Pharaoh’s Dream Part 12, 9/12/04

We’re continuing on in Genesis and we’ve spent a few months now in looking at this account of the life of Joseph really actually it begins back in Genesis 37 where God speaks of the generations of Jacob and then He goes on to give this historical situation that we’ve been reading about and as we’ve seen God has actually established the whole New Testament era from the Cross to the very end of the world in these chapters that we’ve been reading as Pharaoh’s dreams the dream dealing with the seven years of plenty and following that the dream that dealt with the seven years of famine and then Pharaoh would awake after he had those dreams. We saw the seven years of plenty is picturing the entire New Testament church age following that will immediately be the time of great tribulation typified by the seven years of famine and we don’t guess about that we’re not thinking that maybe that’s so we know definitely that’s the case because God says in Acts 7 that the famine or the dearth in Joseph’s days was a great affliction and He uses those same two words great tribulation that we find in Matthew 24 and a couple other places in the New Testament. And so this period of history is typifying the great tribulation and we saw also how interesting it was that God gave about six verses dealing with the seven years of plenty that the seven years of plenty that came upon the land didn’t get much ink it didn’t get much ink at all it took about half dozen verses and God was through with the seven years of plenty and then following that there’s several chapters about six or seven chapters dealing with the time of this famine with this seven years of dearth and we saw that that is just letting us know it’s emphasizing to us that God has a lot to say about the great tribulation even though it’s a little season that comes right next to the end of the world and the New Testament era stretched over nineteen hundred years still God focuses more on the famine here in this account than He did on the seven years of plenty because He has a very special end time plan that He’s going to put into place.

Well we’ve come to Genesis 43 and we’ve looked at the first part of this chapter and finally Jacob relented and he will allow Benjamin to go with his brothers to Egypt as Judah has said he will be surety for him as all the corn is gone they have no more corn. Jacob tried to hold out as long as he could and he did hold out till all the corn that they had gotten from the first trip to Egypt was now gone so they had to go back there was no other possibility see Joseph had arranged things and God actually working with Joseph and in this whole historical situation had arranged things so that there would be no choice for Jacob except he had to let his youngest son his beloved son Benjamin go to Egypt it’s the last thing he wanted to do he wanted to protect Benjamin and keep him safe and since Joseph had been killed he thought as a child he wanted to protect Benjamin and so he was a very we could say over protective of his youngest son of his favorite son. But finally circumstances dictated that Benjamin go and he went with his brothers and they returned to Egypt and they came and they presented themselves with the double money in their hand with the gift of a few spices and nuts and almonds that they could manage to scrape together to give to Joseph because they thought that there could be some oversight with the money and they might be counted as thieves and they wanted to appease this angry lord of the Egyptians who had spoken so roughly to them and given them so much trouble the first time they came and they came back and showed themselves to him with the presents with the money and with Benjamin. He had required Benjamin be with them this was Joseph’s test for them, if you want to show yourselves true men and not spies then bring your youngest brother Benjamin back and we saw that was because Benjamin is typifying the elect his name means Son of My right hand so he is representing the body of believers who are the son of the right hand of God the Lord Jesus Christ and Joseph a picture of Christ is working things out to get Benjamin into Egypt to bring the elect out of Canaan or out of the church and into Egypt into the world where he can then take care of him. Well they finally arrive they finally show up and let me just read here from Genesis 43:15-19:

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. And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house. And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses. And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,

I’ll stop reading there in verse 19 and it’s very interesting what’s going on so far Joseph has not revealed himself he’s not revealed himself to his brothers to let them know that he is their brother. They think he is an Egyptian lord and when they show up well Joseph immediately spies Benjamin he sees Benjamin right away and so he makes plans for a luncheon they will dine with me at noon. And he tells his steward to bring the men into the house and that’s what he does he brings the men to Joseph’s house. Joseph’s house is mentioned several times in the rest of the chapter and we wonder well what could Joseph’s house represent as the men will go there and they’re very fearful they’re afraid they think that Joseph is going to take their belongings and turn them into bond men. And isn’t that interesting because Egypt remember Egypt in the Bible does typify the house of bondage and it actually reveals to us it reveals to us some of the fear that believers might have as they hear about this teaching coming forth from the Bible that they’re to leave the church and go out into the world well these men were fearful that they would become enslaved that they would become bond men in the house of Egypt in Joseph’s house but what does Joseph’s house represent? We know that judgment begins at the house of God and Joseph is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ is his house the house of God? No it can’t be it can’t be because the church the figure that God is using of the church in this whole historical parable is Canaan, Canaan is representing the church they’re coming from Canaan they’re going to Egypt and Egypt is a picture of the world that which is outside of the church but Joseph has a house there Joseph has a house there when they go into Joseph’s house they’re going to eat bread they’ll drink water they’re going to be nourished and fed in time of famine within Joseph’s house and so we wonder well what does that house represent? Let’s turn over to Isaiah 2:2-3 we read there:

