Pharaoh’s Dream Part 11, 9/5/04

First of all I forgot my notes today so we’re going to see how well I’ve done my homework and how well I can remember what I was studying. I almost feel like when you take the training wheels off you know how you got to ride without the training wheels. But let’s go to Genesis 43 and we’ll read verse 1:

And the famine was sore in the land.

The famine was sore in the land and if you remember last time we had gone all the way to verse 9 in Genesis 43 we saw that the brothers had returned home they had given Jacob the information of what had happened in Egypt and Jacob was very grieved he was troubled by all these events that were taking place. Well they had told him that the lord of the land who was Joseph but they didn’t know that that the lord of the land had made it a requirement that Benjamin return back with them and that they could not go back to Egypt unless Benjamin was with them well Jacob will not send Benjamin Reuben offers to be the one who will vouch safe for him as Reuben offers his two sons he says you can slay my two sons if anything happens to him and he will protect them but Jacob will not have that at all and he says that he will not send Benjamin with Reuben. Well that’s how it stays for some time because they eat up all the corn all the corn that they took out of Egypt however much corn that was we’re not told exactly but it was probably enough corn to last for sometime and so Jacob is resisting he’s resisting as best as he can in sending his youngest son Benjamin to Egypt but Joseph has arranged circumstances so that there’s no way around it that Jacob is going to have to send Benjamin or they’ll die there’s no other option there’s no other choices if they do not return to Egypt to get more corn they’ll not survive the famine and Joseph knows that he knows that it’s not a temporary famine it’s not of one or two years duration it’s a long famine of seven years so he’s waiting it out he has set circumstances in motion he’s arranged all this Joseph thought this out pretty quickly how he could get Benjamin back to him in Egypt without revealing himself to his brethren and that was to prove them so they would show themselves to be true men not spies they must bring their youngest brother. Well Jacob does not like that idea and so he keeps Benjamin with him but the famine is continuing the famine is sore in the land the famine’s getting worse and worse that’s the nature of famine like that when there’s no rain when there’s no crops everything will just deteriorate everything will become like a desolation everything is just going to become more severe and more troublesome. Nothing in a famine like this would get better and it was sore in the land. Now we have to keep in mind that this famine is typifying the great tribulation and as Acts 7:11 tells us that this famine which was sore in the land is a picture of our current spiritual famine now some of us have realized that we’re in the great tribulation for sometime now even a few years and we can ask ourselves has the famine gotten any better out there in these few years that we’ve been aware of it? Have things improved at all in the churches in the congregations of the world that are outside there in any of the denominations? Is anyone really searching the Bible and trying to get rid of their wrong doctrines? Are people trying to be as faithful as possible more so now than a few years ago when this great tribulation began? Or are they falling away to even a greater degree? Do we hear more and more that there’s not a love of the truth that more and more doctrines are being put forth that are not faithful to the Bible? And that’s actually the way it’s going that’s the way the churches are going they’re falling further and further away from the truth the famine is sore in the land just as it was there and this is at about the two year mark of this historical famine and you know we’re well into the great tribulation this spiritual famine that is taking place presently. Let’s look at that verse in Amos 8:11 because it has a lot to tell us and a lot to say as we are reading this account in Genesis. Amos 8:11:

