Jesus is found every where in the pages of the Bible. Jesus is not just found in certain places that the prophets wrote regarding his coming, but rather Jesus is found on almost every page and place of the Holy Bible. Jesus is the whole point , he is what all time and eternity is about, Jesus is the focus of everything and anything that the Great God is has, is, or will ever do. Jesus is not side point to a greater story , Jesus is the greater story. He is the point of it all.We can find Jesus emerging in that through the lives of Biblical personalities throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Jesus is there woven in and moving within the accounts of the lives of the varies personalities which we read about in the Holy Bible.
Joseph
We can see Jesus Christ emerging in and out of the life of the Patriarch Joseph, from the start of Joseph's life to the very end we can see Jesus. We can see Jesus even as Joseph , who sat as Prime Minister under Pharaoh, reveals himself to his brothers.
A Famine Upon the Earth
Joseph's brothers had come to Egypt to buy food during a prolong famine which was upon the Earth. Jacob their father and the family Patriarch sent his sons there for it was known that the nation of Egypt had reserves to sale.
"Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.
“It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but
seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt
will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land.
The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. The
reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter
has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon."Gen:41:25-32
Through Joseph Egypt made provisos to store up food during years of plenty so that the lives of the people would be preserved and for resale to nations around them strengthening and maintained the Egyptian economy during the time of famine.
"And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. And he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. And Joseph laid up grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left off numbering; for it was without number." (46-49)
When the famine came Pharaoh gave Joseph the command to open the store houses so that there might be provisions for the people.
"And the seven years of plenty, that was in the land of Egypt, came to an end. And the seven years of famine began to come, according as Joseph had said: and there was famine in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the store-houses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine was sore in the land of Egypt.And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was sore in all the earth."(53-57)
They Do Not Recognize Him
The brothers of Joseph are sent to Egypt by their father Jacob to purchase food, for Jacob has heard a report that Egypt has gains and other food stuffs for sell.
"Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? And
he said, Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt: get you
down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy grain from Egypt. But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest Peradventure harm befall him. And the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan." Gen:42:1-5
As Joseph's brothers interacted with him, for Joseph oversaw the
selling of food stuffs , they did not recognize that it was he their
very own brother who they had years prior sold into slavery. At first Joseph deals with them in a manner which hides who he is and his true desire that they night know him.
"And
Joseph was the governor over the land; he it was that sold to all the
people of the land. And Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down
themselves to him with their faces to the earth. And
Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange
unto them, and spake roughly with them; and he said unto them. Whence
come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food." (6-7)
Through a sequence of rather confounding, yet orchestrated events by Joseph, he prepares his brothers for his own self disclosure as to who he is. Through these events Joseph arranges for his brother Benjamin, whom their father Jacob would not allow to travel on the journey to Egypt to buy food, to be brought to Egypt as well, so all of them are now present with Joseph in the land of Egypt and are gathered before him in his house.
I am Joseph
As the brothers are before him they are confounded and frighten , they are uncertain as to what has and is about to happen as they face the Egyptian Prime Minister .
Through it all the men did not know Joseph even through he was their very own brother. What they perceived about him was limited, he seems distant and foreign.
As Joseph looks upon his brothers he feels the deep desire for each them to know that it is he their very brother. This deep desire is, for Joseph, over whelming, he wants them to know him and have a relationship with him to know that their sins toward him have been forgiven. All the past wrongs have been expunged. They are free be brothers with him.
Joseph driven by the desire to reach out to them and reveal himself become intense. He finally reaches the point where love is the driving force, he dismisses his servants and alone with his brothers Joseph tells them who he is.
"Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers".Gen:45:1
"Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?”(3a)
They Are Afraid
"But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence."(3b)
Come Close
Joseph however dose not speak condemnation to his brothers but rather invites them to draw near and speaks words to ease their fears. Joseph tells them that what they had done was within the purpose of God and was redemptive to preserve their family line and for the saving of their lives and many others and to carry on the promises passed down from Abraham.
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance." Gen:45:3-7
Embraced by Joseph
As the brothers come to see that all is forgiven Joseph reached out to them and embrace them all starting with Benjamen.
"Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him." Gen:45:14-15
Do Not Recognize Jesus
We can all be like the brothers of Joseph who were being led through a series of events to be brought to the place where Joseph revealed himself. God leads us all through many life events so that we will ultimately come to see Jesus.
The great God can be working in our lives dealing with us and blessing us , yet he might be unrecognized by us as Joseph was by his own brothers. All was being done so that they could see him, and be in relationship with them.
"no man comes to me except the Father draw him" Jhn:6:44
In Our Time of Famine
As with the brothers of Joseph, we may be in a time of personal famine, where the things of this life will not sustain us.The things which we had always looked to no longer fill us full. We look for something to fill the need deep with in us all , it is such times of personal famine that God the Father will send us on a journey which untimely lead us to his Son Jesus Christ. All humanity is drawn to Jesus whether they realize it or not, he draws all to himself.
"And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." Jhn:12:32
The great God can be working in our lives dealing with us and blessing us , yet he might be unrecognized by us as Joseph was by his own brothers. All was being done so that they could see him, and be in relationship with them.
"no man comes to me except the Father draw him" Jhn:6:44
God works in our lives even in our mistakes to bring us to that place and that moment when our Lords opens our eyes to who he is and all that he wrought in lives for our good so that we might know him.
"This is eternal life that they may know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" Jhn:17:3
When We See Jesus
For many , the moment when they see Jesus and see him for who he is, is much like that of the brothers of Joseph, there is the realization that we have sinned against him. When the great God uses a series of events and circumstances to bring us before Jesus, and there is that moment when he reveals himself to us. We like the brothers before Joseph may be uncertain as to what will happen , fear can fills us.
Come Closer to Jesus
Yet, like Joseph , Jesus speaks to us, to calm our fears and invites us to come closer to him. We need not fear the presences of our Lord. Jesus assures us that all our past mistakes and sins have been washed away, we are welcomed into fellowship with him. There is reconciliation.
" that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation." 2Corth:5:19
" that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation." 2Corth:5:19
Jesus' desire is for us all to know him, as Joseph was overwhelmed to reveal himself to his brothers.
"Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters".Heb:2:11
This speaks of our Lord's great desire for all humanity to know him and have a relationship with him to see him for who he is, to know that he is our brother sharing our humanity as one of us , yet highly exulted as the eternal Son of God.
"Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters".Heb:2:11
This speaks of our Lord's great desire for all humanity to know him and have a relationship with him to see him for who he is, to know that he is our brother sharing our humanity as one of us , yet highly exulted as the eternal Son of God.
We need not fear this moment, rather Jesus reaches out to us and embraces as his brethren, he shows us his love and mercy for each and all. Jesus calls each and all to come closer and be embraced by him.
We need not fear that moment when we see Jesus..Amen
Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor
The
Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike.
2101 Old National Pike.
Washington,
Pennsylvania.
www.gcfountainoflife.org
The
Fountain of Life is heard on the RKP Radio Network 1710 and 1670 AM in
Washington and North Franklin ,and 1790 AM in the Arden Fair Grounds area
of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville and Monongahela,
Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com
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