JOSEPH - "THE WORD OF THE LORD TRIED HIM"
JOSEPH- “THE WORD OF THE LORD TRIED HIM”
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Psa. 105: 16-23: “He (God) called for a famine upon the land; He broke the whole staff of bread. He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant; whose feet they hurt with fetters; he was laid in iron; Until the time that his word came; the word of the Lord tried him. The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of his substance; to bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.”
The story of Joseph reveals how God rules in His principle of divine election in rulers, in nations, and in families. The Lord’s divine purpose in the life of Joseph is revealed clearly in 45:7: “And God sent me before you to preserve you posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. It was not you that sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.”
We are all watching and praying (as we should) regarding the “election” of the President of the United States in 2012.
Through the Lord’s sovereign and omnipotent principle of divine election, whereby He requires greatness from a man or woman, “The word of the Lord will try Him”.
Joseph was favored by his father, Jacob. He was one of two sons Jacob had by his beloved wife, Rachel. (Gen. 37:3) “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a coat of many colors.” This is a “type” of the Son of the last days. The coat was not only ostentatious, but it was believed by most scholars that the sleeves were richly ornamented. It was of royal character. The rainbow has seven colors and denotes the 7 Spirits of God.
The robe was as symbolic of his calling as his dreams. All the dreams in Joseph’s story come in pairs, which confirms their significance and that they were God given. He was the “dreamer” who had a vision of the throne (ruler-ship). (Gen. 37: 8-11) “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?
Joseph was hated by his brothers, who were jealous of him. They plotted and wanted to kill him. They stripped him, cast him into a pit and sold him into slavery for twenty pieces of silver. This was Joseph’s first stripping. He lost the “covering” of His father’s house.
37:31: “And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood.” (Vs. 36) “The Midianites (sounds a little like the Media to me) sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s and captain of the guard.” I will interject a parallel into this story. After the Iowa caucus, all of the media declared Rick Perry’s campaign dead.
Back to the story line---Joseph is now a prisoner of the Lord.
39:2-3: “The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. His master saw that the Lod was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand…The Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.”
Joseph is then tempted with the “harlot”. The harlot represents the seduction of corruption of the flesh whether in religion or government. Joseph refuses the harlot, loses his reputation, stripped a second time, put in prison, falsely and unjustly accused. He left his cloak behind in the harlot’s hand. Joseph lost his “covering” of Potiphar’s house. Those who are “elect” of God, “the word of God will try them” and test them if they will be willing to become of “no reputation”. Those who are called to greatness will suffer rejection and persecution. For those who are called to lead, rejection and persecution can have no power over you.
Joseph was destined to spend considerable time in prison. Again he was anointed to govern. He became keeper of the prison and king of the prisoners. The experience of “the Word of God is trying him.” The experience was to prepare the way for the next step to his career, though not in the way he hoped and expected. His natural plea for help fell on deaf ears, or rather forgetful ears. Once again it is emphasized that God and God alone controlled Joseph’s affairs. Genesis Chapter 40, emphasizes that God alone could bestow the gift of the interpretation of dreams.
The center of the drama now moves to the royal palace. Since the last episode, two full years had passed, and thirteen since Joseph left home. Pharaoh has a dream. As with Daniel, none of the wise men could interpret the dream to Pharaoh. The chief cupbearer at least remembered his obligation to Joseph at a very opportune moment.
41:14: “Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon; and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came into Pharaoh.” He is shaved, cleaned up, and is stripped again before he comes into his destiny.
Joseph interpreted the dreams and gave the Glory to God. (41:16) “It (the gift of interpretation of dreams) is not in me. God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” All of the gifts of the Holy Spirit when administered to us will give us peace.
The dreams are from God prophesying seven years of prosperity and seven years of famine.
(41:38) “Pharaoh said to his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? Pharaoh said to Joseph, forasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is none as discreet and wise as you are. You shall be over my house, and according to your word shall all my people be ruled; only in the throne will I be greater than you. Pharaoh said to Joseph, See I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”
Joseph is now exalted to the second place in Egypt.
41:46: “Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh King of Egypt. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.”
