Removing the Scare
PSALM 130:3-7
3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?
(If God wrote down and kept a record of all of our iniquities – then what chance would any of us have)
4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. (This word “feared” means - to stand in awe of, be awed. We are awed by God’s great plan of redemption and of His ability to forgive us)
5 ¶ I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. (Our hope is in what His word has promised us)
6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.
7 Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.
(Redemption in the bible is to do with a kinsman buying back what a close relative has lost. This is why when the first Adam lost fellowship with God, and dominion over the earth, and eternal life, then the second Adam (Christ) had to become a kinsman to man in order to redeem back Adam’s lost inheritance – and this is why God had to become a man in order to redeem man back into fellowship with Himself. God could have never redeemed man if He had not chosen to become a human and kinsman to man.)
GENESIS 45:3-4
3 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. (Notice – they were troubled, or we could use the word “disturbed”, or “scared” – they were feeling fearful.)
4 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.
We know that Joseph’s life story perfectly prophesied and reflected the pattern of the life of Christ that was to come.
*Joseph was love by his father and hated by His brothers, and Jesus was love of His Father and hated by his Jewish brethren.
*Then Joseph was tempted and then falsely accused – just like Christ also went through a period of temptation and was also falsely accused.
*Then in the prison house, the butler was restored and the baker died and then Joseph ascended to the right hand of Pharaoh. And while Jesus was on the cross, one thief was saved and the other thief died, and then Jesus ascended to the right hand of God.
*And then after that, Joseph receives a gentile bride, and after Jesus’ resurrection, He also goes on to receive a gentile bride.
*Then Joseph’s brothers are re-gathered in a time of economic recession, and Jesus’ brothers (the Jews) are gathered back in a time of global economic recession after WW2.
*And then Joseph dismisses his gentile wife to the palace, and Jesus also dismisses His gentile wife to the palace in the rapture.
*And then Joseph makes himself known to his brothers, and Jesus also makes Himself known as their Messiah to the Jews.
*And then Joseph and his wife and his brothers all lived happily ever after in Goshen where everything prospers under Joseph’s reign.
And Christ and His bride and the 144,000 Jews all live happily ever after in the Millennium for a thousand years of when everything will prosper under Christ’s reign.
And so it’s exactly the same story, and it’s the story of Redemption… and we have preached all these things before…
PSALM 130:7
7 Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.
Even though Joseph’s brothers treated him really bad, there was plenteous redemption for them – and this is what should cause us to stand in awe, because it’s like a paradox.
And this is the paradox that should remove all the fear from our lives (all the scare) - to know that with the Lord, there is plenteous redemption – abundant redemption.
Removing the Scare
We have been speaking on the subject of “The Unconditional Covenant of God” and trying to show how that we can put our full confidence in the fact that God has guaranteed redemption for us regardless of all our mistakes and failings of life. Because our purpose in this hour is to build up our faith in order to be raptured – and we can’t have faith when we are retaining fear and uncertainty.
And so we have been “changing up the gears” with the theme of this subject of coming out of uncertainty and into being certain of God.
*Last week we spoke about how that this story of Joseph life gives us an insight into the incredibly power of the outworking of the providence of God in the lives of people.
*People are born with prophecy attached to their lives. You and I are born with prophecy attached to our lives. And so God works supernaturally in the lives of people in order to bring the prophecy that pertains to their life to pass.
*Mary’s entire life on earth was to fulfil the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 – a virgin shall conceive.
John the Baptist’s life on earth was to fulfil the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness – Isaiah 40:3.
Brother Branham’s life on earth was to fulfil Malachi 4:5-6, Luke 17:30, Revelation 10:7 as well as many other scriptures of prophecy that pertained to his life.
He was the servant at suppertime of Luke 14:17.
He was Eleazar at the evening time well with Rebekah.
He was the head reaper in the book of Ruth that introduced Boaz to Ruth and Ruth to Boaz.
He was the Elijah that the widow woman of Zarephath sustained – on and on we could go.
He was like Moses that led an Exodus out of denomination and into the promised land of the word of this hour.
He was a one-man ministry to the entire world like Noah was.
And so in the volume of the book it was written of his ministry, and this is what the seals opened up to us - for us to be able to see the names of people written under certain scriptures.
*And so our own lives can’t be any different in that we have all come into the world at a certain point and time of history of which God has pre-ordained for us to be born in order for each of us to fulfil certain parts of scripture that pertain to the prophecy of what God has placed on our lives – and you won’t be able to stop your life from fulfilling that prophecy because God is working supernaturally in your life to bring His word to pass in the story of your life.
*And so this is the paradox of what the life story of Joseph is showing us of how the providence of God works in the life of each individual.
And the other amazing thing that this story of Joseph is showing us, is of the maturity of character that we all need to attain to - a maturity of a full realization of how that God is able to take all the disappointments and struggles and all the ugly stuff of our lives, and then use all of those things as stepping stones for us as a pathway in order to lead us into a great and wonderful place of victory and peace and joy and eternal life that will even include our families and loved ones.
