Exaltation

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Preacher: Ross Macdonald Scripture: Genesis 41:41-57

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Well this morning we Hope to complete chapter 41 together we're making
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Quite some headway through the last portion of the narrative Within Genesis and as we complete chapter 41, we want to pick up some of the things we left off with last week
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But we also as we work through the text want to consider Ways in which this whole chapter and specifically the events that take place from verse 41 forward
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Really present to us a Typology of the Lord Jesus and so we've talked about typology in the past I'll try to refresh our memories a little bit when we get to that point and then also if there's time
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Lord willing we can Draw some significant application. I Been considering the application in light of this major event
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Joseph's exaltation. So what about our exaltation? What would the
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Lord have us glean from Genesis? chapter 41 Last week we saw
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Joseph quite literally raised from the pit Brought up out of prison out of that place of metaphorical death
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That's how a Hebrew and Old Testament ancient Near Eastern would have understood a pit a prison anything
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Subterranean its metaphorical death Joseph's quite literally raised up out of the pit in order to interpret
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Pharaoh's dreams as we saw He's forthright. He has a faithful character
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Though he's a young Hebrew. He has not lost his identity as a Hebrew The interpretation does not belong to me
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He tells Pharaoh but rather to God God will give Pharaoh an answer as to his peace as to his welfare
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So he does not use the opportunity of standing before Pharaoh as a means of being sprung from prison
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He actually uses the opportunity of standing before Pharaoh to glorify God to make known the living
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God to testify to God and he must have had every expectation that when he gave the
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Interpretation to Pharaoh it was perhaps going to be something that would free him Maybe it would just be a firm handshake a pat on the back and back to prison you go
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He certainly was not expecting what takes place for the rest of the chapter When Joseph spoke to Pharaoh, he not only interpreted the dream
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But then using the wisdom that God had given him he urged Pharaoh with what must be done seven years of Harvest and plenty are coming but it will be followed by seven years of devastation and your kingdom will not survive
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Therefore this is what you must do if you would escape the judgment of God that is to come
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Joseph Was aware of this imminent vision But he had wisdom and faith that God was giving the revelation
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So that steps could be taken to overcome it in other words Joseph sought to bring blessing where a vision of curse had been revealed and Pharaoh said to his servants
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Can we find such a one as this a man in whom is the spirit of God and as much as God has shown you?
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all of this there is no one so discerning and as wise as you you shall be over my house and all of the people shall
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Be ruled according to your word only in regard to the throne will I be greater?
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So we pick up in verse 41 this morning Pharaoh said to Joseph see
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I've set you over all the land of Egypt and He took his signet ring off his hand and put it on his finger and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck and He had him ride in the second chariot, which he had and they cried out before him bow the knee
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So he set him over all the land of Egypt Pharaoh also said to Joseph I am
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Pharaoh and without your consent No, man may lift his hand or foot in the land of Egypt Pharaoh's not just giving out new clothes and jewelry to Joseph This is a public and a very formal act of installing him in this position
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He is now being put forward as a vizier as a viceroy vice -regent Whatever term you'd like to use over all of the land of Egypt.
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And so there's a solemn formal Public dedication of this authority
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This is a big upgrade from the neon orange jumpsuit that Joseph had been taken away from Signet ring is placed upon his hand.
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The signet ring would be so significant throughout antiquity It would be that which a dignitary would press upon a wax or a clay seal
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And it was sort of like a notary signature And so to have that was significant just for your own identification
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But if it was royal it was a way of saying this is the presence of authority By this signet ring.
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It's sort of like the King's crown This is a emblem of the authority that Joseph has been given fine linen
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This is more than just fine linen. This is actually Egyptian Imperial clothing
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There's a specific loan word that's brought into the the Hebrew shesh and it speaks of royal wardrobe
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So he's been given the dress in the ring of authority the gold chain Which again is probably something emblematic not only of nobility and wealth
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But also of official status within the royal court and then he's given the second chariot
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So Pharaoh has I'm sure more than two chariots But he's given the second chariot the idea here being the second best
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Chariot at Pharaoh's disposal. This would be in our terms Air Force two So Joseph is cruising around Egypt in Air Force two in every way
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Joseph has been granted authority beyond his wildest Expectation freedom would have been something to hope for but he got more than freedom
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He got authority over all of the land of Egypt this journey from pit
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To prominence from prison to privilege has taken the course of a decade filled with long nights of tears
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Fasting frustration hunger affliction despair and yet glowing beneath that resolve perseverance faith hope
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We saw the plea in his voice in the last chapter when he said to the cupbearer get me out of this house
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Get me out of this prison We know what was burning and vexing him night by night and day by day
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But we saw day by day that character of resolve He was not just keeping the faith as though faith was positive thinking.
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Well here I am in another pit this time It's a prison and I just need to find the bright lining
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Surely there's a silver lining in the situation somewhere I should just focus on the good filter out the bad and and this will be how
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I keep my faith I keep my spirits up. I have a positive outlook on life That's not the story of Joseph.
