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Previously,
the sons of Jacob had lied to their father
and told him that Joseph had been killed by
a wild animal and provided Joseph’s coat of
many colors with blood stained from a slain
lamb as evidence. Jacob thought the blood
was Joseph’s blood and that he was surely
dead. For many years Jacob believed Joseph
to be dead. Now the time had come that
Jacob is told by his sons that Joseph is
alive: Gen. 45:25 “And they went up out of
Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto
Jacob their father, 26 And told him, saying,
Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over
all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart
fainted, for he believed them not. 27 And
they told him all the words of Joseph, which
he had said unto them: and when he saw the
wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him,
the spirit of Jacob their father revived: 28
And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son
is yet alive: I will go and see him before I
die.”
At first Jacob refused to believe that
Joseph was alive as he had evidence (so he
thought) that he had seen before that Joseph
was dead. He believed his sons were lying
to him. What changed his mind was the
preponderance of evidence that Joseph was
alive. This evidence was from the wagons
that Joseph sent to carry him into Egypt,
then he believed that Joseph was yet alive.
This teaches us that false or perverted
evidence can great hinder someone from
believing the truth. Jacob’s sons had
presented their father false evidence and he
had believed it. Likewise, many people
today are presented with a perverted gospel
and believe the false teachings. This
seriously hurts them in their ability to
believe the truth that salvation from sin is
by grace alone. Paul wrote of a perverted
gospel in Gal. 1:6 “I marvel that ye are so
soon removed from him that called you into
the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7
Which is not another; but there be some that
trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of
Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from
heaven, preach any other gospel unto you
than that which we have preached unto you,
let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so
say I now again, If any man preach any other
gospel unto you than that ye have received,
let him be accursed.”
Paul affirmed that the true gospel is the
“grace of Christ.” He said that any other
gospel is a perverted gospel and not the
true gospel. Since many of God’s people
have been taught a perverted gospel, it is
hard for them to believe the true gospel.
It is necessary that they receive a
preponderance of evidence that salvation
from sin is by the grace of Christ alone
before most of them can be converted to
believe the truth. It is much easier for
those who have not had their minds blinded
by a false gospel to believe the truth than
it is for someone who has been taught and
believed a false gospel.
Genesis Chapter 45 Joseph’s Gift to
Benjamin
Gen. 45:21
"And the children of Israel did so: and
Joseph gave them wagons, according to the
commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them
provision for the way. 22 To all of them he
gave each man changes of raiment; but to
Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of
silver, and five changes of raiment."
There is a very strong correlation in the
scriptures between the number 300 and the
subject of faith. This correlation is so
strong that the words faith and its
derivatives, faithful, faithfully, and
faithfulness occur exactly 300 times in the
King James translation of the New
Testament. In addition, the words, believe
and its derivatives, belief, believeth,
believing, and believer occur exactly 300
times in the scriptures. There are between
30 and 40 writers of the Old and New
Testaments whose writings spanned about a
thousand years. There is no way they could
have collaborated together to come out with
such statistics. This was by the leadership
of the Holy Spirit that such a correlation
has been made even to the number of times
the words appear in the scriptures.
Joseph was the next to the youngest child of
Jacob. He was the oldest son of Rachel.
Jacob had ten sons and they envied Joseph,
as he was his father's favorite. Because of
their envy, they sold Joseph into Egyptian
bondage. Joseph is a very strong type of
Christ. There are over one hundred
parallels in the life of Joseph with the
life of Jesus Christ.
While in Egyptian bondage, God blessed
Joseph and eventually he became second only
to Pharaoh in the Egyptian kingdom. As his
name was changed, his brethren knew not that
it was Joseph who was second only to
Pharaoh. There came a famine in the land
and Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy food
that the descendants of Jacob die not. The
brethren of Joseph knew not that it was
Joseph who was selling them food, but Joseph
knew whom they were.
In the process
of time, Joseph made himself known to his
brethren and at first, they were very
afraid, but Joseph comforted them. It was
at this time that Joseph gave the gifts unto
his brethren. To each of the ten older
brothers he gave a change of raiment, but to
the younger brother, Benjamin, Joseph gave five
changes of raiment and three hundred pieces
of silver.