GENESIS 45:5-7
5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.
7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
**What God is trying to show us in this story of Joseph, is that He is going to take all of the things that have happened in our lives that have seemed so bad and wrong to us, and then use them all for the purpose of bringing our lives into the greatest victory of the most wonderful ending that you could ever have imagined or hoped for.
*And then we (like Joseph) will be able to look back and realise that all of the “bad” stuff of our lives was necessary in order to make everything work out right in the end (Romans 8:28), and necessary to make the end of the story of our lives end happily ever after just like every good story should.
*Because that is how the story of Joseph ends.
*And that is how the story of Ruth ends.
*And that is how the story of Esther ends.
*And that is how the story of the whole bible ends.
*And so that is how the story of your life and my life must end also (happily ever after), and God is determined for that to happen for you and He will not fail in that because with him is plenteous redemption.
GENESIS 40:14-15 (This is Joseph in the prison house speaking with the butler)
14 But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:
15 For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: (Notice how that he said he was stolen, but the reality was that he was sold by his own wickedly acting brothers. Joseph could have really told all about some of the nasty stuff about his brothers, but we find here that he is omitting the telling of their evil deeds just like how Christ omits the telling of our evil deeds also) and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.
**Again, we find that he is not directly accusing Potiphar’s wife for lying on him and shaming him – and so there is a lesson in this for us because Joseph is reflecting the character of Christ here.
*We don’t even have a record of Joseph ever trying to get revenge on Potiphar’s wife after the fact of that it was actually her that had caused him all the pain that he had gone through with the prison house experience - because when Joseph looked back on his life, he realised that it was ultimately God’s hand of leadership upon his life of which he needed the prison house experience as a stepping stone in order to bring him to the destination of what was prophesied for his life.
And this should help us to think different about when we are also mistreated by people that cause us to end up in a prison house for a while – it is only the providence of God guiding us also.
*Last week we spoke about how that Adam and Eve lived in a perfect world of joy and perfection, and while under those perfect conditions, they couldn’t even keep one simple commandment of God.
*And so God knew from the time of Eden, that He could never rely on man’s self-ability to keep his side of any conditional covenant that God may have made with man.
*And this has also been proven down throughout the history of the bible, because Abraham and Isaac and Jacob – they all failed God in some way.
And even the great prophet Moses failed God, and Samson failed God, and David who was a man after God’s own heart failed God, and then David’s son Solomon who represented the son of David (Christ) failed God. And you and I have failed God.
**And so there is none of us who can say that we are righteous by our own ability to keep every word of God. So in order for God to save man, God had to make a covenant with Himself concerning man’s redemption that would be completely unconditional on man’s part.
**When Joseph’s brothers finally came face to face with Joseph, we find that there was no condemnation that came to them from Joseph, but only that he was looking to see a change in their character – and this is why he tested them in the way that he did.
And so God is showing us in this story that when we get to the end of our road also, that we will find there is no condemnation waiting for us either, but only that He is looking to see a maturity of character in us.
PSALM 130:3 and verse 7
3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?
(If God wrote down all of our sins and kept a record of our iniquities – then what chance would any of us have?)
7 Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.
Notice - Plenteous Redemption. This word “plenteous” = is to make large, enlarge, increase, become many, to increase greatly/exceedingly, become numerous, abounding, exceedingly abundant.
Your sin cannot defeat God’s plenteous mercy and redemption that He has purposed for your life. We know this because all the mean stuff that Joseph’s brothers did to him couldn’t defeat the plan of God’s unconditional covenant of redemption for them.
THE.IDENTIFIED.MASTERPIECE.OF.GOD_ YUMA.AZ SATURDAY_ 64-1205
69 See the love of God! (Notice what he is saying here – it is out of God’s unconditional love that He has produced His unconditional covenant concerning us) After man had fallen and deliberately opened the door to the enemy, and come in and marred him, and set death in him, still God was not willing this be defeated. He came down and started all over again. He was going to make that man again.
70 He put Adam on a covenant, "Do this, and not this; this, and not that; touch not, handle not, taste not."
71 But we find out, when He started again, He started with--with Abraham. And in Abraham He started him on an unconditional covenant. Not "if you will." I have. I've already done it. I've blessed you, you and your seed, and so forth, after you." It was an unconditional covenant. He started with Abraham, His workmanship again, and now with His unconditional covenant. Then, when we find out, He based on Abraham and give him the covenant, unconditional, with the promise.
*After the flood of Noah, the book of Genesis begins to tell us of the story of God’s unconditional covenant with Abraham, and then at the end of the book of Genesis, we find that it ends with the story of how that God saved all the lives of the sons of Jacob (Joseph’s brothers) regardless of the fact of how mean they had treated Joseph – and remember that Joseph is really Christ (representing him in the story), and Christ is God himself.
