The King that Knew Not Joseph

Introduction

Good morning and welcome back!

This morning we are going t be going all the way back the Book of Exodus.

And our scripture focus this morning is going pick up at a time just before the birth of Moses and after the time of Joseph.

And if we recall, it was during Joseph’s lifetime that Israel as a nation enjoyed prosperity, growth, and the blessings of God.

However, there would come a time when all of this would come to an end.

And these events are actually prophesied in Genesis 15 that says . . .

Genesis 15:12–14 NIV84

As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.

So, even long before Joseph's time, God had warned Abraham of the impending bondage of the people of Israel.

However, what was it that made Joseph so special that they would prosper during his time?

What did he do that the blessing was upon them?

Well, just a quick run down of Joseph.

Remember Joseph was the son of Jacob, who when he was (17) began to have dreams about his brothers and how they would one day bow down and serve him.

Joseph was in many ways Jacob's favorite son, evidenced by his father presenting him a "coat of many colors."

Joseph's brothers were jealous of him and there came a day that they took Joseph, cast him into a pit and took his "coat of many colors" and deceived their father into thinking Joseph had been killed by a wild animal.

They killed a goat and smeared the coat with the blood and took it back to Jacob and sold Joseph into slavery to the Ishmealites.

Joseph ends up a slave in Egypt and ends up being bought by Potiphar and serves as a servant in Potiphar's house to the point that he becomes the "overseer" of the house.

Then we have the issue of Potiphar's wife, that tries to seduce Joseph, who resists, but never less is falsely accused of rape and thrown into prison.

And while in prison, Pharaoh begins to have troubling dreams and it ends up that Joseph interprets the dreams correctly for Pharaoh and begins to gain stature in Egypt.

Joseph predicts a great famine that was to come throughout the land and Egypt is able to prepare for it, and while the rest of the region suffers, Egypt flourishes because of Joseph.

Eventually, Joseph is promoted to the second in command in Egypt and God is glorified through it.

He is reunited with his family and particularly his father.

And Joseph lives and reigns in Egypt until the age of 110.

Originally, when Jacob came to Egypt, Jacob brought 69 of his relatives with him when he settled in Egypt, but as time passed . . .

Exodus 1:7 NIV84

but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.

Which is where we will pick up this morning.

So, Exodus 1, starting in verse 8, the Bible reads . . .

Scripture Focus

Exodus 1:8–14 NIV84

Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.” So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly.

The King that Knew Not Joseph

So we have a great deal of time that passes between verse 7 and verse 8 in Exodus 1. In verse 7, Jacob brings his family down to Egypt to live in comfort while his son Joseph for the most part rules the whole country.

But then as time passes we see in verse 8 that . . .

Exodus 1:8–9 NIV84

Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become much too numerous for us.

As time passed there eventually came to power a Pharaoh that (1) didn't know about Joseph and the great blessing He had provided the Egyptian people and (2) didn't care or respect the people and things of God.

In fact, this "new king" as the Scripture puts it, actually fears the children of Israel.

He fears that as the nation of Israel continues to grow that they will become stronger than the Egyptians and will eventually take over their country.

So, the Pharaoh hatches a plan to "deal with the problem."

Exodus 1:10–11 NIV84

Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.” So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

So the plan was to take control of these Israelites while they could.

Before they became too powerful to deal with.

So the Egyptians, "put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor."

In other words, they took the Israelites and made them slaves.

They tried to break the spirit of the people by harsh treatment and back breaking labor.

They wanted to physically and spiritually "wear them out," so that they could not revolt against the Egyptians.

So great was the affliction that they built two great "treasure" (supply) cities for Egypt, Pithom and Raamses.

However . . .

Exodus 1:12 NIV84

But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites

However, the more they pressed, the stronger the Israelites got.

The more they tried to afflict and demean them, the more they grew in number.

This grieved the Egyptians and they did the only thing they knew to do, which was . . .

Exodus 1:13–14 NIV84

and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly.

This cycle continued and continued.

The Egyptians didn't know to do anything else, so as the Israelites gained strength, the bondage and oppression got worse and worse.

All the way up to the time of Moses, when the Israelites had grown so much the Pharoah was killing all of the male born children.

Now, this is an awful account of history and an excellent history lesson regarding the children of Israel, but what does it have to do with us?

Well, two things are relevant here.

Which is what we want to spend some time talking about.