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That should not be the way we look at keeping the faith or persevering in trusting God We're reminded that Joseph was enduring the roller coaster of very difficult providence in his life by keeping faith in God's revelation
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In other words, he was not keeping faith by just trying to find the good or focus on the good
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He was keeping faith by fixating his mind his heart his hope on all that God had revealed to him years in the past and though it did not seem
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Possible that the family would come and bow before him and he would have this kind of authority this kind of prosperity
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He remembered that God had revealed that to him and though it seemed so distant so Impossibly distant he lived by faith in what
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God had revealed. That's what it means to keep faith not positive thinking
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But trusting no matter how at odds it may seem in your life trusting what
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God has revealed Joseph not only kept faith in God's revelation
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He worked out his faith with all integrity with all diligence
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Whether he was over Potiphar's household at the very top or underneath Potiphar's household in the prison
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Joseph sought to work with integrity to show forth a righteous character
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To give a testimony to the Living God To remember who he is and what has been promised to him and however unlikely that seems he's going to seek the righteousness
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Of God in God's kingdom first and let God add and take as he sees fit
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So he's not seeking his ambition. He's not even seeking his own comfort or safety
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He's fully entrusting himself to God and he does that rather than neglect the path of righteousness
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Very tempting when we become uncomfortable When we feel that our own provisions our own needs are not being met
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We're tempted to stray from the path of righteousness We might have a good end in mind.
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Actually, this is a good and godly thing I'm desiring but we start to flirt with unrighteous ways of obtaining it and Joseph will not do that Joseph fully entrusts himself to the power and providence of God Whatever my
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God ordains is right That's where Joseph will find his rest and his peace
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He works hard by faith He lets God give increase he waters he says he builds he serves he toils
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He has a godly work ethic and as always a godly work ethic will be blessed maybe not in the moment, maybe not in the immediate season, but a godly work ethic will be blessed by God and Yet that godly work ethic does not become
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Joseph's solution He's not Working so diligently because he's relying on his own strength
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He's trying to provide for himself. If anything we see Joseph is working hard out of a humble and gracious spirit
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He's humble and filled with gratitude and we find this reinforced in a few significant ways notice
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Joseph's exaltation reinforced to his mind in his heart. The almighty hand of God was upon his life
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He had known that all along though. There probably were many long stretches where he had serious doubts and wrestling matches with the
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Lord where a lot of the Laments and the mascules of the book of the Psalms would be true of his own life in his own testimony
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But this experience in chapter 41 Would have drilled into his mind into his heart that the
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Living God had an almighty hand upon his life And that because he had trusted God God had now exalted him
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He had put his trust in the right place Not in himself not in his work not in a toil of his hands
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But in God and in God's power notice what Pharaoh says to him in verse 41 See I have set you over all the land of Egypt.
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That's certainly how Pharaoh would view it But how does Joseph recall in chapter 45 verse 8?
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This is what Joseph says God made me ruler over all the land of Egypt Joseph understands
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It's not my work my toil not even my faith not even my perseverance
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That has brought me to this place It's not Pharaoh and his power and the authority and the wisdom that he showed in exalting me
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The reason I'm in this place is because God put me in this place That's the faith of Joseph.
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He recognizes that God works in his own time He works at his own pace in his own mysterious way for his own glory
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Joseph seeks to glorify God Because he recognizes the work that God is doing and has done in his life is
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A work that God is doing to bring glory to his own name We Have to understand brothers and sisters when it comes to our own work when it comes to our own faith
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When it comes to the things that we're seeking and striving after we have an eye toward God's glory
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So that we can harmonize and enter into the work that God is doing in us and through us
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God is doing that work in us and through us so that he can be glorified So if we enter into that work into that Providence in a way that we're seeking
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God's glory we'll find peace fullness hope satisfaction refuge strength will find resolve and perseverance because we're
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Understanding the reason that God has brought us on this path God expects us to be faithful to be patient to trust in his power in his purpose and Joseph was faithful patient trusting in God's power
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Understanding God's purpose. He was humble Waiting for God's plan to be revealed day by day week by week month by month
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Year by year even past the decade That's faith and Pharaoh called
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Joseph's name Zafnath Pania and he gave him as a wife
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Asenath the daughter of Pontifera Priest of on sounds a lot like Potiphar, but two very different names two very different people
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Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt he was 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh the king of Egypt and Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and Went through all the land of Egypt.
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So at the throne of the king Joseph has been given a new name a name that really is above every name in Egypt It doesn't exactly roll off the tongue as you all
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Ably demonstrated in public reading. It's certainly not huzz and buzz, but it's got its own ring to it
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Zafnath Pania it has a debated meaning there was an article by a German scholar Gerhard Steindorf and he translates it as God has said he will live the relationship of those two phrases is
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Uncertain it could be something causal because God has said he will live
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It could rather simply be a statement all as a piece. God has said that he will live
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So the relationship is hard to understand between Zafnath and Pania Others have suggested
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God speaks and he lives. So there's sort of a Sort of what we call a bi -colon
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John Currid notes that the name may reflect this event that has brought Joseph this position in Egypt And so he translated translates that God has spoken through him and now he lives
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The idea is now it's not that God speaks and he lives but God speaks through Joseph and that's why
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Joseph lives but it also may signify he not as Joseph but actually as as Egypt as sort of the possession of Pharaoh often nations are personalized in in the
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Old Testament So God will speak through him or God will speak and he Egypt will live
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Egypt will survive it All of these are possibilities to this name as was often the case in the ancient world
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Not only does he receive this new name as one that has been brought into a new kingdom and a new position within that kingdom
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Daniel if you remember in Babylon the same experience I Have more to say about Daniel when we when we get to it or actually at least a note about Daniel I don't have a whole lot to say about Daniel.
