Joseph

And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art. What a statement! We think of a Pharaoh saying this to Joseph. 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. Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand and put it upon Joseph's hand, laid him in a vesture of fine linen, put a gold chain about his neck, and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had.

The crowd cried before him, Thou art the knee. And he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.

And back just a chapter, at the beginning of the chapter, really at the end of chapter 40, just pick up a couple of verses there, and verse 20, And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief butler, of the chief baker among his servants. I restored the chief butler unto his butlership again, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. And he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them, yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgot him.

Chapter 41, verse 1, Came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he stood by the river, and so on. What has impressed me lately in this chapter and some of the surrounding chapters is how little Joseph really says, how little Joseph really says. Joseph was never a man that was given much words, but whenever Joseph begins to speak, of course, it's always worth listening to.

I want to think of Joseph just in a very simple way in which I've enjoyed him. I want to think of Joseph between two coats. I want to think of him between two criminals, and I want to think of him between two causes.

Joseph, between two coats. I know he wore more than that. Between two criminals.

This butler and this baker, they're in prison for a reason. Reminds us of another one that we've been remembering this morning, who was between two criminals. And then Joseph between two causes.

In other words, his brethren on one hand and the boss or pharaoh on the other. Very interesting and a very powerful statement is made by Pharaoh here concerning Joseph when he would actually take off his ring from his hand and put it upon Joseph's hand and arrayed him in a vesture of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. That was unheard of before.

That was not a usual custom ever for the pharaoh to remove his ring of all things off his hand and put it upon Joseph's hand. And then to array him in this fine, vestures of fine linen. Only the pharaoh would wear the linen.

Very expensive, ultra expensive. Of course, the way that the linen was made in those days, a little different from what we have today, but it was made so that it would be very, very cool and very, very comfortable. And put a gold chain about his neck and made him to ride in the second chariot which he had made.

And he cried before him, Baloney. And he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. You know, you'd hardly think.

You'd hardly think that that butler would forget Joseph. How would he forget a man like that? It's interesting that when Joseph is down that prison, you know, he doesn't pour out over those men, hey, this is what happened to me. He had lots of time to do it, lots of time to think about what had happened.

Think of the times I've been cheated, times I've been betrayed. And I really shouldn't be here. I've been framed.

I'm not here because of something I've done. It doesn't remind us of the Savior that he answered nothing in his own defense. Just silent, just accepts that.

That must have been a long two years. Wouldn't you think he'd wait for that moment when finally the prison cell would open? And he'd, Joseph, the butler's very, very sorry. He forgot you.

He just mentioned it. I mean, how would you forget Joseph? Well, I want to tell you, brothers and sisters, there's those that have forgotten the Savior. I don't know how else to put it.

There are those that you and I once broke bread with. We considered it a happy fellowship. They don't break bread anywhere today.

Not many, but enough to remind us that we too are capable of forgetting our heavenly Joseph. So he has instituted this supper and says, this do in remembrance of me. That expression, in remembrance of me, is only given to us by two writers in our New Testament.

The gospels, as we know, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, what we know to be the synoptic gospels, where the institution of the supper is recorded by those gospel writers. John's gospel, of course, doesn't make mention of it. And Paul says he had received it of the Lord.

But the expression, this do in remembrance of me, is only used by two men. Neither of them were at the institution of the supper. One is Luke.

Only in Luke's gospel does Luke use that expression, in remembrance of me. And the other is Paul, in 1 Corinthians chapter 11, twice, in remembrance of me. And I find it ironic, if not very, very important, that those men carry out their own ministry when you get to Acts chapter 20.

That they will wait the whole of a seven days after five days to be with the church that is Troas. At Troas, for what reason? So they could break bread. That's how important that day was for them.

And it says when it came to the Lord's day that those preachers departed on the morrow. That's a good day to depart. Or at least when the day's done.

No early departures. It says they departed on the morrow. Because that is the Lord's day.

The significance of that day. Yet this butler would forget him. Just for a minute.

I'm going to work your imagination just for a minute. Step up behind me, if you would. And let's just watch that entourage.

As this man that was so maligned, framed, whatever you want to say. So abused and misused. Is now made to ride in the Pharaoh's chariot.

