Christ in all the scriptures Exodus 5-11 Wonders in Egypt

Exodus chapters 5-11 

Let my people go!

"And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharoah, thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.  And Pharoah said, who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?  I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go "-Exodus 5v1-2.

"Then the Lord said unto Moses, now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharoah: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land"-Exodus 6v1.

"Thou shalt speak all that I command thee, and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharoah, that he send the children of Israel out of his land"-Exodus 7v2.,

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, go unto Pharoah, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, let my people go that they may serve me"-Exodus 8v1.

Pharoah tried every trick to maintain Israel as his slaves, and commentators have likened his deviations to the wiles of the devil to keep souls from conversion to God.  Under pressure from the strong judgments of God on the land and the people of Egypt, he began suggesting compromises, just as the devil will do, to keep souls in bondage.  

8v25 "Go sacrifice to your God in the land"-by all means serve your God but in Egypt.  Moses rejected this as Israel must separate from Egypt to worship God.

8v28 "Only ye shall not go very far away"-don't go far, the reason being they could easily enslave them again.

10v11 "Go now ye that are men, and serve the Lord"-thus separating them from their families, and maintaining a hold on them.  Pharoah knew they would return for family.

10v24 "Go ye serve the Lord, only let your flocks and herds be stayed"-take all the family, but without the animals they would need to return for food, and they would have nothing to sacrifice.

Pharoah did everything to tie Israel to Egypt.  Even the slightest link would continue their slavery.  The word of God through Moses was "Three days journey into the wilderness" to serve the Lord with all that they had, including family and flocks.  Likewise, the devil seeks to hold people with some link to himself, to frustrate their freedom from slavery.  To live a life of worship to God is to separate entirely from Egypt, and its idolatrous system.  Egypt represents the world system in opposition to God.

Many times it is recorded Pharoah hardened his own heart, many times the Lord hardened Pharoah's his heart-refer 4v21; 7v13/14; 7v22; 8v15; 8v19; 8v32; 9v7; 9v12; 9v34/35; 10v1; 10v20; 10v27; 11v10; 14v8.  Resistance to the will of God will result in Divine hardening, a solemn biblical principle of reprobation-when man rejects God, He will reject them.  All this was played out in the face of Divine judgment in the form of miraculous plagues that affected the whole of Egypt.  To understand the plagues, we must refer to chapter 12v12 "...against all the gods of Egypt will I exercise judgment: I am the Lord".  Pharoah said "Who is the Lord that I should obey Him?"  The Lord replies, I'll show you who I am!      Egypt was an idolatrous land where idolatry was rife; they replaced the true God with gods of their own imaginations.  Each plague was directed against a known public god. 

Water turned to blood-7v14-24   Seven days the water supply undrinkable; the god Hapi or Apis was the water-bearer god.

Marauding frogs-8v1-15     The goddess of fertility, Heket, had a frog's head.  The frogs oozed from the river and overrun their homes, their land and their food.

Lice from the dust of the earth-8v16-19  The god Seb was the god of the earth, and by the hand of God the dust came alive in the form of lice, attacking people and beasts.

Swarms of flies-8v20-32   Khepri, the god of creation with the head of a fly.  These swarms became a menace of destruction affecting only Egyptians.

Livestock disease, called "grievous murrain"-9v1-7  Hathor, the goddess of love and protection who was depicted with the head of a cow.  This threatened economic disaster affecting food production, transportation, and farming.

Ashes turned to boils and sores-9v8-12  Isis the god of medicine and peace.  The medicines were useless in this affliction.

Hail rained down mingled with fire-9v13-35     Nut, goddess of the sky.  The sky poured out unmistakable judgment on the land bringing destruction misery.

Hordes of locusts descending from the sky-10v1-20   Seth, goddess of storms; the locusts covered the land from above.

Total darkness for three days-10v21-29   Ra the sun god; a darkness that could be felt enveloped Egypt.

Death of the firstborn, beginning with the Pharoah-12v1-30   They had made a god of the ruling Pharoah, just as the Romans did with the Caesars, along with all the dictators, despots, and oppressors who act like gods.  God, ultimately, brought to an end this particular dynasty to show who rules in the kingdoms of men.

This represents a comprehensive disapproval and ultimate destruction of all man's futile imaginations, which issue in idolatry.  Nothing that God opposed was left untouched.  No less than nine times did God give Pharoah opportunity to repent and obey.  This process was marked by mercy: limiting the time; preserving food; constant appeal to change the attitude, but it was all to no avail.  Pharoah was on a collision course with God, and there could only be one outcome.  The rod of Moses became the rod of God in his hand, as he wielded stroke after stroke on a nation the Lord had preserved from extinction. in Joseph.

