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Injustice, Grace and Patience

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• The title of the message today, I want you to listen carefully, and you will understand when I'm through, but the title of the message is Injustice, Grace, and Patience. So let's look in Genesis chapter 40 beginning with verse 1. And it came to pass after these things that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord, the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers and against the chief of the bakers, and he put them in a ward in the house of the captain of the guard into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound. And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them, and they continued a season in the ward. And they dreamed a dream, both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison. And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad.

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• And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore look you so sadly today? And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me them, I pray you. And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and he said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me, and in the vine were three branches, It was as though it budded, and her blossom shot forth in the clusters that are brought forth ripe grapes. And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it. Three branches are three days. Yet within three days, Pharaoh lift up thine head and restore thee into thy place. And thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand after the former manner, when thou wast his butler.

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• But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and show kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house. For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I've done nothing that they should put me into this dungeon." When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also in my dream, and I behold, I had three white baskets on my head. And in the uppermost basket there was all manner of baked meats for Pharaoh, and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head. And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof, the three baskets are three days. Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree, and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee. And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all of his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants and he restored the chief butler into his butlership again and he gave the cup

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• into Pharaoh's hand but he hanged the chief baker as Joseph had interpreted them but yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph but forgot him now look at verse 1 of chapter 41 and it came to pass at the end of two full years that Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he stood by the river." I told you the title of this message is Injustice, Grace, and Patience. I know that each of you understand that God is a God of justice.

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• He is righteous in all of His acts and righteous in all of His works. Psalm 89 in verse 14 declares, justice and judgment or the habitation of thy throne. Mercy and truth shall go before thy face. But notice, justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne. The word of God teaches very clearly in Deuteronomy chapter 32 and verse 4, speaking of God. He is the rock, His work is perfect. Listen, for all of His ways are judgment. A God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He. God is infinitely holy and God is infinitely just. The book of Zephaniah chapter 3 and verse 5 teaches us, the Lord is just in the midst thereof. He will not do iniquity.

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• Every morning doth He bring forth His judgment to light. He faileth not, but the unjust knoweth no shame. If I were to take the time to take you through the Bible, I could show you multitudes of verses on justice. There are so many verses. Let me just give you a few of them. We're told in Proverbs 21 and verse 3 that to do justice and judgment are more acceptable unto the Lord than sacrifice. God had rather have justice. God had rather have judgment than all of the sacrifice that we could give them. Moreover, the Bible says in Proverbs 16 and verse 11 that a just weight and balance are the Lord's.

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• All the weights of the bag are His works. So God wants a just weight and a just balance. In fact, in Leviticus 19 in verse 35, God commanded this, You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meat yard, in weight, or in measure. So God is demanding that even in business, in our business dealings, that we do everything that is absolutely just. God in his person is a just God and consequently he demands justice from each one of us. Let me point out also that God is absolutely just in the salvation that he has provided in the Lord Jesus Christ. God did not compromise his law And God did not slacken His judgment even when it came to our salvation.

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• I'm going to give you a few Old Testament verses. And then we're going to go to the New Testament. But I want you to listen to Zechariah 9 and verse 9. The Bible says, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Jerusalem! Or, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, thy King cometh unto thee. He is just and having salvation. lowly and riding upon an ass and upon the colt the fold of an ass. But notice the Bible says he is just and having salvation.

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• Now, I do want you to hold Genesis chapter 40, but I want you to turn to Isaiah chapter 9. Here's a passage that probably most of you, if you cannot quote it, at least you're very familiar with it. Look in Isaiah chapter 9 and verses 6 and 7. just showing you that God is absolutely just in the salvation that He's provided in Jesus Christ. Notice in Isaiah chapter 9, beginning there, if you would please, at verse 6.

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• Scripture says, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the everlasting father, the prince of peace of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this so notice if you would God's salvation in Jesus Christ is just And he's going to rule, the scripture says, with justice.

