Joseph, The (Almost) Perfect Man Part 1 “Learning Obedience”
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17 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.
Introduction
Introduction
Joseph was (almost) a perfect type of Christ
Watch Joseph, just portrayed the life of Christ almost perfect, but he made a mistake, to show that it wasn’t Him. 64-0617 - "The Identified Christ Of All Ages"
His mistake was a minor one:
33 And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?
34 That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
But the father, the Spirit wouldn’t let him do it; he said, “Your servants, the shepherds.” So you see Joseph there making a mistake. 64-0617 - "The Identified Christ Of All Ages"
We know that Jesus is the perfect one.
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
He was the perfect son.
Every prophet was imperfect but Jesus was the Masterpiece.
What was He? He was that perfect Word, reflected for Bread, that every man shall live by. He was that wheat of God’s Word that could be ground and put in the four Gospels, sixty-six Books. And man shall live by That, and That alone, and every Word of It. Amen.
That was Michelangelo’s masterpiece. And when God could see Hisself reflected in a Man, He had that perfect Man created in His Own image. Oh, my, what a Man! He had to die for all of us.
And He died, the perfect One; that we, imperfect, could be made perfect in Him, by partaking of every Word of His Bible. 64-1212 - "The Harvest Time"
This perfect one learned obedience through suffering.
8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
In plain language, the very character of Jesus was perfected by suffering. And according to Paul He has left His church a measure of suffering that they, too, by their faith in God while suffering for Him, would come to a place of perfection. An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages (4 - The Smyrnaean Church Age)
This is obviously not speaking of sinless perfection, but maturity.
We do not have a record of Jesus early years except for His birth and a brief visit to the temple.
(Illustrate: Jesus at the temple)
He doesn’t re-emerge until He is 30 years old.
46 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.
Even at that point Jesus seems reluctant to begin His ministry.
4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
There came a time that the Father came down in an adoption ceremony and said “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; Hear Ye Him”.
Joseph had to reach a place of maturity in His life. He always seemed to do what was right, but he had to learn to do it at the right time.
2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
We don’t know what this report was, but whatever it was no one likes a tattletale.
What he did was right, but he could not at this time be any help to his brothers, only a tattletale. He could see the problem but couldn’t fix it, that takes obedience learned by suffering.
Voluntarily laying down our own will in favor of the Father’s will only comes through suffering.
Joseph is a tattletale.
Just because you know something is true doesn’t mean you should tell it.
16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the Lord.
13 A talebearer revealeth secrets: But he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.
8 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, And they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
19 He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: Therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.
20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: So where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.
I preach this a lot because living in Hardy, Arkansas is a lot like being on Mars Hill:
21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
We’re not supposed to be talebearers.
1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
This is maturity.
3 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
I can imagine them apostles never acted liked us. They went around, probably men of few words, till they got in the pulpit. They walked in and they done what they was supposed to do, and walked out. Yes, sir.
They had power. They had virtue. They had no arguments with men. They know where they stood. That’s all. They know who they believed. They kept on walking in the Spirit. 62-1014M - "The Stature Of A Perfect Man"
(Paul preached all night, but they didn’t fuss and argue and tattle on one another)
(Preachers who call random preachers about stuff that has nothing to do with them. Laity do it as well.)
Joseph was young, he talked too much at the wrong times. Even worse is to see an old man like that.
His brothers needed correcting, but perhaps he didn’t have the wisdom yet to correct them the way Jesus did.
If you can’t different with a man, and love him the same time, then shut up. If you can’t tell him, like a daddy correcting his child, with a willing arm to put it around his neck and hug him afterwards, you better leave it alone.
You haven’t went far enough, yourself, to know what you’re talking about. Right. I can differ with a man, certainly; still he is my brother, I’ll hold his hand.
I can’t let him get by with that; if I do, if I didn’t tell him, I wouldn’t be the correct brother to him. That’s correct. But I can tell him, and tell him I love him, and prove it to him, I love him. 63-1127 - "The World Is Again Falling Apart"
What is our motive in talking? Is it to help? Or to get someone in trouble?
Joseph had to learn obedience by the things he suffered.
What do you need to come to maturity?
Firstly, you need the ministry of Ephesians 4:11, preaching the Message for your day.
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Secondly, you need the Inside Teacher, The Holy Spirit.
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
The evidence that you have the Holy Ghost is the inside teacher leading you to the Word of the Hour, bringing you to maturity.
He told us the evidence, or what would happen after being baptized with the Holy Ghost was that we would have the Teacher come and teach all truth. But that Teacher was an INSIDE teacher, not an outside teacher.
If the Spirit wasn’t inside, you wouldn’t hear the truth and receive it by revelation if you heard it every moment of the day. That was the sign of the indwelling Spirit in the days of Paul. Those who were filled with the Holy Ghost heard the Word, received it and lived by it.
Those who did not have the Spirit heard it only as carnal men, put a wrong interpretation on it and went into sin. In every age, (and every age is the age of the Holy Ghost for the true believer) — I say, in every age the evidence was the same.
Those who had the Spirit, the Teacher, heard the Word, and that Spirit in them took the Word and taught it (revealed it) to them; and they were of the group that heard the messenger and his message and took it and lived it. An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages (4 - The Smyrnaean Church Age)
Thirdly, you need Suffering.
Suffering is experiencing pain. Feeling it.
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
Joseph had to suffer before he could reign.
Joseph and Jesus
His brothers hated him.
Sold for money
Buried in a ditch
Suffered in the dungeon
One thief lost and the other saved
Seated at the right hand of Pharoah
Then he become at the right hand of Pharaoh, the king that he dreamed, that had the vision that he would set at the king’s feet, and all authority in Egypt was given to him. His vision had to come to pass.
He might have studied of it, many times, while he was in that prison down there. His whiskers growing out, and so forth, but he studied it. Some day his vision had to come to pass. 63-0728 - "Christ Is The Mystery Of God Revealed"
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, But at the end it shall speak, and not lie: Though it tarry, wait for it; Because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
19 Until the time that his word came: The word of the Lord tried him.
What is your word? What is your purpose?
Until His Word came he suffered under the expectations that he had.
He could not promote himself to the throne.
He was thrown in a pit, sold into slavery, lied on by an evil woman, cast into prison and sat there with his whiskers growing out, thirty years old, he had been only 17 when it all began.
He might have set there and said “if only I had kept my mouth shut”. God was going to us him for redemption, he had to learn to obey.
It was his attitude and willingness to work in the jobs he didn’t want that got him the job he wanted.
4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
He couldn’t have said that at seventeen.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Unless we suffer with Him we cannot reign with Him. You have to suffer to reign. The reason for this is that character simply is never made without suffering. Character is a VICTORY, not a gift.
A man without character can’t reign because power apart from character is Satanic. But power with character is fit to rule. And since He wants us to share even His throne on the same basis that He overcame and is set down in His Father’s throne, then we have to overcome to sit with Him.
And the little temporary suffering we go through now is not worthy to be compared to the tremendous glory that will be revealed in us when He comes. Oh, what treasures are laid up for those who are willing to enter into His kingdom through much tribulation.
“Think it not strange concerning the fiery trials that are to try you.” That is what Peter said. Is it strange that God wants us to develop a Christlike character that comes through suffering? No sir. And we all have trials.
We are all tried and chastened as sons. Not one but goes through that. The church that is not suffering, and is not being tried, hasn’t got it — it isn’t of God. An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages (4 - The Smyrnaean Church Age)
Conclusion
Conclusion
Today the Word of a Rapture tries us. We’re learning obedience for our reign.