Joseph The Fruitful Bough

[00:00:00] This audio sermon is provided by AnabaptistSermons.com and may be freely copied and distributed. You may not sell or edit this sermon. Our prayer is that you would be blessed by this ministry. There was an old man lying on his bed. He was just about to die. He called his twelve sons to himself, and to each he gave a blessing. before his death. [00:00:32] Let's turn to Genesis chapter 49. Begin reading at verse 22. This was something like a will, though I'm not sure if that would be the right term or not, when Jacob called his sons and he rehearsed before them some of their past and he pronounced a blessing for their future. Verse 22 of chapter 49 in Genesis Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well whose branches run over the wall [00:01:06] The archers have sorely grieved him and shot at him and hated him But his bow abode in strength And the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob From thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel Even by the God of thy father who shall help thee and by the Almighty who shall bless thee with the blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. [00:01:41] They shall be on the head of Joseph and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. Now the passage that we, the verse that we especially want to look at this morning is right in the beginning there where he says that Joseph is a fruitful bough. We think back of Joseph and we consider him as a type of our Lord. He is often lifted up as a type of the Lord. As we look at Joseph's life, we might see why Jacob, his father, said, [00:02:16] Joseph is like a fruitful bough by a wall, by a well, whose branches run over the wall. Not sure if that was just the type of speech, if it had specific significance, but there are some things that we can at least learn from that illustration that we want to notice this morning. There's a certain amount of sacrifice in planting seeds, but there are some reasons we plant seeds. [00:02:47] Because you want food. You're looking for something to happen to those seeds, right? You're expecting them to grow and to produce something. Well, that's really God's plan as well. Let me read to you a number of scriptures this morning before we look further at Joseph. Right in the beginning when God made Adam and Eve, even before he made them, As he looked at the animals and the fish and the birds, he said, it is very good. He blessed those things and he said, be fruitful and multiply. [00:03:18] When God made Adam and Eve in verse 28 of Genesis 1, I believe it is. Not quite sure if I have my reference right. But he says like this, and God blessed them and God said unto them, be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it. So it was God's plan right from the beginning that man be fruitful. In this case, perhaps he's talking about having children, filling the earth. [00:03:51] In Colossians, the first chapter, verse 9 and 10, For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you and to desire that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will and all wisdom and spiritual understanding. that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. God said of Israel in Hosea Israel is an empty vine [00:04:21] he bringeth forth fruit unto himself. Now there was some fruit there but it was all for themselves. In Joseph's case, we read that his branch reached over the wall. Also, God said of Israel and Isaiah, if I remember right, that they're like a vineyard that has grapes, but they are wild grapes. [00:04:54] So there was fruitfulness, but not the right kind. So there can be fruit for the wrong purpose or it can even be of the wrong type. In the New Testament, John the Baptist said that now it's the time that the axe is going to be laid to the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree in me that bringeth not forth fruit, good fruit, is hewn down and cast into the fire. [00:05:26] Jesus said in John the 15th chapter Every branch in me that beareth not fruit He taketh away And every branch that beareth fruit He purges it that it may bring forth more fruit So God is looking for fruit He's looking for fruit that proliferates, that abounds Some fruit, He's asking for more fruit Now the very purpose that we are here for is to bring something to God. [00:06:01] We are brought into this life to glorify God. Herein is my Father glorified that you bear much fruit, Jesus said in John the 15th chapter. So having said those things, we have a picture in the scripture of what God's view is when he looks at his mankind that he created. Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. When we look at this Joseph, we see a young man, often when we think of the patriarchs, now many of you do not remember when the preachers used to preach at every communion time about all the patriarchs. [00:06:41] When they went through what we call the Alfero, the old fathers, the story of those men of God. And it seemed to me when I was a little boy that those must have been special men. They were great men of God. They must have had some tremendous opportunities. Look at the things that God did in them and through them. And we tend sometimes to look at life as fruitfulness being related to the circumstances and the opportunities. [00:07:17] Physically we do that. You go to Illinois and there you see all those fields with all that deep subsoil. And it's just right. That's why the corn grows like it does. All the preparation that there is, the input that there is, it looks like it depends on the circumstances. And it does to a measure. But let's consider a bit our friend Joseph. Joseph came from a home where there were four wives in one household. Circumstances being ideal, Joseph's father was of such a nature that his very name was Deceiver. [00:08:00] However, his grandfather and his great-grandfather, it is recorded of them in scripture that both of them didn't always use the truth. He had another grandfather who worshipped idols. His mother was a thief, stole her father's idols. And his brothers and he didn't get along all that well. They called him names. By the time Joseph gets