We move on to the the future, for the plagues in Egypt are but a portent of what is to come ON A GLOBAL SCALE!  Like Moses, Jesus confronted the authorities of His day, in the form of the Roman Empire, and the ruling Sanhedrim of Judaism...in the garden of Gethsemane, when they came with numbers and weapons to take Him, He said "Whom seek ye...?  If therefore ye seek me, LET THESE GO THEIR WAY- John 18v8.  He will wield the rod of God on an idolatrous and disobedient world.  This will be in the form of SEVEN SEALS, and SEVEN TRUMPETS, and SEVEN VIALS of wrath, that will fall on a hardened, impenitent world.  Imagine the destruction in Egypt, enacted globally across every nation, affecting every city, and every godless authority.  Scripture records that His Second Coming will be an act of mercy that will save the world from annihilating itself, that is the extent of the judgment-Matthew 24v21- 22.  He will tread the world with the rod of God until all rebellion has been subdued.

Psalm 2v8-9 "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."

Revelation 2v27 "And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers."

Revelation 12v5 "And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up to God, and to His throne."

Revelation 19v15 "And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God".

 As with Egypt, the world will be brought to its knees under the mighty hand of God; as with Egypt, judgment will be mixed with mercy; as with Pharoah, opportunity to repent will be offered time and again; as with Egypt, the ruling power of the day will perish.  Christ will rule the world, with His people at the head of nations, and the will of God shall be done on earth as it is in heaven.   Israel shall be free, and all the world blessed, but first must come the demolition of evil that rules now.  The words of God in Deuteronomy 18v18-19:

"I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in His mouth; and He shall speak unto them all that I shall command Him.  And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto my words, which He shall speak in my name, I will require it from him." 

Christ in all the scriptures Exodus 3 The great I AM

 Exodus chapter 3

The great I AM commissions Moses to deliver Israel  Ex. 3v11-22

This revelation of Christ is presented in the context of Moses commission by God.  In the story of the burning bush, the Deity of Christ was to the fore.  Immediately after the voice was heard to speak from the bush, it is the Lord speaking (v4) and God speaking (v5).  The voice is the voice of God, the One in the burning bush is God.  "He says, "Come now therefore and I will send thee unto Pharoah, that thou mayest bring forth my people, the children of Israel out of Egypt"-3v10.  Moses, 40 years before, would have welcomed this call (Acts 7v25 says, "He supposed his brethren would understand how that God by his hand would deliver them, but they understood not".)   Back then, the virtual prince of Egypt was so sure he was called to emancipate Israel, but now the call has come, he proclaims every reason why he cannot go.  In Exodus 3v11-4v17 he gives five objections to the call:

Exodus 3v11 "Who am I that I should go unto Pharoah...?"; 3v13 I don't know your name; 4v1 They won't believe me; 4v10 I am not eloquent enough for the task; 4v13 Send someone else.  Moses was a reluctant servant, for he had long since given up hope.  In a sense it was a better attitude than the cocky, self-assured man who wanted to move before God's time.  Now he is doing the opposite, wishing to lag behind, indeed to refuse the call.  This angered the Lord (4v14) and He would hear no more objections.  How much is that true of us who are either too quick, or too slow to follow the will of the Lord?

It was, in the course of this, revealed to him the nature of the unchanging God who was able to meet every challenge that would come his way.  What he was being asked to do was extremely difficult, but he would be given every resource necessary, including miraculous powers.  We are all treated to a new revelation of God in a new name given, the mysterious, but thrilling name "I AM THAT I AM".  It is important to notice that, often when God appears, whether that appearance be direct or indirect, a new name for God is declared. In Genesis 12v1, with Acts 7v2, He appeared as the God of Glory; Genesis 14v18-22, He is the Most High God, Possessor of heaven and earth; Genesis 16v13 He is the God who sees all, including the small details of individual lives; Genesis 17v1, He is Adonahy, Almighty God who subdues all before Him; Genesis 22v14 He is Jehovah Jireh, the God who will provide; Genesis 33v20 El-Elohe-Israel, the mighty One, preserver of Israel.  All these names reveal the nature of our God, and this name revealed to Moses is the beautiful title of the eternal, unchanging God.  

The Hebrew title Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh literally means "I will be, that I will be".  It can be translated "I am what I am", "I will become what I choose to become", I create what I create".  All possible translations of this magnificent title points to the Ever Existing One, who will be for us, what we need Him to be at all times and in every situation.  It focuses on living in the moment, rather than fretting about tomorrow, or regretting the past.  It reveals the Ever Present, Ever Benign, Ever Able God, for us at all times.  Whatever happens, God says to Moses "Certainly I will be with you"-Exodus 3v12.  

This title is applied to Christ no less than 16 times in the Gospel of John, and therefore applies to every believer today!

 There are seven predicated claims to Deity using the term “I AM”. 

This was the name given to Moses in Exodus 3v14 to present God to the Pharoah of Egypt to release Israel from slavery.  He became known as the “Great I AM”-the eternal God, ever present, ever powerful to accomplish His purposes.  Whenever He said “I will…” it was taken for granted it would be done.  The Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Jesus of the New Testament.  All that God stated of old will come to pass in Jesus.  The man who walked this earth was no less than the eternal God.