Making his way through Egypt. Those towering pyramids. Everything that looked of stability and that was going to be here for eternity.

That was really the mentality of Egypt and Egyptians way. And here of all is this young Hebrew. And he's making his way through.

I want to think of three people we could step aside. You know, Potiphar would be there. Potiphar would see that procession going there.

And, you know, very unconsciously he would begin, would he not, to nod his head. He'd gladly bow the knee. And if I hear him say anything, he'd say, I knew it.

I knew it. I knew it. What did he know? This man is innocent.

This man had done nothing amiss. Brethren and sisters, so it is this morning. This man that we've remembered has done nothing amiss.

Somehow I see the tears stream down his face. But you know what Potiphar would realize? Potiphar could realize, I could have done something to stop this. But I didn't.

I have caused his sorrow. And he did. Reuben.

You know, Reuben, had Reuben been what he should have been, in the family that day, when it came to Joseph, he could have stopped the whole thing. Reuben is the firstborn, could have just simply stepped forward and said, hey, listen, enough of this. This boy is going safely back to dad.

But Reuben didn't do that. Remember, he speaks to the brethren and they don't listen to him. Why had Reuben lost the influence with his family? Because of his immorality.

Because of going up to his father's couch. And the result of that, he had lost influence. Not necessarily control, but influence over the family.

Reuben could have stopped it. Potiphar could have stopped it. I watch a man weep.

Because there goes an innocent man. Once rejected, once said it not. Look at the position he is today.

And gladly bows a knee. Somebody else likely watched that procession that day. That would be Potiphar's wife.

If she was nodding her head, it would be in disgust. Why would it be in disgust? Because she was hoping she'd see the end of that man. As far as she is concerned, he could have rotted in that prison.

But she doesn't gladly bow the knee. She's forced to bow the knee. There's a whole world out there today, brethren and sisters, that would be forced to do what you and I would do gladly.

Bow the knee. Bow the knee. The Apostle Paul said when he prayed, he bowed his knees.

Whenever we can, it's something nice about being able to bow the knee. I can remember one time, I remember a lot of things about my parents, but I remember one time my father did not know that I had seen him. He was a farmer.

I remember going by his bedroom one day. And just as we were going by the bedroom, okay, just a little note says, Potatoes aren't done speaking until 12.10 if you can. Well, I wasn't planning on putting it out that long, but anyhow, thank you very much.

I have to admit to you, I've been at conferences when other kinds of notes have been passed to our brethren. The brethren sat down very quickly, so when I see a note come, I'm always a little nervous. Thank you, brother.

Potiphar, Potiphar's wife, she is forced to bow the knee. I meet some pretty stubborn men, big men in my day, men that could put me down with one hand and bury me with the other. They'll stand and mock that gospel right in my face.

They can do what they like. One thing I know, they will bow the knee. Big men, kings, rulers, authorities, to whom men paid their tribute, will bow the knee.

And she is forced to bow the knee. There's another one, I think of the butler. We've thought of Potiphar, we think of Potiphar's wife.

I think of the butler. He likely shakes his head in disbelief. I forgot him.

Think of the shame of that man. Think of the shame. That we might not be ashamed before him at his coming.

Think of the shame of that man. Did he really forget him? Would he really forget him? Or was this something intentional? Was this something, well, here I am now, and I link myself or even mention his name. Think of the reproach.

It could even be me sent back to prison. A lot of people that will not identify themselves the way you do, brother, the way you do, sister. God bless you.

Do you know why? The reproach. The reproach. They'd far sooner put on themselves some denominational tag or name simply because of the reproach of the Lord Jesus.

You know it. You know, we go to places and, oh, you know, what church do you belong to? And, you know, we kind of cower a little bit and say, you don't have to. Tell him you belong to the Lord Jesus.

Tell him you meet with his people. And you gather in his name because you haven't found any other name to gather in. Just state your colors.

Tell him. Nothing to be ashamed of. Something to be absolutely thankful for.

But the butler would say, and I forgot him, how he did, I don't want to read something in the past, he says, not there. But I would think this had to be remorse that nothing he could recover. Because it's sad to think that the last two words of Chapter 40 are, forgot him.

Forgot him. I wonder what the last two words of the chapter of our experiences will be. Some have gone home from remembering the Lord.

