Gathering Everything To The King

Genesis 47:11-31

 

Intro: We have seen in our study in the Life of Joseph that Joseph is a type of Christ . Picture of Jesus .

A)   Pit to the Palace – Process to bring about the Promise

 

B)   At that Place where reunited w/ his family - / CAME AFTER THEIR CONFESSION –

1)                 Now we see them brought to Egypt – where they are Provided for DURING THE TIME OF THE FAMINE .

 

Pick up in v. 11,12

 

HERE WE SEE JOSEPH’S GRACE TO HIS FAMILY – Note 3 things

A)   1st – Their Position : Gave them the best of the Land

 

B)   We know from Gen. 46:34 That He placed them in the Land of GOSHEN – later called RAMESES

 

C)   Interesting names:   The name GOSHEN = to draw near – In other words his brothers were in a place where they had access to him!

1)                 The name RAMESES = the thunder that Destroys – Suggesting that

they had ACCESS TO  the One who spoke w/ a voice of AUTHORITY

 

 

PAINTS A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE OF OUR SALVATION IN CHRIST .

A)   Saved from the Famine – Given a position of being a member of the family .

 

1 John 3:1  Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!

 

B)   Position : IN CHRIST –

 

Rom. 5:1  Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

2       through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

 

Hebrews 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

15  For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

16     Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

 

A)   Come Boldly – Prayer –  WORSHIP – what a privilege

1)                 VEIL HAS BEEN RENT !!!!!

 

A)   We too have ACCESS into the prescience of the Lord the one who SPEAKS W/ THE VOICE OF AUTHORITY .

 

 

2ND THEIR PORTION V.12  Then Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father's household with bread, according to the number in their families.

 

A)   He met their needs & took care of each & every one of them .

 

B) Jesus the BREAD OF LIFE – says to us – John : 35   "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

 

B)   Moses – I AM – I am the Becoming one .

 

 

 

TO TEACH US OF HIS CARE FOR US – JESUS DECLARED IN LK. 12: 6  "Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God.

7       "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

 

 

A)   So Joseph gave to each of his brothers according to their families

 

B)   Also a neat Picture of what is going to take place w/ Israel during the Millennium – according to Ezk. 48 –

1)                 Israel is going to be placed in the best of the Land - & PORTIONS are going to be given to each of the 12 tribes according to their families

 

 

In v. 13-26 / Focus now turns to Joseph’s dealings w/ the Egyptians/  read

 

A)    The famine reached its height – The Egyptians realized that there was no hope apart from JOSEPH .

 

B)    Oh how the world needs to come to this REALIZATION – that there is no HOPE APART FROM – JESUS !!!!!

 

C)    Oh how the Church needs to come to this REALIZATION – THAT there is no hope apart from the Lord .

1)                 What ever the situation – what ever the need ! The answer is in the words COME UNTO ME.

 

A)   What we see here is a gradual progression of giving all that they had to Joseph. [ Joseph GATHERING EVERYTHING TO THE KING]

 

1st- PURSES – their MONEY v.13,14 – BUY GRAIN

2ND POSSESSIONS – Their land – v. 15-17

3rd – PROPERTY -    Their Cattle . v. 18-20

4th PERSONS -   V. 21

They placed all that they had under the care of Joseph & in return they were GIVEN LIFE -  SAVED / SUPPORTED CARED FOR !!!!

A)   Note this v.22-26 – Joseph puts a 20% tax in place for when the famine ends -  note their response

 

B) v.25   So they said, "You have saved our lives; let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants."

 

A)   GREAT FINE / WONDERFUL – 20% - NO PROBLEM – You have saved our LIVES

 

 

To me this is a beautiful picture of the Progression that so often takes place in our lives

A)   In the world / in the FAMINE – not satisfied – not fulfilled . needs are to met – not – filled / still the VOID

 

B)   Finally we break down & come to JOSEPH -  to JESUS THE BREAD OF LIFE .   Saved !!!!

 

C)   We begin to find – that Because Jesus loves us so much He doesn’t just want to be our Savior – He wants to be our LORD

1)                 Not just a part of our lives – wants our lives to revolve around Him

 

A)   So He sees us clutching on to our Purses / possessions / Property – sees us struggling w/ stuff - & be distracted –

1)                 Says :  WILL YOU GIVE THAT TO ME

 

A)   And w/ each thing that he asks – for -  that He says – Let me have control of He blesses us in more ways than we can comprehend

1)                 Until we say – like these guys -  WE ARE SAVED -  take it all !!!!

 

 

We come to understand the foolishness – of doing things in our strength – hanging on to things /      ALL OF ME /    Importance of Prayer

Also interesting to note that what Joseph is doing here is another interesting Picture of what Jesus will do during the Millennium .

A)   We are told in Zech. 14 that during the Millennium Jesus will invite all the nations to come to Him in Jerusalem during FEAST OF TAB.

 

B)    Those who do will be blessed – but those who don’t will experience drought in their lands .

1)                 Interesting – those who do -  BLESSED /  those who say I don’t want to make the journey – DROUGHT

 

A)     Interesting – because the Lord tells us that if we draw near to Him – He will draw near to us .