Ø 6v35   I AM the bread of life

Ø 8v12   I AM the light of the world

Ø 10v7   I AM the door of the sheep

Ø 10v11 I AM the good shepherd

Ø 11v25 I AM the resurrection and the life

Ø 14v6   I AM the way, the truth and the life

Ø 15v1   I AM the true vine

There are nine absolute statements of I AM as follows:  4v26-the context is the Messiah; 6v20; 8v24; 8v28; 8v58; 13v19; 18v5; 18v6; 18v8.  He is the eternal God, and all that means.

There are 25 statements of “VERILY, VERILY” which are statements of absolute truth.   Actually the word is taken directly from the Hebrew and is “Amen” so let it be, or it will be.  The word is repeated as a superlative, as a truth that can be depended upon.  Jesus was speaking about matters in which He had infallible knowledge, and we can be sure they are true:

1v51; 3v3; 3v5; 3v11; 5v19; 5v24; 5v25; 6v26; 6v32; 6v47; 6v53; 8v34; 8v51; 8v58; 10v1; 10v7; 12v24; 13v16; 13v20; 13v21; 13v38; 14v12; 16v20; 16v23; 21v18.

In all these cameos, and others, is one incontrovertible theme- He is God come in flesh!

He came to save us, and to be for us whatever we need Him to be.  This from the Sovereign God of all heaven and earth, what a blessed people we are!

As He said to Moses, say to the children of Israel, "I AM hath sent me unto you."  Also He said "This is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations"-Exodus 3v15  As He said to Joshua at the death of Moses, "As I have been with Moses, so will I be with thee."

Jesus, the great "I AM" will be, for every one of us,  whatever we need Him to be!

 

Christ in all the scriptures Exodus 3 The angel in the bush

 Exodus chapter 3

The angel in the bush!

"Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, Horeb.  And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of the bush: and looked, and behold the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.  And Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight why the bush is not burnt.  And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him from out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses.  And He said here am I.  And He said, draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.  Moreover He said, I am the God of  Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.  And Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look upon God.  And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry, by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them out of that land unto a good land and large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey..."

As Moses led the flock out to the desert, an unexpected development happened.  Suddenly, and without warning, he saw a burning bush on the slopes of a mountain.  This was a common sight in the arid conditions of Sinai, but this one was different-the bush burned, but was not consumed!  What thoughts must have flooded his mind!  Reared in the royal palace of Egypt, now enacting a menial, if honest, occupation.  Deep down, he wanted his people to be freed but they rejected him, and he was now an outcast, both from Egypt and from Israel.  His feelings were expressed in the birth of his two children; Gershon was so called because Moses was a stranger in a foreign land-Exodus 2v22.  In the forty years of exile, he was feeling quite an outcast, his life ebbing away to nothing.  He had exchanged the glamour of Egypt for the commonplace of Midian.  His potential was unrealised, his ambition was frustrated, yet he was content in his work and his family life.  That is until God appeared to him in the bush.  Something unique was taking place.  He saw a bush burning, but not withering; no blackening of the leaves or wilting of the branches, yet the bush was burning.  Moses was face to face with a phenomenon.  Then an authoritative voice was heard, an unmistakable voice, it was the voice of God speaking to him and he was afraid.

It was the voice of the "angel of the Lord"-this was no mere human, it was the voice of God informing him he was in the presence of majesty, he was standing on holy ground.  The term "the angel of the Lord" occurs 65 times in the Hebrew scriptures, and, according to the majority of scholars, it always refers to the second person of the Godhead, the one we now know as Jesus.  The subject matter is the deliverance of Israel from Egypt's bondage, that God has seen their affliction, has heard their cry, knows their sorrows, and has come down to deliver them.  The symbol of the burning bush is awesome; it is Jesus speaking from out of the burning fire.  The fire burns but the bush is not consumed.  To understand the force of this we consult other scriptures for the meaning.  Fire, in scripture, always represents the judgment of God against sin.  Only Jesus could bear the fire of God-the intense burning of untarnishable holiness against human sin.  Expressions like "...fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries.Heb.10v27; "...wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God."-Romans 2v5; "...the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."-Rev. 19v15; "...whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming".-2nd Thess. 2v8; "...our God is a consuming fire."-Heb. 12v29.   God's fire is His relentless and all consuming anger against sin.  A compromising world, which makes light of sin, has yet to discover God's wrath against it.  No mercy, no compromise, not even the slightest accommodation to sin.  He will judge it, He will rid it from His universe, permanently.  The fire of God, which consumes all in its pathway, burned in the bush, yet the bush was not consumed!!  The bush went through the fire unscathed, untarnished.  We could say the bush consumed the fire!  What a picture of what the Lord suffered, and conquered, when He "became sin for us", at the cross.  Moses' appreciation of that would only increase, as he, later received instruction for the altar.  The fire was never to be extinguished, at the altar of burnt offering-Leviticus 6v8-12.  All the way through Israel's journey, his understanding of the Divine fire on the altar would only grow, as he pondered the meaning of the perpetual fire as we should.  Hymnwriters often catch the meaning, such as the hymn by K. A. M. Kelly 1869-1942,

Give me a sight, O Saviour, of thy wondrous love to me

Of the love that brought thee down to earth, to die on Calvary

Oh, make me understand it, help me to take it in

What it meant to thee, the Holy One, to bear away my sin.