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I wish I wish we had more time for that Notice also, he's married as was often the case in the ancient world marriage seals a political advance
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This is true of all cultures in antiquity Joseph is married to Asena.
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She's an Egyptian woman She's from nobility. He's moving up from slave now to upper crust in Egyptian society
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Some have been troubled by the fact that he marries an Egyptian. What have we seen throughout the patriarchal narrative?
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Marry within the tribe marry within your own people We saw the difference between Jacob and Esau in this very regard
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We saw the concern of Abraham for Isaac in this very regard. Well, what about Joseph here?
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Is he jeopardizing that covenantal lineage by going outside of his own people group in order to marry?
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I don't think so. Certainly. He's not marrying a Canaanite, which is what was forbidden to the Israelites in Deuteronomy But some are still troubled by this marriage in fact older Rabbis connect the fact that there is an assoneth that is born to Dinah and they say well actually this is
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Dinah's daughter And she was raised somehow by potty Farah. And so he is actually marrying his own people group and that's just simply not the case
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We'll see in a moment that though he marries an Egyptian woman. This is not a step back in his faith
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This is not him pulling an Esau He has not abandoned the way of the
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Hebrews or that covenantal calling upon his life Also, I don't think
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Pharaoh in seeking to honor and bless and enlarge Joseph would now give him a wife that would go against his convictions and even offend him or trouble him
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That wouldn't be fitting to what Pharaoh is trying to do for Joseph And we also know what kind of man
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Joseph is if he can flee With the garment still in pot of ours wife's hand.
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He's certainly not gonna just go. Oh, what can I do? I guess I'm gonna have to marry her. We know he has that John Knox spirit
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He certainly would say no if he felt that she was not an equal yoke as a wife
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Interestingly, there is a Jewish novel believe it or not Novellas existed in in the
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Greco -Roman world and it's called Joseph and Asenath and it was a very popular work scholars think it probably began early in the first century maybe just prior to it and the whole plot basically is how
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Joseph falls in love with Asenath and and basically woos her over to become a proselyte and so Asenath becomes
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Jewish as a result of Joseph's conduct and religious observance And you can see why this would be such a popular account in the
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Greco -Roman world Jews were spread all throughout and they were constantly being tempted to abandon their own ways and distinctions
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So here's this account that says hey be like Joseph, you know win your wife over to that Hebrew influence
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Don't abandon your identity or your calling before God For our purposes, this is the last thing
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I'll say about the wedding It's probably significant that Joseph marries a Gentile bride
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We're thinking typologically here. It's probably significant that Joseph marries a
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Gentile bride We're reminded of Joseph's age He was 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh Some of you are not quite 30 many of us are past 30
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That's pretty impressive if you're under 30 think in a few years, would you be fit to rule over in a world empire?
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prepare for imminent Famine and devastation would you be equipped for that work if you're over 30 still that question remains
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Could you tonight be flown to Washington DC? I don't know if you'd want this to have
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Biden Install you as vice president. It's quite a significant shift
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It's quite an act of faith on Pharaoh's part That this 30 year old convict
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Ex -slave prisoner is going to be fit to rule directly under him over all the land of Egypt But he recognizes the
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Spirit of God. He recognizes the wisdom of God and He submits to it
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You now have this authority and as I said last week we have this picture again because Pharaoh has blessed
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Joseph because Pharaoh has listened to the Word of God that proceeds from Joseph's testimony
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Joseph's utterance as it were because Pharaoh heeds the word of the church
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Pharaoh's Empire is preserved It's saved if Pharaoh rejects the testimony the utterance of the church
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Pharaoh's Empire will be Devastated. So again, we see the significance of be wise
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O Kings Kiss the Sun lest he be angry Submit yourself bend the knee to the one who has revealed the
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Word of God Calvin thinks there's more than one reason that his age is mentioned here
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First he says it's to truly show us that God had placed him in this position as we said not many 30 year olds
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Rise to this kind of power so suddenly but secondly, he says we're reminded just how long
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Joseph had Suffered he had been a slave a prisoner an exile from his own family and from the promised land
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Now he's 30. He left his home when he was 17 He's 30 now 14 more years
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Need to come before the fullness of what God is doing becomes Revealed God is very patient in his work
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What I love about Joseph in this very Encounter think of him wasting away for years in the roundhouse like I said a
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Gaunt POW taken out of the Burmese jungle and now he's standing You know all hollowed in sunken eyes
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Complete lack of nutrition who knows what diseases and what kind of pestilence he had and now he's standing there clothed
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Signet ring gold chain fine linens. He has all this authority He's riding around in the second chariot all are bending the knee and making way for him
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And what's the first thing that he does? He's finally free What's the first thing that he does?
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Ten months paid leave a trip to Fiji. I just need some me time.
