JOSEPH AND THE PERSISTENCE OF FAITH

Heb. 11:22

Morning Meditation 4/5/2015

"By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones."

In this study we will see Joseph as an illustration of the persistence of faith.

I would like to encourage you to read the story of Joseph in one sitting. It is one of the most beautiful stories in the Bible. There is such a likeness to Christ in this man's life. I remember as a young preacher reading this story. I could not read it with dry eyes. It touched my heart then and now.

Francis Dixon gives what he calls, "Seven outstanding events in Joseph's life that wonderfully foreshadowed similar events in the life of our Saviour.

1. Joseph was especially loved by his father, as was the Lord Jesus -- look up Gen. 37:3, and compare Matt. 3:17; John 3:35; 5:20; 10:17; 17:24.

2. Joseph was hated and sold by his brethren, as was the Lord Jesus -- look up Gen. 37:4, and compare Luke 19:14; John 1:11; 15:25.

3. Joseph was unjustly condemned, as was the Lord Jesus -- look up Gen. 39:19-20, and compare Luke 23:41.

4. Joseph was raised to a position of great power and authority, as was the Lord Jesus -- look up Gen. 41:41-44, and compare Acts 5:31.

5. Joseph became a blessing to the Gentiles and took a Gentile Bride -- and so did the Lord Jesus -- look up Gen. 41:1-45, and compare Acts 15:14.

6. Joseph revealed his identity to his brethren, and so will the Lord Jesus -- look up Gen. 45:1-15, and compare Zech. 12:10; Rom. 11:1, 5, 25, 26; Heb. 2:11-12.

7. Joseph assured his brethren of his unchanging love, and so does the Lord Jesus -- look up Gen. 45:15, and compare Eph. 2:7.

Joseph has more in common with Jesus than any other character in the Old Testament. One of the things that follows Joseph throughout his life and is the center of his dying testimony is his persistence of faith. What does Joseph's persistence of faith teach us?

A PERSISTENCE OF FAITH IS NOT SHAKEN BY FIERCE ADVERSITY

We are told in Genesis 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 colours."

His brothers' hated him because of the "favorite son treatment." This is brought out in Genesis 37:4-11, "And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying." Then here is what developed from this resentment and hatred:

1. Joseph went looking for his brethren as they fed their flocks and we are told in Genesis 37:18, "And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him."

2. We are told Genesis 37:21-22, "And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again."

3. Then they came up with the idea of selling him as a slave to some Ishmeelites that dealt in a variety of goods including slaves. So they sold Joseph for 20 pieces of silver and they (the Ishmeelites) brought Joseph into Egypt.

4. Then they took Joseph's coat of many colors and killed kid of a goat and put the blood on the coat and took the coat to Jacob a let him think that Joseph had been killed by a beast. They let Jacob their father morn over the loss of his son which he had not lost. The cruelty of Joseph's brethren was wicked.

5. We are told next in Genesis 37:36, "And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard."

6. Potiphar saw that God was with Joseph and he put him in charge of all his house. Potiphar's wife set her evil eye on Joseph and wanted him to commit an act of immorality with her. We are told in Genesis 39:7-9, "And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. BUT HE REFUSED, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" How many men would have had the character of Joseph? Joseph was persistent in his faith in God. He saw this as a "sin against God," not just Potiphar.

7. So Potiphar's wife accused Joseph of what she had done and Potiphar believed his wife and put Joseph in prison. We are told in Psalms 105:17-19, "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." I think I would have said, "Lord, if you want me to go to Egypt and wind up on the throne, isn't there an easier way this could be done?" But we hear no complaint out of Joseph. Joseph was an amazing man of faith. And we are told that even in prison in Genesis 39:21-22, "But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it."

Joseph never failed in his faith. His faith endured fierce adversity. There were so many things for which he was not to blame but he suffered for it. He never ceased to have faith in God. His dying words had to do with faith in the promise of deliverance from Egypt. He said, "God will deliver you from Egypt and when He does you take my bones up out of Egypt and bury them in the Land God promised our fathers." That is not a quote. I put it in quotation marks for emphasis. Next,

THE PERSISTENCE OF FAITH IS NOT SPOILED BY SUCCESS OF PROSPERITY

So often success in the material world is the greatest trial the believer faces. I have seen this happen over and over again. When a person's wealth increases he uses his increase to invest in material things that come between him and God. Many times these things take him out of Church. They will do things because they have the money that are not wrong in themselves but they allow those things to interfere with their service to the Lord.

Joseph went from prison to the throne. He went from poverty to wealth overnight. I do not want to even suggest that wealth is wrong. I can give you a paragraph of names of wealthy men in the Bible who were men of integrity and their wealth did not stand between them and God. They used it rather to promote the work of God. They gave liberally as a testimony of where their wealth came from. I love to see men and women prosper financially. But it is an awesome disappointment when they go from a Spiritual Christian to carnal Christians because they could not stand up against the trial of wealth. We need a persistent faith like Joseph who did not allow his success spoil his faith.

I have often thought how wonderful it would be to have a wealthy man come to me after 42 years of pastoring and being heavily involved in missions and say, "I want to finance your mission work." Now let me tell you what I mean. There are missionaries all over the world who have paid and are paying a great price to serve the Lord on their various fields of labor. No pastor ever visits them. Many times there are family problems that need to be dealt with. I have thought it would be good to be able to go to many of the fields and visit with the missionaries and their families without any cost to them. It would be a ministry of exhortation. The fact is I know that the churches would not support a ministry to missionaries. And I understand. But there are Christian men whose wealth could support a ministry that would involve plane tickets and motel rooms, etc. Incidentally, I'm not applying for the job. But I have thought about the great need of ministry to missionaries and their families.

Joseph's faith was persistent in success and prosperity just like it was when Potiphar's wife propositioned him.

A PERSISTENT FAITH IS READY TO FORGIVE THE GREATEST WRONG

When Joseph was second only to the Pharaoh of Egypt, and had the rule of the kingdom, and was in a position to do great damage to his brethren for the treacherous way in which their envy motivated them to sell him as a slave to the Ishmaelites, he was completely forgiving. When Jacob and his family ran out of food in Canaan, we are told in Genesis 42:1-3, "Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt."

When they arrived in Egypt and came before Joseph we are told in Genesis 42:8, "And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him."

And after the process Joseph put them through, he let them know that he was their brother. Genesis 45:4-8 says, "And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earring nor harvest.. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt."

Then after they entered Egypt and there was a great reunion between Joseph and Jacob his father, Jacob finally passed away. Then we are told in Genesis 50:15-21, "And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them." How many Christians do you know who would take Joseph's attitude of forgiveness? Joseph is an amazing man of faith and submission to the will of God.

You know this is what will happen when Jesus comes again. The Jews will see Him whom they have pierced and will realize at that time they crucified their true Messiah. They are going to understand what an awful mistake they made. They no doubt will be filled with fear. But Jesus will say something like Joseph, "You meant it for evil but God meant it for good." It was God that sent me to the cross to save you from your sins. And He will speak kindly unto them. Someone hold my mules!!! Hallelujah!!!

God bless each of you.

In Christ

Bro. White