaoh proceed to a point

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Overseers over the land and take one -fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years

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Let them gather all of the food of these good years that are coming and store up Grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities and let them keep it

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That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt So that the land may not perish to the famine this proposal

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Please Pharaoh and all of his servants Pharaoh said to his servants Can we find a man like this in whom is the

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Spirit of God then Pharaoh said to Joseph? Since God has shown you all of this there is none so discerning and wise as you are

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You shall be over my house All my people shall order themselves as you command only as regards to the throne

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Will I be greater than you Pharaoh said to Joseph see I have set before set you over all of the land of Egypt Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand put it on Joseph's hand

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Clothed him in garments of fine linen put a gold chain around his neck and he made him ride in his second chariot and they called out before him bow the knee and we noted the fact that this sounds a lot like Philippians chapter 2

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Christ's Incarnation humbling himself being found a servant even to the point of death even death on a cross therefore

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God exalts him so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and Every tongue confessed that Jesus Christ is

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Lord this bow. The knee bit is another thing that points you straight to Christ Moreover Pharaoh said to Joseph I am

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Pharaoh and without your consent No one shall lift up hand or foot in all of the land of Egypt and Pharaoh called

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Joseph's name Zophon off Panea and he gave him in marriage to Asenath the daughter of Potiphar the priest of own

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So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt Joseph was 30 years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh the king of Egypt Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years the earth produced

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Abundantly he gathered up all the food of these seven years which occurred in the land of Egypt and put the food in the cities

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He put in every city the food from the fields around it Joseph stored up grain in great abundance like the sand of the sea until he ceased

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To measure it for it could not be measured for the year of Joseph for the year of famine came two sons were born born to Joseph as Anath the daughter of Potiphar the priest bore them to him

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Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh for he said God has made me forget all my hardships and all of my in and all of my father's house

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Fascinating thing here, you know in the new earth We will forget all of our hardships as well the name of the second called

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Ephraim For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction The seven years of plenty that occurred in the land of Egypt came to an end

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Exactly as God had said Seven years of famine began to come as Joseph had said there was famine in all the lands

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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

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Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians go to Joseph what he says to you do

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So when the famine had spread over all the land Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the

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Egyptians for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt Moreover all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain because the famine was severe over all of the earth

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When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons

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Why are you looking at one another? That sounds about right, doesn't it? My dad would say some less flattering things, but yeah, we get the point so it said

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Behold, I've heard there's grain for sale in Egypt Go down and buy grain for us so that we may live and not die

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So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt Jacob did not send

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Benjamin Joseph's brother with his brothers for he feared that harm might happen to him

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Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came for the famine was in the land of Canaan So we get a little bit of an insight as to what's going on here.

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How's Jacob handling the death of Joseph notice

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God hasn't told him what's going down For 13 long years. He's believed his son is dead now

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Benjamin is the only son remaining from the wife. He really loved and Now he's become the overprotective father

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Poor Benjamin. He wasn't even allowed to play outside without wearing bubble wrap. It's kind of the idea, right?

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You know, so you go outside and all in bubble wrap. I can't put my arms down dad

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How am I supposed to play bow and arrows with my friends? I Told you you can't play bow and arrows, right?

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That's what's happening We're six Joseph was the governor over the land He was the one who sold to all the people of the land

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Joseph's brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground thus

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God's Word is fulfilled Do they know okay.

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Nope. They don't know at this point Nope no clue

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No clue. Remember Joseph when they threw him into the cistern is a scrawny teenager now he's

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I'm on and he's dressed like an Egyptian and He speaks fluent

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Egyptian. Yeah That's right, haven't you heard a song walk like an

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Egyptian So you get the idea here, okay, they are totally clueless and here's the thing we're not we're not and here we start to get another picture if you would of the incarnation of Christ and Here's the picture of the incarnation

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Human beings when Christ is walking the earth. They see a man who looks just like everybody else

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But he is none other than the Son of God incarnate. So keep that in mind That's kind of that's playing into here as far as our motifs

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So they came and they bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers

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And he spoke roughly to them Now we're thinking okay now here comes the revenge now.