Since
Joseph is a type of Christ, we see that the
gifts given to the eleven brothers of Joseph
parallel the gifts that Christ has given to
his brethren (the elect family of God). To
each of the brethren there is given a change
of raiment. All of the elect were clothed
in unrighteousness because of the sin of
Adam. Through the atoning blood of Christ,
all of the elect are now clothed in the
righteousness of Christ: 2 Cor. 5:21 "For he
hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no
sin; that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him." Thus, all of the elect have
a change of raiment from the unrighteousness
of their fleshly nature to being clothed
with the imputed righteousness of Christ.
As a result, they will all be housed in
heaven's glory world.
Benjamin, however, received more than the
other brethren. He received five changes
of raiment and three hundred pieces of
silver. Likewise, the disciples of
Christ in his true church receive more than
other children of God. They receive an
understanding of the covenant of
redemption. The covenant of redemption is a
five part covenant. In this covenant, the
disciples of Christ learn that they have
"five changes of raiment." The covenant of
redemption is set forth for us in Rom. 8:29,
30: "For whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of
his Son, that he might be the firstborn
among many brethren. Moreover whom he did
predestinate, them he also called: and whom
he called, them he also justified: and whom
he justified, them he also glorified." God
foreknew, predestinated, called, justified,
and glorified the elect in covenant before
the foundation of the world. This knowledge
and understanding of the covenant of
redemption sets the true church of Christ
apart from all other belief systems. Those
adherents in the primitive church,
therefore, have these five changes of
raiment: foreknew, predestinated, called,
justified, glorified in their belief
system.
Furthermore, to the true church there is
delivered "the faith that was once delivered
to the saints" (Jude 1:3). The faith that
was once delivered to the saints is the true
system of doctrine, practice, and government
of the true New Testament church. In this
faith, there is only one gospel: Gal. 1:6 "I
marvel that ye are so soon removed from him
that called you into the grace of Christ
unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another;
but there be some that trouble you, and
would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But
though we, or an angel from heaven, preach
any other gospel unto you than that which we
have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If
any man preach any other gospel unto you
than that ye have received, let him be
accursed." The true gospel is the "gospel
of the grace of Christ." Any other gospel
is a perverted gospel and Paul said let such
as preach a perverted gospel be accursed.
There are many so-called gospels in the
world today, but only one true gospel.
This faith that was once delivered to the
saints is clearly spelled out in the New
Testament. Since the scriptures are a
thorough furnisher unto all good works (2
Tim. 3:16, 17), the doctrine, practice, and
government of the New Testament church will
be thoroughly spelled out for us in the New
Testament. If a group of people have
unscriptural practices, or have doctrines
not taught in the bible, or have a
government that is anti-scriptural then it
is because it is not the true church. No
where in the scriptures do you find a Sunday
school, schools of Theology, salaried
ministry, instrumental music in the New
Testament church, hierarchal government,
women preachers or deacons, church choirs,
tithing in the New Testament church, or
church auxiliaries.
The three hundred pieces of silver speaks to
us of the preciousness of the "faith that
was once delivered to the saints. We should
desire to keep the "faith that was once
delivered to the saints" and not change it
in any way.
Genesis Chapter 45 Parallels between Joseph
and Christ
Joseph is
perhaps the strongest figure of Christ in
the bible. There are a great number of
parallels in the life and events surrounding
Joseph and Christ. Some of these parallels
are set forth in this 45th chapter
of Genesis:
1. v.1 “Joseph made
himself known unto his brethren.” Matt.
16:15 “He saith unto them, But whom say ye
that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and
said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said
unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona:
for flesh and blood hath not revealed it
unto thee, but my Father which is in
heaven.”
2. v.2 “And he wept aloud:”
John 11:35 “Jesus wept.”
3. v.3 “for they
were troubled at his presence.”
Matt. 14:26 “And when the disciples saw him
walking on the sea, they were troubled,
saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out
for fear.”
4. v.4 “And Joseph
said unto his brethren, Come near to
me, I pray you. And they came near. James
4:8 “Draw nigh to God, and he will
draw nigh to you.”
5. v.4 “And he
said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye
sold into Egypt.” Matt. 26:15 “And said
unto them, What will ye give me, and I will
deliver him unto you? And they covenanted
with him for thirty pieces of silver.”
