Sermon #1424                                   Miscellaneous Sermons

 

          Title:            Joseph Was Brought Down To Egypt

          Text:            Genesis 39:1-23

          Subject:       Joseph as A Type of Christ

          Date:            Sunday Evening – September 24, 2000

          Tape #         W-2a

          Readings:     Bobbie Estes and Ron Wood

          Introduction:

 

          Our text tonight is Genesis 39:1-23. You will find the title of my message in verse 1. – Joseph was Brought Down to Egypt

 

As Joseph was brought down to Egypt to save his people, so the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ was brought down to this earth as a man to save his people. This is the picture drawn by the Holy Spirit in Genesis 39.

 

          Certainly, there are other things taught in this chapter. There are other moral and spiritual lessons to be learned from these twenty-three verses. But the primary purpose of the Holy Spirit in giving us this piece of history is to show us a picture of Christ, our Redeemer.

 

          Realizing that fact, I want us to simply read these verses together. As we do, I will simply direct your attention to the obvious, showing the blessed type picture here drawn of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

I.     He who was the beloved son of his father’s house was brought down to Egypt as a lowly servant (v. 1).

 

(Genesis 39:1)  "And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither."

 

            Behold, one greater than Joseph is here! Behold Jehovah’s Servant, the Lord Jesus Christ (Isa. 42:1-4; Ex. 21:5-6; Isa; 50:5-7; Ps. 40:6-10; Heb. 10:5-14; Phil. 2:5-11).

 

(Isaiah 42:1-4)  "Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. {2} He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. {3} A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. {4} He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law."

 

(Exodus 21:5-6)  "And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: {6} Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever."

 

(Isaiah 50:5-7)  "The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. {6} I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. {7} For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed."

 

(Psalms 40:5-10)  "Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. {6} Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. {7} Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, {8} I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. {9} I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. {10} I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation."

 

(Hebrews 10:5-14)  "Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: {6} In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. {7} Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. {8} Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; {9} Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. {10} By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. {11} And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: {12} 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. {14} For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."

 

(Philippians 2:5-11)  "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: {6} Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: {7} But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: {8} And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. {9} 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."

 

II.  The Lord was with joseph(v. 2).

 

          Behold, a greater than Joseph is here. Our Lord Jesus Christ is that man who is himself God almighty, Immanuel, the incarnate God, one with the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1-3, 10-11, 14, 16-17).

 

(John 1:1-3)  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. {2} The same was in the beginning with God. {3} All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."

 

(John 1:10-11)  "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. {11} He came unto his own, and his own received him not."

 

(John 1:14)  "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

 

(John 1:16-17)  "And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. {17} For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ."

 

III. Look at verse 3. – The Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand.”

 

          Again, I say, Behold, a greater than Joseph is here. Here is that truly blessed Man, -- that Man who walked not in the counsel of the ungodly, -- that Man who stood not in the way of sinners, -- that Man who sat not in the seat of the scornful, -- that Man whose delight was in the law of the Lord. What does the Lord God tell us about that blessed Man?

 

(Psalms 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."

 

(Isaiah 52:13)  "Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high."

 

(Isaiah 53:10)  "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand."

 

IV. Potiphar trusted Joseph with everything he had, and put everything into his hands (v. 4).

 

(Genesis 39:4)  "And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand."

 

          Behold, a greater than Joseph is here! The Lord Jesus Christ is that Servant whom the Father has trusted with everything, into who hands he has put everything he has.

 

·        His Glory

·        His Elect

·        All the World

 

V.  Look at the fifth verse of this chapter. – The Lord blessed the Egyptin’s house for Joseph’s sake.”

 

          Behold, a greater than Joseph is here! Egypt was altogether insignificant, except for the fact that Joseph was there, his people must sojourn there, and redemption must be accomplished there. Therefore, for Joseph’s sake, God blessed the Egyptians in providence.

 

          Now, hear the Scriptures, and understand this. – This world, all its nations and all its people, are altogether insignificant except for the fact that Christ has his people here. Here redemption and grace must be performed. Therefore, God blesses the world and preserves it for Christ’s sake (Isa. 65:8-9; 2 Pet. 3:9).

 

(Isaiah 65:8-9)  "Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all. {9} And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there."

 

(2 Peter 3:9)  "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

 

VI. When tempted to sin Joseph proved himself a faithful man, true to his master in all things (vv. 6-12).

 

(Genesis 39:6-12)  "And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favored. {7} And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. {8} But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; {9} There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? {10} And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. {11} And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. {12} And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out."

 

          Behold, a greater than Joseph is here. The Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, the Son of God was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. He who was made to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, knew no sin. He was holy, harmless, undelfiled, and separate from sinners.

 

VII. Joseph was falsely accused of crimes he did not commit (vv. 16-18).

 

(Genesis 39:16-18)  "And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home. {17} And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me: {18} And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out."

 

          Behold, a greater than Joseph is here!

 

(Matthew 26:59-61)  "Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; {60} But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, {61} And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days."

 

VII. Joseph was numbered with trangressors (vv. 19-23).

 

(Genesis 39:20)  "And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison."

 

          Behold, a greater than Joseph is here! Not only was our Lord Jesus Christ numbered with transgressors, he died in the transgressors’ place, as our Substitute.

 

(Isaiah 53:7-12)  "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. {8} He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. {9} And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. {10} Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. {11} He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. {12} Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."

 

(Psalms 105:17-21)  "He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: {18} Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: {19} Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him. {20} The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. {21} He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:"

 

(John 17:4-5)  "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. {5} And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."

 

(Romans 14:9)  "For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living."

 

(Hebrews 1:1-3)  "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, {2} Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; {3} Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high."