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

That’s something else has anyone has anyone now had their ears opened in the church in the congregation? Has God changed His plan? Or is He still closing their ears are they still they can hear the Word of God but there’s no blessing upon that Word and that’s how it is God is not going to suddenly halt His judgment upon the churches the only thing that’s going to stop this judgment is judgment day itself is the end of the world as it will transition from a judgment on the churches into the final judgment of mankind but up until then the situation spiritually will get worse and worse and that’s what’s in view in Genesis 43 as the famine was sore in the land and they had gone to Egypt they had left Canaan to find corn they found a source of the Gospel in other words outside of the church during the first part of the great tribulation and they heard the Word of God they brought it back to Canaan and then the corn is all eaten up and there can be no further blessing upon that they’re still in the land of Canaan and they need more corn they have to return to Egypt they must go back to Egypt a second time they have to go back to Joseph he has the corn. You see how God has really pinned Jacob into a corner there’s no way out there’s no way out and it’s exactly the same thing with us with believers today what is the way out when we’re in this time of great tribulation and the Gospel is out there in the world that’s where God’s blessing it He’s not blessing it in the church but some people are so uncomfortable with the idea of leaving their church that they hesitate they hesitate they hold back just as Jacob is holding Benjamin back and Benjamin is typifying the elect he does not want to let Benjamin go to Egypt he thinks it’s too dangerous and so do some people think it’s too dangerous spiritually to leave the church to go out there well who’s going to watch out for me who’s going to take care of me spiritually the pastor has been given the responsibility to be a shepherd and an overseer of me who’s going to take care of me if I leave the church? You see it’s an idea some people have that they’re going to be all alone that they’re going to be like a lost little sheep wandering out in this cruel world and they’re going to be taken and destroyed they’ll be easy prey and yet, yet God is working things out historically here so that Jacob must send Benjamin there’s no way around it he’s worked it out in our lives too where the true believer must, must come out of the church if we’re going to survive this spiritual famine of great tribulation there’s no alternative there’s no in between you see it’s an either/or. Jacob and his family were able they could have stayed in Canaan they could have been as stubborn as anything and said I’m just not going back to Egypt or Jacob could have said I’m not sending Benjamin I don’t care if we all die I’m not going to send Benjamin to Egypt and they could have chosen that option and they would have all died. But they’re representative of the true believers of the elect of God and so finally, finally we read that Jacob is convinced. What convinces him? Well hunger, hunger will convince you the fact that Benjamin would die in Canaan if he didn’t go to Egypt helped to convince him the fact that all of his sons all their children and all that extended family of seventy some souls would die in Canaan was playing into his thinking he realized that he himself would eventually die you cannot survive a famine without, without this nourishment without the food that was available in Egypt and so we read here in verse 8:

And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.

They were talking to Jacob they were having conversations with their father, we know you love Benjamin we know he’s the son of the woman that you loved and the other son is not we know that but you have to consider we’re all going to die including Benjamin we’re all going to suffer and die what choice is there tell us, tell us and we’ll do it. But Jacob is stubborn he’s stubborn and he holds off and he resists until all the corn is gone he didn’t wait till you know they had some corn for a few more days but all the corn was gone we read here he actually waited until they were totally and completely out of corn and now they needed that corn for their livestock they needed that corn to survive and now Judah is making his case. Judah is coming to his father but Judah is coming in a different way than Reuben came. Reuben said kill my two sons and I’ll guarantee Benjamin’s safety Judah isn’t saying that Judah is saying that I will bear the blame for ever if anything happens to Benjamin I will be surety for him. Now this really shows the change in Judah it really demonstrates that Judah is really coming into a much better relationship with God that God has been working on him and he’s becoming a changed man and we’ll see even more of that later he’s becoming a true representative of a believer someone who wants to do things God’s way and so he says there in verse 9:

I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:

Now also with that statement we know that he’s a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ and the idea that God is letting us know is spiritually now as we’re looking at the whole issue of the end of the church yes it’s something that is uncharacteristic to leave the land of Canaan to go into the land of Egypt or to leave the church and go into the world I understand you might have some doubts about that I understand you might be uneasy about that and uncomfortable about that and hesitate to actually do that but, but now look at Benjamin was Benjamin ever in any danger? Benjamin was handled with kid gloves he was like a newborn babe where everyone is being as gentle as possible with him. Joseph wanted to shower him with blessings Joseph had every good intention toward Benjamin Jacob loved Benjamin and was seeking to protect him as best as he could and now Judah is guaranteeing Benjamin’s safety by him bearing the blame for ever. That is and I think this is the spiritual meaning if there could be any sin in leaving the churches and congregations the Lord Jesus Christ is saying I will bear that sin I will bear that sin if there is any thing that is not right with this move out of the church and just going to the mountain going to God Himself then I would bear that for ever. But of course there is no sin if this is the Word of God if this is the will of God and God is just assuring us He’s guaranteeing it to us from every perspective from every angle Joseph is waiting there to receive Benjamin Judah is there at home in the land of Canaan assuring Jacob that Benjamin will be safe and sound that nothing bad is going to happen nothing evil is going to happen to him well Judah is a picture of Christ. Is Christ with the true believers that are in the churches? Of course He is Christ has never left nor forsaken the child of God He is with the true believers even if a true believer is in a church in a place where the Holy Spirit has left officially He’s departed and the Holy Spirit is not officially working in the congregation but Christ is within the believer that could never be taken from him and so God is just letting us know that this is my doing this is my doing I am arranging these circumstances I am making sure that you leave historically Canaan or that you leave the church and you’re going to be safe and sound and secure you will be taken care of there’s nothing to worry about there’s absolutely nothing to worry about send Benjamin to Egypt send him to Egypt well let’s look at verse 10:

For except we had lingered, …

This is Judah still speaking:

… surely now we had returned this second time.