And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

There God is likening He’s likening His house to the mountain the mountain of the Lord’s house and remember in Matthew 24 there’s a command that God gives believers during the great tribulation He says flee to the mountains that word leave Judaea and flee to the mountains we’re to come out of the church and go to God go to God and His Word where we will find safety and refuge in the Word of God and so Joseph’s house is actually picturing the mountain that mountain that God is commanding His people to flee to and there we’ll be fed. Turn to Ezekiel 34 and we’ve looked at this awhile back but it’s good to look at it again in Ezekiel 34 God says He will cause the shepherds who have abused their role as shepherd by feeding themselves of the flocks rather than feeding the flocks God will cause the shepherds to cease feeding the flocks and that’s in the earlier verses and that’s dealing with our present time where the Lord has caused His shepherds those pastors and elders and deacons who were feeding the flocks to cease they are no longer commissioned by God they no longer have the oversight of the congregations at least it’s not God given oversight God has removed that oversight but as God takes that away here’s what He says in verses 11-16 of Ezekiel 34:

For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.

So God is He’s indicating I will cause the pastors to cease from feeding the flock I will personally take over that role of shepherd and I will make sure that My sheep are fed. Now this is all happening on the mountains of Israel that’s why God commands us flee to the mountains go to the mountains and Joseph’s house is typifying the mountain it’s typifying that place where believers are to flee to as we come out of the churches and when believers do go to Joseph’s house in famine what do they find? Food, water they find protection they find that all that they do not have historically the Israelites are finding all they do not have in Canaan is found in Joseph’s house and spiritually believers find all that we do not have in the church is found in that location outside of the churches and congregations. So they are told and they’re led to Joseph’s house by Joseph’s steward and even though they fear that if they go into his house that they’ll become bondmen they fear that they’re going to possibly loose their salvation, oh if I leave the church then this is a great cause of concern and fear for many people that they would leave that place of safety and protection that God has established for so many years and it’s just giving us insight into some of the fear and trepidation that believers had during the early parts of this great tribulation as God is revealing these things and He’s beginning to open these things up. But another question we have or we wonder about is why does Joseph dine with them at noon. What’s the point of that? Well all right of course it’s lunch time that’s when people eat even back then they picked the middle part of the day and they would have lunch but you know God doesn’t give us this information for no reason there has to be a spiritual dimension a spiritual meaning to everything in the Bible to what we’re reading here it has to relate to the Gospel somehow and by the way the Gospel is the whole Bible it’s the whole the whole book. You know some people like to say well you know you’re teaching about the end of the church and your focus is off the Cross you’re not focused on the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ so you’re not teaching the Gospel that’s not so the Gospel is the whole Bible and we have freedom when we’re studying the Bible to go to any part of the Bible and believe me someone can be saved listening to Genesis 43 just as easily as they can be saved listening to Matthew 26 or Matthew 27 God can save anyone because it’s all the Gospel it’s all His Word and really you hear that kind of accusation by some people who don’t want to take a look at certain things they don’t want to look at other parts of the Bible and what the Bible has to say regarding end time events or God’s judgment on the church so they can’t say anything about what those scriptures are saying so they try to bring us back and to cause us to lose our focus to focus on another part of the Bible and to claim well you can’t look at anything else but that’s not so God gives us great freedom when it comes to His Word and we can look at anything within His Word the only thing God requires is faithfulness, faithfulness. That’s a definite requirement we have to faithful to whatever we’re reading in the Bible to whatever part of the Bible we’re in and then God can bless it but there’s no constraints about where we can go and what we can look at. So they’re going to dine in Joseph’s house at noon, at noon and we wonder well why at noon? Noon is the middle of the day it’s actually translated as midday in a couple other verses remember when the prophets of Baal and Elijah were on the mount of Carmel and the prophets of Baal were trying to call down fire from heaven from their false god and they did that until noon until midday and then it was Elijah’s turn it was until the mid part of the day till 12:00. Noon is also identified in the Bible as the sixth hour of the day because Jesus said, are there not twelve hours in the day twelve hours in which a man shall work? So the sixth hour, noon would be the half way point of a day’s work of daylight it’s the midpoint. It’s also the midpoint of a twentyfour hour day if you start at 12:00am and you go to 12:00 noon that’s twelve hours and you’re at the mid point of the day so Joseph is saying that I will dine with you we will eat bread we will drink water in the middle of the day the middle of the day. Now that’s very significant because if we turn to Revelation 18 we read in verse 8 and Revelation 18 is a chapter that is very much dealing with the great tribulation and Babylon is picturing the corporate church that God is judging and it says in verse 8:

Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; …

See God does liken the great tribulation to one hour it’s typified by one hour also in Revelation 17 and 18 but He also uses another picture of a day that Babylon’s plagues will come in one day. Well now Joseph is going to dine with the Israelites with his brethren at midday midday and that’s because the picture is the middle part of the great tribulation we know that because soon Joseph is going to reveal himself to his brethren and he’ll tell them the famine has been two years in the land and yet there are five years it’s not exactly an even division but God is breaking it up into two parts that’s the important thing two part tribulation and so the first part is when the two witnesses are lying in the street and they’re dead and the second part is when they’re standing on their feet. Well now these brethren of Joseph are coming to the house of Joseph and they’re going to sit down and have food and drink in time of famine in the middle part of the day it’s the midst of the great tribulation it’s getting close to the time where God is going to reveal Himself where God is going to open up the scriptures that have been sealed up in other words. OK let’s go on and read here in verses 20-21:

And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food: And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.

And we looked at that and we saw that they came with money they paid they’re money and yet the money was restored to them and that was pointing to what God says that we come to buy without money and freely we have received and freely we give we freely receive the Gospel they freely receive of the corn which is typifying the Gospel and then in verses 22-26:

And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks. And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them. And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender. And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there. And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.

Which was the fulfillment of that dream that Joseph had that his brethren would bow down to him the dream of the sheaves and the dream of the sun, the moon, and the stars that all bowed down to him and here were his brethren coming before him not knowing who he was bowing down bowing down which by the way let’s us know that the fulfillment to those dreams is not the end of the world it’s not the end of the world they will be fulfilled during the time of the great tribulation that’s when the body of believers will come to the Lord Jesus Christ and we will bow down to Him that is we will obey Him we’ll be in submission to Him by obeying His Word His Word that is commanding us to take action and to leave the church. Verses 27-28:

And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive? And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance.

See their father was one hundred thirty years old at this time the Bible tells us that when Jacob enters into Egypt he comes before Pharaoh and he tells them few and evil of the days of my life span and he is a hundred and thirty years old. Now it’s interesting that Abraham was born in 2167BC and a hundred years later he gave birth to Isaac in 2067BC and then Isaac had twin sons in 2007BC, Jacob and Esau. Jacob after sixty years went into Padan-Aram to the house of Laban to get a wife and that’s where he did find his wives and his children and he remained there well he went in at the age of sixty in 1947BC and he remained there for forty years until 1907BC when he was one hundred and then at the age of one hundred he left and he went into the land of Canaan and so he would be thirty years in Canaan from one hundred to one hundred thirty when he would enter into Egypt. Now Joseph was born in Padan-Aram and he was about nine when they left and Joseph we know eight years later when he was seventeen would have been thrown into the pit and sold to the Midianite slave traders and then all these things would have developed that we’ve read about and Isaac though is almost forgotten Isaac is almost forgotten here Joseph is asking about his father Jacob but when Joseph was sold as a slave at the age of seventeen Isaac was still alive his grandfather Isaac was still alive and he doesn’t ask about Isaac probably because that would be pushing things too much he’s trying to conceal who he is he’s already found out about his father found out about Benjamin and yet Isaac well he probably didn’t want to push things that far but Isaac it’s interesting was alive until 1887BC and 1887 Joseph was in prison he was in prison and getting ready to be lifted up out of prison to be exalted in prison because the years of famine began in 1886BC just one year later after Isaac died the seven years of plenty would begin in 1886 and go to 1879BC and Isaac is a picture of Christ and it says he died at the age of one hundred and eighty and he was old and full of days and his death is pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ’s death and so we have another confirmation the years of plenty are looking toward the New Testament era because Isaac dies in 1887, 1886 the seven years of plenty begin just as Christ went to the Cross and He died and then the New Testament era began and so the years of plenty would have ended in 1879 and now what we’re reading the timeline is 1877BC and it’s the second year of the famine the famine will last two more years and so Joseph is wondering is my father yet alive is he still alive? In verses in 28-30:

And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance. And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son. And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.