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He gets to work After this whole ordeal the first thing he does is he gets to work
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Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went throughout all the land of Egypt He immediately goes and says it's time to start
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Taking stock of of what we need what we have what needs to be built and how we're going to collect thing
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He gets to work right away Again this sterling integrity is shining through his conduct
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He's not focused on himself at all. He's always focused on the tasks that God has put before him verse 47
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The famine finally comes seven plentiful years the ground brought forth abundantly
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So he gathered up all the food of the seven years Which were in the land of Egypt and laid up the food in the cities and he laid up in every city the food of The fields which surrounded them
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Joseph gathered very much grain as the sand of the sea been a while since we've heard that phrase
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Emblematic for the Patriarchs until he stopped counting. It was Immeasurable, you remember
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God's revelation to Abraham along these very lines. So we're being keyed in there's these themes that are now
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Revolving through the life of Joseph the diligence of Joseph meets the abundance of God's provision at least for these seven years
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Across seven years. Most likely he's seeing Egyptians who are saying we've never had harvest like this
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You know we just keep thinking it can't keep going up next year can't be better than this and the next year is the next year is the next year is and In times like that where the people are fat the people are comfortable as God warns his own people in the
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Exodus account You will forget me Joseph cannot be led astray by the abundance that he sees for seven years
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He has to stay on task Yes, it's abundant now, but you don't know the judgment that is coming
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He has to be almost like Isaiah and keep preaching get ready for the famine get ready for the judgment get ready to be starved
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Even as people are eating and saying tomorrow will be like today. What is this old fool wrapping on about?
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So Joseph has to maintain his faith again not positive thinking
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But walking by faith in what God had revealed to him and he keeps diligently preparing and working in light of that revelation and As he's doing that God sees fit to give him a family now.
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He's a father of two boys To Joseph we read verse 50 We're born two sons before the years of famine came whom
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Asenath the daughter of Potiphar a priest of on board to him Joseph called the name of the firstborn
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Manasseh meaning The one who brings about forgetfulness. I would probably the best it's a participle for God has made me forget all my toil and all my father's house and The name of the second he called
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Ephraim for God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction
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Ephraim being a way of saying fruitfulness the plenty of the fields
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Corresponds with plenty in the household of Joseph. This really is a growing season. This really is a season of abundance most significantly
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We were kind of weirded out that he marries a Gentile bride most significantly Joseph gives his two sons
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Hebrew names He might look like an Egyptian he might walk and talk like an
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Egyptian he might have an Egyptian name But when it comes to his own household, he names his sons according to his
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Hebrew Identity his Hebrew culture and notice how he names them Not only does he not forget his culture his faith his covenantal heritage
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He still is seeking to glorify God God has done this God is doing this
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Look at what God has done now this dignitary whenever he has ambassadors from vassal kingdoms come over and stay with him
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Representing as he as it were the whole kingdom of Egypt. He can say I want to introduce you to my boys
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Not zap not Pena but Manasseh and Ephraim. What are these names?
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They're Hebrew names Let me tell you about my people Let me tell you about my God Let me tell you about how
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God has blessed me let me tell you about God's vision to me Joseph recognizes that God has blessed him beyond belief.
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These names are filled with the blessing of God You have made me forget my father's house all the affliction
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I face there you have made me fruitful in the face of that affliction. Not only does it tell us of God's blessing
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These names also tell us about Joseph's suffering It's Almost melancholy, isn't it these names?
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God gets the glory. God has blessed God has made him to forget God has made him fruitful
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But embedded in these boys names is the pain of his father's household the wound of the afflictions of the past decade plus Joseph Still has not forgotten
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What he has endured and though he can give glory to God and thank
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God for his blessing the scars of the past decade remain
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Remember the content of the revelation God's revelation to him when he was 17 years old and thrown into that pit the revelation was not
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You will be the king over a foreign land and all of the Egyptians will come and bow before you
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That wasn't the vision The vision was your brothers will come
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Your brothers will come and bow before you Your own father will come and bow before you
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The pain is still there and he's still clinging by faith to what God has shown him It seems like he recognizes there's still something unfinished here and That's embedded in the names of his son my father's house
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My affliction, how is God going to bring this to pass? It seems like Joseph is almost wanting to forget but he he can't and God, of course is preparing something better than Joseph could have ever understood as we've noted
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Suffering is a major theme in the life of Joseph Providence is perhaps the most significant theme but right behind it is suffering
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We saw that in Psalm 105 the emphasis that before Joseph became a ruler in Pharaoh's house
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He was sold as a slave his feet were hurt with fetters His neck was in an iron collar all of this until the
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Word of the Lord had tested him Same thing in Acts chapter 7 when Stevens giving a testimony
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He emphasizes the suffering the patriarchs becoming envious sold Joseph into Egypt But God was with him and delivered him out of all of his troubles.
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That's Afflictions probably even a better translation out of his afflictions Then he gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh It's interesting to me that Joseph though he's so moved by the blessing and the generosity of the mercy of God He will not lose sight of the affliction
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That's very instructive to us as believers very instructive We live in a day where Christianity really is not faith in what
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God has revealed but faith as positive thinking Just keep your chin up And when it comes to actual suffering actual affliction trouble in this life
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So often the church has only been able to say just forget all that ignore the wounds forget the affliction
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Just focus on the good. Look at the good in this. Don't you see how this is all something that you can be joyful about?
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I Understand what the heart is and what the resolve is but Joseph captures it a little bit better He gives glory to God.