And you see there’s that hesitation they lingered they didn’t want to do this right off the bat it wasn’t like they heard that Benjamin had to go to Egypt and they quickly obeyed and keep in mind Simeon was stuck in a prison in Egypt the whole time and you would think that they would be thinking we have to get Simeon out of jail we have to quickly head back there and make sure that Simeon is freed but there wasn’t that there was hesitation there was lingering and that reminds us of another historical account in the book of Genesis that also pictures the time of great tribulation and that’s in Genesis 19 it’s the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. And in Genesis 19:15-16 it says there:

And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And while he lingered, …

See the angles are hastening him the angels are hastening him and those angels are God Himself they’re spoken of as angels but actually it was a representation of God. We saw that as those same angels visited Abraham that they were called the Lord and the angels were hastening Lot, look, Sodom is going to be destroyed this is the Word of God, God is going to destroy this city with fire and brimstone get out of the city as quickly as you can as fast as you can run depart out of the city. And with all that encouragement with all that information at his disposal did Lot just turn and on his heels and run as fast as he could out of Sodom? No, he lingered he lingered and again Sodom is typifying the church we can see that by a few other texts in the Bible many places for one Revelation 11 where God speaks of the two witnesses lying dead in the street which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt and so Sodom is picturing God’s judgment on the church and the final judgment the fire and brimstone is close at hand you have to get out of Sodom before the fire and brimstone falls you must get out of the church before Christ returns or you’ll experience God’s wrath you’ll be cast into hell and you’ll have fire and brimstone eternally that’s the picture of Sodom and that’s why the angels are hastening him it’s an urgent matter get out get out of the church and yet he lingered. Why did he linger, why did he linger? Well because he had daughters he had daughters yes well didn’t his daughters go with him? Two of his daughters went with him but he had other daughters the two daughters that went with him were virgins he had other daughters that were married because there were sons in law and he went to them and he told them what God had said that God will destroy the city and he was as one that mocked to his sons in law and so he had other daughters sons in law and probably grandchildren he had family in the city and you know family ties family relationships are very strong God has given us that love for our families he has given us that care and concern for family members. And maybe we all haven’t experienced it but many people are today where they understand it maybe the husband understands what God is saying in His Word about the end of the church but the wife doesn’t or maybe the wife understands but the husband doesn’t or maybe it could even be the parents understand but their older children do not it could be many different things and this could cause a believer to hesitate it could cause them to hesitate to just hold off hold off I understand what the Bible is saying I realize that I have to do this I realize I have to leave this place but I need to stay my family is here I need to talk to them I need to convince them to also come out of the church and that’s where I think some people are but remember what God says in the Gospel account in Matthew or I think Luke’s better in Luke 17 in Luke 17 He says in verses 29-31:

But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, …

Now the house would be the church the housetop is outside of the house where the housetop is a place where we would proclaim the Gospel we’re still bringing the Gospel to the world we’re not in the house we’re outside of the house but our stuff is in the house and the word stuff is also translated as vessel like remember God speaks of giving honor to the weaker vessel it could be a representation of the wife or someone who is close to us our stuff is in the house someone we share the Gospel with some family members are in the house but God says:

… let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.

You know we’re in a time where the most important thing the urgent thing is our own relationship with God our own salvation each one of us has to work out our own salvation and we’re each accountable to God for obedience to His Word and it’s no excuse to disobey God for the sake of others it’s no excuse to say well I have to stay here for my family now God is telling us that if your stuff is in the house do not go down into the house to take it away you leave it there you remain outside the house you stay outside of the church that is under his wrath that’s under his judgment and then he says in verse 32:

Remember Lot’s wife.

You see how He connects the family He connects the relationship between the husband and wife she looked back and she came under the judgment of God just like perhaps someone’s thinking well I have close ones in the church and that gets them starting to think about possibly going back no remember Lot’s wife remember that she came under judgment for having that longing in her heart. Well in Genesis 43 we see that they were lingering:

For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.