The Hebrew word for Joseph means “adding, or let him add; he shall add; increase, whom Jehovah will add to; he shall increase progressively---the great adder ---abundance of life.” Joseph ---elder brother of Benjamin--- (He shall add another son—(Rom. 8:29. Both Joseph and Benjamin speak of the overcomer who will sit with Jesus in the throne. (Rev. 3:21))
Joseph was sent ahead of his brethren as a firstfruits ministry to preserve life on the earth. (Rev. 14: 1-5) “These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfuits unto God and to the Lamb.”
Joseph tested his brothers, fed them and delivered Israel (Jacob’s family) sixty-six people. However in 46:27 (including Joseph’s household—there were seventy). 47:27: “And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew and multiplied exceedingly. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; so the whole age of Jacob was 147 years.”
As time drew near that Israel must die, Jacob’s first concern was to ensure that his own bones should not rest, even temporarily in foreign soil. Israel must rest in the Promised Land. As Joseph’s final illness falls upon him, Joseph’s two sons are brought to the old man for his blessing. Jacob effectively adopts them on a par with his own two firstborn, while indicating that no later sons of Joseph should share their privileged position. For future Israel, this meant that the list of tribes and tribal holdings were now closed with the names of Ephraim and Manasseh.
Joseph carefully marshaled his sons into the correct position for Manasseh to receive the firstborn’s blessing. Jacob spoke prophetically over the boys, giving Eohraim the greater bledssing. It was to be historical that Ephraim and Manasseh jointly should be the most powerful constituent part of Israel. This was to be no accident of history, but foreordained by the election of God.
In his blessing, by his reference in 48:16 “to the Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
This redemption is Messianic and prophetic of the redemption of the nations of the earth through Israel’s son, Jesus Christ. Joseph forgave his brothers and begins to feed them. The ministry of Jesus Christ is forgiveness and blessing. He is the Pattern for all who share His administration (government) of forgiveness and blessing.
Verse 22, also is Messianic. “Moreover I have given to you (Joseph) a ridge of land above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.”
The Hebrew word is identical with the place name Shechem. John 4:5-7: “He (Jesus) comes to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar (Shechem), near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well; and it was about the sixth hour. There came a woman of Samaria to draw water; Jesus said to her, give me a drink… Jesus said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that said to you , give me to drink, you would have asked of Him, and he would have given you living water…Whosoever drinks of this water shall never thirst. But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water spring up into everlasting life.
“Jesus is the lid to Jacob’s well. This familiar story of John shows a Well on the well. He will no longer allow us to draw from the Jacob nature. We will have to move Him aside to get to the bitter water. Like the woman of Samaria, we have been married to five husbands, our five natural senses. We have walked after the flesh, and not the Spirit. Not being satisfied we have gone on to flirt with number six, representing all that appears to man. Now we are meeting the Seventh Man, the Perfect Man, and the Lord from heaven. He is showing us how to show mercy. Drop your water pot and become a water pot. Lower yourself into Him and then run into the city with the good news.” (Kelly Varner – The Priesthood is Changing, published by Destiny Image).
Genesis 49:22-24: “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall; The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him; But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel;)…”
Joseph began his life as a shepherd boy, but was chosen by God to be a ruler. He would be a well of living waters (ministry). He would be hated by other archers (ministries or government leaders). He would not miss. (His ministry would pierce the heart.) He would be blessed by God. He would be separated from his brethren. Then at last, he would be revealed and manifested to his brothers.
Genesis 49: 25-27: “Even by the God of your father, who shall help you; and by the Almighty, who shall bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies under blessings of the breasts, and of the womb; The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of my fathers to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brothers.”
Deut. 33:13-17: “And of Joseph he (Moses) said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven; for the dew; and for the deep that couches beneath; for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills; and for the precious things of the earth and fullness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelled in the bush; let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brothers. His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns; with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth, and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.”
The word “precious” is used three times. Also Horns represents power. (all power and all authority---this is the ministry of the Sons of God who are energized with the seven Spirits of God (the fullness of the Spirit- Isa. 11: 1-2).
Preached by: Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture from K.J.V. quote as indicated from The Priesthood is Changing by: Kelly Varner, published by Destiny Image; F.F. Bruce Bible Commentary, D. F. Payne; Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of those from whom I have gleaned.