6. v.5 “Now
therefore be not grieved, nor angry with
yourselves…” John 14:27 “Peace I leave
with you, my peace I give unto you: not as
the world giveth, give I unto you. Let
not your heart be troubled, neither let it
be afraid.”
7. v.5 “God did
send me before you to preserve life.”
John 6:38 “For I came down from heaven, not
to do mine own will, but the will of him
that sent me. 39 And this is the
Father's will which hath sent me, that of all
which he hath given me I should lose
nothing, but should raise it up again at the
last day.”
8. v.7 “And God
sent me before you to preserve you a
posterity in the earth, and to save your
lives by a great deliverance.” Matt.
1:21 “And she shall bring forth a son, and
thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he
shall save his people from their sins.”
9.
v.8 “So now it was not you that sent me hither,
but God:”
John 5:30 “I can of mine own self do
nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment
is just; because I seek not mine own will,
but the will of the Father which hath
sent me.”
10. v.8 “lord of
all his house…” Acts 2:36 “Therefore
let all the house of Israel know
assuredly, that God hath made that same
Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and
Christ.”
11. v.8 “a ruler
throughout all the land of Egypt.”
Matt. 2:6 “And thou Bethlehem, in the land
of Juda, art not the least among the princes
of Juda: for out of thee shall come a
Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.”
12. v.10 “And thou
shalt dwell in the land of Goshen…”
Rev. 21:3 “And I heard a great voice out of
heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God
is with men, and he will dwell with them,
and they shall be his people, and God
himself shall be with them, and be their
God.”
13. v.11 “And there
will I nourish thee;” John 21:15 “So when
they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter,
Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more
than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord;
thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto
him, Feed my lambs.” John 21:16 “He
saith to him again the second time, Simon,
son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto
him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love
thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”
John 21:17 “He saith unto him the third
time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?
Peter was grieved because he said unto him
the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said
unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things;
thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith
unto him, Feed my sheep.”
Acts 20:28 “Take heed therefore
unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over
the which the Holy Ghost hath made you
overseers, to feed the church of God,
which he hath purchased with his own blood.”
1 Pet. 5:2 “Feed the flock of
God which is among you, taking the
oversight thereof, not by constraint, but
willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a
ready mind;”
Rev. 7:17 “For the Lamb which
is in the midst of the throne shall feed
them, and shall lead them unto living
fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away
all tears from their eyes. Rev. 12:6 “And
the woman fled into the wilderness, where
she hath a place prepared of God, that they
should feed her there a thousand two
hundred and threescore days.”
14. v.21 “Joseph
gave them wagons, according to the
commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them
provision for the way.” Phil. 4:19 “But
my God shall supply all your need
according to his riches in glory by Christ
Jesus.”
15. v.22 “To all of
them he gave each man changes of raiment;
but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces
of silver, and five changes of raiment.”
Christ has given all of the elect a change
of raiment in judgment, changing them from
wearing condemnation in unrighteousness to
wearing the imputed righteousness of Christ:
2 Cor. 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin
for us, who knew no sin; that we might be
made the righteousness of God in him.” To
those who know the truth about salvation by
grace Christ has additionally given them the
knowledge of God’s covenant of redemption (5
changes of raiment) in Rom. 8:29, 30: “For
whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to
be conformed to the image of his Son, that
he might be the firstborn among many
brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate,
them he also called: and whom he
called, them he also justified: and
whom he justified, them he also glorified.”
Moreover, he has given to them the faith (300
pieces of silver represent the faith that
was once delivered to the saints): Jude
1:3 “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to
write unto you of the common salvation, it
was needful for me to write unto you, and
exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for
the faith which was once delivered unto the
saints.”
16. v.23 “And to
his father he sent after this manner; ten
asses laden with the good things of Egypt,
and ten she asses laden with corn and bread
and meat for his father by the way.” Joseph
sent a great quantity of food for his
father’s household. Likewise, Christ has
provided a far greater quantity of food for
his Father’s household: 2 Tim. 3:16 “All
scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in
righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be
perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good
works.”
17. Joseph’s father
believed Joseph to be dead and then found
out that he was still alive. To Jacob this
was life from the dead. Jesus actually died
and then arose from the grave 3 days later.
This is life from the dead. |