It hasn't happened a lot. I know in some circles it's sad. One occasion it was a brother.

They just reached over. He's remembering the Lord. He got home to heaven.

Last two words you could say concerning that dear brother, remembered him. Remembered him. It was so important to him.

So important to him. It was a dear sister, Mrs. Mercer, gone home to heaven. She lived in St. John's, Newfoundland.

If you went to St. John's Hall early in the morning, you'd see Mrs. Mercer there. She was likely the first one there on two canes. Came in a bus, not even her own vehicle.

A brother one time, just new to the area, most of the Christians new, happened to say to Mrs. Mercer, Mrs. Mercer, you get here kind of early. She says, I don't want to be in anybody's way. That was her excuse.

Went a little further. He said, what time do you get up in the morning? That's going to catch a lot of us. You mean on the Lord's Day? Yeah, she said on the Lord's Day.

I get up at six o'clock. I do. See? And what time do you leave? Well, she says, I like to have to leave the house just a little after seven.

Have my breakfast, have my devotion, leave the house. Now here's what she says. What time do you get here? Well, she says, that's a good question.

My heart usually gets here about three quarters of an hour before I do. She says, I just come a little later. You know, so often our heart follows us.

She followed her heart. So here's this butler. How sad on that coming day of regal beauty and adoration.

Will there not be some that will lament to my shame? I forgot him. I don't mean totally. Maybe there's a Lord's Day and really the headache wasn't all that bad.

Okay? You weren't all that sick. But you didn't think you were well enough to go. You know what you did that day? Only for the day.

You forgot it. The Lord has waited. Our heavenly Joseph has waited the whole of week, brethren, for you here in Waukesha.

He has waited a whole of week for this meeting. Have you? Have I? Isn't that important to us? You know, we anticipate certain things in our life and we count the days, we count the hours, we count whatever. The Lord has waited the whole of it.

That doesn't mean that we don't worship at other times. We do. We know that.

But he has waited the whole of a week for his gathered people to come together as they have with others here this morning to remember him. But what an opportunity for Joseph. You know, he could have said all that he could have said to his brethren.

But Joseph never told the butler or the baker what his brethren had done to him. He had lots of time to do it. But he answered not a word.

We have a very silent man for a position that he has. So you have Joseph, as I say, between two coats. Now there's a different coat that is put on him.

First coat he had was a coat of many colors. You know, I don't believe that Jacob was really overdressing Joseph. It was not favoritism.

But it was really faithfulness. He saw something in Joseph that others did not appreciate. He saw something in Joseph that Joseph's brothers didn't see.

They obviously didn't see it or they didn't want to see it. You know, sometimes there's a lot of things in Christians we just don't see. Maybe we don't want to see them.

Ever think of that? Isn't it sad that human nature has this kind of a warp in it? That when we think of individuals, we often think of their weakest point. Why don't we go immediately to their strongest point? But we gravitate toward their weakest thing. Why not think about their strongest point? That's esteeming another better than ourselves.

Rebecca overdressed the boys. She made him to be something that he was not. And she got caught at it.

But she overdressed the boys. Esau wore something that was beyond his spiritual experience. What did Esau wear? Well, if he was the firstborn, he was likely wearing the coat of sleeves.

It didn't mean anything to him. He wore it hunting. That's why his father says, the smell of the field is on these clothes.

Because that's what Jacob was wearing. It was from his wardrobe. It didn't mean anything to him.

It didn't have any value to him. You know how it is. You're dressed and you come to a meeting like this.

You have to stop at a store. Not so much anymore, but a few years ago. You know, and they'd be smoking in the store.

You'd come in and sit down beside the brother next door. What's this fellow been up to? Because you would carry where you've been. You'd carry that smoke.

This man carried a fragrance. Nice brothers and sisters to be able to carry a fragrance on the person that we have been remembering this morning. But secondly, here's the second.

It was a vesture of fine linen. It's interesting just to, I'm not going to take the time to go through it. Notice where the fine linen is worn in the Scripture.

Notice the man that wore fine linen. The Bible makes it very clear. He's in hell.

The man likely in Luke 16 was a man that had the standard of righteousness of the Pharisees that the Lord Jesus spoke about. Remember he said that except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. But he's a man that was dressed in fine linen.

