Secret References to Christ In the Old testament Scriptures. Kenneth B. Alexander
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Название: Secret References to Christ In the Old testament Scriptures

Автор: Kenneth B. Alexander

Издательство: Ingram

Жанр: Религия: прочее

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isbn: 9781456618124

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СКАЧАТЬ or magicians could interpret the dreams. It was at that time the cup bearer remembered Joseph and his ability to tell dreams. “Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it” (41:14-15). So in a space of less than 24 hours Joseph went from the dungeon to Pharaoh’s palace. God sometimes tarries in His coming but when He is ready to move He does so in a hurry. Pharaoh related his dreams to Joseph and Joseph interpreted them as follows:, “Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same; God has told to Pharaoh what He is about to do. “The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; “The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine. “It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do. “Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; and after them seven years of famine will come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will ravage the land….”Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about. (Gen 41:25-37).

      So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are. “You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you.”…Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put the gold necklace around his neck. He had him ride in his second chariot; and they proclaimed before him, “Bow the knee!” And he set him over all the land of Egypt” (Gen 41:39-40, 42-43). “Then Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-paneah; [Probably Egyptian for “God speaks; he lives”] and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of  On, as his wife. And Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt. Now Joseph was  thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt” (Gen 41:45-46). (there is a story from the Apocrypha entitled Joseph and Asenath which gives background on their relationship; and how the pagan princess converted to Joseph’s religion in order to marry him).

      So there were 7 years of plenty as Joseph had said. Then came a great famine which affected all the land in the Middle East. Joseph had done his job and stored up grain in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped measuring it, for it was beyond measure. The people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the earth (Gen 41:47-57). Joseph bore two sons. “He named the firstborn Manasseh, [Heb. “making me forget] “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” He named the second Ephraim, [fruitfulness] “For,” he said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” (Gen 41:51-52).

      “Now Jacob [living in Caanan] saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” He said, go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die.” Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt” (Gen 42:1-3). Thus begins a chain of events in which Joseph toyed with his brothers while selling them grain. The end of all this was that Jacob (Israel) found favor with the Pharaoh and he allowed the Israelites to settle in the land of Goshen. Scripture says: “It was “the best of the land” (Gen. 47:6, 11). Israel remained there until the time of the Exodus. Jacob became old and blessed the two sons of Joseph. “Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him. But Israel [Jacob] stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, [consciously directing meaning Ephraim was the favored son in his eyes] although Manasseh was the firstborn. He then blessed Joseph. When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head [because Manasseh was the eldest] Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.” But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations” (Gen 48:13-19).

      When Joseph saw that his father was blessing Ephraim over Manasseh, he protested. But Jacob’s words, “I know, my son, I know”, expressed the confidence of his faith: he was blessing according to the divine plan, not according to normal custom. He had learned that in spite of what man attempted to do God had blessed him, the younger. This he now carried forward to Joseph’s sons. Years later Ephraim became a leading tribe in the Northern Kingdom, much superior to the tribe of Manasseh, as Jacob had predicted. This showed what a far reaching vision Israel had in foreseeing events hundreds of years in advance. Jacob (Israel) was not only the head of a great family but was an outstanding prophet as well.

      The story of Joseph is a prime example of God (Christ) using an impossible situation of hate, jealousy, betrayal and murderous intentions to get what He wanted. His ultimate aim was to destroy the peoples of Cannon but obviously Jacob and his small band was incapable at the time. He needed to maneuver the Israelites into a position where they could grow into a great nation. He saved the Israelites from a famine that would have destroyed them by getting Joseph to Egypt where he would be in a position to save and preserve them. The Israelites were in Egypt 430 years, for the most part happy and prosperous. They became so numerous and prosperous that Egypt began to fear their numbers and fear they might attack Egypt someday. So the Egyptians subjected them to slavery and, in trouble, they began to cry out to God for help. God always works things to His advantage. If they had not been subjected to hardship they may have stayed in Egypt and became Egyptians. But God had greater plans for them, plans which laid the foundation for the coming of Christ and the initiation of the great spiritual Kingdom of Israel in the last days.

      “Now Joseph stayed in Egypt, he and his father’s household, and Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim’s sons; also the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph’s knees. Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob [Canaanland] .” Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here.” So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was  embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt” (Gen 50:22-26). Joseph’s prophecy concerning his bones were fulfilled in Exodus 13:19: “Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you”.

      Epilog to Genesis

      In Genesis we’ve seen some of the most important developments in the foundation of the Israelite nation, which is the foundation for everything that was to come later. We have seen Christ and His role as the logos, the word of the Father. We have seen that He existed with the Father from the beginning as a principle part of the Great Trinity. It was no different when he appeared on earth as the Son of God. While here, He was the mouthpiece of the Father. “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? СКАЧАТЬ