to this place, shouldn't he have been pretty much a warped personality? [00:08:35] But his father said, Joseph is like a fruitful bough. Now I don't suppose that we would say this morning that those things contributed to his fruitfulness. But what we do notice is that there is a way, there is a potential, there is a means for a person to be fruitful in spite of the most of the worst situations. We are not victims of circumstances. And we want to make that clear this morning. [00:09:07] There are too many people today that are saying we are just the product of our past. And in a sense, we are influenced. But there is a grace that is greater today than all our sin. and all the sins of all our forefathers, all our progenitors. Jacob said, this blessing on Joseph exceeds that of my progenitors, my forefathers, because of the grace of God that was on him. We could with profit look at what promotes and stimulates and produces fruitfulness. [00:09:45] Just one thing is all we have time for, that in this scripture it says, That's where Joseph was planted. Where was he planted? By a well. There was a source there for life. He could reach out and when it got dry, he just drew from the well. And when it got drier, he again drew from the well. And you could take that to the end of his days. And as he grew up, that tree grew up, the day came when not only did it become a tree, not only did it rise up along the wall and finally reach up to the top of the wall, but it reached over the wall. [00:10:29] His branches did Sometimes when there's a tree by a line fence It may be on your side of the line fence Or on the neighbor's But the neighbor often times Gets the benefit of that tree Because of the branch That reaches out So we see a picture here this morning Of a man That fulfilled God's purpose Not only physically But he fulfilled God's purpose which probably is even more pleasing to God [00:11:00] or at least equally pleasing to God when we bring fruit spiritually. And it's really God's intention, purpose that we do that. Fact is, the scriptures that we read says how God views it. One day when Jesus was walking along the street somewhere in his journey he came to this fig tree that he looked up to it and he was with anticipation wanting fruit, but it didn't have any. So what did he say? [00:11:32] He said, cut it off. Why is this thing here not producing its, not fulfilling its purpose? Why is it here? It's taking up space where someone else, something else could be providing if it is not going to. So we see that it has a high priority in God's life, in God's mind, that we have, that we fulfill our purpose for being, that we bring forth fruit. Jesus did say that it is not necessarily how much fruit we bring, but that we bring to our potential. [00:12:11] Gifts vary. Circumstances are different. God has made us different. Some bring one percentage, some another. But the important thing is this morning that we give to our potential. Now there are many opportunities around us. And the reason I ask the children whether it's hard work to plant seeds, I know the way we do it today is not so hard, but if you would see some of those ladies over in Kenya [00:12:42] With their hoes plowing big fields of clumpy hard dirt just with a hoe, you would have to say that planting is hard work. And there is really nothing like bringing forth fruit without effort, without some hard work. To live for God takes sacrifice. Sacrifice. In fact, the Bible says that we are to be a living sacrifice. There will not really be productiveness without sacrifice. Many times we say, when we hear said that we are just so busy, we don't have time. But then somebody else, well no, let's just leave that statement and ask this one. Is there anybody here this morning that's not busy? And that's true in all of the Christian life. [00:13:38] Many times we are so busy we don't have time. Without realizing it, we may often be infringing on somebody else's time that may be more busy than I when we do that. Now there are legitimate times when we are busy, we don't have time. Do you think Joseph had time to do the things that he did? It wasn't a matter of time, it was a matter of commitment. It was a matter of availability. [00:14:13] So let's look at some of the virtues in Joseph's life. As we look in the scriptures, we find that this thing is to begin from childhood to old age. Remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth, the wise man said to young people. Remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth. We're not talking about the appropriate time or the right time, but we're talking about God's time. And when we get into the Psalms, we read about the palm tree. [00:14:47] And it says, the righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. And a little bit later, I think it's in the same passage where he says, they shall still bring forth fruit in old age. And it's a blessing this morning to see young people that are involved in fruitfulness. And it is a blessing when those years pass and the wrinkles come and the limbs grow feeble and the eyesight dims that you still see bearing fruit believers in old age. [00:15:22] What is more blessed than to see at both extremities people that are committed so that God can use them in productive lives? Illustrations could be given. But what we want to notice this morning is some of the things that went into Joseph's life that helped him gain this testimony and this blessing from his father. As we look back into his life in chapter 37 in Genesis, we begin where Joseph was a relatively young man. [00:15:57] Yet, in verse 2 it says, these are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being 17 years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren. And the land was with the sons of Bila and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. You see a young man here, 17 years old, not very old. You see something has happened in Joseph's life. We don't read much about his time, his life before this. Some things must have been caught by Joseph up until now. [00:16:35] And we're not reading this scripture to encourage that we be tailbearers of other people's