Intro. We come to our eighth sermon in the Life of Joseph. We began with the change in his father. He has gone from the son that was favored to the sovereign leader of the Egyptian kingdom. To do that, God allowed him to go into a pit, a place of temptation, a prison, and then the palace.
His brothers have been discovered. His father has been informed and provisions made to bring them to Egypt. In chapter 47, Joseph brings his family, 70 in all, to Egypt. Jacob meets Pharaoh and greets him. Jacob was 130 years old. At the end of chapter 47, Jacob made Joseph vow that when he died he would not be buried in Egypt, and Joseph promised. In Chapter 48, Joseph brings his sons to Jacob, and Jacob blessed them, blessing the younger stronger than the older. Then we come to chapter 49.
In our text we have an Old Testament Judgment seat. Jacob has called his sons together and prophecies over them before he dies.
Reuben, who was “unstable as water”.
Simeon and Levi were instruments of cruelty.
Judah receives the authority - (the line of Christ) was the one that the brethren would praise. From him would come the Scepter, the ruler. Verses 11-12 prophesy the crucifixion.
Zebulun the Sea dweller
Issachar the strong one
Dan the judge
Gad would eventually be the overcomer
Asher would be successful
Naphtali would have goodly words
And Benjamin who would be “ravin as a wolf” he speaks of his sons.
In like manner, we will one day stand before the Lord!
Romans 14:10 "But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ."
2Co 5:10 "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."
As we realize that, I want us to look at the one that we have studied.
At this time, Jacob and the entire family lived in Goshen under the provision of the Egyptian government, because of Joseph. As Jacob comes to the son, who he thought was dead, he says: Here we see the way that the father, at his time of judgment, sees the faithful son. He was favored at the beginning, but had a good testimony at the end. I have said this in many sermons. It is not how we start - it is how we finish!
In our Text, we see:
I. The Bough (Family) - vs. 22 - Bough (branch) literally is speaking of a son, which Jacob refers directly to Joseph, the favorite son.
Jacob blessed the family based on Joseph.
A. He had a source - Well - Psalm 1:3 "And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." He was tapped into the right source!
B. He had Success - The taller the wall, the higher Joseph would climb. Every wall, just made him grow -He triumphed over all opposition!
C. He had Sustained - Here is a wonderful picture of Christ - In the famine of sin, Christ sustains the family of God!
II. The Bow - 23-24
A. Enemies - Called archers, - their arrows are attacks
David used the metaphor in Psalms 64:3 "Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:"
- Forsaken by his Brothers - Genesis 37:8 "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 they sold him into slavery
- False Accusation - Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him of attempted rape.
- Forgotten by the butler of Pharaoh.
- The Famine! Even that was an obstacle.
- His Flesh - The Confrontation with the Brothers - but he showed grace.
All of these were enemies to his integrity! But he did not fail.
B. The Endurance - His bow “abode in strength” When all was said and done, their strengths were gone, and the strength of Joseph remained.
1. His Bow of Virtue - Potiphar’s house - no military bow, but that which he opposed to all their injuries, to wit, his own virtue,
2. His Patience - Prison
3. His Temperance - As he dealt with the brothers who betrayed him
4. His Faith - Genesis 45:5 "Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life."
He resisted and vanquished all the temptations and difficulties which he met with, so that all his enemies could neither defile nor destroy him.
You can endure, you can live the Christian life, even in the face of the enemies.
III. The Blessings -verses 25-26
A. Blessed by the Almighty - Shaddai!
B. Blessed From Above - Not only from God, but rain and sunshine (prosperity)
C. Blessed From Beneath - rivers and fountains - supply of water in a dry land
D. Blessed in His Offspring - speaks of both children and livestock
At the first time Ephraim and Manasseh were counted, it was over 75,000 men
E. Blessed with the blessings of his Ancestors (covenants all his!)
An eternal covenant, this promise was to the boundaries of the hills of eternity!
SECURITY has been God’s way for Eternity!
God made Joseph prosperous. Any earthly prosperity that does not come from God is of no eternal value! GOD DID IT! Genesis 39:2 "And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian."
Then when the children of Israel entered Canaan:
Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."
The Blessings continued to the land of Victory!
Maclaren about Joseph - Here stands the solitary man, ringed all round by enemies full of bitter hate. Their arrows are on the string, their bows drawn to the ear. The shafts fly thick, and when they have whizzed past him, and he can be seen again, he stands unharmed, grasping his unbroken bow. The assault has shivered no weapon, has given no wound. He has been able to stand in the evil day—and look! A pair of great, gentle, strong hands are laid upon his hands and arms, and strength passes into his feebleness from the touch of ‘the hands of the mighty God of Jacob.’
Concl. Joseph was blessed at the Judgment! All that was introduction -here is the sermon - We have asked many times: HOW COULD JOSEPH MAKE IT?
Look at vs. 24 Joseph made it because of the mighty hands of God.
The hands of Joseph were strengthened by the hands of Elelohe-Israel - the Mighty God of Israel! This was a name that Jacob knew very well -
Genesis 33:20 "And he erected there an altar, and called it Elelohe–Israel."
And Joseph had trusted in those hands - Do you trust His hands?
The Bough, the Bow, and the Blessings were there because Joseph trusted in God’s Hands.
We must understand that Joseph had been brought to this point by God’s Hands
Have you trusted Him for Salvation?
The only way to be saved is to turn from trusting yourself or anything else and trust the Hands of God Almighty!
Child of God, do you Trust God enough to obey Him?
Joseph could say - TRUSTING GOD REALLY WORKS! You can trust God in these trying days - will we go up over the wall? Do you trust Him?
Disclaimer: A man once told me that if it is true, it is not new. If it is new, it is not true. We all know there is nothing new under the sun. With that said, I glean ideas for my sermons from God’s Word, my own thoughts and work, and many other sources. Any similarity to my sermons and others, where credit is not given, is either coincidental, or an unintentional mistake on my part. As none of us have a corner on the wisdom and teaching of God’s Word, it is my desire that any of my outlines be an encouragement, a help, and hopefully a motivation for others to preach God’s Word clearly. Please feel free to use any portion of my sermons if they can be of help to you and your ministry. It is all for His Glory.
