Joseph's Faith
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Here we have the last days of Joseph’s life. We find that Joseph truly was a saint throughout his entire life. He didn’t have the spiritual advantages that we have today…the Bible!
Joseph is a great example of faith! He takes up about 1/4 of the book of Genesis - no sin, failure, or mistake is written about him - although he wasn’t sinless.
J Vernon McGee said, “There is not one person in Scripture more like Jesus Christ, in person and experiences, than Joseph.”
I want to look at the very end of Joseph’s life and see it as a measure and example of faith.
22 And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father’s house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years.
23 And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph’s knees.
24 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
25 And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.
26 So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
1. The Quality of Joseph’s Faith
1. The Quality of Joseph’s Faith
Joseph went through a lot in his life - sold into slavery by jealous brothers, unjustly accused by Potiphar’s wife, left in prison for years....that’s rougher than any of us have had.
Knowing the character of Joseph, and the life that he had, he certainly must have had a high quality of faith.
Quality has certainly gone down - look at food now - not as much in a package, smaller amounts, oreo filling is microscopic. The difference between generic and name brand - quality is important!
A. His Faith was Public
A. His Faith was Public
He was not some secret disciple.
He spoke openly of God – at home, at Potiphar’s, in prison, and in the palace.
Everyone knew which God Joseph served.
Faith showed be seen and declared. We have fake Christians in society today – especially politics. They use ‘faith’ just enough to get votes.
They say they have faith but that it is a ‘personal matter.’ Then they no longer truly speak of it.
32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Butler says, “Faith not professed is faith not possessed!”
There should be no confusion as to our stand regarding Christ, God and the Word.
B. His Faith was Confident
B. His Faith was Confident
25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Sometimes we can be pretty confident in our abilities.
A noted brain surgeon, Dr. Bronson Ray, was taking a stroll when he saw a boy on a scooter smash headfirst into a tree. Realizing that the boy was seriously injured, the doctor told a bystander to call an ambulance. As he proceeded to administer first aid, a boy not much older than the injured one nudged through the crowd that had gathered and said to Dr. Ray, “I’d better take over now, sir. I’m a Boy Scout and I know first aid,”
He says twice, “God will surely visit you.”
He had a confident belief in God and His Word.
Dogmatism is attacked today – just because people don’t know the truth, they say we shouldn’t know the truth or be confident.
However, the world has no problem in being dogmatic in every other area of life – doctor, mechanic, bookkeeping.
God meant what He said and said what He meant.
The only way to properly share and declare our faith is dogmatically.
C. His Faith was Honoring of God
C. His Faith was Honoring of God
Joseph spoke highly of God. v. 24.
He gave a great witness and testimony to the faithfulness of God.
Joseph is saying that God is a God of His Word
To honor God, you must honor His Word.
137 TZADDI. Righteous art thou, O LORD, and upright are thy judgments.
138 Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful.
True faith believes that God will do what He says He will do.
D. His Faith was Patient
D. His Faith was Patient
Joseph knew that his faith required great patience.
10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
They were to take his bones, not his body back to Canaan.
Joseph knew this was some years away before it would be accomplished.
Joseph would stand with God, no matter how long it may take.
We have a hard time being patient - but for people of faith we don’t live in the present circumstances but in the truth of our future hope.
Illus:
Waiting in line for a roller coaster - I can endure that line because of what I can see is ahead. But we see heavenly and spiritual things - on earth we are merely waiting in line.
2. The Lessons of Joseph’s Faith
2. The Lessons of Joseph’s Faith
v. 25 with Heb. 11:22
Let’s summarize Joseph’s life with three lessons on faith.
A. Faith Must Have Action
A. Faith Must Have Action
Faith is to be translated into action – faith will affect the way we live. Joseph’s faith was demonstrated through his instructions here.
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Joseph’s faith was also encouraging – he is showing here that God was going to deliver His people from Egypt and into the promised land. Joseph’s faith and instruction in faith gave great encouragement. Does our faith do this to others?
Joseph’s instruction also reminds them not to get attached to Egypt. They were to set their affections on things above. Thomas Kirk said, “His heart was in Canaan not Egypt.”
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
Joseph’s decisions and actions of life were always driven by His faith in God. It showed on the outside - it showed in how he lived.
Our faith should be seen in action!
B. Faith Believes God’s Promises
B. Faith Believes God’s Promises
Joseph’s instruction was carried out:
19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.
32 And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
His influence continued through several generations.
Generations will be blessed or cursed by our display or lack of faith.
Joseph had no reason to wish for their future departure, for life was good in Egypt, and he had worked hard to make it so. But, still, Joseph knew. Israel would not be a small family with Egypt's favor forever. Eventually, 400 years later, they had to depart Egypt, despised because God had grown them into a nation of people.
C. Faith Must Endure
C. Faith Must Endure
22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.
An interesting verse here about Joseph.
Note in v. 22 - ‘when he died’ and in Genesis 50:24, ‘I die.’ And then the last verse of Genesis has Joseph in a coffin - what a contrast from how Genesis begins! But the end of Genesis is not the end of the whole story.
Your trial right now might seem like the end of the world - but it might just be the end of a chapter, not the end of the story.
Also, note how Heb. 11:22 uses this example for Joseph’s faith. Clearly there were many other examples of his faith, why this?
Well this is how God judges the performance of a man or woman.
Joseph so believed and trusted God that he passed every test, survived every trial, and ultimately accomplished that which God had for him. God evaluates us on how we finish, not on how we start.
His life, was a life of faith. And still today, we are studying that life.
CONCLUSION
Many years ago, a ship known as “The Empress of Ireland” went down with 130 Salvation Army officers on board, along with many other passengers. Only 21 of the Salvation Army people survived. Of the 109 that drowned, not one had a life preserver. Many of the survivors told how these brave people, seeing that there were not enough life preservers, took off their own and gave them to others, saying, “I know Jesus, so I can die better than you can!” (In “Our Daily Bread,” Fall, 1980.)
What kind of faith do you have? Is it public, confident, honoring to God, and patient.
Are you actively living your faith, trusting God’s promises, so that you can patiently endure.