misdeeds, but the picture that I get of this young man is Joseph was out there in a circumstance with his brothers and some things were going on that spoke to Joseph's conscience. and he could not conscientiously take part of this. Joseph was a man that had already developed some conviction in his life. He had determined what is right and what is wrong. [00:17:07] And if we want to be fruit bearers, we need some of that same experience in our life where we have determined where the lines are for right living. Because good fruit does not come from wrong living. Whatsoever a man sows, that he's going to reap. And let's just remind ourselves again this morning that whatever we sow in youth, whatever we sow in any time in life, will sometime again have to be confronted. [00:17:40] Sometime we are going to have to confront that. Whatever we sow, we are going to reap. So Joseph expressed here, exposes to us or teaches us that we need to develop convictions. We are studying for the instruction class. And when I went to the Christian day school, I remember we had little books that we studied. Lessons in the Christian life they were called. I don't know why we don't use them today again. [00:18:12] Maybe we should use them for the adult classes. But what they are really about is lessons in Christian doctrine. I remember the early days of the revival movements back in Ohio. One time I was asked to come there to teach on Bible fundamentals. And I began to wonder. I asked the bishop, what are Bible fundamentals? What do you mean when you say Bible fundamentals? Isn't the whole book fundamental? But you know, There are some things that we don't hear all that much teaching anymore. [00:18:47] He helped me out by saying these are the basic teachings that are foundational for the rest of the Christian life. And I'm wondering if we shouldn't have a Bible school for adults on Bible fundamentals. That we know what we mean, what we believe when it comes to what is the Word of God. One of the things that contributes to drift in churches is when we lose the vision and the conviction of what the Word of God really is. [00:19:20] Brother Chester Weaver was here and he used this term in a meeting the other evening. The high view and the low view of Scripture. I'll just throw the term out for us to wonder about if we don't know about it. The high view and the low view of Scripture. Which should we have? It makes a difference on how we face the rest of life and how we relate to this issue of bearing fruit that pleases God. What do we believe about the scripture? [00:19:52] What do we believe about God himself? What do we believe about creation? Make a whole list of those things. Chapter 37 verse 12 and following. The day came here, when the brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem, and Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. You may be seated. Here am I, he said. What kind of a spirit do you see in that Joseph? I see a spirit of submission. Did he have time? We don't know. [00:20:34] He didn't say. Was it a difficult journey? We don't know that. We just don't know all those circumstances. But Joseph knew them. And one thing for sure, he didn't get onto his four-wheeler or his car to go see his brothers. Maybe not even on a camel or a donkey. We don't know how he went. More than likely he walked. So this request of his father was not necessarily something that was easy or pleasing to him [00:21:06] But Joseph said, here I am What do you see in that term? Here I am Availability, unselfishness, sacrificial spirit Here I am I don't have much I'm not capable But here I am He didn't talk about those other qualities. He just said, here I am. And that is one of the virtues that go into fruitfulness is the spirit of submission and availability. [00:21:40] He was not selective. He did not say, Father, I'd rather do this, I'd rather do that. But he said, here I am. And went. If we go on to chapter 39, we find Joseph sold into slavery. He was taken to Egypt, far from his home country, far from his people. And he was there in Potiphar's house. He was made a slave, servant. Later he was in jail. But never do you find any record that Joseph complained about his circumstances. [00:22:16] Did he? We don't know. But we find no such record. We find a spirit of contentment in Joseph. I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content we don't find complaining we don't find murmuring we don't find him wishing for something else though certainly he would have preferred to be with his family rather than where he was but we find Joseph every time you find Joseph down at the bottom [00:22:49] he was in the bottom of the well he was down in the jail house Every time you find Joseph in the bottom, what does he do? He climbs to the top. And that's how God made him fruitful. He had a spirit of contentment. He was looking at what God wanted to work in his life. He recognized that God was in control even when he was out of control. When he had no control. [00:23:21] Joseph was put in a situation where he couldn't even decide what time to get up, what time to eat, what to eat or anything. He was a slave and he was in prison. But God was in control in his mind. He was contented for that. Then when we find him in Potiphar's house, we find him where he was so sorely tempted. We find that Joseph was a man that had moral integrity and purity in his heart. Joseph had his mind geared on the same principle that we read in Matthew the 5th chapter [00:23:57] where it says blessed are the pure in heart the reason Joseph could maintain his moral purity externally was because he had moral purity internally his heart was pure before God his loyalty was to his God He said, how should I sin so against my Master and my God? He saw that moral impurity is always a sin against God, against the offended, against oneself, and against those related to the offended or even to oneself. [00:24:41] Moral impurity is something that destroys fruitfulness. Many people can testify to that today. But moral purity develops strength for service. That's why he was a trusted man. God exonerated him. God set him up to do things that Joseph