He could afford it. He paid the price for it. But likely it had little to do with his actual character.

Very little to do with his character. Imagine wearing the fine linen and going to hell. But we're reminded of another one.

And he eventually would be brought to the fine linen. Think of the Lord Jesus. Think of the coats that were ripped from his back.

Then they would take him down from the cross. That righteously would be his. That was Joseph's character.

What about our characters like today? We have a brother down our way. He's saved, married in the assembly now. And Andrew in his unconverted days would have put Christians to shame.

And I'll just tell you what way he did. They're out in Cape Breton one night. There's a fierce snowstorm on.

And there are three of them in a pickup truck. They're actually going to a First Nations and Indian Reserve area. And there's always all kinds of people either walking, staggering across the road or whatever, hitchhiking.

Snowy night. This fellow that was not really properly dressed for the occasion was at the side of the road and he was hitchhiking. So the driver, the two others were Christians.

Andrew was not at this time. Said, should we give them a ride? And the other one said, yes, we should. So they stopped.

And one said, well, tell me you can jump in the back of the pickup. That's a lot better than walking. You know what Andrew did? He got in the back and he let the native fellow get in the truck.

As they got down the road, they said something to him. You didn't have to do that. But he said, really, if you fellows were who you say you are, you would have done it.

If you fellows, and he was not a judgmental, he's a nice, nice brother. If you fellows were who you say you are, you would have done that. That's what characterized our Lord Jesus.

Joseph between two coats. Joseph between two criminals, the baker and the butler. One would perish and one would be pardoned.

One that was sad, the one that was pardoned. The one that was saved was the one that forgot Joseph. And so we can do that too.

Remember the woman that came with the very aggressive and ambitious request for two sons? One would sit on his right hand and one would sit on his left. Did she forget there was going to be two other men on his right and his left before he got to heaven? They were criminals. Something very demoralizing about it, wasn't it? Here's Joseph between two criminals.

The Lord Jesus, of course, between as well. Between two criminals. Last, Joseph between two causes.

Joseph had his brethren on one hand and he had the boss on the other. So what's he going to do? Is he going to try and work between the two of them? Remember he's caught one time between Benjamin and his brothers. A father that is insistent that Benjamin not go.

And finally when he went, now Joseph's insistent that he stay. And you know what that brought? He's always caught between two brothers. But the Bible says, Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Wherever those brothers turned. Once they had rejected Joseph. Once they had cast him into the pit.

Every time they turned, what's the issue? It's always a brother. It's always about a brother. Now Benjamin.

Benjamin going to take the blame for something that he didn't commit. Benjamin's blamed, like I say, for a sin that he did not commit. All that was seen.

Just let me run this slowly past you. All that was seen and all that was lacking in their dealing with Joseph. Is seen in their dealing with Benjamin.

You ever notice that? Everything they didn't do for Joseph, they would do for Benjamin. What had happened? One word. Repentance.

Repentance. Repentance is something that should follow us of course through our lives as believers. Of course, the last cloak that they tore for him, from him, was Jacob's.

Made for his son. As if to cover their lie. Now, to their own conscience, to convince the steward that this was no lie.

But they are now going to be compassionate toward their brother. Concerned and concerned toward their father. They didn't care about the old father before.

What are they talking about? Well, it will bring our father with gray hairs down to the grave. Isn't that the language they use? How come suddenly everything changed? Well, things can change, brethren. Thank God that they did.

They didn't care what the old man thought before. They didn't care if it broke his heart. That's the price of favoritism, they would say.

Show the boys some favoritism. You're going to pay for it, Dad. Not so.

Jacob saw in Joseph those men wouldn't see in them. You know what Jacob saw? He saw their sins. I really, if you read it carefully, I don't think Joseph, Jacob was as foolish as we think he is, as we think he was.

Jacob knew those boys. He knew what they were up to. Somehow he knew that Joseph would come out of all this.

The Lord Jesus, as he came into this world, there was a father that loved him in heaven. Nothing caught him by surprise. He knew that in the end his son would be victorious in bringing many sons to glory.

What a heavenly Joseph we have. What an honor to bow the knee to the one who indeed alone is worthy of wearing the fine linen.