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Here's what's going on so that you get this There's a reason why he's doing what he's doing

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It has been 13 years since he's seen his brothers when they lost lat when he last saw them.

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They wanted to murder him Because he was the favored child They couldn't stand his guts.

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They wanted him dead It's not too hard for Joseph to sit there and go Without me to protect my brother what's happened to Benjamin notice who's not with them

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So this is part of what's playing into this. Yeah No 13 it for just about 13 years

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Has it been 20 oh Yeah, okay, that's right

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I forgot the extra seven years of the Abundance that's right. This is why you study math, and I don't

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So 13 years in prison Seven years now of plenty the famine has struck so it's at least 20 years since he's seen them

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Notice Benjamin's not with them. This is playing into it so Part of what is motivating

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Joseph has to do with what's happened to my brother He's got to figure this out so he treated them roughly where do you come from?

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They said from the land of Canaan to buy food Joseph recognized his brothers.

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They did not recognize him Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them, and he said to them you are spies

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You've come to see the nakedness of the land they said no no no no no no no no no my lord

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Your servants have come to buy food We are all sons of one man, we are honest men your servants have never been spies

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He said to them no It's the nakedness of the land that you've come to see they said

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We are your servants We are twelve brothers the sons of one man in the land of Canaan and behold the youngest is this day with our father

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And one is no more Nice euphemism right Joseph said to them.

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It's as I said to you you're spies How do you reason with something like that right?

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They're not making any headway By this you shall be tested by the life of Pharaoh you shall not go from this place until your youngest brother comes here

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Send one of you let him bring your brother while you remain confined that your words may be tested

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Whether there is truth in you or else by the life of Pharaoh surely you are spies And he put them all together in custody for Three days

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Got to watch that three days stuff going on here on the third day Joseph said to them do this and you will live for I fear

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God If you are honest men let one of your brothers remain confined where you are in custody and let the rest go and carry grain for the famine of your households and bring your

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Youngest brother to me so your words will be verified and you shall not die

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And they did so and then they said to one another In truth, we are guilty concerning our brother

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And that we saw the distress of a soul when he begged us and we did not listen That is why this distress has come upon us and they are right and they are wrong

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It is true. This distress has come upon them because of what they've done, but they think God is judging them

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God is saving them That's the difference Did I not that's why the distress has come upon us

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Reuben answered them Did I not tell you to not sin against the boy? You did not listen.

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See this sounds like legitimate dialogue. Does it not told you not to sin against the boy?

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You know, I told you so Argument, but you did not listen now. There comes a reckoning for his blood

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They did not know that Joseph understood them there was an interpreter between them and when he turned away from them

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Then he turned away from them and he Wept and now we know what's going on.

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He's not angry at his brothers. This isn't about revenge

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He truly truly loves them and Misses them and this has got to be extremely

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Extremely difficult for him Because of their sin he has to show a stern face, but his heart is not with his stern face

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Until they confess until They confess and can be forgiven

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They don't get the gospel. They don't get Joseph's heart of love towards them instead.

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They get sternness You can see long gospel starting to play into this, right?

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And it do you think for a second and this is interesting? What does this reveal about Christ about God?

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Do you think God enjoys? Having to discipline us

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Having to show a stern face towards us When his real heart is love mercy grace the fruit of the

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Spirit is love joy. Peace patience kindness gentleness self -control

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None of the fruits of the Spirit are you're gonna get yours so we see

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Joseph's heart and in seeing Joseph heart Joseph's heart we see God's Even when God must be firm with us and stern with us to bring us to repentance

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These guys just have a little bit of the law pushed on them and already they're caving

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We're guilty. This is because we sinned. Oh, we are so So in trouble here, but the problem is they're believing in karma, that's the problem

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Christ isn't about karma. He's not about making sure you get what you deserve Because Christ got what you deserve for you

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So he turned away from them and he wept He returned to them and spoke to them and took

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Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and replace every man's money in his sack to give them provisions for the journey

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This was done for them Then they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed and as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the

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Lodging place. He saw his money in the mouth of his sack and he said to his brothers.

