Pharaoh’s Dream Part 9, 8/22/04

We’ve been studying the account of Joseph and the famine that took place in the days of Jacob and his sons many hundreds of years ago some thirty eight thirty nine hundred years ago this actually took place in history. Actually we know we can be exact we have precise dates the famine began in 1879BC and it would continue for seven years until 1872BC that’s when the seven year famine would come to an end and well not in the middle but God made a dividing point in this seven year famine after two years in 1877 He called Jacob and his family out of the land of Canaan and he brought them into the land of Egypt. Now we’re very interested in this whole account because of what God says about it an Acts 7:11 He identifies it as a great tribulation, a great tribulation and that’s very significant that tells us that this seven year famine typifies the great tribulation which comes upon the world right before the end of the world. It’s that time when Satan is loosed and as we’ve been going through it we’ve been learning things about our present day because we know as we have studied the Bible that we’re living in this time of great tribulation and so what we’re reading in the book of Genesis that God wrote many hundreds of years ago some thirty nine hundred years ago has everything to do with our present day. And some people they don’t believe that they don’t believe that how could God write down just an account of history He just records history He just records things that took place and it has to do with the great tribulation in our present day that we’re going to learn about what’s going on today and some people don’t believe it because they have the idea I guess that God is like they are that God is as limited in His ability to see the future as man is. Man cannot know what’s going to happen tomorrow or next week or next month and yet God we know knows the end from the beginning and He is very much able to record things in His Word that will have application at a much later date. He records things that have application at the very end of time on judgment day itself and He is recorded in this account of history yes it’s history in the book of Genesis things that have to do with the great tribulation and we’re going to learn a lot as we continue to study this we’ve already learned some things but we’re going to learn a lot more regarding our present distress of this great tribulation. Now let’s first of all go to Galatians 4 and just take a look at this and we’ll see that all right Genesis is a book of history but look at what God says in Galatians 4 in verse 21:

Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

So God’s talking about the law talking about the law and we know that the first five books of the Bible the Pentateuch are commonly known as the Law. And we also know that the Bible itself is the law book of God it is God’s law for mankind. And He’s asking a question do you not hear the law? Just as when Jesus would give a parable and He would say let him who has ears hear, let he who has ears hear what I’m saying in this parable. In other words He would speak a parable, do you not hear the spiritual meaning of the parable? You can read the law you can read about the history in the Bible you can and it’s all throughout the Old Testament but do you actually hear it? Do you hear the spiritual significance of that history? Do you understand the Gospel that God has given us in His Word in the Bible in this law? And then He goes on:

For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

And where do we find that in the book of Genesis that Hagar and Sarah are two covenants? That their children or their children are these two covenants one mount Sinai and the other is the child of the free? The two Gospels, the gospel of works where people trying to get right by keeping the law of God and the Gospel of grace where people are saved by God’s mercy. Where do we read that? And God is saying when He asks that question do you not hear the law? That’s saying that He expected people to read the book of Genesis to read the history of Sarah and Hagar and their children of Isaac and Ishmael and He expected them to hear the spiritual meaning that was written in the law. He’s holding man accountable God holds us accountable to understand spiritual things. You know some people they when it comes to this doctrine the end of the church it’s all based on spiritualizing it’s all spiritual things, show me a plain statement. Well and they would say that when you refer to a verse like Revelation 18:4, Come out of her My people which is dealing with Babylon and they would say well what’s Babylon? God isn’t talking to the church He’s talking to Babylon He’s talking about Babylon. Well God, God expects people and holds people accountable to hear the law to understand spiritual things. We are obligated to obey God’s spiritual commandments and the reason we don’t obey is our sin the reason we don’t hear is because of our sin that has blocked our hearing that has made us deaf to the truth of the Bible and what God declares and that’s no excuse it’s no excuse not to obey God’s commandments and God’s law. Well God gave the history of Abraham and Sarah and the account of Hagar and Ishmael and He asks the question do you not hear the law, do you not understand the Gospel there? There are two covenants it’s an allegory well no where in Genesis did God say it’s an allegory it’s not like in the Gospel accounts where Jesus says the Kingdom of Heaven is like, He didn’t say that in the account in Genesis we thought we were reading actual history and it is actual history but God has in that statement in Galatians 4 revealed to us that as we read the history of the Bible the Gospel message is there the Gospel message is there and so when Abraham lays Isaac upon the altar and he’s about to bring the knife down and slay his only son the son of the promise we see the Gospel message God didn’t say there was a Gospel message there but even many theologians recognize that Gospel message and they would grant that OK that’s a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ but you see they pick and choose all right this here is acceptable because certain renown theologians agree that Isaac could be a picture of Christ in this case and Joseph yes Joseph can be a picture and a type of Christ but you see they’re inconsistent and they don’t follow it through the whole book of Genesis and all of the information God gives us in Genesis we know Joseph is a type of Christ we know that famine is picturing the great tribulation so now let’s see what we can learn and let’s read this in the light of looking for the deeper spiritual meaning of looking for the Gospel message and let’s go to Genesis 42:25-28 it says:

Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them. And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence. And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack’s mouth. And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?

You see in our account as we’ve been following along the ten brothers of Joseph the ten sons of Jacob have gone to Egypt the dearth has begun the famine has begun they’re going to Egypt to find corn and Joseph is there but Joseph doesn’t embrace them he doesn’t run to them and say, oh my brothers and say I am a ruler in Egypt. He doesn’t reveal himself at all he hides himself he makes himself strange to his brothers and he speaks roughly to them he accuses them of being spies and he says by this you will be proved when they tell him they have one more brother who is with their father, you must bring your youngest brother you must bring him into Egypt and that will be the proof that you’re true men and not spies. Well this causes the brothers to grieve they know their father is not going to like this and yet Joseph does give them corn for their journey he fills their sacks with the corn and we saw before that the corn represents the Gospel. Just turn to Psalm 78 in Psalm 78:23-25 it says:

Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.

You see the manna is called corn from heaven and the manna is Jesus Christ or it’s the Word of God it’s the Gospel and so there’s another reference where God is tying it together that the corn represents the Gospel it represents His Word that comes down from above that is spiritual food for the people of God. And so historically though Joseph filled their sacks with corn and they were traveling back to the land of Canaan and on the way back home on their journey home they stopped at a lodge that’s what it means that they it says there in verse 27:

And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, …

That’s like a lodge that would be in the wilderness somewhere. Somewhere where there would be some feed for the horses and maybe some water to drink and they stopped there in order to take a rest and a break from their journey and as they stopped one of the brothers one of the ten sons of Jacob opens up his sack probably to grab some corn to feed his donkey to feed the ass and as he does so he sees his money he sees his money. They all took money with them Jacob had given them money to go into Egypt to buy corn no way would you expect in those days to get something free. In our country we have a lot of offers of free stuff and you can sometimes obtain free things in this country. My wife is amazed she says you don’t have those kinds of things where she’s from it’s only in America it seems that you can find free stuff and so Jacob was sending his sons to buy corn he gave them money sufficient to purchase the corn and they gave Joseph they gave the Egyptians the money for the corn but Joseph commanded their sacks to be filled with corn and their money to be returned into the sacks so Joseph gave the money back and they were shocked and they were troubled by the fact that their money was restored that they had their money back and we could see why because well they didn’t know how the money got there they didn’t know that Joseph had commanded to put it back that the Egyptians had given it back to them and they might think well Simeon is bound a prisoner waiting for us to return with Benjamin and now the Egyptians will think that we stole the corn we never gave them the money for the corn and this man doesn’t like us to begin with he spoke roughly to us he’s out to get us and he’s going to use this as an occasion to throw us into prison too and so they were very troubled by this and we can see them all worrying about this as they find their money just as we might if we had an overpayment of our paycheck you know you have money that you receive and it’s not yours and what are you going to do with it, what are you going to do with it? They didn’t want to go back to Egypt they had already gone a long ways on their journey they didn’t want to go back and see that ruler in Egypt who seemed to be set against them anyway and so they continued on and they went to their father and they explained what happened. Well all right that’s what happened historically but what’s the spiritual meaning of that what is the spiritual meaning that these brothers during the great tribulation they went to or the spiritual picture is that Joseph is Christ and these brothers are believers and they’re going to Egypt they’re finding the Gospel message outside of Canaan outside of the churches and congregations and they do find corn they obtain the corn they came for they have it in their sacks and now they’re headed back to Canaan and Canaan would be a representation of the churches and congregations during the great tribulation they’re going back to the church. But why is it that their money is restored? And I think the answer is that God has established a Biblical principle in the Bible that freely you have received and freely give that’s the Biblical principle that’s in view here. You see they went to buy corn and they did get the corn without money and without price and that reminds us of what we read in Isaiah 55:1 it says:

