++++ Chapter Three ++++ 
 
 The Exalted Sovereign 
 
    As we go into this phase, we'll begin to see how that Joseph is brought from
shame to glory. Turn now to (Gen. 41:) and let's pick up our story there; --- 
 
    Joseph now, taken into Egypt, and many events have transpired which for sake 
of time (space) we'll not cover; --- But finally, Joseph has been recognized by the
Pharaoh as being an outstanding individual; --- And is brought to a position of
Reign and Rule.
 
    (Vs. 38); --- The Pharaoh says; --- "Can we find [such a one] as this, a man in 
whom [is] the Spirit of God?"  It might be significant to point out just here, that 
in all the entire Bible account of Joseph's life, not one SIN is recorded against 
him!!   NOT ONE!!
   Don't get me wrong; --- I'm certain Joseph sinned, for ALL have sinned and 
fall short of the glory of God. (Rom. 3:23); --- But I'm also certain that the Holy
Spirit wrote the Bible in such a fashion, that no sin was ever recorded against
Joseph.  WHY?  Because God is teaching us a lesson; --- And Joseph is 
becoming a picture!!
 
   Let's begin reading in (Vs. 38); --- And Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we 
find [such a one] as this, a man in whom [is] the Spirit of God?" Then Pharaoh 
said to Joseph, "Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, [there is] no one as 
discerning and wise as you. "You shall be over my house, and all my people shall 
be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater 
than you." And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of 
Egypt." Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph's 
hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around 
his neck. And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried 
out before him, "Bow the knee!" So he set him over all the land of Egypt.
Pharaoh also said to Joseph, "I [am] Pharaoh, and without your consent no man 
may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt."
 
   Now something wonderful has happened; --- A very sad story has become a 
very happy story.  You see, the same thing happened to Jesus!!
   Write down these two Scriptures; --- (Mk. 16:19 and 1 Pet. 3:22)
And what do these two Scriptures say? --- Simply that; --- So then, after the Lord 
had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right 
hand of God.
 
   Now where was Joseph? --- At the right hand of Pharaoh!! --- Jesus is now at
the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers have been made subject
to Him!!
 
   Pharaoh told Joseph; --- "Nobody's going to lift a hand or a foot in my 
kingdom, unless you give the nod!!" --- "You're at the right hand of Majesty"; ---
"You are the Prime Minister!!" --- Yes, you; --- The one who was despised, 
rejected, sold, cast into the pit; --- counted as dead; --- You're alive, and you, on 
my right hand are to rule and reign!!
 
   The apostle Paul, speaking of Jesus had this to say; (Phil. 2:6-10) --- 
Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be 
equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond
servant, [and] coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a 
man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to [the point of] death, even the 
death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the 
name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should 
bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
 
   Now in Joseph's picture, ---- What's taking place?  Look again at (Gen. 41:43)
And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before 
him, "BOW THE KNEE!"  This one who was sold into slavery, hated and 
despised; --- And a runner goes out before that royal chariot and cries out; ---
"Here comes Joseph; --- YOU BOW!!"  Listen, they had no choice, they had to 
bow if they knew what was good for them.  They were forced to bow.
   (Rom. 14:11-12); --- For it is written: ["As] I live, says the LORD, Every knee 
shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." So then each of us shall 
give account of himself to God.
 
   Satan will one day bow the knee and admit that Jesus is Lord; --- His disciples
 (demons) believe now; --- that's why they tremble!! ( Js. 2:19)
 
   Every atheist will bow the knee!!  Hitler, Stalin, Sadam, and every other evil
person will bow the knee!!
    And if you haven't done so already my friend; --You also will fall on your knees
and confess Jesus Christ is Lord!!!      EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW!!
 
   But not only is Joseph brought from shame to glory; ---He is given a new name!
(Gen. 41:45); --- And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he 
gave him as a wife Asenath, --- A NEW NAME; --- ZAPHNATH-PAANEAH!!
 
   Do you know what this very hard to pronounce name means? --- It is Egyptian
for; --- "God speaks"; or "he lives" and "Prince"!!  
Young's Analytical, Pg. 1086 is translated;  "Savior of the world"!! 
 
   Note though; --- (Acts 5:30-31) Peter speaking; --- The God of our fathers 
raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted 
to His right hand [to be] Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and 
forgiveness of sins.
 
   You see, it fits, right down the line; --- Jesus had to be Lord in order to redeem
us.  He had to prove He was Lord of lords and King of kings by His resurrection
and exaltation at the right hand of Majesty on high; --- And if He were still in the
grave, though He died for our sins; --- Your hope and my hope of heaven wouldn't
be worth a single dime!!
 
   Now, not only is he given a new name, but in that same verse we are thrilled to 
find where he gets a NEW BRIDE; --- A Gentile Bride!!     Look at it; --- 
(Gen. 41:45); And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he 
gave him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On.
 
   With this in mind, please write down (Eph. 5:32); --- Where Paul speaks of 
Jesus Christ and His Bride, the church!! --- This is a great mystery, but I speak 
concerning Christ and the church.
 