Again:

"None of the ransomed ever new, how deep were the waters crossed

Nor how dark was the night, that the Lord passed through, e'er He found the sheep that was lost."

The bush burned, with the fire of God, but the bush was not consumed.  Instead, the fire was consumed, the all-consuming fire of God was extinguished so far as His believing people are concerned.  This pre-incarnate Theophany of Christ prompted the greatest Exodus of people in history, and, ultimately, the formation of the State of Israel, which will one day rule the world.  What will consideration of this great sight prompt me to do in my little corner of the world, even today?

Christ in all the scriptures Exodus 2 Moses the Deliverer

 Exodus chapter 2

The preparation and preservation of the Deliverer

"In which time Moses was born...this Moses, whom they refused, saying, who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same, God did send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush"-Acts 7v20-35.

The martyr Stephen summarised the history of Israel before the Sanhedrim, reminding them that, at his first coming, Moses was rejected by the people; at his second coming he delivered them.  The story of Moses points to Christ the Messiah in so many ways.  He was born into the suffering of his people; he was born under the sentence of death; he was delivered from a watery grave; he rose to deliver his people.  What is recorded is his birth, his childhood, his boyhood and his manhood.  In his birth we have Divine provision: there is no doubt he was a special baby as all that was said of him was outstanding.  In his childhood we have Divine preservation, his family and the daughter of Pharoah preserved him.  In his boyhood we have Divine preparation-he was weaned in his parents home and "learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds"-Acts 7v22.  In his manhood we have Divine commission, sent to deliver his people.  It is evident that all this can be traced in Jesus...His birth, His childhood, His boyhood, His manhood-all recorded in detail.  The word of Moses from God was "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall hearken"-Deut.18v15.  Of Moses it was said, "And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, in all the signs and the wonders, which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharoah, and to all his servants and to all his land. and in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses showed in the sight of all Israel."  There is no doubt that Moses is a comprehensive type of Christ, the Messiah, whose dealings with this world are yet future. 

Moses   When he was born, his people were in slavery in Egypt.

Christ   Israel was in slavery to sin-a far greater slavery than social slavery.  They claimed "We be Abraham's seed and were never in bondage to any man"; Jesus answered them "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that commiteth (continually practices) sin is the servant (slave) of sin"-John 8v33-34.  Christ is the truth that sets us free.

Moses  As one of them, through the death of the Paschal Lamb, delivered the nation,

Christ  As one of them, through His own death accomplished freedom for all who believe-"Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself took part of the same; that through death, He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage"-Hebrews 2v14-15.   The deliverance of Israel by Moses was but a precursor to their spiritual deliverance by Christ, which will be preceded by signs and wonders on a global scale.

Moses  Led the children of Israel through the desert to the promised land.

Christ  He is the captain of our salvation who is leading many sons to glory-Heb. 2v10.

Moses  Was rejected the first time he came; accepted only at his second coming.

Christ  Was rejected the first time He came; will be accepted only at His second coming.

These, and many more should enable us to see the person of Christ, who is the primary presentation of scripture.

Christ in all the scriptures Exodus 1

 Exodus chapter 1

    The Names of the children of Israel

"These are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, every man and his household came with Jacob".

By a gracious design, the Holy Spirit has simplified our understanding of this wonderful book by placing, near the outset, a key to the overriding theme of every book of the bible.  Reference to the first three books will suffice to illustrate this: Genesis is the book of beginnings and this is stated in 1v1, and the book traces the generations of life on earth; Exodus begins with the names of the children of Israel, and this theme is dominant in the book, as we shall see; in Leviticus, the title means "He called", 1v1 states "the Lord called", and this is found no less than 36 times throughout the book, and forms the major topic.  In this way, we can detect the main themes of each book, as this occurs all the way through, and is helpful for students of scripture.  

Exodus 1v15 "And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiprah, and the name of the other Puah."

Exodus 2v10 "And she called his name Moses, and she said, because I drew him out of the water."

Exodus 2v22 "...and he called his name Gershon: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land."

Exodus 6v16 "And these are the names of the sons of Levi...".

Exodus 18v4 "And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharoah."

Exodus 28v9-12 "And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel: six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.  With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the names of the children of Israel thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.  And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memorial."

Exodus 28v21 "And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engraving of a signet; every on with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes."

Exodus 28v29 "And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually."

Exodus 31v1-6 "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, see, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.....and behold I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan..."