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My money has been put back Here it is in the mouth of my sack At this their hearts failed them and they turned trembling to one another saying what is this that God has done to us and They know that God is at work here

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But as God at work again to destroy them No Not at all when they came to Jacob Their father in the land of Canaan.

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They told him all that had happened to them saying the man The Lord of the land spoke roughly to us and took us to be spies of the land

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But we said to him we are honest men. We've never been spies

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We are 12 brothers sons of our father One is no more and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan Then the man the

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Lord of the land said to us by this I shall know that you are honest men Leave one of your brothers with me and take grain for the famine to your household and go your way

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Bring your youngest brother to me then I shall know that you are not spies but honest men and I will deliver your brother to you and you shall trade in the land

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As they emptied their sacks behold every man's bundle of money was in the sack and when they and their father saw their bundles of Money, they were afraid and Jacob their father said to them you have bereaved me of my children

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Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more and now you would take Benjamin Bubble -wrapped boy cannot go to Egypt.

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All of this has come against me then Ruben said to his father kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you and Now we see the motif of substitution

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Start to show up Kill my two sons if I do not bring them back to you put him in my hands

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I will bring him back to you But he said my son's son shall not go down with you for his brother is dead

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And he is the only one left if harm should happen to him on the journey that you are to make you will bring my gray hairs with sorrow

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To Sheol now the famine was severe in the land when they had eaten the grain

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But they had bought from Egypt their father said then go again buy us a little food Judah said to him the man solemnly warned us saying you shall not see my face unless your brother is with us if You will send our brother with us.

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We will go down and buy you food But if you will not send him we will not go down for the man said to us

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You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you Israel said why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?

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They replied the man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred saying is your father still alive?

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Do you have another brother what we told him was an answer to these questions? could we in any way know that he would say bring your brother down and Judah said to Israel his father

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Send the boy with me and we will arise and go that we may live and not die

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Both we and you and also our little ones. I Will be a pledge of the state of his safety from my hand

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You shall require him if I do not bring him back to you and set him before you then let me bear the blame forever if we had not delayed we could have returned twice and Now Judah really is stepping up He's resilient

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So notice who at this point is basically stepping up and saying

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If he doesn't return I'll take all the blame Judah You can say

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Jesus is doing this here. There's again substitution now is making another appearance and now

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This is really we're starting to see it. We're starting to see the ascendancy of Judah and the descendancy of Joseph it doesn't quite seem like it

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But we have two different stories one is about to hit its arc and disappear and the other is going to just keep on going

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The other is just gonna keep on going Judah Well, it wasn't accepted

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Okay, it wasn't accepted So then their father Israel said to them if I if it must be so then do this

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Take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags Carry a present down to the man a little balm a little honey gum or pistachio nuts and almonds

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Pretty much all they're able to scavenge off the land Take double the money with you

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Carry back with you the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks Perhaps it was an oversight take also your brother and rise and go again to the man

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May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man and may he send back your other

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Brother and Benjamin as for me if I'm bereaved of my children I am bereaved again note

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We've noted this all along the way Joseph Jacob has that great wrestling match with Christ He has that great wrestling match with Christ His name is changed and how does his life go from then forward?

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from triumph to triumph struggle to struggle The ones most dear to him die.

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He thinks Joseph is dead He's been in Literally mourning for 20 years now.

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He thinks God's gonna take away his other son. I mean this guy's life Doesn't get better it gets worse but I thought

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Christianity is supposed to make it so that I can have health and wealth and Prosperity and have my best life now and and you know,

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I'm gonna be the bees knees and go from victory to victory I'm the head not the tail, right? wrong

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So we can get a picture then of the cross That Christ places on Jacob.

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Not only does Christ change his name from Jacob to Israel now he gives him a cross to bear and his life seems to just get worse and When it gets worse and worse and worse, does that mean that God is not with you?