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He sees the good hand of God, but not at the cost of forgetting the affliction
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It's Kind of like you've caused me to forget the affliction of my father house, but as soon as you say it you're remembering it
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We see in Joseph what we see in Jesus the scars of suffering are not erased and when it comes to the believers life scars of our suffering are not erased
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But they're covered over faithfully Length by length time by time
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They're covered over by the grace of God not erased But covered over faithfully by the grace of God He brings us to see patiently limpingly
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How he is good and trustworthy. I love what Jeremy Begbie Just a world -class pianist, but actually a very good theologian in many respects and there was an essay he wrote and he was reflecting on the difference between the crucifixion and the resurrection and how these things relate to Suffering in the place of suffering in the place of exaltation
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And so he speaks of the crucifixion the cross as Friday, right? And then of course resurrection being
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Easter The resurrection does not erase the memory of Friday. This is Begbie.
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The resurrection does not erase the memory of Friday It Confirms the cross as the focused place where the weight of the world's evil is borne away
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Let me say that again because it's so profound the resurrection the exaltation
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All right, the denouement the resolution that does not erase the memory of the cross
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What it does is it focuses The cross as the place where all of the weight of evil is borne away
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Easter does of course throw its light on Friday. In other words Jesus exaltation
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Of course throws its light upon his suffering but not as a soothing glow so much as a bright floodlight that exposes the rupture between creator and creature the depths to which the human creature has sunk and the depths to which
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God's love is prepared to reach for very profound Scar is not erased the cross not ignored
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But rather the exaltation Shows us the significance of that affliction
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Shows us the love and the patience and the mercy of God When we follow after Joseph's example
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We'll find the same fruitfulness to be thankful for even in the midst of affliction Verse 53 following the seven years of plenty his his growing boys
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Now give way to seven years of devastation The seven years of famine began to come as Joseph had said the famine was in all the lands
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But in all the land of Egypt there was bread So when all the land of Egypt was famished the people cried to Pharaoh for bread and Pharaoh said to all of the
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Egyptians Go to Joseph Whatever he says to you do it The famine was over all the face of the earth and Joseph opened all the storehouses and Sold to the
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Egyptians and the famine became severe in the land So all the countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain because the famine was severe in all the lands
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Do you get how significant it is that the famine was severe? It's repeated about five times The famine was severe the famine was severe in the land.
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All of the land is going to Joseph to find sustenance to find survival as this interpretation had declared seven years of abundance became seven years of devastation all of the people of the lands now quite literally could be translated all the people of the earth and the sort of localized understanding of the famine came to Egypt to buy grain because the famine was so severe and Here knowing we still have a about a quarter -inch left in the book of Genesis.
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We're reminded if the famine was that severe Surely it's being felt even in the land of Canaan What could be going on in Canaan that all of the people of the land are now coming to Joseph?
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We begin to see the wheels of God's providence stirring preparing us for chapter 42
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Don't lose sight of the fact that speaking historically God Is moving all of these kingdoms every grain head and every grain field across hundreds of thousands of acres
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He's causing all of that to be swept by that Sorocco that hot wind as it sweeps across the land bringing seven years of devastation
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He's moving all of that the impact upon countless people countless families he's bringing all of that to begin to work together a
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Reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers That's just a staggering thought
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How many people would have wondered what is going on in all these years? What is happening? Why do we go from such abundance to such devastation and we're told?
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So much of that answer is all being moved All the lands are being moved swirling around this coming reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers
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All of history is literally revolving around the household of Jacob All of history is revolving around the household of God the rise and the fall
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The blessing abundance and the devastating famine all of history revolves around the household of God Let's talk about typology.
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I'll try it There's so much to say here and I'm gonna try to behave Yes, we won't have time
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We've been following a pattern ever since the call of Abraham God had told
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Abraham You are blessed and you will be a blessing in fact
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Whoever blesses you will be blessed whoever curses you will be cursed And we've been following this pattern in the life even of Joseph when
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Potiphar blessed Joseph Potiphar's household was blessed when Pharaoh in this chapter blesses
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Joseph the household that is Egypt is Blessed God blesses
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Potiphar just as he blesses Pharaoh not for Pharaoh's sake not for Potiphar's sake but for Joseph's sake
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Joseph blesses in this Chapter the nations right all of the peoples of the lands all of the earth was coming to Joseph So now
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Joseph is beginning to fulfill the Abrahamic promise. You will be a blessing to the nations
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You will be a blessing to the Gentiles and in the midst of this famine Joseph is beginning to walk into this covenantal promise all of the earth is being blessed by the presence and faith of Joseph the
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Salvation of the world is hanging upon him the world in the literature here of chapter 41
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The world will starve and come to ruin unless they go and hear Joseph and are provided for by him in all of these ways we have a type of the
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Lord Jesus the true seat of Abraham who brings blessings to all of the nations and they will be
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Ruined unless they go and receive from him. We acknowledge when we hear things like bow the knee
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We can't help it here Psalm 2 Bend the knee be wise
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Those who bless him will be blessed those who Refuse to bend the knee refuse to kiss.
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The Sun will be consumed by his wrath. It's kindled in but a moment Early Christians took this up.
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Maybe not directly connected to Joseph. But do you know their favorite part of the Old Testament?