could never have attained by his own ability. Who could have imagined going from being a nomad to the highest ruler in classic Egypt? [00:25:19] Only God could arrange all of that. Moral purity develops confidence. Joseph's conscience was free. He could look anybody anywhere straight in the eyes because he was free. And that's what moral purity can do to a person It lays the foundation for a good home life It gives hope for heaven It's the secret of victory Therefore the scripture says Flee also youthful lusts [00:25:50] And we could talk about this morning Maintaining purity in speech You know there are people that carry secrets in their minds They know what they are doing and have been doing When nobody else was around but they are weak they cannot look God in the eyes they cannot even look fellow men in the eyes often they can sometimes steal themselves and force themselves but deep down in their heart they are defeated [00:26:22] in speech, in literature, in the media, in conduct and that has to do with interaction with people of the opposite sex. There is too much familiarity in our day amongst people. Even people that call themselves God's people oftentimes whittle off the sharp edge of their consciences by the undue familiarity. There needs to be that respect for God's order and creation. [00:26:58] The courtship standards and, yes, even dress, all those things contribute to a person's moral purity or they contribute to their impurity and it can include other things as well is it appropriate that there is a mingling of the sexes at the beaches Now you expect that from the world. [00:27:32] Is it appropriate that it happens amongst the people of God? I don't even need to answer that question. But it happens. And it becomes less, we become less sensitive to it as we fudge a little here and a little there. But when we do that, be assured this morning, that was not a part of the fruitfulness of Joseph's life. I'd like to just go to the 50th chapter yet [00:28:03] and look a little bit at Joseph's latter part. Just, well, in fact, some of this took place after these words that came from his father. We read a little bit later how that Jacob, after he gave the blessing to his 12 sons, pulled up his feet into the bed, it says, and there he went to his fathers and he died. Then his brothers started to remember some things. They said, what is Joseph going to do now? [00:28:37] They knew Joseph was in a place of authority. They had talked to the father about it. And Jacob had given his advice. Now his brothers came to Joseph in chapter 50 and said they sent a message unto Joseph saying thy father did command before he died saying so shall you say unto Joseph forgive I pray thee now the trespass of thy brethren and their sin [00:29:08] for they did unto thee evil and now we pray thee forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father they began to think pretty seriously Why didn't they do this 40 years before? Think of all the years those brothers lived under that cloud. They could have been free. They made a mistake. They did wrong. But they could have been made free many years before and experienced the prosperity of Joseph. [00:29:42] But they waited. And now they were fearful when the hands were turned. But I like Joseph's response. The reason Joseph was a fruitful branch by a bough and why he serves as an example of us today and typified our Lord even before our Lord came to this earth says here Joseph wept when they spake unto him and his brethren also went and fell down before his face and they said behold we be thy servants [00:30:12] and Joseph said unto them fear not for am I in the place of God but as for you, you thought evil against me but God meant it unto good to bring to pass as it is this day to save much people alive now therefore fear ye not I will nourish you and your little ones and he comforted them and spake kindly unto them what made Joseph a fruitful branch wasn't it a forgiving heart Joseph forgave [00:30:44] He set them free. He set them at ease. He held nothing against them. He did not lament the wasted years because they had been converted into fruitful years. And he said, God knew all this and meant it for good. And he spoke kindly to them. And in chapter 48, verse 12, one more thing that we see about Joseph is he brought his sons to his father's bedside, presented them there, [00:31:18] and then it says, he bowed himself with his face to the earth before Jacob, his father. What do you see there? Wasn't it a heart of respect for his elders, for his father? Joseph was respectful. Who was talking here just a few days ago in our services about when does this thing of obedience to parents terminate? Well, Joseph was now an older man, but he still respected his father. [00:31:53] and a father that hadn't always done so well but he still respected him. That attitude went a long way I believe in Joseph having this testimony. He was one who respected authority over him. He respected the authority of the jailer and of the potter and of the pharaoh of the land. And in each of those cases he was faithful. Another thing that could be said of Joseph is that he was a man that when the things weren't all bright, he did what was his to do irregardless. [00:32:35] He was always faithful in what he could do instead of lamenting what he couldn't do. And that's one of the keys of fruitfulness is being faithful in that which we have opportunity to do, when we have opportunity to do it. Probably most people aren't known for the great things they did as much as they are for faithfully keeping on doing the little things that they had the opportunity to. [00:33:08] If we wait till we have an opportunity to do great exploits for God, we may go off the scene without ever getting there. But if we do the little things faithfully, it can be said of us, Joseph, or your name, is a fruitful bough by a well whose branches reach over the wall. I trust our desires this morning to be such people. It'll take sacrifice and commitment. [00:33:41] It won't just happen. It means drawing on the well and it means as well going through the heat of the day and there God can give us that blessing.