Refer also to chapter 39v6 and 14 for repetition of chapter 28.  In a book which recounts the redemption of Israel from Egypt's bondage, through the blood of the lamb, what is emphasised is their names.  With God, His people are not just numbers, but names with meanings, and each in importance as God has placed them.  Their names are engraved (that is permanently set) in the records of heaven.  This takes us forward to the oft-repeated status in the New Testament of names in the book of life-refer Luke 10v20; Philippians 4v3; Hebrews 12v22-23; Revelation 13v8, 20v15, 21v27.  God preserves His redeemed people on His shoulders (strength) and in His heart (compassion).  They are names which are written in heaven, which will never be erased.  As the hymnwriter wrote:

A Debtor to Mercy Alone

by Augustus Montague Toplady (4th Nov 1740 – 11 Aug 1778)

A debtor to mercy alone,
Of covenant mercy I sing;
Nor fear, with Thy righteousness on,
My person and offering to bring.
The terrors of law and of God
With me can have nothing to do;
My Saviour’s’ obedience and blood
Hide all my transgressions from view.

The work which His goodness began
The arm of His strength will complete;
His promise is yea and amen,
And never was forfeited yet.
Things future, nor things that are now,
Not all things below or above,
Can make Him His purpose forgo,
Or sever my soul from His love.

My name from the palms of His hands
Eternity will not erase;
Impressed on His heart it remains,
In marks of indelible grace;
Yes, I to the end shall endure,
As sure as the earnest is giv’n;
More happy, but not more secure,
The glorified spirits in heav’n.

The lamb was slain to redeem the people from bondage and restore them to God. Their names are secured by Divine decree in the annals of heaven for evermore.  No doubt the last verse was inspired by Isaiah 49v16 and other scriptures beside.

Christ in all the scriptures Genesis 50

 Genesis chapter 50

The Epitaph and Memorial of Joseph

"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.  And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry my bones up hence."   Genesis 50v24-25

The final chapter of Genesis is dominated by death, the death and burial of Jacob, and the death of Joseph.  Indeed, the book ends with the words "...a coffin in Egypt", an apt conclusion to a book which records the blight of human sin on God's creation.  The entire Old Testament ends with "...lest I come and smite the earth with a curse"-Malachi 4v6, so the effects of the Fall persist for many thousands of years.  Sin brought death and misery, affecting the whole of mankind, as well as the material universe.  There is, however, another trend which gives hope, and the last words of Joseph are full of hope for the future.  This hope was not wishful thinking, but faith in the inerrant promise of God.  The book which commenced with man in dominion=Genesis 1v26, ends with God's man in dominion over the greatest dynasty of the time.  And so the story will unfold of God's man in dominion over a world in which sin and death are forever banished.

In Hebrews chapter 11, the chapter of the record of the faithful in olden times, before the coming of Jesus, we find a commentary on the life of Joseph, and it is surprisingly sparse in detail: "By faith, Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel, and gave commandment concerning his bones"-11v22.  There is no mention of his favoured position in the father's house, or of his dreams which proved to be true, or of the hatred and  cruelty of his brethren.  No reference is made to his silent suffering, his victory over temptation, his godly demeanour in prison, his outstanding wisdom in administering the economics of Egypt, his exaltation to public acclaim in Egypt.  No mention of his grace and compassion in the face of injustice, outstanding qualities of near perfection, as near as is possible to find in any man.  Yet all these sterling qualities are bypassed in the summary of his faith in God.  What is recorded is his prediction of the safety of his people, and their return to the promised land.  This is the Divine epitaph on his life!  Not the lovely man that he was; not the forgiving man of his treacherous kin; not for the astonishing ability to save a nation in times of famine.  What God has written over his life was his prophetic understanding (he refers here to the Exodus which was more than 400 years hence); also his absolute trust in the promises of God; and his deep compassion for his people and their welfare.  What will our epitaph be from a Divine standpoint?

He gave instructions concerning his bones-Genesis 50v25; Moses in the Exodus obeyed his command-Exodus 13v9; the children of Israel buried the bones in Shechem in the land his father had purchased-Joshua 24v32.  Joseph did not want his remains to rest in Egypt.  His father, before him, requested to be buried in the promised land, an event which the family attended.  Joseph knew that there could be no permanent stay in Egypt.  Albeit, he had by Divine providence been able to save his people through Egypt, yet it was an idolatrous nation, and not a fit resting place for God's people.  And so he gave commandment concerning his bones, and instituted what became a memorial.  For more than 400 years the preserved bones of Joseph lay in state in Egypt; they were then transported throughout all their wilderness journey to the promised land, where they were buried.  Joseph had at heart his family and his nation, and held firmly the promise of God that they would dwell in the land of God's promise to the patriarchs.

Picture the scene, his bones, symbols of his death, preserved in Egypt through all their captivity, and transported through the wilderness journey to the promised land.  All this a pointer to the institution of Jesus to His disciples on the eve of His death.  Just as Israel carried the memorial of Joseph, so the faithful keep the memory of Christ in His death, for the whole of life until He comes.  This is well known, and we tabulate the relevant scriptures: Matthew 26v26-30; Mark 13v17-25; Luke 22v14-20; 1st Corinthians 11v23-26.  At heart Jesus had the welfare of his people to the forefront of His life, and will have until journeys end.