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And we say favorite because they quoted it the most often Psalm 110
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Throughout the New Testament The Apostles Christians are embracing the truth of Psalm 110
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The Messiah is now reigning and if you would have mercy you must bow the knee to him today
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I have begotten you rule in the midst of your enemies That's what early Christians were gathering on a morning like this morning to pray and to restore their hope in Potiphar points juice
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Joseph as a ruler over his house Pharaoh appoints Joseph as a ruler over his house
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Moving from Genesis 3 15 and the promise of the seed we saw how that seed takes form in the call of Abraham now
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We recognize this promised seed is going to come through the line of Abraham Isaac and Jacob this this coming seed that will crush the head of the serpent and we saw moments throughout the unfolding story of Abraham Things that help us understand more and more about the fulfillment that the
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Bible presents Remember how we don't just read it with blinders on but we read the story in light of the whole
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Biblical theology calls us to integrate the whole story as we see the biblical writers doing themselves
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And so in the Abrahamic story we come to Genesis 22 This is perhaps as significant the so -called
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Akita the binding of Isaac There we remember God provided a substitutionary sacrifice a ram
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And that of course is drawing us to even think of the Day of Atonement Things that are being revealed about what
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God is doing how this Genesis 3 15 promise is going to be fulfilled He promises and perhaps we missed this
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He promises after he provides that sacrifice and he reveals himself to Abraham and this is what he says
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Your seed will possess the gate of his enemies Your seed will possess the gate of his enemies
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So here you have the substitutionary sacrifice and then the promise
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Your seed will be so exalted so Imperial that he will possess he will conquer the gates of his enemies
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So we have right after the the substitutionary sacrifice a promise of royal victory this is language that belongs to a conquering king a
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Royal victory over all of the opponents all of the enemies of Abraham's seed Now we have elements of suffering
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We have elements of substitution and we have elements of royal conquering all contained in Genesis 22 suffering substitution royal conquering
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Isaac then embodies the coming generation of Israel They will have to suffer as they're tested by God But God will give the gates of their enemies over to them and they will have opportunity to offer
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Substitutionary sacrifices to God that they might walk in his mercy and forgiveness In Joseph now we see this this promise of the seed of suffering substitution royal conquering all converging
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Joseph rises to the highest throne in the land under Pharaoh and He does it through the experience of suffering
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So now more than ever with Abraham Isaac or Jacob in Joseph's life we see how
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Exaltation is uniquely tied to suffering and if we're thinking typologically
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We're looking for a royal conquering figure But we have in Joseph one who experiences suffering and death before he experiences
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Exaltation and power. Do you see where we're going if Genesis 22 shows that the suffering seed will encounter something like death going into the pit and Resurrection being brought out of the pit before he receives exaltation
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Then we're brought to understand more about Genesis 3 15 than up to this point in Genesis.
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We've ever been able to see We've had many powerful glimpse glimpses and shadows along the way but in chapter 41
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We have more understanding of what Genesis 3 15 is going to mean than ever before in this book
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We see Jeremy treat tremendous study the crucified King tremendous study We see the centrality of a king who mediates the rain and the blessings of God But now we have introduced that this king is going to suffer on his path to the power
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Suffering will be a key ingredient in God's plan of bringing forth redemption through this royal conqueror so the idea appears in Genesis 3 15 and even there were
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Reminded that the cost of crushing the head of the serpent will be that the seed is wounded
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You shall you know, he shall crush his head He shall strike or wound his heel the victory is going to come at a cost a bruised heel
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Suffering is the cost of exaltation. That is the story of Joseph at this point
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Suffering was the cost of exaltation We're going to sing at the very end of our service this morning behold his hands inside.
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That's the Lord Jesus rich wounds yet visible above Suffering was the cost of exaltation
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The cross was the cost of resurrection glory rich wounds still visible above So Isaac the promised seed of Abraham Not only embodies the coming generations of Israel who need to suffer before they're exalted and shown to be conquerors in the land but they're promised royal victory and They come to offer substitutionary sacrifice and all of this is riffing out on Genesis 22 the story of death and resurrection
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We see this again as We work through the narrative Joseph again if you're put under the ground in the
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Old Testament It's metaphorical death to be raised up out of the pit follow David in his Mascal Psalms We brought up out of the pit is like being resurrected from death
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Notice how this resurrection imagery is is put forward Joseph's father thinks Joseph is dead
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Genesis 37 33 so we have Death even there at the very beginning of Joseph's story the brothers even think that he's dead
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Genesis 42 21 Later the brothers themselves think that Joseph is dead and Joseph appears to them and they go back to their father and Tell them that he is now reigning under Pharaoh in Egypt.
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And what does Jacob say? Not he's what he's a ruler in Egypt They say what the
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Apostles said on resurrection morning. He's alive He's alive
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Joseph is still alive Joseph had entered into a fallen kingdom the kingdom of man
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The serpentine evil empire of the world. He was dragged into that Dragged away from the love of his father and that prestige and and and adornment of that robe
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All of that was placed upon him and and it was torn from him by his own brothers
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They stripped him clean of it and they cast him into the pit of death and then from that place of abject humiliation he was dragged as a slave into the serpentine
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Empire and there he suffered and As a slave he served and he served and he was faithful to God And then when he was lowered into that death of prison
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The day came where he was glorious brought forth he was as it were resurrected and given a place of exaltation
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He had been living by faith in God's Word Though he did not understand how it could be that becoming a slave in a fallen kingdom
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Would bring blessing to the nations He served and he suffered
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And as a result the coming curse was undone and in its place became blessing
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Two opposites that have been held out in front of us since Genesis 315 suffering covenantal curse and Blessing covenantal abundance these two these two things merged together in the life of Joseph He is quite literally a suffering
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Savior. That's what Genesis 41 is putting out before us This is the suffering
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Savior who now brings blessing to the nations Hear him bend the knee to him if any are starving and in need go to him
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He is the bread of life. He has that which will never cause you to hunger or thirst again.