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

God is setting Himself up as a merchant man dealing in the merchandise of the Gospel except He’s not out to make a profit He’s not out to make money off of anyone He says come and buy but then He says without money, without money because who can buy the gift of God? Who can purchase salvation? Who can obtain the grace of God through money? It’s not something that is possible in Revelation 21:6 it says in the last part of that verse:

… I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Freely, God gives freely which is that Biblical principle in Matthew 10:8:

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

So this is the Biblical standard and principle this is what God has commanded His people everyone there’s no exception freely if you believe you’re saved and a child of God ye have received the grace of God for by grace are you saved it says in Ephesians 2 for by grace are ye saved and it is the gift of God it’s a free gift it’s a free gift of salvation that God has given to us and what He’s done He’s paid the penalty for our sins He has suffered the equivalent of an eternity in hell for each one of His elect He has therefore removed the threat of hell from His people and He has given them eternal life this is the great and wonderful gift of God’s salvation that He freely gives nobody deserved it nobody obtained it nobody worked for it. Who worked for their salvation, who did some good works necessary for their salvation? Who has done enough to obtain salvation? Can you hand out enough tracts? Can you give enough money? Can you do anything to purchase salvation through good works? And the answer is no it’s an impossibility it is freely given God will have mercy upon whom He will have mercy and He will give that gift to whomsoever He chooses but who ever He does choose they’re the recipient, they’re the recipient they don’t do anything it’s just given right to them and they become a child of God now freely you have received so freely give freely give. Well now OK and this is the way it is today in many churches and in the Christian world all right I’m a child of God I’m a Christian I’ve received this free gift and that will be $9.95 for yours, thank you. That will be $99.99 for your new version of the Bible or whatever. You know it’s no free gift out there the church world wants money this is their merchandise they’ve packaged the Bible they even in Christian book stores with children’s books they paint these pretty pictures of someone they call Jesus and they sell it for $3.99 to the little children it’s all about merchandise it’s all about making money off of the Gospel and that is entirely and completely contrary to what the Bible declares. It says freely give, freely give and God will bless those that follow His guidelines on this. When a ministry like Family Radio freely gives, freely gives they freely give out the Gospel. You can request things like tapes or Bible or books and tracts and whatever and they will freely give. That is really a lot of evidence that they are doing things in accord with the Word of God just by that alone because there is such a great temptation to merchandise the Gospel as we read in the account in the Gospels, remember Jesus went into the temple and the moneychangers were there sitting they were selling in the Gospel of their day and Christ overturned the tables of the moneychangers it’s really reprehensible in God’s sight it’s an abomination to God when people try to make their living off of the Gospel. You can make your living a lot of ways well let me just add something to that of course pastors or people throughout the church age God has also established a principle that one who labours in the Gospel is to be served by the Gospel and so churches have supported their pastors and that’s all fine that’s in accord with what the Bible says and it’s fine to support people in ministries that are faithfully declaring the Word of God but when people try to get rich when they’re trying to sell you another Bible another version of the Bible when you don’t need it when the King James Version is sufficient it’s more than sufficient it’s wonderful it’s everything that we need and yet they’re coming out with the fiftieth Bible version in order to make money then that is contrary to what God says in His Word. Freely you have received and freely give and so we see this principle in Genesis here in chapter 42, they came with money they came to purchase the corn and they left with the corn and they left with their money they left with their money. They didn’t spend a dime on that corn whatever they came with is what they went home with and that’s how God would have it as far as sending out the Gospel into the world. Well then in verses 29-30 it says:

And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying, The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