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• In the book of Jeremiah, if you would turn right over to Jeremiah chapter 23, and look at verse 5, and then we'll go to the book of Romans chapter 3. And there are so many verses on this in the book of Jeremiah. But notice Jeremiah 23 and verse 5. Here we're reading about Jesus Christ. He is the branch. Notice what the scripture says, Jeremiah chapter 23 and verse 5, Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, that is Christ, and a king shall reign and prosper, and he shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. So Jesus Christ is going to execute justice in the earth. If you would turn right over to the book of Romans chapter 3, let me show you what is said particularly concerning God's salvation in Jesus Christ. In Romans chapter 3, beginning there with verse 21. Romans 3 verse 21. Notice if you would, Romans 3 verse 21. Romans 3 verse 21.

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• But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Now watch, even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Now watch, being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God to declare, I say it this time, His righteousness, here it is, that He might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Notice if you would, again, God has not compromised His law. God has not thrown justice out the window. Even in our Lord's salvation, God is still just and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus Christ. How can God be just and the justifier?

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• Well, the answer is very simple. God did not set aside His law. Jesus Christ came and fulfill that law absolutely perfectly. And then he died as our substitute. He not only fulfilled the law, he then suffered the penalty for the broken law. Let me tell you what was prophesied of Christ. You don't have to turn there. But in Isaiah 42 and verse 21, listen to what the scripture says. The Lord as well, pleased for his righteousness sake, he, Christ, will magnify thy law and make it honorable. What did Jesus Christ do? He magnified God's law. All that Christ did, he did in obedience to God's law. Christ is the only one that rendered to the law of God that which the law demanded. The law demands a personal a perfect and a perpetual obedience and Jesus Christ rendered that to the law. So even in the actions of Jesus Christ, even in the obedience of Jesus Christ, He was absolutely just. That's why in Acts 3 and verse 14, when Peter was preaching to those Jews, he said this, But you denied the Holy One and the just and desired a murderer to be granted unto you.

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• What did he say? But you denied the Holy One and the just. He is saying that Jesus Christ was absolutely just. And He was. You see, God not only is just in His person, God not only demands justice in our lives, God was absolutely just in giving us our salvation. He demands justice in our lives. And I'm not going to have time to prove this this morning, but I can.

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• In fact, all you have to do is read Psalm 82. He demands justice in the lives of magistrates. Psalm 2 would be another passage that would prove that to you. Let me just take you very quickly through several passages of the Bible and show you how God rebukes and admonishes and reproves all of those who fail to give forth justice. I want you to turn to Isaiah 56 and look at verse 1. We will start there. Isaiah 56 and look at verse 1. We'll look at several passages right here in Isaiah. But Isaiah 56, notice verse 1. Remember now, God is rebuking and admonishing and reproving those who fail to issue forth biblical justice. So Isaiah 56 in verse 1, thus saith the Lord, keep you judgment and do justice for my salvation is near to come and my righteousness is to be revealed. So here he's admonishing, he's commanding righteousness, judgment, and justice. Oh, but look at Isaiah 58, now he's still talking to the same people, and he tells Isaiah this. Isaiah 58, verses 1 and 2.

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• He tells Isaiah, cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their sins. Now look what his people did. Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinances of their God. They ask of me the ordinances of justice, they take delight in approaching to God."

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• But if you read the rest of the chapter, they were hypocritical. They were professing it, but it was not real. It was not genuine. So turn to Isaiah 59 and look at verse 4. Here's God's conclusion to these folks. Notice Isaiah 59 in verse 4. He says this, None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth. They trust in vanity and speak lies. They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity.

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• They hatch cockatrice's eggs and they weave the spider's web. He that eateth their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper." He's talking about how perverted these people were, because although they pretended that they really wanted justice, they did not. Look in verse 14 of Isaiah 59, he says it like this, And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off, truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Notice if you would, judgment is turned away backward. Justice stand to the far off, truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

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• Two more passages, right quickly. Turn to Jeremiah chapter 22. Look what God asked the people in Jeremiah's day, Jeremiah 22. Notice if you would, verse 15. And of course, if you read the context, these people are exceedingly prosperous and they're building themselves great houses and all this. And God asks, Jeremiah 22, 15. Shout thou rain, because thou closest thyself in cedar. Did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice?