Joseph loved his brother his brother was not one of those that had thrown him into a pit. His brother and himself were born to Rachel and he had a very close attachment to his younger brother so that his bowels yearned upon him he saw him and his desire was to run to him and to throw his arms around him and to tell him I am Joseph I am your brother and to shower him with all the blessings that he could of the riches of Egypt but he did not do that he did not do that even though his bowels yearned for his brother and this is teaching us something about God’s relationship with the elect during the first part of the great tribulation. You see even though Joseph yearned for his brother it says that he refrained himself in verse 31:

And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.

He held back those feelings he held back his love towards his brother he just treated him as everyone was standing there like all the others he didn’t reveal himself but he refrained himself he was holding back his desire to bestow grace to Benjamin just as the Lord Jesus Christ has restrained Himself He’s held back the tender mercies that He desires to shower upon the elect of God during the first part of the great tribulation. Let’s turn to Psalm 51 and this word bowels is found there in verse 1 of Psalm 51:

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

That’s the same word bowels that we find in Genesis 43 you see and it’s actually translated as tender mercies or mercies several times in the Bible. So Joseph wanted to just take care of his brother his poor little brother who’s been suffering in this famine and God, God wants to bless His people He wants to shower them with spiritual riches He wants to give them His grace He wants to give His salvation to those elect of His that are in the churches and congregations but he refrains Himself He holds back see God is telling us He did not save individuals during the first part of the great tribulation He did not show His tender mercies He did not bless anyone with salvation during that first part but He’s holding back He’s refraining Himself and yet this word refrain let’s take a look at how that’s used in a few places in Isaiah 64:9-12 it says:

Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people. Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are laid waste. Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O LORD? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?

And that language of course is dealing with God’s judgment on the church the holy and beautiful house is burned up with fire and God is refraining Himself He’s holding His peace and to hold your peace has to do with keeping silent it’s the same word as in Ecclesiastes where everything there is a season a time to speak and a time to be silent hold your peace. God is holding His peace Joseph is holding his peace he’s staying silent isn’t he? He knows that these men were not spies he knows they were true Israelites he knows they’re his brothers and he didn’t reveal any of that. He also knew how long the famine would be that it’s going to continue for five more years he had a lot of information Joseph possessed all kinds of information and he refrained himself from saying anything to his brethren at that point in time. Look over in Isaiah 63:15-16:

Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained? Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.

You see the sounding of God’s bowels and mercies the question is are they restrained is God holding back? And the answer is yes during that first part of the great tribulation. There’s one other place that that’s found in Isaiah 42:14-16:

I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once. I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools. And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

So when God ceases to hold His peace then there is salvation then there is blessing and yet Joseph is continuing he’s continuing to refrain himself he’s continuing to be silent on a great many things towards his brethren he will not reveal himself he’s not letting on who he is and what’s going on he’s keeping the truth back from them. All right back in Genesis 43:31-34:

And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread. And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians. And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another. And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.

So this is quite a sight at this period of history that you can imagine how much these men were enjoying themselves as they had this banquet prepared for them during this awful dearth that had come upon all lands and yet God is giving them little hints or Joseph is giving them hints as he sets them in order according to their age from the oldest to the youngest and he gives Benjamin five times as much as any of them and you know you can imagine that they’re wondering they’re wondering how could he know our ages how could he know who followed who in order of birth and why is he so interested in Benjamin? He required Benjamin to be here it was a necessity Benjamin had to come show himself now he’s giving Benjamin five times as much food as any of them and you know they’re starting to think but they still cannot figure it out they cannot understand that this is actually their brother Joseph. Now what can we learn from this spiritually? Well one thing we see is that the number five is in view and Benjamin is again picturing the elect so the number five deals with the grace of God so His mess is five times greater he is the object of Joseph’s attention just as the elect are the object of the Lord Jesus Christ’s attention and Christ feeds His people He gives us His grace and we are fed spiritually.

Well next time we’re going to finish up in looking at this last couple of verses in Genesis 43 and then go into Genesis 44 which speaks of that silver cup as the men are about to leave and they leave in ignorance they didn’t learn who Joseph was they didn’t learn really anything they got their corn and they were headed back to Canaan but Joseph had a further plan. Now that Benjamin was there he was not going to let him go and so he told his steward to place the cup in the sack of Benjamin and then he would send the steward after them and he would do a search and find that cup that cup Joseph’s cup in Benjamin’s sack and that would of course look like he stole it and they would have to come back to Egypt return before Joseph and Joseph was putting on he was playing it out as though they were thieves or Benjamin was a thief and so Benjamin would then remain and be his servant. He wanted Benjamin the rest of them could have returned but Benjamin it was necessary that he stay and we’ll try to look at the spiritual meaning of that cup next week Lord willing as we move on in this account of Genesis. Why don’t we close with a word of prayer.