1)                 He is the REWARDER OF THOSE WHO DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM

 

A)    How many – don’t DILINGENTLY SEEK -  as a result they experience drought in their lives !!!!

1)                 Told that is good – Brethren dwell together in unity -  great thing blesses the LORD – blesses us

 

A)     For that reason the Lord says Don’t forsake the assembling of ourselves

 

 

Yet you talk to some people – who are in the mist of Drought – ask are you seeking the Lord ? In Word ?     Are you in fellowship ? 

A)   Can’t LIVE ON SUNDAY MORNINGS /  Wed. / men's / women's / home group – essential

 

B)   Here is the thing – more you seek the Lord / more we turn over of our time / possessions / our LIVES into the Lord’s care / oversight

1)                 The more blessed we will be – the more we will find ourselves moving in the very flow –  of our Lord’s will & Purpose .

 

 

TURN TO EPH. 1 / Principle of what Life is about !!!!!

EPH. 1: 8  which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9  having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,

10  that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth; in Him.

 

Guys this is what life is all about – All things being gathered together in & around him / everything centered & Revolving around JESUS

A)   Seen in FRUITION IN MILLENNIUM – Where all History is heading !!

 

B)   Now to the degree that I allow that to take place in my life will be the degree to which I am moving in the Flow of where all History is going

 

C)   But if I RESIST that then I am going against the Flow of God’s Plan for the Ages / the World / MY LIFE INDIVIDUALLY !!!!!

 

D) If I am holding back parts of my life from Jesus CARE / & OVERSIGHT

1)                           Going against the Flow – KICKING AGAINST THE GOADS

 

 

 

Now v. 27 begins a transition : Death of Jacob – touch on a few things quickly !!!!    v. 27-31  

A)   1st note where Jacob's HOME & HEART WAS AT !

 

B) Although Jacob – lived 17 more yrs in the Luxury of Egypt – surrounded by the Pomp & pageantry -   That was not his home !!!

 

C) He didn’t want to be buried there !!!!! -    Knew that was not his home !!!

 

A)   Jacob was in Egypt – but Egypt was not in Jacob

 

In the World but not of the World /  Pilgrims – this world is not our Home !!!!!     

Ch. 48 :1-7  / Jacob sick – strengthened by the Visit !!!! – Helps ministry

 

B) But note this : Joseph & his sons get a blessing – adopted into the Family – given inheritance

1)                           Isn’t that so often the case ! You go to serve & You get blessed

 

A)   Jesus said IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN RECEIVE

 

Luke 6: 38  "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

 

B)   So Joseph’s sons get adopted by Jacob – actually 14 tribes / but the tribes of Ephraim & Manasseh – replace – Joseph

1)                 Never hear of the Tribe of Joseph - 

 

A)   ALSO  the Tribe of Levi !  Became the Priestly tribe – wasn’t given Land

 

 

Now Jacob is getting old & his eyesight was failing - & he says all of this not realizing that Joseph’s sons were w/ him -  [ Little guys behind legs]

A)    So inv. 8 -  20  give commentary

 

B)    Now – In Heb. 11: 21  By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

 

C)    WHAT THAT MEANS is that Jacob was giving the Greater Blessing to Ephraim – because it had been revealed to Jacob – by the Spirit –

1)                 That Ephraim would be greater than his Brother Manasseh

 

A)    So by faith – Jacob – uttered this word of blessing that was really a Prophetic word .

1) And it came to Pass /   Ephraim – much greater than Manasseh in fact Ephraim became one of the Most Powerful tribes / numerically

Recall in OT – that the 12 tribes would eventually split into 2 nations / 2 Southern tribes – were called JUDAH

A)   10 Northern tribes – called Israel – but also called Ephraim

 

B) Note 2 things in this : 1st -  Never too old to be used by the Lord

          Jacob 147 – still getting – words

 

C) 2ND – PATTERN IN SCRIPTURE :   YOUNGER PREFERRED

      BEFORE THE OLDER /

1)                           Abel blessed not Cain

2)                           Isaac not Ishmael

3)                           Jacob not Esau

4)                           Joseph not Rueben

5)                           Moses not Aaron

6)                           David Not Eliab

 

D) God takes lesser makes greater – Why ?

 

 

God desires to take the Foolish things ….. confound wise

A)   Weak things to illustrate His strength !!!!

 

B)   Weak things to manifest his power !!!!

 

v.21 21  Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am dying, BUT GOD  will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.

22     "Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow."

 

Here Jacob gives 2 more Prophecies

A)   1st was that God would bring them back to the Land

Gen. 15:13-16 – Egypt was Prophesied to Abe / Your seed shall be a  stranger in a land that is not yours/ serve 400 yrs afflicted / return here

B)   Jacob reminds Joseph of this & then takes it one step further by Prophesying their – future conquering of the Amorites in Canaan

1) Took Place under -   Joshua !!!!

 

C)   Prophesy – no record of Jacob ever having any conflict w/ the Amorites

 

LAST THING : take us into communion - "Behold, I am dying

BUT GOD  will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.

 

Eph. 2:1-7