First, we want to look at our nation as a whole and the similarities that exist between Pharaoh’s treatment of Israel and the way our nation views Christians today.

Second, we want to look at our own personal relationship with Christ and how sin, the flesh and the world is trying to take Christians into bondage.

But first, us as a nation.

The World that Knew Not Christ

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus gives us a picture of how things would begin to come to pass in the End of Days, or the End Times as many put it.

Matthew 24:8–13 NIV84

All these are the beginning of birth pains. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Now when our nation was founded over 200 years ago, this nation was founded on Christian principals and Christian values.

Regardless of what else you hear.

Because you will hear all sorts of rumors and ideas about the founding fathers and how they were not Christian.

And that’s true, just like people today, some were not Christians.

In fact, many were not Christians.

And just like today, some were raging hypocrites.

However, the fact remains that the principles found in God's Word were the principals that founded this nation.

People and principles are two different things.

The principles were evident even when the first settlers came across the Ocean.

When they came here they were coming seeking Religious Freedom, from the persecution of the "Church of England," and the English government.

This is indisputable fact and for centuries, God was honored, revered, and feared in the United States.

But slowly, over time though this has began to change.

As the people here in the United States grow more carnal and worldly, they begin to forget about God.

It was just like in Joseph's day, the people first revered the man of God, because they needed God.

Now, the perception is that "we have it all" and that we "don't need God" anymore.

People have begun to forget God, forget all about God, and worse of all forget to FEAR God.

Which is exactly what Paul warns us about in Romans 1 . . .

Romans 1:21–25 NIV84

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

So, we have this world beginning to take shape that is completely devoid of God.

And then what happens, a revival starts to take place, or someone takes a stand for God, we start to see what we read about in Matthew.

The people become afraid of the Christians.

They say things like, "those Christians are getting too strong."

"They are going to have too much influence."

"They are going to ruin everything," and on and on.

The reality is this.

These people who are saying these things are afraid.

These ones who are oppressing and trying to drive out Christians are afraid.

And they are not afraid of you as a Christian, but they are afraid of God.

Because God is convicting them of their sin and fear of the consequences of their sin—the reality of their situation takes hold.

So, just like the Egyptians, they devise a plan of persecution of the Christians.

Jesus said . . .

Matthew 24:9–10 NIV84

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,

Paul, in his letter to Timothy . . .

2 Timothy 3:12–14 NIV84

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,

Folks, it is not going to get any better.

In fact, as time progresses it will get worse and worse.

They will think of every way in the world to persecute and hate Christians.

And when the persecution doesn't work, they will take it a step further, deception . . .

Matthew 7:15–16 NIV84

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

And Peter . . .

2 Peter 2:1–2 NIV84

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.

And one more from 1 John . . .

1 John 4:1–4 NIV84

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

However, just like the Children of Israel under the persecution of the Egyptians, the Church will not fail and will not be destroyed.

No matter what the world throws at it, the Gospel will continue and the Church will continue until the end.

But what about us as individual Christians?

How does this all relate to us?

Us as Individuals/Altar

Well, for all of us there was a time in our lives when we did not know Christ as our Lord and Savior.

That is true for every single one of us because we have all sinned and sin separates us from God.

And while we are separated from God—living in sin, we are like the rest of the world, condemned and convicted by our sin.

And we have a tendency to oppress the voice that is convicting us.

We think we are so wise in the ways of the world, but the reality is, we are foolish.

We understand nothing.

But the good news is, God has offered us a solution to this problem.

And that solution is Jesus Christ.

Maybe that describes you today.

You have never accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior.

Or, you have backslid---turned back away from God and gone your own way.

If that is the case, I invite you, I implore you to make things right between you and God.

You will have no peace, no joy, no substance in life until you do so.

You will just keep spinning your wheels, wandering the world.

What about the rest of us?

Those of us who at one time accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior.

Where are we at now?

How is our relationship to Christ today?

The Book of Daniel describes what Satan and his minions will try to do to the Saints of God during the last days.

Daniel 7:25 NIV84

He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.

Just like the Egyptians, they will try to "wear out the saints."

Oppress, persecute, even change the laws to suit them and their sin.

So they will not be so uncomfortable by God’s convicting power.

Will it work?

For each of us, that is an individual decision.

It depends on our resolve.

Will we be like the Israelites and persevere?

Or will we give up and throw in the towel.

Only you know, but if you need renewing you can have that today, if you will allow it.

So, what will it be this morning?

Let’s pray . . .