And we talked about this last week but God is reiterating it as the sons are now going to tell the story to their father and God didn’t have to write it twice. He could have just said they came back and explained things but He goes into detail He uses some of the same words, the lord of the land spake roughly to us. And we saw that this has to do with the time of great tribulation and the first part especially there are very hard things in the Bible very difficult things for the believers to swallow for us to understand and to read that this is coming from God and in a way it’s as though God is speaking roughly to us as we read about the events of the great tribulation in the Word of God the Bible and yet why was it that Joseph accused them of being spies he took them for being spies? Now we know that Joseph knew they weren’t spies. They said no we are the ten sons of Jacob we are true men we are from the land of Canaan we’ve come here for corn and everything they said was accurate it was true Joseph knew it he knew that they were speaking truthfully and yet he says, you are spies, you are spies and we saw last week that a spy is someone who tries to give the appearance of being somebody he’s not. A spy sneaks into Jericho and tries to fit in with the inhabitants of Jericho. You try to give the impression you are a citizen of Jericho. Or a spy in our day he goes undercover and he goes into another country and he tries to fit in he’ll speak the language he’ll try to give the impression he’s a citizen of that country when in fact he’s not he’s not he’s a citizen of another country he belongs to another kingdom and really when we look at what a spy is we see it fits perfectly spiritually with God’s definition of a hypocrite. A hypocrite is someone who says they’re a child of God who says they’re a Christian but in their heart they’re not, they’re not a true child of God they’re not truly born again they’re saying they’re a Christian I’m a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven but in fact they’re a citizen of this world they’re a citizen of the kingdom of darkness of Satan’s kingdom. And so Joseph is trying and testing his brethren because Christ is trying and testing the believers once the great tribulation gets under way and the accusation is that you are not truly born again you are not true children of God this is the test this is the proof that God is going to He’s going to set up a big situation a big scenario during the great tribulation where He will try the people of God that are in Canaan in the churches to find out if they’re true men to find out if they’re true Israelites. Remember what Nathanael Jesus said of Nathanael in John 1:47 it says:

Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

There’s no guile no deceit, no deceit. What does the Bible say, we have a heart that is deceitful above all things. There was no deceit in Nathanael he did not have a heart full of guile so in other words he’s a true man, an Israelite indeed. Well that’s what the ten brothers of Joseph are saying to Joseph, we are the sons of Jacob we are the children of Israel we are Israelites indeed we are true men we are true men there’s no guile in us there’s no deceitfulness in us and yet Joseph wouldn’t have it even though he knew it even though he was fully aware that those ten men were true Israelites he continued with the test he continued with setting up the stage whereby they would be proved and shown to be true Israelites to be true men and what was the proof? They had to bring Benjamin, you must bring your brother, produce your youngest brother Benjamin, bring him to Egypt and that will be the proof that you’re true Israelites that you’re really it’s as though Jesus is saying this is the proof that you’ll be a true child of God at this time of great tribulation once Benjamin comes to Egypt and Benjamin we saw is important because his name means Son of My right hand, son of My right hand and Christ is at the right hand of God the Son of God’s right hand would be the body of believers we’re sons of God and Benjamin is typifying the elect. If Benjamin comes to Egypt this will be evidence that you’re true Israelites this will be evidence that you’re truly children of God once Benjamin shows himself and you bring him to me in Egypt and so it’s saying here:

The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies: We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan. And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone: And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land.

This will be the proof the evidence that you are one of God’s elect. During the great tribulation God is telling us He’s setting up something that is going to try the people of God to prove who are true Israelites and the proof will be once Benjamin comes to Egypt once the elect of God leave Canaan, the church and come to Egypt the world and show themselves to Joseph the Lord Jesus Christ. And that’s what’s in view here as God is emphasizing this again He’s going over it because it’s very important He wants us to know this that this was His plan all along this has always been His plan. Then in verses 35-36:

And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, …

This is once they get home and they’re back in the land of Canaan:

that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.