The memorial service instituted by Jesus was a declaration of the Lord's death-as He said, "this do in remembrance of me".  The travelling children of Israel, carried the memorial of   Joseph all their pilgrim journey, and this was the precursor for the Christian memorial which is observed each Sunday by the faithful in the present day. 

Christ in all the scriptures Genesis 49

 Genesis chapter 49

The Judgment seat

"And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, gather together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.  Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father."

Jacob was 17 years in the land of Goshen in Egypt before he died.  He was preserved and protected under the administration of Joseph, in relative luxury.  His last days were free from trouble and anxiety, and he became a worshipper, albeit suffering bodily pain-Heb.  The time of his death drew near and he prophesied, concerning each of his sons, how they would be in the course of time.  This prediction went beyond the individual to the progeny, and the details of their character was spelt out in terms of morality and status.  Some have described this as "The judgment seat of Jacob", and there is evidence for this in the epistle of James where the characteristics of each of the twelve tribes was highlighted.

We note that James writes to the twelve tribes, and that his name, James, is the modern equivalent of the old Jacob.   The trends indicated in Genesis 49 come through clearly in the letter and is a wonderful illustration of the unity of holy scripture.   The thought links are as follows;

Reuben    Genesis 49v4  “unstable as water thou shalt not excel.”   James 1v8 “a double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

Simeon and Levi   Genesis 49v5-7 “Cursed be their anger for it was fierce, and their wrath for it was cruel.”   James1v19-20 “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”

Judah   Genesis 49v10 “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come”.   James 2v8-12, now that Shiloh has come “fulfil the royal law” and “So speak ye and so do as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty”.

Zebulon  Genesis 49v13 “Zebulon shall dwell at the haven of the sea, and he shall be for a haven of ships, and his border shall be unto ZIdon”.    All this suggests trade with the outside world, trust in its commerce and bent toward it, while living in the land.   James 4v4 “Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God...”

Issachar  Genesis 49v14-15 “Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens...and bowed his shoulder to bear and became servant to tribute”.   James 4v8-10 “Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you...humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up”.

Dan   Genesis 49v17 “Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path that biteth the horses heels so that his rider shall fall backward”.    James 3v8 “...but the tongue can no man tame, it is an unruly evil full of deadly poison”.

Gad   Genesis 49v19 “A troop shall overcome him but he shall overcome at last”.    James 1v12 “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried (approved), he shall receive the crown of life....”.

Asher  Genesis 49v20 “Out of Asher his bread shall be fat and he shall yield royal dainties”.   James  3v17 “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peacable, gentle, easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy”......royal dainties indeed!!

Naphtali  Genesis 49v21 “Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words”.   James 3v2 “If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man able also to bridle the whole body”.   Also James 5v19 good words of restoration “Brethren if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him, let him know that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his way, shall save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins”.

Joseph    Genesis 49v22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough whose branches run over the wall....”.   Many links to Joseph but James 3v18 is clear “...the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”.

Benjamin   Genesis 49v27 “Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf, in the morning he shall devour the prey and in the evening he shall divide the spoil”.  James 4v1-2 “From whence cometh wars and fightings among you...ye lust...ye kill...ye desire to have...ye fight and war”.

James works these O/T predictions into his teaching with a heart of compassion, willing his beloved people to avoid the pitfalls and imbibe the positives of the life of faith.   He wants his people like Jacob of old to be transformed to “Israel”; for the man of the flesh to become the man of God.   Truly evidence of the living word of God...prophecy spoken thousands of years before made practical in the church of the new age!

This is a sharp reminder that all of us will appear before the judgment seat of Christ. The issue of penal judgment has forever been settled, but the traits of character have to be assessed and adjusted, and, indeed, rewarded.  Many, many are the faults of God's people that need to be exposed and remedied.  The One who will assess us is the Son of God, to whom the Father has committed all judgment.  The ultimate issue is blessing, but these are written so that we may alter our ways, for we are bound for glory, and the shame of earth must be put away.  How wonderful that these principles are embedded in the history of the Old Testament.

 

Christ in all the scriptures Genesis 46-48 In Him, all the promises of God are Yea, and in Him, Amen!Jesus

 Genesis chapters 46-48

The purposes of God advanced

"And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob.  And he said, here am I.  And He said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes"-46v2-4.

The story of these chapters is of the movement of the family of Jacob into Egypt by Divine arrangement; the purposes of God in history were thus continued by sovereign decree.  The names listed in chapter 46, which were the sum total of Israel, became the ancestors of the family line that would lead to the coming of Christ.  Every name is mentioned in detail-there were 70 in all if we count Joseph and his two sons.  It was to be through Israel that Christ would come into the world, and in Him all the purposes of God would be fulfilled.  This is the significance of this portion of God's word.  