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• And then it was well with them. God says, you think you're going to get by by not doing justice? Just because you have plenty and just because you're prosperous? No. He said you need to think back. Those who did judgment and justice, they were the ones that prospered. And if you would turn to Ezekiel chapter 45 and look at verse 9. I want you to see what God says to the magistrate, to the prince, to the ruler. Ezekiel chapter 45. And look at verse 9. He says, Thus saith the Lord God, Let it suffice you, O princes of Israel, remove violence and spoil, and execute judgment and justice. Take away your exactions from My people, saith the Lord God. Wow. So God is admonishing the princes to remove violence and spoil, and to execute justice and judgment, and to take away their exactions from His people. I think that's an appropriate verse for today. I think it's very applicable. Now, let me just point this out. Anyone that understands justice, and when I'm using the term justice today, I'm talking about biblical justice.

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• Okay? Anyone who understands biblical justice, abhors injustice. In case you have forgotten, let me remind you that the Hebrew word for justice and the Hebrew word for righteousness are the same word. So whatever is just is righteous. Whatever is righteous is just. If there is injustice, then that means it equals unrighteousness. So anyone who understands that God is just, He is the just God. Anyone that understands in God's salvation that He's provided in Jesus Christ, He was equally just. Anyone who understands that God demands justice in our lives, will necessarily hate injustice. Those who know God will want to be like God and be absolutely just and love justice for God is a lover of justice. Judgment and justice are the habitation of His throne.

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• Now let me just show you a few verses before we start the message today. This is an introduction. Hang on. I want you to turn to Psalm 11. Psalm 11. I want to just show you how God loves justice. Notice if you would Psalm 11 and verse 7. Psalm 11 verse 7. Here's an amazing statement. For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness. His countenance doth behold the upright. Now since the word righteousness and the word just are the same, you could read that verse, for the just Lord loveth justice. His countenance doth behold the upright. Look in Psalm 33 and verse 5. Psalm 33 and verse 5. Still, we're talking about the Lord now. In fact, we can read verse 4 when he says this, For the word of the Lord is right, and all of his works are done in truth. He, that is the Lord, loveth righteousness and judgment. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. Then if you would turn over to Psalm 99 and verse 4. Psalm 99, look at verse 4.

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• Here again the scripture says, the king's strength also loveth judgment. Thou dost establish equity. Thou executes judgment and righteousness in Jacob. So God loves judgment. One last verse right here. Turn to Proverbs and look in chapter 15 and verse 9. Proverbs 15 and verse 9. And you're going to see why I read all these verses momentarily. Look in Proverbs 15 in verse 9. The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord, but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness. Or he loveth him that followeth after justice. Those who love justice, those who understand justice, Those who know that justice is what God declares cannot help but be grieved at the injustice that is in the world today.

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• It appears that our politicians, our judges, and I'm going to use this term very broadly, even our law enforcement officers, in every branch of government, in every department, in every bureaucracy have literally gone stark raving mad in this country. It is absolutely insane the way truth is denied, history perverted, liberties are trampled, freedoms destroyed And no one is really concerned. And no one is willing to stand in the gap.

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• In my years in the ministry, I have seen pastors arrested for truth's sake. They had not broken a law. But they were standing against tyranny and wickedness and they were arrested and thrown in prison. I've seen Christian men and women arrested and thrown in prison for the slightest pretense. If you've been following the news, you'll notice some preachers up in Michigan were arrested recently for preaching at a Muslim festival. and of course thankfully they were just vindicated and Detroit, Michigan now is having to pay out several hundred thousand dollars.

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• We cannot even begin to conceive of what is really truly going on in this country. Let me tell you something that happened a number of years back. My wife and I attended a trial that was held for a pastor and his wife. If I were to tell you all of the details, you would shake your head in unbelief, and you say that cannot possibly happen here in America, but it certainly did happen. He was arrested, his wife was arrested, they were put on trial. Nothing, really and truly, no law had been broken. You say, how can they have a trial without a law being broken? Well, let me tell you what, just generally.

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• The church had floated some bonds to help pay for a building. And the pastor had sold some of those church bonds, which pastors across this country have done it. Now, I don't agree with bonds, and I don't agree with going in debt, but pastors everywhere across this country have done exactly the same thing. No one had lost any money. Every bond payment had been met. But someone got upset with the pastor and he was selling bonds without being regulated by the FCC and without having a license.

