Crystallization-Study of GENESIS(3)
Message Seven
The Life of Joseph as a Copy of the Life of Christ and Living as a Sheaf of Life and as a Star of Light
Scripture Reading: Gen. 37:2, 5-11, 19; 41:40-46
I. Joseph's life was a copy of the life of Christ in the followingaspects:
A. In his being a shepherd—Gen. 37:2; John 10:11-16.
B. In his being his father's beloved—Gen. 37:3-4; Matt. 3:17; 17:5.
C. In his being sent by his father to minister to his brothersaccording to his father's will—Gen. 37:12-17; John 6:38.
D. In his being hated, persecuted, and betrayed (sold) by hisbrothers—Gen. 37:5, 18-36; John 15:25; Matt. 26:4, 14-16.
E. In his being cast into the prison of death with two criminals,one of whom was restored, and the other, executed—Gen. 39:20;40:1-23; Acts 2:23; Luke 23:32, 39-43.
F. In his being released (resurrected) from the prison of death—Gen. 41:14; Acts 2:24.
G. In his being enthroned with authority—Gen. 41:40-44; Matt.28:18; Acts 2:36; Rev. 3:21.
H. In his receiving glory and gifts—Gen. 41:42; Heb. 2:9; Psa.68:18; Acts 2:33.
I. In his becoming the savior of the world, the sustainer of life(the revealer of secrets)—Gen. 41:45; Acts 5:31; John 6:50-51:
1. First, Joseph was the revealer of secrets—Gen. 40:9-19;41:17-32.
2. Then, because he sustained the life of the people (vv. 47-57;47:12-24), he became the savior of the world (v. 25).
J. In his taking a wife from the Gentiles—41:45; John 3:29; Eph.5:23-27; Rev. 19:7.
K. In his supplying people with food—Gen. 41:56-57; John 6:35.
L. In his acknowledging his ignorant brothers and being recognizedby them—Gen. 45:1-4, 14-15; Rom. 11:26; Zech. 12:10;Rev. 1:7.
M. In his reigning in the kingdom over the whole earth—Gen.41:40—50:26; Rev. 11:15; Dan. 7:13-14.
II. Joseph, a "master of dreams" (Gen. 37:19), dreamed thataccording to God's view, His people are sheaves of wheatfull of life and heavenly bodies full of light (vv. 5-11):
A. Joseph's two dreams (vv. 7-9), both from God, unveiled to himGod's divine view concerning the nature, position, function,and goal of God's people on earth:
1. In his first dream Joseph saw sheaves in the field bowingdown to his sheaf; this dream reveals that, at the most,Joseph was just a sheaf and that, at the worst, his brotherswere also sheaves; Joseph was a sheaf, and his brothers weresheaves—vv. 7-8:
a. The only difference between him and them was that Godhad chosen him to reign, but this does not mean that hewas better than they were; God's people are all sheavesof life in Christ.
b. God spoke through Balaam, and Balaam said, "He hasnot beheld iniquity in Jacob, / Nor has He seen troublein Israel"—Num. 23:21a: 1) This word was spoken not according to the humanview but according to the divine view; in the sight ofGod, Israel is without fault. 2) In themselves God's people have many defects, but inGod's redemption and in Christ they have no defects;when God looks at His people, He does not see themaccording to what they are in themselves but accordingto what they are in Christ—cf. 2 Cor. 5:16-17.
c. Elijah complained against Israel, saying, "The childrenof Israel have forsaken Your covenant, thrown downYour altars, and slain Your prophets with the sword;and I alone am left, and they seek to take my life"; however,Jehovah replied, "Yet I have left Myself seventhousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowedunto Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him"—1 Kings 19:10, 18; cf. Rom. 11:2-5.
d. If we have seen the heavenly dream, then we have seenthat in God's view all His people are sheaves full of lifeto produce food for the meal offering to satisfy God andman—Lev. 2:4-5.
2. In his second dream Joseph saw the sun, the moon, andeleven stars bowing down to him—Gen. 37:9:
a. According to their fallen nature, God's people are evil andunclean, but in God's eternal view, His people are heavenlybodies full of light—cf. Rev. 12:1 and footnote.
b. The reigning aspect of the mature life never condemnsGod's people; rather, it shepherds and appreciatesthem—Gen. 37:5-11; cf. 1 Cor. 13:4-8, 13.
c. One thing is certain: whoever condemns the church orblames the saints will suffer the loss of life; however, ifwe praise the Lord for His saints being full of life andlight, we will be the first to participate in life—Gen.12:2-3; Num. 24:9.
B. Although God's people are positioned in heaven as the sun,the moon, and the stars, they are living on earth as sheaves(Phil. 3:20; 2:15), for sheaves grow in the field; today we arethe heavenly people living on earth.
C. We have to use the "divine telescope" to see through time andbehold the New Jerusalem, where there is nothing butsheaves full of life and stars full of light.
D. Although the sons of Jacob were sinful, Christ still came inthrough them—Gen. 38:27-30; Matt. 1:3.
E. The more mature in life we become, the less we will speaknegatively concerning the saints or the church; we are not theones to judge—7:1-5; Rom. 14:4.
III. Joseph's dreams controlled his life and directed his behavior—cf. Acts 26:19:
A. Joseph behaved so excellently and marvelously because hewas directed by the vision that he saw in his dreams.
B. Joseph lived a life that corresponded to the vision he saw in histwo dreams; his brothers vented their anger (Gen. 37:18-31)and indulged in their lust (38:15-18), but Joseph subdued hisanger and conquered his lust (39:7-23), behaving as a sheaffull of life and conducting himself like a heavenly star shiningin the darkness:
1. While Joseph's brothers were drowning in the water ofhuman anger, Joseph, representing the reigning aspect of amature life, lived as a sheaf of life and emerged from thedeath water of human anger—37:18.
2. Judah behaved in a blind way, indulging in his lust indarkness (38:15-18); in contrast, Joseph, living as a star oflight, overcame his lust (39:7-12).
C. Joseph's life under the heavenly vision was the life of thekingdom of the heavens described in Matthew 5—7; by livingsuch a life, he was fully prepared to reign as a king; accordingto the constitution of the heavenly kingdom revealed in thesechapters in Matthew, our anger must be subdued, and ourlust must be conquered (5:21-32).
D. As the kingdom people in the kingdom life, we are beingtrained to be kings, to be Josephs, to manifest the reigningaspect of the mature life.