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No God was with Jacob the whole time never left him never forsook him and It's situations like this that strip us of our own not only self -righteousness but of our own self dependency and Shows us our utter dependence on God That great

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Psalm shows us over and again. Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

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I will fear no evil your rod and your staff. They comfort me you prepare a table before me in the presence of my

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Enemies, this is the way of the cross as we all march to our death He's with us the whole way and here's the interesting part.

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Every one of us is on the way to the grave already these Sufferings that we suffer are not unique to us.

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Everybody suffers them rich and poor All die great and obscure They face these same kinds of trials.

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What's the difference? the one who has Christ Is brought through the valley of the shadow of death the one who doesn't have

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Christ is destroyed by it We're all passing through this because of our sin So may

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God grant you mercy before the man may he send back your other brother Benjamin as for me If I'm bereaved of my children,

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I'm bereaved Again, this sounds so authentic So the men took his this present they took double the money with them

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Benja and Benjamin They rose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. Do you think Benjamin knows what these ten brothers did?

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Nope Right, this is all how did the kids say it today awkward?

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The ten kind of have their seat their big secret. They're a big sin Can't tell

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Benjamin. Otherwise, he's gonna think he's gonna we're gonna kill him, right? So when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house

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And he could just see his heart just jump and Joseph saw Benjamin with him

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He said to his steward of his house bring the men into the house Slaughter an animal make ready for the men are to dine with me at noon

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Does this not sound like the feast in the prodigal son kill the fatted calf?

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My son who was dead is alive One who was lost has been found

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This sounds just like that so the man did as Joseph told him brought the men to Joseph's house and The men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph's house.

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They said Ufta it's because of the money which was replaced in our sacks the first time that we are brought in so that he may assault us and fall on us and Make us servants and seize our donkeys because that's what they deserved.

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Look how sin destroys somebody from the inside Unforgiven sin doesn't give you confidence before God it makes you fearful and trembling and fearing his just wrath and righteous indignation

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Unconfessed unforgiven sin destroys you from the inside out no confidence.

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No peace only ha So they went to the steward of Joseph's house spoke with him at the door the house and said, oh my lord

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We came down the first time to buy food and when we came to the lodging place We opened our sacks and there was each man's money in the mouth of the sack our money

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In full weight, so we've brought it again with us and we have brought other money down with us to buy food

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We do not know who put our money in our sacks. Even that's a picture of grace watch the answer.

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He replied peace Peace do not be afraid Your God and the

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God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I Received your money

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Mmm Wow who gets all the glory for that one God, don't worry.

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God took care of you. Is that not true? Oh it is So then he brought simeon out to them and when the man had brought the men into Joseph's house and given them water

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And they'd washed their feet and we had given their donkey fodder They prepared the present for Joseph's coming at noon for they heard that they should eat bread there when

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Joseph came home They brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground

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And he inquired about the wealth about their welfare and says is your father Well, the old man of whom you spoke is he still alive.

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I Said your servant our father as well He's still alive and they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves and he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother

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Benjamin His mother's son and he said is this your youngest brother of whom you spoke to me?

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God be gracious to you my son Joseph hurried out for his compassion grew warm for his brother

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And he sought a place to weep and he entered his chamber and wept there Again, we see his heart

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Again, we see his heart shortest verse in the Bible two words

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Jesus wept Do you know the occasion for that? What is the occasion? Lazarus Take a little excursus here again.

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This shows us the heart of Christ We are in the gospel of John and if I am not mistaken

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Chapter 11 John chapter 11 little excursus Certain man was ill

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Lazarus of Bethany the village of Mary and her sister Martha It was Mary who anointed the

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Lord with the anointment and wiped his feet with her hair whose brother Lazarus was ill

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So the sister sent to him saying Lord he whom you love is ill When Jesus heard it, he said this illness does not lead to death

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It is for the glory of God. So the Son of God may be glorified through it Now Jesus loved

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Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was ill He stayed don't you know that when you get the phone call that says the person's in the hospital

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You're supposed to drop everything you're doing and get there quick and it says Jesus loved them and he loved them so much

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He stayed put. I'm not ready for this kind of love Lord Can you show me the other kind please?