   Alright, let's continue our comparison; --- Joseph became the ONLY HOPE
for a dying world.!!  But we wouldn't want to skip over this one unique detail; ---
(Gen. 41:46); --- Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king 
of Egypt. (That is, when he started his service to Pharaoh.)
(Lk. 3:23); ---Now Jesus Himself began [His ministry at] about thirty years of age, 
 
   Getting back to Joseph as Egypt's ONLY HOPE; --- (Gen. 41:55-57); ---
So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for 
bread. Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph; whatever he says 
to you, do." The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all 
the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the 
land of Egypt. So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy [grain,] because 
the famine was severe in all lands. (or all the earth; --- NAS)
    
    Can you imagine that?? --- A rejected Jew who is the ONLY HOPE of all the 
world!!  Who is he?? --- A rejected Jew, sold as a slave, counted as dead; --- And
he becomes the HOPE of the whole world!!!
   You go to Joseph; there is no hope and no help anywhere else except in Joseph!! 
Write by that; --- (Acts 4:12);  Peter speaking of our Lord; --- 
"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven 
given among men by which we must be saved."
 
   In the days of old; --- It was Joseph or nothing!!  And in these last days, it's 
Jesus or what??  Nothing!!!   They went to Joseph; --- But you go to Jesus; ---
Whatever He says, you must do!!
 
   Alright, that's the third chapter in this Gospel According To Joseph:
Chap. 1 The Beloved Son; --- Chap. 2 The Rejected Servant; --- 
Chap. 3  The Exalted Sovereign;
   And finally, let's identify him as:
 
++++ Chapter Four ++++ 
 
The Seeking Savior 
 
   Now it would have been enough had Joseph just simply stayed in Egypt, and 
waited there for everyone to come to him; --- But that was not the kind of Joseph
he was!!  I want us to be able to see that he begins to take the initiative in the
sharing of the vast wealth he has; --- And so let's just skip on over to (Gen. 45:);
   We're skipping a lot of material (again), but just to say what has transpired;---
Joseph's brethren, the ones who conspired against him and sold him, because 
they were determined not to have this one rule over us; ---
   Now they're just like anyone else; --- They're about to die too!!  And so they
come to Egypt and they don't even recognize their own brother after twenty two 
years.  They don't know that their brother is at the right hand of majesty.
All they know is, that they're in a pickle, and they're in the land of Egypt seeking
some food.
 
   Notice as we begin in (Vs. 1); --- Remember, Joseph has seen his brothers and 
he knows who they are, but they don't know him; --- And he keeps this a secret
for a while.
   Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and 
he cried out, "Make everyone go out from me!" So no one stood with him while 
Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, and the 
Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard [it.]
 
   Now watch it; ---The only way that his brethren could have known him, was for
Joseph to reveal himself to them; --- And by his compassionate grace; ---
   Why, he ought to have had them executed; --- They deserved to be boiled in oil,
ground up and fed to the chickens!!!   But instead, he reveals himself to them!!!
Oh! What marvelous grace and love beyond degree!!
 
   You see; --- You will never know who Jesus is, except He reveals Himself to 
you; --- By the revelation of God's word, the Bible!!
 
   But not only did he reveal himself to his brethren, but wonder of wonders; ---
he forgave them!!  Let's read this heart rending account, beginning in (Vs. 4); ---
And Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come near to me." So they came near. 
Then he said: "I [am] Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, 
do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; 
for God sent me before you to preserve life. 
 
   Joseph says; --- "HA! You thought you did it; --- But all along it was God!!
Question: --- Who crucified Jesus??   Well, in a very real sense, His brethren did 
it; --- The Romans did it, and You and I did it; --- But let me remind you of what
the word of God has to say about WHO crucified Jesus; --- (Isa. 53:10)
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put [Him] to grief. And (Vs. 4); ---
Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him 
stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. (Lit. Struck down by GOD!)
 
   Joseph had enough wisdom to know, that even thought he was thrown into a
pit by wicked and conniving brothers; --- that there was an omnipotent God who 
was over it all!!
   And so, just as Jesus Christ cried out from the cross; --- "Father, forgive them,
for they do not know what they are doing!!" --- Here is Joseph forgiving his own
unworthy brothers!!   Oh! What love and grace!!
   Therefore, do not be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; 
for God sent me before you to preserve life. 
 
   Alright; --- Not only did he reveal himself and forgive his brothers; --- But, it's
not over yet; --- He COMMISSIONED his brothers!!  Look in (Gen. 45:7-10); ---
    "And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and 
to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now [it was] not you [who] sent me 
here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, 
and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father, and 
say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph: "God has made me lord of all Egypt; 
come down to me, do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you 
shall be near to me, you and your children, your children's children, your flocks 
and your herds, and all that you have.  
 
    So he said to his brothers; --- "Now, you've got a job, a mission; --- You know
who I am; --- You go back and tell the story!!!"  "Go back home and tell them; ---
I'm NOT DEAD, I'm ALIVE!!!" "I'm in a highly exalted position next to the 
majesty on high!!!"  "I've made ample provision for you; ---And I want very much 
for you to come live with me!!!"
 
   Beloved, that's our lesson!  That's our lesson right here; --- Our Savior is NOT
DEAD; --- HE'S ALIVE FOREVER MORE; --- AND HE'S AT THE RIGHT 
HAND OF MAJESTY ON HIGH!!!
   He's made ample provision of each and every one who seeks to follow Him.
He said; --- "I go to prepare a place for you."And incidentally, if you're still writing
Scriptures in your margin; --- Right next to (Gen. 45:15), write (Jno. 14:1-4).
    Jesus speaking; --- "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe 
also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if [it were] not [so,] I would 
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for 
you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, [there] you 
may be also.  And where I go you know, and the way you know."   
    5 Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how 
can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. 
No one comes to the Father except through Me."
 
   And finally; --- (1 Jno. 5:3-4); --- For this is the love of God, that we keep His 
commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is 
born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the
world -- our faith.