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He's the suffering Savior So the gospel is shimmering through these sentences
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When he gathers up grain like the sand of the sea that that's speaking of covenantal blessing
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He has it at his complete disposal. This is far more than has ever said of Abraham Isaac or Jacob Joseph has it without measure so much so he cannot even count it.
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Can you trust him? Can you go to him and know that he is meet for your needs as a sinner?
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What do you have to do go with him? Show your need he has immeasurable resources at his disposal
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He's humble and he's merciful. He's wise and he's good
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And he meets the needs of those who cry out to him all of the land of Egypt is famished all of the people cry out
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To Pharaoh for bread. What does Pharaoh say go to him? Listen to him.
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What does Moses say to the Israelites? Listen to him. What does
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Mary say? At the wedding at Cana to the servants
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Whatever he says to you do it Listen to him. What is our response to this?
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Joseph alone has the bread of life Typologically Joseph alone has the bread of life.
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Joseph alone can be the Savior of the world Jesus alone is the bread of life
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Jesus alone can save the world Listen to him What he says to you do it
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This is the gospel in Genesis 41 the good news of Joseph's reign
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Come Jesus says sadly differently than Joseph 20 % tax hike
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Jesus has come by without money without price It's freely offered up to all who believe
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When a guilty and a convicted sinner comes with great hunger in their soul great to spare over their need
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They've been trying to pluck up Yellow and brown sprouts from a barren land in their life and they're starving and they're dying and they're perishing
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Who can they go to there is but one Savior appointed between God and men Neither is there salvation in any other there is no name under heaven by which men be might be saved
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Moses says it like Pharaoh Mary says it like Pharaoh.
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God says it This is my beloved son in whom
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I am well pleased Listen to him Listen to him listen to his voice
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Why will you perish why will you starve why would you die when you can go to him and listen to him
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This is what he still is saying to us even this morning There's so much more to say typologically we just don't have the time
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I at least want to mention There's speaking of typology, it's not directly from Joseph to Jesus if anything it's from Joseph to Daniel to Jesus Daniel is sometimes thought to be a type of Joseph Or vice versa.
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I should say the anti type to Joseph Daniel 2 for example has about 30 parallels and a lot of these corroborated as quotations from the
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Hebrew text where Daniel is quite literally a Joseph figure in the court of Babylon with a new name doing what
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Joseph did in faith and integrity What's significant about that typologically speaking biblically theologically thinking?
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What's significant about that is you have a man that's dragged into a foreign kingdom who's faithful to God and he reveals the word
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Of God and then he's given authority to God before the people of God are brought into that foreign land same thing with Daniel you have
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Him entering into the foreign court speaking the Word of God God uses that as the people are being dragged into exile
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So you have this pattern? of the faithful figure and the Exodus that follows the faithful figure the
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Exodus that follows here comes the Lord Jesus and We are in the Exodus that is following very significant very significant
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Because under Jesus we're brought out of the evil Empire under Jesus were made to conquest the land as Abraham seed we will be heirs of the world
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Well, let's close with some application We're talking about exaltation
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We looked at the exaltation of Joseph. We've seen all along the character and integrity of Joseph Typologically, we looked at the exaltation of Jesus through the lens of Joseph Joseph in Genesis 41
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What about us How should we understand the place of exaltation in our lives as followers of Jesus?
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Well last week I mentioned first Peter 5 verse 6 and If we're looking at Joseph's exaltation in chapter 41
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We should have an eye to that verse and that principle in the life of Joseph if we would seek to be exalted
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We must be humbled Humility this is probably the twelfth time
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I have mentioned or preached substantively on humility But it's like Augustine said the three things you need in Christian life most are humility humility and humility and we're talking about the type of Christ in the life of Joseph as Andrew Gray said
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Christ never becomes more a pattern to us as in this he was humble we went through Philippians in the
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Magizoo's basement at the beginning of Kovat and We went through that famous Christ hymn of Philippians chapter 2
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Jesus made himself of no reputation Taking the form of a slave coming into the likeness of men entering into that fallen kingdom empire that he might deliver all of the world as a blessing to all of the world through it and Being found in appearance as a man.
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He humbled himself Became obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross.
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Therefore God has highly exalted him and the therefore is the bridge between Humbling and exaltation.
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That's what first Peter 5 6 is saying Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God and in due time.
