Joseph in Egypt

Tomorrow (Feb. 27, 2011) will be the last message in a long journey through the book of beginnings, Genesis. The church has been patiently working its way through this wonderful account for around two years now. We finally arrive at chapter 50. Joseph is the Prime Minister of Egypt. At this time in the ancient world, Egypt was the most powerful, prosperous nation in the world. And our boy, Joseph, is a Hebrew... The irony is amazing. This young Jewish man, sold into slavery 20 years earlier by his brothers, has through the providence of God, become the second in command to the most powerful man in the world. He is more Egyptian now than Hebrew although he never denied his heritage and his God.... Joseph's father, Jacob has died (ch.49) and now his brothers are scared to death that Joseph will go back on his pledge to care for his brothers in spite of their betrayal. They are gripped with fear - and Joseph tells them, "Do not fear. Am I in the place of God?" (50:19).  In other words, Joseph knows that it is God job to get revenge, not man's (Romans 12:19). He not only will leave the vengeance to God but he also sees God sovereign hand in the midst of the travesty that had happened to him. He continues "as for you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good..." (50:20). Joseph, way before the writings of Paul (Romans 8:28), believed that God works all things for good to those who love and are called by God. Joseph's incredible grasp on the doctrine of God's sovereignty helped him survive slavery, wrongful accusations (with Potiphar's wife) and wrongful imprisonment. He was elevated to Pharaoh's highest court and became a rescuer to his family and to all the nations of the world. Joseph presents us a picture of what Christ ultimately and completely would fulfill. Joseph's Christlike treatment of his brothers teaches us about God's forgiveness to the underserving (that's us) and his comfort and care to those He had every right to destroy (again, that's us).
Joseph rightly understood and modeled God's love for us through His Son. His strong belief in God's sovereignty helped him to:
1) Be humble (Neither Joseph nor his brothers deserved God's favor)
2) Remove all bitterness (if anyone deserved to be bitter Joseph did. But through God's kindness to him he is reminded to be kind to others)
3) Be equipped to move on (with all the negative things that happened to Joseph, he could have easily done what most of us do when we are wronged... hang onto our anger and resentment because it gives us a certain power to hold over the offenders head and in essence to place ourselves in the place of God. Moving on is something we don't particularly enjoy as we get satisfaction from holding others sins over their head)
4) Enable him to give generously. ( not only does Joseph forgive them. He also provided for them and comforted them. (this is a wonderful picture of what God did for us in Christ)
The thread  that runs through the book of Genesis and indeed in the storyline of the whole bible is this; God is absolutely working His plan. That plan includes His sinless Son dying for our sin so we could be reconciled to God and Joseph reconciled with his undeserving brothers.    I hope all of you who have been  in on the sermons on Genesis this past 2 plus years have learned and enjoyed this great book as much as I have.... God bless!

 "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits  of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,  and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.  In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,  having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.  And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,  by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him." Colossians 2: 6 - 15 ESV 

In Him.... note the underlined words in this short passage. If I count right, 6 times Paul uses the words "in Him" . He is speaking about our relationship to Jesus. We are to 

"walk " (or live/find our existence) in Him. This requires the Holy Spirit take up residence in us as this is how we are indwelt by Christ (Romans 8:9). The whole theology that Paul is referring to is in the words "in Him". This means we cannot do these things, or live this way "without Him."  These words "in Him" sum up that in Himself Jesus made us right with God. Paul uses the words "with Him" 3 times to emphasize that Jesus included us in His finished work. 

BOTTOM LINE: God has left no stone unturned... He has done everything and done the only things that matter in reconciling His fallen creatures. " Salvation belongs to the Lord" (Jonah 2:9) ... Now the question is do YOU belong to the Lord?... Have you been buried and raised with Christ? Has He taken the debt you owed God and paid it for you and in your place. Are you walking/living in Him? Trust Him today by faith and He will save you. 

The Trinity in Salvation

God is One and God is Three... the Trinity. God in Three Person's - Father, Son, and Spirit. This characteristic of God is a mystery for sure, but He does want it to be totally misunderstood. We have many passages of Scripture where we see the work of God in the triune (three-in-one unity). The Apostle Paul was blown away by this, as we should be. God has revealed Himself and expressed Himself in the Trinity. In Ephesians chapter 1, as Paul is writing from a Roman prison cell to the church at Ephesus and then is to be circulated through the churches, about the Trinity in salvation... 

Ephesians 1:1-14

"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful  in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known  to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ  as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,  so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.  In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee  of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." 

In this passage we see that :

1) God the Father  - ADOPTED (chose) US (vv. 1-6) 

2) God the Son - REDEEMED (purchased.. bought back) US (vv. 7-12) 

3) God the Spirit - SEALED (promised to preserve) US (vv. 13-14) 

And ALL God's children said; "AMEN!!!"