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So he stayed two days longer in the place where he was After this he stayed said to his disciples.

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Let us go to Judea again disciple said rabbi The Jews were just now seeking to stone you and you're going there again.

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Jesus answered Are there not 12 hours in the day if anyone walks in the day? He does not stumble because he sees the light of this world

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But if anyone walks in the light night, he stumbles because the light is not in him after saying these things

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He said to them our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to waken him Isn't it fascinating how

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Jesus constantly refers to death as sleep as if it's like no big deal

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I'm gonna go wake him up. So his disciples said to him Okay, Lord, if he's fallen asleep he'll recover and It's like yeah,

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I love the fact that disciples just never seem to get it I mean all the way up to Jesus's ascension.

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They still don't get it. It's like this gives me hope So Jesus had spoken of his death.

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They thought he meant he was taking rest and sleep So then Jesus told them plainly I hate that I have to do this, but Lazarus has died and for your sake

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I'm glad that I was not there so that you may believe but let us go to him So Thomas called the twins head to his fellow disciples.

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Let us go along go also so that we too may die with him This is an example of over spiritualizing something

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Jesus said and like totally missing the point and you can see Jesus going away So when

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Jesus came he found Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days Bethany was near Jerusalem about two miles off Many of the

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Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming she went and met him

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But Mary remained seated in the house Martha said to Jesus Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died

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But even now I know that whatever you ask from God God will give you Jesus said to her your brother will rise again

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Martha said now I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day and Jesus said

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I Am the resurrection and the life The resurrection is not an event in the future.

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The resurrection is Jesus Tough to wrap your mind around it, but it's true.

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I am the resurrection in the life whoever believes in me though he die yet shall he live and Everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die

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Do you believe this? She said yes Lord I believe that you are the

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Christ the Son of God who's coming into the world and When she had said this he went and called her sister

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Mary saying in private The teacher is here and he's calling for you And when she heard it she rose quickly and went to him now

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Jesus had not yet come to the village But was still in the place where Martha had met him When the Jews who were with her in the house consoling her saw

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Mary rise quickly and go out They followed her supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there now when

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Mary came Where Jesus was and saw him she fell at his feet saying Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died and Jesus saw her weeping and The Jews who had come with her also

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Weeping he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled Now I'm going to note this the

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Greek here Makes it sound like Jesus is angry

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It says deeply moved and greatly troubled But Jesus is like and this is kind of the picture.

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You've got to get this. Okay? It's like Jesus is ticked is

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He ticked at Mary and Martha Nope, you know what? He's ticked at he's ticked at this whole curse all of this nonsense

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Where people are dying getting sick and suffering in the whole nine yards, it's as if and this is kind of the picture

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That's going on in the Greek because it the next words out of his mouth are where have you laid him? It's as if Lazarus was a little tiny lamb of his that had been taken by a bear and the bear is death and Jesus is saying that's it and He rolls up and sleeves this where is that bear?

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I'm going to rescue my sheep That's what's going on in this text with that kind of severity

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Where have you laid him? I said Lord come and see Jesus Do not ever think that Christ does not understand your pain does not understand your suffering does not understand exactly what you are going through because he has gone through it himself and He hates absolutely despises this wretchedness that we are under and He is done something for us.

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He's raised himself from the grave. He's bled and died for our sins This is a picture of his power and a picture of his grace and his true heart

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Towards you in the midst of your suffering So the Jews said see how he loved him some of them said could not he who opened the eyes of the blind

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I've also kept this man from dying. So Jesus deeply moved again. Now.

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He's good. That's it You can just see him wiping the tears out of his eyes Literally taking the his robes rolling up his sleeves.