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He will exalt you. That's what Joseph did That's what Jesus did that is what we must do brothers and sisters
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To be humble that God might lift us up restore us Exalt us that he would be glorified as he glorifies us because of our humility and faithful service to him
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Jesus says it in Luke 14 verse 11, whoever exalts himself will be humbled and it's
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I don't wanna well Then here's your options. You can either exalt yourself and be humbled or humble yourself and be exalted another kingdom paradox a
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Proud man a man or a woman that seeks to exalt themselves Is a man or a woman that seeks comfort in life before service to God Success in their ambition before sacrifice for the way of God we don't see that in Joseph or in Jesus a proud man
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Seeks to exalt himself a man who does everything he can apart from God without God's help without an eye for God's glory
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He doesn't want God's help because he doesn't want God's way He wants his own way his own will at his own time
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So he forces things to happen brings things about he is not patient. He's not humble enough to be patient He's not mindful of others even that he has responsibilities and relations to Because he won't humble himself before God.
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He's not humble before others. He willingly damages relationships in his life He willingly neglects responsibilities in his life
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Look at Joseph's life and ask yourself this Have I been humbled by the trials that I've endured
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Joseph was a meek man He had been humbled by the trials that he endured
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Have you been humbled? By what you faced? Have you been humbled by God's providence in your life?
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Spurgeon says many people have often been humbled And yet they've not become humble
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It's a sad thing when we will not bend the knee We will not lower the neck We will not disarm our striving our toiling our selfish dependency
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Why should we seek humility?
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Why should this be a takeaway? From the life of Joseph from Genesis chapter 41.
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Well again first Peter 5. Why do we seek humility? in order to receive grace
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Where there's no humility there can be no grace. What is Peter quote from right before that Proverbs 3
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God resists the proud But he gives grace to the humble God Resists the proud and he gives grace to the humble.
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And so we need humility So that we might receive grace and in receiving grace that we might be exalted
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We must be humbled by the sufferings we endure knowing that suffering is necessary before exaltation
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We must be humbled by the providence of God in our lives knowing that That humbling is the cross that we bear before we're crowned
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Matthew Henry says the proud man resists God in his understanding He resists the truth of God in his will he resists the law of God in his passions
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He resists the providence of God. No wonder God sets himself against the proud
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It struck me now that we're in Genesis 41 to read in his passions the proud man resists the providence of God Look at what's happening in front of you.
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Look at what's unfolding in front of you. Look at your providences Are you resistant to what
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God is doing and where he's bringing you and how he's shaping you? You need to humble yourself so that you can receive grace and be lifted up What if Joseph's passions had compelled him to resist the providence of God in his life?
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That he could not look at what he was facing through the eye of God's almighty hand But only through what can
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I get out of this? How can I make way? What can I move and maneuver so that I don't have to deal with these things in this way?
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What do I have to ignore from God's Word and God's calling and the testimony of God in my life in order to do that?
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His passions causing him to resist the providence of God, but he humbled himself And so rather than resisting the providence of God He embraces the providence of God When a painful providence comes he embraces it
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He works hard for it He squeezes out anything that he can to find the the purpose and the peace of God in the midst of it
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He fights the good fight. He runs the race as to win He endures and is found faithful to the end for that reason
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There is quite literally at the throne of Pharaoh a crown of righteousness laid up for him
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So he doesn't become passive and say by the grace of God. I am what I am, which is how Paul starts that He says by the grace of God I am what
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I am and when I was in the pit or when I was in the prison or when I was at the Top of Potiphar's household or even now though by the grace of God.
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I am what I am. I fight I work I Toil, I do it all with an eye to the crown of righteousness that is laid ahead of me
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I'm humbling myself so that I can be exalted in due time Do you know brothers and sisters?
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Do you know? That a crown of righteousness is laid ahead of you
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If you would but humble yourself not resisting the providence of God, but embracing it and Fighting the good fight running the race as to win
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That you may obtain it Do you know that God's mighty hand is upon you controlling every providence whether of blessing or curse whether of famine or abundance and Do you know that it's not your place as a
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Christian Try to move that providential hand away from you
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To try to urge it onward to try to maneuver away from it. It's your place to submit to it and The only place you can submit to the almighty hand of God is in this place of humility humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God and In due time he will exalt you
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Just as he exalted Joseph Let's pray father we thank you for your word.
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We thank you for your testimonies the the vibrant display of your son in and through the life of Joseph the the rich depthless wonder of the gospel portrayed even here
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Understanding your singular purpose throughout scripture throughout all of human history
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To make known your redemption in and through the work of your son by your powerful spirit
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Help us Lord to humble ourselves Under this mighty hand that we might receive grace that we might be exalted
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Whether that Uplifting from the pit is in a certain area of our lives a certain season or circumstance that we're in or whether it's just the whole course of our life
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May it be a humbling that leads to grace and a grace that leads to glory
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May we see in the life of our Savior the path already trod and follow his faithful footsteps looking to him the captain of our salvation
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Help us to fight and to work help the men here to be
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Diligent with the tasks you see fit to give them as your servants not in unrighteous ways not seeking unrighteous gain, but Lord seeking you your face
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Seeking your kingdom and your righteousness trusting everything else will be added to them
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No matter how unlikely or distant it may seem Help us to hide these words in our heart
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Lord that your spirit may Refresh us and remind us and instill these things into us.
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We pray. There's one here Lord who Who is not listening to the Savior of the world who has not come to him for bread, but is stubbornly resisting on their way to inevitable ruin and starvation
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Might you prick their ears in their heart and turn them back from their wayward rebellion
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Lord help them to run willingly To your son that they might be saved
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We pray Lord that you would show your promise that Your people would be made willing in the day of your power these things we ask in your son's name