We remember God's amazing promise to Abram in Genesis 15v5 "Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou canst number them: and He said unto him so shall thy seed be".  He declared innumerable seed at a time when there was none.  Abram believed God and he was counted righteous.  Ponder the exponential prosperity of the seed in biblical revelation: the plans of God are slow but sure, and none can hinder.

From the call of Abram to the promise of the seed   10 years

From the promise to the birth of Isaac the first seed 15 years

From Isaac to Jacob 60 years

From Jacob to the family  approx. 60 years  12 sons and one daughter

From the family to Egypt  70 years...in total 70 people

Duration in Egypt 430 years  population of Israel estimated over 3million people!

These figures are estimates verified by a study from the Newberry reference bible.  Calculating from Egypt to Christ and from Christ to the present and on into the future, it is obvious that the number of the seed is incalculable, and God's purposes will be finalised in His own times.  The question is are we part of that number? 

Every one was counted, every family was named.  Only if we are spiritually in this family of faith are we blessed.  Chapter 46v8 says "These are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt...".   12 sons with their families and one daughter Dinah, all settled in Egypt through the good will of Joseph.  They found provision and protection and prosperity in Joseph, whom God had exalted.  Joseph was pivotal in the prosperity of the family that became a nation that brought Christ to the world.  The number of parallels between Joseph and Christ are too numerous to tabulate, but a few will illustrate the point.

Joseph was a shepherd by occupation      Christ is the Good Shepherd of the sheep

Joseph was loved by his father                 The love of the Father to Jesus is legendary

Joseph prophesied his future rule             Jesus' prophetic utterances are many and true

Joseph was hated by his brethren             The Jews rejected Jesus

Joseph was sold to foreigners                   Jesus was handed over to Romans

Joseph was betrayed for 20 pieces of silver    Jesus sold for thirty pieces of silver

Joseph was reported dead, brutally killed  Jesus was actually crucified

Joseph was forgotten by his brethren      Jesus is forgotten by Israel

Joseph overcame temptation                    Jesus resisted the temptation of the devil

Joseph was unjustly treated                     Jesus was unlawfully charged and condemned

Joseph suffered mentally in his soul        Jesus was in anguish of soul

Joseph numbered with transgressors       Jesus crucified with malefactors

Joseph exalted to national authority        Jesus exalted to universal glory

Egyptians called to bow the knee            All heaven and earth will bow to Jesus

Joseph given a special name                   Jesus given a name above every name

Joseph marries an Egyptian wife            Jesus wed to the church, predominately Gentile

Joseph delivers the world from famine   Jesus is Saviour of the world

Joseph preserves Israel from extinction  Jesus will gather all true Israel

Joseph set a memorial of his death          Jesus instituted a memorial of His death

The links are too obvious to persuade us that Joseph is a powerful type of Christ, the Saviour of the world and of Israel.  In Him all the promises of God will come to pass.

 

Christ in all the scriptures Genesis 45 reconciliation part 2

 Genesis  chapter 45 

    RECONCILATION part 2

"Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all that stood by him: and he cried, cause every man to go out from me.  And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.  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.  Now therefore be not grieved or angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life"-Genesis 45v3-4.

There was no hint of vengeance, or recrimination, or grudge of any kind.  In elated compassion he greeted his brethren who had robbed him of his youth, and so maltreated him, yet  he forgave them.  

"God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance".

Instead of punishment for their evil ways, the lord of Egypt proceeded to pour upon them privilege upon privilege; blessing upon blessing.

He sent them to bring their father down to Egypt.  By reason of prudent stocking up during the years of plenty there was enough food for all through Joseph.  There was still 5 years of famine, so all the family would be saved-v6-9.

As lord of all Egypt, he provided the land of Goshen in which they could live-v10-11.  Thus he saved them for the present and the future.  

He offered the personal touch by kissing them and weeping with them for joy.  Not for Joseph the pride of lordship over the greatest power on earth, happy that his family were safe.

Provision was made for the journey of the elderly Jacob to relocate to Egypt, with the blessing of the Pharoah.  No mention of the past with all the injustices, only talk of, and provision for, the future.

This is reconciliation indeed, where the word forgiveness meant giving good for evil, blessing for cursing.  In present circumstances, we should bear in mind that these are God's people, saved by Him, provided for against all future threats.  Also through them, in blessing of them, all families of the earth are blessed.

So it will be in the future, with the position of Israel still not realised.  The nation which rejected the Son of the Blessed (to whom the father gave the coat of many colours); which mocked Him, and maltreated Him, and eventually crucified Him, and who for centuries have forgotten Him, will have their eyes opened to see that Jesus was truly their Messiah, whom God had sent to save them.  In the present they are blinded, because they rejected Divine light-Romans 11v8-10; 11v25; Psalm 69v23; Isaiah 6v9; 29v10, but their eyes will be opened-Isaiah 29v18; 35v5; 42v7; Romans 11v26.   In the present the nation is diminished, in that day they will be exalted.  In the present they are alienated, in that day they will be reconciled, just as in the biblical, historical narrative of Joseph.  This reconciliation will be full and complete and glorious.  Scripture is replete with references to the reconciliation of true Israel-Isaiah 11v11-12; 60v18-21; Jeremiah 23v3-8; Ezekiel 37v21-25; Joel 2v18-29; Micah 2v12; Romans 11v12-27.