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That's it. Let's go get him. I'm gonna go get him right now He came to the tomb. It was a cave

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Stone lay against it. She said take away the stone Martha the sister of the dead man said

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Lord by this time there'll be an odor He's been dead for four days

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She said did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God? Okay, Jesus So they took the stone away

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Jesus lifted up his eyes and he said father. I thank you that you've heard me I knew that you always hear me

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But I said this on account of the people standing around so they may believe that you sent me And when he had said these things he cried out in a loud voice

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Lazarus Come out And you can hear the silence Dead people just don't walk out of graves.

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I love the preacher who said that if he hadn't Specified Lazarus if he had just said come out

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The whole graveyard would have been empty That's a great preaching point that one preaches so the man

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Who had died came out? hands and his feet bound with linen strips And his face wrapped with a cloth and Jesus said to them listen

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Unbind him and let him go That's the heart of Jesus for you.

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That is the heart of Jesus for you And don't think this only applies to Lazarus because he is the resurrection in the life

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Everyone who believes in him will live forever. They will never die.

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Do you believe this and There is a day coming the day we talk about in the

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Creed the day when Jesus returns in glory to judge the living in the dead and He is going to literally say about your dead carcass moldering out in that graveyard

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Come out And he's gonna say it with the authority of Unbind them you let my sheep go.

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They are mine. You don't get them. You don't have them I've come back to take them

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That's the authority that he's speaking with here. So do you think it's an accident that Joseph wept?

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This shows us again the heart of Christ Joseph hurried out

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His compassion grew warm for his brothers. It does not say his anger burned

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Against his brothers. It says his compassion his love He sought a place to weep and he entered his chamber and he wept

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He still has work to do he washes his face and he came out and controlling himself

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He said serve the food They served him by himself And they by themselves and the

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Egyptians who ate with him by themselves because Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews for that was an abomination to the Egyptians and they sat for him the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his

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Youth and the men looked at one another in amazement. In other words, Joseph had them all sitting down It's like you're the oldest you're here.

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You're next here you over here. How is he doing this? Right Okay, so they're going what are the chances

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Portions were taken to them from Joseph's table Benjamin's portion was five times as much of any as any of theirs they drank and they were merry with him

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That's right. They were not celebrating with Welch's just saying so then he commanded the steward of his house fill the men's sacks with food as much as they can carry and Put each man's money in the mouth of his sack

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Put my cup the silver cup in the mouth of the sack of the youngest with his money for the grain

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He did as Joseph's told him as soon as the morning was light. The men were sent away with their donkeys

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They had gone only a short distance from the city Now Joseph said to his steward up follow after the men and when you overtake them say to them

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Why have you repaid evil for good? Is it not from this that my lord drinks and this by this he practices divination you've done evil in doing this a bit of a ruse

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It's a bit of a ruse here We'll just call this theatrical performance

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That's gonna result Something amazing. So he overtook them. He spoke to them these words.

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They said to him Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing behold the money that we found in the mouths of the sacks

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We brought back to you from the land of Canaan How then could we steal silver or gold from your Lord's house?

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Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die and we also will be my

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Lord's servant He said well, let it be as you say he who found he was found with it shall be my servant

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The rest of you shall be innocent So then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground and each man opened his sack

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He searched and beginning with the eldest ending with the youngest the cup was found in Benjamin's sack

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Then they tore their clothes Every man loaded his donkeys and they returned to the city when

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Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house. He was still there They fell before him to the ground and Joseph said to them.

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What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination and Judah said

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What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? How can we clear ourselves

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God has found out the guilt of your servants now comes the confession

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Behold we are my Lord's servants both we and he also in those whose hand the cup has been found

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They said well far be it for me that I should do so only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be

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My servant but as for you go up in peace to your father Then Judah went up to him and he said oh my lord

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Please let your servant speak a word in my Lord's ears and let not your anger burn against your servant for you are like Pharaoh himself

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My lord asked his servants saying have you a father or a brother and we said to my lord

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We have a father an old man and a younger brother the child of his old age His brother is dead and he alone is left of his mother's children and his father's

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Love and his father loves him Then you said to your servants bring him down to me so that I might set my eyes on him

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We said to my lord the boy cannot leave his father for if he should leave his father his father would die

