04.11. SHADOW: Joseph, the Sovereign Ruler over the
Shadow: Joseph, the Sovereign Ruler over the Kingdom
Genesis 41:1-57 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/11%20Shadow-%20Joseph%20Soverign%20Ruler.mp3
Can you imagine being wrongly imprisoned for a crime you did not commit. Besides that you have two room mates in prison with you who are nothing more than political prisoners who are innocent as well. How long would it take before you lose hope in ever getting out and thinking God had deserted you and forgotten where you are? For me probably not long.
Joseph found himself in this situation. He was hated by His brothers who sold him into slavery. He then was accused unjustly and ended up in prison. He seems to be forgotten as the two political prisoner were taken out. One to be restored and one to die. Joseph had requested of the butler to Genesis 40:14 But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:
Joseph held out hope that he would come out of the prison. But time passes and we will enter the story in a moment two years later. Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
How did Joseph hold out hope? How can we hold onto hope when things grow dim and it seems that we are forgotten by all including God? Let me illustrate it this way if I may.
I am not a connoisseur of great art, but from time to time a painting or picture will really speak a clear, strong message to me. Some time ago I saw a picture of an old burned-out mountain shack. All that remained was the chimney...the charred debris of what had been that family’s sole possession. In front of this destroyed home stood an old grandfather-looking man dressed only in his underclothes with a small boy clutching a pair of patched overalls. It was evident that the child was crying. Beneath the picture were the words which the artist felt the old man was speaking to the boy. They were simple words, yet they presented a profound theology and philosophy of life. Those words were, "Hush child, God ain’t dead!" That vivid picture of that burned-out mountain shack, that old man, the weeping child, and those words "God ain’t dead? keep returning to my mind. Instead of it being a reminder of the despair of life, it has come to be a reminder of hope! I need reminders that there is hope in this world. In the midst of all of life’s troubles and failures, I need mental pictures to remind me that all is not lost as long as God is alive and in control of His world.
James DeLoach, associate pastor of the Second Baptist Church of Houston, quoted in When God Was Taken Captive, W. Aldrich, Multnomah, 1989, p. 24.
I- The Prophecies:
JOSEPH: You may recall as we came into the story of Joseph that he was hated by his brothers for dreaming of dreams in which they bowed down before him.
Genesis 37:5 ff And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
The dream you will recall was one of sheaves of wheat in the field that represented the brothers of Joseph bowing down before the sheave of Joseph.
Genesis 37:8 ff And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us?
Joseph dreams another dream in which the sun and moon and eleven stars bowed before him.
Genesis 37:10 ff ...his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
This, may I submit was a prophetic dream that foretold of Joseph being sovereign.
CHRIST: There are multitudes of different verses we can used to show that Jesus was also prophesied to be bowed before. Let me offer a couple.
Isaiah 45:22-23 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. 23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
Romans 14:11-12 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
Php 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Beloved there is no doubt whatsoever that the prophecy was Christ was to be, is and will be bowed before.
II- Release From Prison:
We have two dream recorded that Pharaoh dreamt in Genesis 41:1-8 . He saw first seven fat cows followed by seven skinny cows that ate the fat ones. Next it was seven good ears of corn followed by seven skinny that devoured the skinny ones. Pharaoh had no one in his kingdom that could give him the meaning. We pick up the story in Genesis 41:9-14 Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day: 10 Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker: 11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. 12 And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. 13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged. 14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.
Joseph’s release from prison pictures for us the release of Christ from the grave by the resurrection. Joseph was given different clothes to wear as well.
Remember the scene of the tomb. Jesus did not come forth from the prison of the grave dressed in His old clothes. Matthew 27:59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth...
John 20:3-7 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. 4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. 5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. 6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, 7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
III- Sovereign Ruler:
The dream of Pharaoh was interpreted by Joseph as given to him by God. Joseph tells him seven years of plenty will be followed by seven years of famine.
Genesis 41:29-31 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: 30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; 31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous. Joseph then give the Pharaoh advice on how to handle the situation. Genesis 41:33 ; 36 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. ... 36 And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.
The results of this advice was as follows. Genesis 41:37-41 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? 39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. 41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
Joseph become the sovereign ruler over all of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. He is bowed to as he moves about the land.
When we come to the picture of Christ, we understand that as Pharaoh set Joseph on the right hand of power, God the Father has done the same for Christ. Notice the following verses.
Hebrews 8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
Hebrews 10:12-13 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
1 Peter 3:22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
We see that Jesus had fore told this as well. Matthew 26:64 "Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."
We know that all power is given to Him both now and forever. Just as Joseph was given soverign control of Egypt, Christ is sovereign over all of creation.
Matthew 28:18 "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."
IV- Bowing as Foretold:
The story of Joseph moves forward and as the seven years are unfolded of plenty preparations are made for the famine. During the years of famine Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt to buy grain. Notice the bowing before Joseph by them as foretold. Genesis 42:6 And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.
Beloved the bowing of all of mankind has yet to take place for Christ. This does not make it any less a reality. It will come to pass. Let’s again return to the verse in Php 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The questions are simply. Have you realized that Jesus Christ is sovereign over all and that men will have no choice but to bow. The question is only will they do it now willingly or in the future by compulsion. Regardless all will bow to the Sovereign Lord of the Universe.