Do Not Die in Egypt II

Pray for understanding, help and courage to come out of Egypt…

Examining the two natures in each of us through the life of Joseph

Jacob in Gen 47 and 48 had expressed how he did not want Joseph to die in Egypt

Joseph carries something so valuable Jacob does not want him to die in Egypt (part of the promise) check out Gen 46:2-4

Genesis 46:2–4 ESV

And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.”

Under the direction of God Jacob proceeds to Egypt with this in mind:

God would multiply him

God would be with him

God would bring him into the promise

Joseph would be the one to bring him out of Egypt and would not die there in Egypt

later we read the people multiply as a result to the prosperity in Egypt… and Joseph actually dies there.

Not that God would not fulfill the promise but it shows how much God trust the human agent to fulfill what He has declared over them.

It is this reason that I believe Jacob was terrified of Joseph dying in Egypt.

Joseph’s entire identity was being blurred by all that Egypt had to offer.

Joseph had endured several inhumane acts by the time he is being asked to leave Egypt

“It is easier to make friends at a bar than it is to make friends at church…?”

Examining what Joseph’s brothers did to him we can see how this statement may be true… (reason for not speeding through this)

Understand there are human agents that have complete free-will and how much each of us is trusted to do what God has spoken over us.

Pressing further in we can place this secular platitude to the test…

Egypt (the bar, drugs, careers, jobs, businesses, relationships…) offers you something like what you want

It calls to your flesh

It professes to satisfy your every desire

It expedites what you “rightfully, deserve”

It lulls you into a sense of security

at least until it has you trapped with no way out

you will realize that you have traded away your birthright and blessings for comfort

While the secular world world (Egypt) and all that can be found in it may seem appealing now you are to ask yourself:

what will I have to surrender to receive it? (We hear of people who sell their souls to the devil for riches, fame, love… some of us will trade our Kingdom inheritance for short-lived pleasures

Mark 10:29-30 Jesus declares “No one has… left/lost anything for His sake or that of the Gospel… that will not receive 100 fold in this age and in the age to come… (quite contrary to what the world offers)

The world (Egypt) offers the essence of your flesh an exchange that will lead your Kingly essence into oppression.

Your Kingly Essence Exposed

His brothers… His Father… Joseph revealed to them who God had called him to be

37:38 Sold for gain 20 pieces of silver

Being Sold to Egypt we uncover that God was still with him

Everything he set out to do was met with success…

Your Success Tells On You…

(The Spiritual Forces will know all about you)

Genesis 39:2–3 ESV

The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands.

You cannot hide who you are… try as you might you cannot disguise the Kingly Essence that courses through your veins.

v.6 The captain of the guard charges Joseph with the care of the guards and all his house.

Remember that favor, advancement, promotion comes from the Lord

when the Captian (Sar = higher being) saw the favor “he” gave him position.

His wife sees two things in him

Form = what one looks like (appearance)

Appearance = visual form designed to be copied (She saw his: 1. Calling 2. Anointing 3. Appointment)

I want what he has… if I can cause him to stumble it will be mine…

Causes him to be thrown into prison.

Careful to not confuse your success for your own doing…

Your Fruits Testify of Who You Are

(the governors will know about you)

Pharoah gets upset with two of his closest officers throws them in jail

funny how this world ruler on a whim jails his own… but the King of Heaven and Earth is fighting to set you free (side note)

The 2 officers can’t make sense of their dreams

Joseph ministers to them

Joseph speaks truth (God can interpret…)

Genesis 40:14 ESV

Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house.

Joseph acting in the essence of the King does his part…

(maybe conjecture) tell your king about me that he may have mercy and release me

2 years would pass before this official would remember (look at what it has cost him to this point)

Gen 41:15-16 Pharaoh brings Joseph before him… tells him “I have heard you can interpret dreams”

spiritual forces, spiritual governors run to the appointed authorities and tell on you…

Joseph knows it is God who is doing it not him… we should not forget that v. 16 without God it is not possible to give Pharaoh an answer about his welfare

To this point, everyone around him can see the anointing radiating from Joseph… It is not just because he is handsome… it is the very Essence of the King that everyone is noting in him… do not be the only one unaware of your Kingly Essence

The level of persecution… the level of injustices he has endured however, has worn on him… It is here that the EXCHANGE is offered.

Exchanging Your Kingly Essence for a Cheap Knockoff

Egypt (the world) will make it look like they are offering something of value while it sucks every ounce of anointing out of you.

They know it is from God and will go to work on ensuring it is never used for the Kingdom.

Genesis 41:38 ESV

And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?”

The following is a way of softening him up to believe its for God… its from God… (throw off the discernment)

leading into v.40 there is the sweet talking (your so good, and Godly) *isn’t this Pharaoh who is declaring this?

v. 40 Appointed over all of the house of Pharaoh (sans the throne)

There is a changing of assignment

v. 42 Signet Ring = Authority and Honor

gateway to the unknown

v. 42 Garments of fine linen = wealth/status everlasting life/elevated position

v. 42 Gold chain = distinction/sovereignty

v. 43 Second Chariot = public declaration of power (he made him ruler of the land and the people)

v. 45 Name Change = revealer of secrets closest translation

v. 45 Marries him off to a daughter of a Pagan Priest (so much for believing God)

Asenath = She who is of Neith (Goddess of Creation… Funerary)

While it may appear these are all good things it becomes apparent later that they were cheap imitations of what God had for Joseph. Yes, there was something in Egypt to gain but there is a blurring of Joseph’s purpose there…

The essence of the King in Joseph was becoming blurred there was no way of telling where the essence of the King started and where the essence of the flesh ended.

in ch. 45 Joseph is brought further in… v. 18 Pharaoh excited to receive the family… if you only knew how in the blurring of the lines your family is under threat…

… you will receive the best lands and eat of the fat of the land

Joseph…

He gives the brothers a change of clothes (they get to look like Egyptians too)

Originally had in mind to store up grain for the famine

In 3 separate exchanges provoked the people to be given over to Pharaoh (remember the land of Canaan is the promised land) The famine hit Egypt and Canaan the same

Money for grain (until all the money was gone)

Livestock for food (until they no longer had animals)

Land and Person for food (they became servants to pharaoh)

they would have to give 1/5 of everything to Pharaoh.

Something to note is that when we fail to bring back to the Lord what is rightfully his we will doom the subsequent generations to have to overcome what you could not.

Joseph faced and persevered while he never left Egypt there is a part of him that had to overcome the trauma… Gen 50:20 Joseph declares that what they meant for evil God turned for his good. YOU ARE ENTRUSTED WITH THE SITUATION TO BRING MANY HOME

He speaks over the nation of Israel remembering the promise… The Lord will Bring you out of Egypt… take my bones with you…