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Then you said to your servants unless your younger youngest brother comes down with you You shall not see my face when we went back to your servant my father

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We told him the words of my lord and when our father said go again buy us a little food

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We said we cannot go down if our youngest brother goes with us Then we will go down for we cannot see the man's face until our youngest brother is with us

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Then your servant my father said to us, you know that my wife bore me two sons

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One left me and I said surely he has been torn to pieces and I have never seen him since if you take this one

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From me also and harm happens to him. You will bring down my gray hairs to in evil to Sheol now therefore as soon as I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us then as his life is bound up in The boy's life as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us

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He will die and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant

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Our father was sorrow to Sheol For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father saying if I do not bring him back to you

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Then I shall bear the blame before my father all of my life Now therefore, please let your servant remain

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Instead of the boy as a servant to my lord and let the boy go back with his brothers and Judah willingly

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Offers himself as a substitute and we see how

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Christ works Because Christ did this for you. You see you're

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Benjamin in this story You have been the one found guilty of stealing from the

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Lord You are the one who has to stay back in Egypt But see

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God's heart is bound up In your life and so Judah steps forward and says no take me

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So that you can go It is not an accident that Judah offers to do this

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Because there's the Messiah right there. How can

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I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father

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Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried make everyone go out from me

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No one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers and he wept out loud

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So that the Egyptians heard it the household of Pharaoh heard it. Joseph said to his brothers Ani Yosef Ani Yosef He says it in Hebrew Ani Yosef I am

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Joseph Is my father still alive his brothers could not answer him they were dismayed at his presence

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It's just like Christ Joseph said to his brothers come near to me, please and they came there.

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He said I am your brother Joseph whom you sold into Egypt and now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me

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Here for God sent me before you to preserve life The famine has been in the land for these two years and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest

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God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on the earth to keep alive for you many survivors

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So it was not you who sent me here. It was God He has made me a father to Pharaoh and Lord of all of his house and the ruler over all of the land of Egypt Hurry and go to my father and say to him thus says your son

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Joseph God has made me Lord of all of Egypt Come down to me.

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Do not tarry You shall dwell in the land of Goshen and you shall be near me You and your children and your children's children and your flocks in your herds and all that you have

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There I will provide for you for there are yet five years of famine to come

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So that you and your household and all that you have do not come to poverty and now your eyes see and the eyes of my

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Brother Benjamin sees that it is my mouth that speaks to you You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt and of all that you have seen hurry

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Bring my father down here Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept

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Benjamin wept upon his neck and he kissed all of his brothers and wept upon them And after that his brothers talked with him when the report was heard in Pharaoh's house

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Joseph's brothers have come had come it pleased Pharaoh and his servants and Pharaoh said to Joseph say to your brothers do this load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan and take your father and your households and come to me and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you shall eat the fat of the

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Land and you Joseph are commanded to say do this take wagons from the land of Egypt For your little ones for your wives and bring your father and come have no concern for your goods for the best of all the land of Egypt is

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Yours. Yeah exactly a little bit of a picture of Us moving to heaven

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To the new earth being with Christ It's unmistakable

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You can't understand this text apart from Jesus and when you start doing the comparative work

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You're gonna be hard -pressed to actually find all of the connections. There are so many

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This is a picture of salvation and it's through hardships trial death resurrection and Exaltation that we too are also saved by Christ and we too are called to toil

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Suffer and go through hardships and bear the cross that Christ puts on us in this life knowing that the day is coming

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When God himself will bring the new Jerusalem out of heaven to the new earth, and we will always see him face to face it's a story of grace and mercy not of revenge of salvation

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Not justice you were hard -pressed to find any story like this at all in the in the ancient writings of any culture

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And like I said count of Monte Cristo is like the mirror opposite of this and we all relate to that We don't relate to this but we oftentimes pray

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That this is true not just of Joseph's brothers, but something like this would be true of us as well and it is

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Because this is what Christ has done for us. This is his heart towards us but a kind Merciful slow to anger abounding in steadfast love

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Forgiving sins God that we have to him be all the glory