You see Jacob and his sons are in darkness they’re in darkness they don’t know what’s going on they feel that everything is set against them Jacob says that, all these things are against me. Was it true, was it true? You see we have God is really giving us something valuable here He’s giving us a look at situations as man looks at them but He’s also giving us the overall look of what’s actually going on behind the scenes and historically Joseph was fine Joseph was healthy and wealthy and wise as they say in the world in the land of Egypt and Simeon was fine he was in prison but Joseph was going to take good care of him and now Benjamin was required he had to show himself in Egypt and there is no harm intended towards Benjamin. Joseph his bowels yearn for his brother he wanted to shower him with love and give him whatever he could out of the good things of Egypt and yet as Jacob views it as he looks at things all the world is crumbling everything is dark and bleak and miserable look how terrible everything is, Joseph is not Simeon and now they want Benjamin and you see really we can see that one thing’s for sure that we don’t know a lot of times we don’t know what’s going on in our life we don’t know what’s going on when we have circumstances in our life when we have afflictions and trials and tribulations and as we view them as we look at them it’s the worse thing imaginable it’s as bad as anything could be that this thing is afflicting us whether it’s financial or physically however it’s working out and we just don’t like it at all and it would have been better in Jacob’s eyes and in his son’s eyes if they had gone to Egypt and given the money for the corn they obtained and then they had no trials and no trouble and they went right back to Canaan well that would have been the worse possible thing because there’s five more years of famine to come and they would have ultimately perished in that famine and in that dearth. God out of His mercy and out of His love and out of His care for Jacob and his family afflicted them and is putting them through a severe trial a severe test and it’s all done by God’s goodness and His grace and so it was with the people of God and so it continues to be with the people of God during this time of great tribulation. Maybe things have bothered us and you know and things have troubled us during these days but God has everything in perspective from His eternal perspective He’s looking at all things and all things the Bible says work together for good to those that love God and sometimes I think we forget that and we take our eyes off of that truth and we’re just bogged down with what’s going on in our life and the situations of our everyday life. Well Jacob was a man just like we are and he got this way too and he just said everything’s against me everything’s against me nothing’s gone right and now you want to take Benjamin you want to take my youngest son who is the son of my favorite wife while his brother is dead you want to take him and you want to bring him to that place where they just took Simeon and this lord is a cruel lord he spoke roughly to you and Jacob would not have it he would not allow it and you know those of us that are parents we can’t imagine sending our children when you really don’t know what could happen to them and to a dangerous situation especially your youngest child who you tend to baby and so Jacob is acting like a typical father he will not send Benjamin. Well Reuben, Reuben speaks up in verse 37 and it says:

And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

It was actually Reuben’s place to speak up he was the eldest son he was the firstborn however he’s speaking up in a way he’s trying to be a surety for Benjamin he’s trying to say that nothing will happen to Benjamin and I will vow to this and if something does happen to him slay my two sons see that’s where he fails a surety doesn’t say slay my two sons a surety says slay me and later on actually in the next chapter Judah will stand up and say a very similar thing and he’ll say I will bear the blame for ever and then that’s acceptable to Jacob that’s acceptable to him and he does relent and he does allow Benjamin to go with Judah and the rest of the sons in a return trip to Egypt but here as Reuben who by the way lost the right of the first born he went into one of Jacob’s concubine’s and you can read about that later in Genesis 49 and so he lost that right of the first born he also does not have a very good idea of what a surety is and so Jacob says in verse 38:

And he said, My son shall not go down with you; …

He shall not go down with you and that’s because Reuben was not qualified he was not the one that was chosen by God to be this representative who would safe guard Benjamin but Judah would be qualified and we’ll have to read more about that later and well let’s just finish this verse:

My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

And that’s mournful words of a grieving father still grieving over Joseph and now he’s gotten the news that Simeon is in trouble and now Benjamin is wanted and he’s very, very troubled. Now that’s one thing we see during this first part of the great tribulation the believers are greatly, greatly troubled greatly troubled and you know as we read Revelation 11 the two witnesses are slain and they’re lying in the street and they’re a mockery you see it’s that kind of idea they just don’t know what’s going on they don’t know really where God is where the Lord Jesus Christ is they don’t know what God’s plan is. God has not revealed these things to them yet and we see this in this family situation long ago in the land of Canaan.

All right next time we’ll finish up verse 38 then we’ll go into Genesis 43 and we’ll learn we’ll try to learn what God has for us in sending the brothers a second time into Egypt the return trip to Egypt.