**And so then we find at the end of the book of Genesis, the very last thing that we read about is how that Joseph is dealing with his brothers of trying to take all the scare away from them, of them thinking that they are going to be condemned by him for all the evil things that they had done to him.
GENESIS 50:15-22
15 ¶ And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.
16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,
17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.
18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.
19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?
20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
(Not only were they saved by the act of what they thought had been so evil on their part, but the whole known world was saved because of these events of Joseph being in Egypt and of him being able to interpret Pharoh’s prophetic dream)
21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
22 ¶ And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father's house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years.
And they all lived happily ever after…
*Notice here that right at the end, and just before they entered into a great time of blessing and peace, Joseph was having to deal with the scare that his brothers still felt within their hearts of what had been eating at their consciences for all those years. And so he began to minister to them in a way that began to remove the scare of condemnation from out of their lives.
THE.ANGEL.OF.THE.COVENANT_ PHOENIX.AZ MONDAY_ 54-0301
E-2 Now, one night this week, if the Lord willing, I want to speak a Gospel message on the "God's Unconditional Covenant." And perhaps maybe tomorrow night, if the Lord will... It's nothing but just to build the faith of the people, just to get them built up to a place where it gets all the scare away from them. And we're trying our best to do that.
The Christian has not one worry in the world. They should be the most freest, happiest people in all the world. 'Cause there's nothing... You can't lose. And all things work together for good to them that love God. So how can we lose? There's just nothing to lose, is there? We're just anchored away in Jesus Christ, going home to glory, having a good time while we're going along, God providing everything for us.
*Boaz took the scare out of Ruth at the time of the midnight hour.
*Elijah took the scare out of the gentile widow woman of Zarephath at the time of her midnight hour of when she was facing uncertainty.
*King Ahasuerus took the scare out of Esther at the time of her midnight hour.
*Joseph took the scare out of his brothers.
*And Christ is taking the scare our of us in this hour by the revelation of the message of this hour.
JEHOVAH.JIREH.1_ GRASS.VALLEY.CA JJ 37-72 THURSDAY_ 62-0705
51 Now, this unconditional covenant. Not "if you will, I will, but I will later on," or something like that; "I have already give the land to you, and your seed after you!" Amen. See, already done it; It's a finished work.
You said, "To Abraham He did that." Yes, not only Abraham, but his seed after him. And if we're Abraham's seed, it's a finished product. "Those who He foreknew, He called; those who He called, He's justified; those who He has justified, He has already glorified." What you scared about?
THE.PILLAR.OF.FIRE_ JONESBORO.AR SATURDAY_ 53-0509
E-19 The biggest trouble there is in the church today is a bunch of fear. People's always scared, and that's of the devil. Don't be scared. Be brave. You don't have nothing to be... There ain't nothing to be afraid about.
REDEMPTION.BY.JUDGMENT_ JEFF.IN SUNDAY_ 54-1114
E-33 … There's nothing to be scared about.
Yes, sir, everything belongs to us, because Christ has redeemed it all to us through Him. And He loved us, and we could not come to Him unless God drawed us to Him. He said, "No man can come to Me except My Father draws him first. And all that comes, I'll give everlasting life, and will raise him up at the last day." What worry have we got at all? There's nothing to worry about, nothing to be scared about. Say, "Who's going to be President?" We'll have a depression. That doesn't matter to me. Only thing I know, God has spoke and said He's going to take me through, so I just took His hand, took His Word. So here we go on our road to the promised land.
THE.WATER.OF.SEPARATION_ CHICAGO.IL FRIDAY_ 55-0121
E-15 I used to oftentime wonder what's the matter with the Christian church, they're so scared of things. Why, you've got nothing to be scared about. The first word nearly Jesus said after the resurrection, "Fear not." See, don't fear. Don't get scared. There ain't nothing going to happen. Nothing can happen. Nothing can bother a Christian. Amen. Not even death itself can even touch the Christian. "He that heareth My words, and believeth on him that sent Me, hath Everlasting Life, and shall not come into condemnation; but has passed from death to Life." Amen.
ABRAHAM'S.GRACE.COVENANT_ MIDDLETOWN.OH FRIDAY_ 61-0317
E-26 .... He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. When God saw the... what Satan had done, His program was laid out, and He knowed that He would send His Son, and He would be a propitiation for our sins. And in the mind of Jehovah, to conquer and keep His people, He slayed the Lamb in His own mind, before the foundation of the world and put your name on the Book as redeemed. Glory! That's what He done. God did that. Then what are we scared about? Not, "If you will... ", "I have."
WHO.IS.JESUS_ TOPEKA.KS V-20 N-4 SATURDAY_ 64-0620B
52 …Redeem, is not create something new. Redeem is to bring back that which has already been. See? So what are you scared about? See? It's all--it's all in His hands, the clock is not ticking wrong. Everything has to be this way, and it brings us to this spot now.