But now it’s time to act now the corn is gong now they have to survive so verse 11:

And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:

You remember is there any other place in the Bible where Jacob sent a present, when Jacob sent someone a present? Remember when he came out of (27:58)____Haran after serving for his flocks and for his family and Esau came to meet him with four hundred men and the last time they seen each other Esau intended to kill Jacob for supplanting him and stealing his birthright and now here comes Jacob with his young children and his flock very vulnerable and Esau’s approaching with four hundred men and Jacob does a very wise thing he sends presents ahead of him he sent cattle and flocks of sheep and so forth and they went out and they were in different droves and one drove would meet him and we don’t know the Bible doesn’t tell us what Esau’s initial intention was what he was coming to meet Jacob for perhaps he was coming in a hostile way perhaps he was coming to get revenge but he received the first drove and then that maybe softened him a little bit he kept on another drove and another present there were several of these and he’s getting richer and richer each time and Jacob’s looking oh his long lost brother yea I remember the good old days with Jacob when we used to play around out back you know and suddenly he rises and he has a warm welcome for Jacob because Jacob sent presents ahead you know I don’t fully understand it but that seems to happen a lot in the Bible where someone will send a present like when people came to Solomon they would always bring him a present to hear Solomon’s wisdom or remember Saul and Saul’s companion when they got lost that time and they went to Samuel and they said but how can we go to him we do not have a present to give him and then they found a coin and then they felt they could go to Samuel so the idea of sending a present ahead is very much in the Bible and in all probability it’s related to an offering to the idea that you’re making appeasement and that’s what we’re doing or what Israel was required to do with their sacrificial offerings pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ and even the Lord Jesus Christ isn’t He the one who goes on before us He goes ahead of us He goes into the vail and He appeases the wrath of God on our behalf He is that gift of God He is that present that prevents us from suffering under God’s wrath eternally and so there’s some relationship to that and the Bible’s idea of bringing presents but now see there’s a famine he doesn’t gather up all kinds of herds of flocks he doesn’t you know bring all kinds of livestock together to send to the ruler in Egypt but a little balm, a little nuts, a little spice whatever they can scrape together they’re really impoverished this is a severe famine they’re going to gather this together you bring it to the man a long with the double money their doing whatever they can do to make sure that they’re well received by this Egyptian and Benjamin and Benjamin. Verses 12-13:

And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight: Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:

See now Jacob is bending the sons of Jacob are bending their wills are bending to the will of God and that will always happen God will always bend the will of one of His people towards His will isn’t that so with believers? We have our wills broken we become broken and contrite we begin to do the will of God even though we might have kicked against it and fought against it at the end we will do things God’s way He will chasten He will correct He will make sure we do things His way and finally now there’s an act of obedience here that’s what it’s come down to I will send Benjamin Joseph required Benjamin I will send Benjamin and he will go and now look what Jacob says in verse 14:

And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

Well this word bereaved is found in a few places we’ll just look at one in Jeremiah 15:5-7:

For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest? Thou hast forsaken me, saith the LORD, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting. And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people, since they return not from their ways.

You see what’s going on Jeremiah 15 is a picture of the great tribulation and God will bereave Jerusalem of her children I will destroy my people that’s the judgment of God upon the church. Jacob is beginning to fear that perhaps that they’re losing the blessing of God. See it’s the first part of the great tribulation they don’t understand everything, everything seems to be working against him Joseph is not Simeon is not Benjamin’s required to go there’s a famine in the land it seems that God is not in control or God is working against us and so if I be bereaved of my children I am bereaved. He’s really thinking he’s thinking could I becoming under the judgment of God could I also be experiencing this great tribulation I’m part of the church and God’s wrath is on the church do you see how believers after a period of time might begin to feel that way and think that way and Jacob just doesn’t know what’s going on he doesn’t understand. Well we’ll just read a couple more verses. In Genesis 43:15-16:

And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.

There’s a strong emphasis from that point on really through the rest of the chapter on two things Joseph’s house Joseph’s house is mentioned at least eight times Joseph’s house and when they get to Joseph’s house there’s food there’s food there’s dining there’s water there’s bread they’re going to eat they’re asses even have provender again and again the emphasis is on being fed with bread and water abundantly there’s plenty of food in Joseph’s house there’s plenty of drink in Joseph’s house and this reminds us of the verse in the Psalms Psalm 37:19 where God says:

They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

They shall be satisfied. You know stubbornly they resisted stubbornly and rebelliously they held back they would not do what God was working out. God was working out that they would go to Egypt that Benjamin go with them and they held off they ate all their measly corn and then they suffered for a period of time convincing Jacob we have to take Benjamin to Egypt and then as soon as they come to Egypt and Joseph sees Benjamin put on food, put on food, set on bread and let’s dine and eat in Joseph’s house. Well next time we’ll try to take a look at what Joseph’s house represents because it cannot be that house of God although Joseph is the Lord Jesus Christ so that house must represent something else and also maybe we’ll get into how Joseph bowels yearned upon his brother.

Let’s close with a word of prayer.