The reconciliation of all things (including treacherous Israel) was accomplished by Jesus on the cross (Colossians 1v20-21), and will be realised in full at His visible coming.  All will be done in the "times of the restitution of all things".  Today is "the ministry of reconciliation", when God is inviting all to come near to Him, and recognise the provision He has made in Christ.  To coin the phrase of the apostle Paul..."We pray you in Christ's stead BE YE RECONCILED TO GOD"-2nd Cor.5v19-20.  The story of Joseph is the seed beginnings of the vast work of reconciliation that continues now and on into eternity.  When God reconciles people and all things, it is complete, it deals with the misery of the past; it provides for the glory of the future.  There are no recriminations, no doubts, no threats, and the benefits are forever.  This is the God of the bible, this is our God!

Christ in all the scriptures Genesis 43-44 Joseph reconciles with his brethren...part 1

 Genesis chapter 43-44

RECONCILIATION  part 1

"And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live?  And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence."

Genuinely, the brothers did not know Joseph-chapter 42v30, "The man who is lord of the land spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country."   This perception was continued through the narrative-42v33;43v7; 44v15.  This is a story of reconciliation: we must remember that through envy, his brethren sold him into Egypt, and lied to their father, concerning him, and this lie, and the consequences that accrued, will now come back to haunt them.  We remember also, that Jesus, who came to His brethren in incarnation, was rejected by them and sold into the hands of the Romans-in the words of John chapter 1v11 "He came to His own, and His own received Him not".  For almost two millennia, Israel have excluded Him, who is their Messiah, and who will rule the world, yet now they don't know Him.  This was a huge wrong that has to be put right.

The principle of reconciliation is that all wrongs of the past must be resolved, and this comes out vividly in the story.  The modern trend is to turn a blind eye to all the wrongs, on the basis that "to err is human".  However it is not so with God; every wrong must be put right, if universal harmony will be maintained.  All the actions of evil must be reversed before reconciliation is made.  Christ laid the basis for this at Calvary, but it was not a compromise with evil, it was in fact a confrontation with evil.  

Joseph's brethren committed a great evil against their brother, and if reconciliation is to be made, it must involve acknowledgment of their sin.  For this treason, Joseph did not ignore the past, but made them uncomfortable enough to trouble their consciences, before showing forgiveness and compassion toward them.  In minute detail, he torments them until they confess their sins, and regret their past actions.  The narrative unfolds each step toward reconciliation, for there can be none until confession is made.  Chapter 42v7 "Joseph knew his brethren but he made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them"; chapter 42v9 "Ye are spies, and to see the nakedness of the land ye are come"; chapter 42v15, "...by the life of Pharoah, ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother be with you".  Reuben the firstborn expressed pangs of conscience-42v22, "Reuben answered them saying, spake I not unto you, saying, do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear?: therefore behold also his blood is required."  When they found their money returned in the sacks, they panicked and said, "...what is this that God hath done unto us?42v28.  Jacob their father chided them on returning home, saying, "Me ye have bereaved, Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin?"  The famine continued and they had to return to buy corn, and Jacob sent them with double money and gifts, along with young Benjamin, for whom Judah had to become surety.  Joseph received them and invited them to dine with him, but it is recorded, "And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house", 43 v18.  What Joseph dreamt, that caused their envy, came to pass exactly as he had said, "And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present that was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth"-chapter 432v26, with chapter 37v7.   Their consciences were to be prodded yet more: chapter 44v14, after being found with Joseph's cup in their sacks, returned, and "Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house, and they fell before him on the ground.  And Joseph said unto them, what deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?"  The brothers were made to feel the sins of the past.  Before Joseph could reveal himself and show compassion, they needed to feel the weight of what they had done.  Thus the principle of reconciliation is established, which carries on through scripture.  Before reconciliation there must be repentance; before compassion there must be confession.

It will be so with Israel, who rejected and abused, and crucified Christ.  "They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and they shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn" Zechariah 12v10.  John records in Revelation 1v7 "Behold He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him, and all nations of the earth shall wail be4cause of Him.  Even so, Amen".  The stone which the builders rejected, the same is made the head of the corner"-1st Peter 2v7, from Psalm 118v22-23.  Before Israel is reconciled to God, and gathered to Him again, they will confess and repent of their betrayal of the Messiah.  It is the same for all of us; God will reconcile all things to Himself, but only those who have confessed and forsaken their sins.  At the cross, God put away offending sins, and in time He will apply it to everyone.  In a universe that is destined to be at harmony with the Creator and each other, every wrong must be made right, and it will be.