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• His wife, what was her crime? Oh, she had endorsed one check for deposit only and put it in the church account like she was supposed to. One check. Really and truly the reason they were persecuting the wife was because they wanted her to testify against her husband and she refused. They offered her a deal if she would testify against her husband they would not take her to trial. So my wife and I are sitting in this courtroom. The courtroom is full of Greek architecture and Greek gods. The judge would not allow a Bible in the courtroom. Not only no Bible in the courtroom, the pastor nor his wife could refer to the Bible or quote any scriptures and defending themselves. When another pastor's wife was going to testify on behalf of the wife who was being persecuted, when the judge found out, and it was a woman judge, when the judge found out that the pastor's wife could not testify to the duties of a pastor's wife without referring to the Bible, she refused to

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• allow her to testify on behalf of the victim. Not the defendant, but the victim, because that's exactly what she was. Well, you know that when the judge is the one who determines what evidence is admitted and what is kept out, then the judge determines the outcome of the trial. This godly man and his godly wife were both found guilty and sentenced to prison. She served one year. I forget, he either served three or five. I think it was three. When I found out, and you would have to know the couple. When I found out they had taken this beautiful, godly, Christian woman and stuck her in a hell hole and strip-searched her, not once, but a number of times, my blood boiled. I was so angry.

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• These people had not committed a crime. They had not violated God's law, and they certainly had not violated man's law particularly, and yet I was so absolutely, totally helpless, I could not do one thing except cry to the Lord for mercy. And here is something that is absolutely astounding. When that wife came out of prison, when that husband came out of prison, having endured such affliction, degradation, humiliation, and embarrassment, both of them came forth from that vile depth with kind, gracious, and gentle, and loving attitudes.

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• And both of them are still in the ministry today. I will tell you the truth, they fared much better than I did." I think of those verses that God gives to the judges. When He tells them an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. In other words, the punishment is to fit the crime and the judges are to ensure and see that justice is done. And when you have those who are in charge of justice, when they pervert justice, you want to think, oh Lord, let it be done to them exactly what they've done to these other people.

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• I felt like the Apostle Paul. In the Apostle Paul, you remember in Acts 23 was brought before the council. And he started to defend himself. And Ananias commanded Paul to be smitten. And the soldier slapped Paul against the face. And Paul looked at Ananias, he said, Thou sinnest to judge me according to the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law. God shall judge thee, thou whited sepulcher. And somebody said to Paul, speakest thou thus to God's high priest? Paul said, oops, I didn't know that was the high priest. It's written, thou shalt not revile the rule of thy people.

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• And I'll tell you what I think. I think Paul was making a point. I think Paul probably knew it was the high priest. How could he not know it? But what he was saying is this. If you claim to be the high priest, you ought to be acting like the high priest. You ought to be obeying God. Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. What does all this have to do with our text? Why am I emphasizing that God is a lover of justice? And that God demands justice? And now I'm sitting here showing you injustice on every hand.

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• Did you see or did you read where the five policemen beat a man mercilessly who was passed out on the ground in a diabetic coma and they kept kicking him and beating him in the head saying, quit resisting, quit resisting. He couldn't resist, he was in a coma. Thankfully, one car caught it on video. And yeah, he and his wife are going to end up with a half a million or so, but every one of those cops should have been immediately fired. No one in a position of authority should be able to abuse their authority and escape justice.

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• What has all this got to do with what Artek said? I want you to go back to the book of Genesis. If you'll remember, I read from Genesis chapter 40 on the life of Joseph. Joseph was a man who was exceedingly familiar with injustice. Joseph was deprived of life, liberty, and happiness, and property. Not by foreign enemies, but by his own brothers. Joseph was a godly, obedient, and gracious man, and full of character and grace. I want you to begin looking in Genesis 37. We're going to come back to chapter 40. But you know the story of Joseph and how he told his dreams. And if you'll look in Genesis 37 in verse 4, the Bible says this concerning his brethren.

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• And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him and could not speak peacefully unto him." Now, remember I preached on this passage before and I showed you that the coat that Jacob gave to Joseph meant that he was now to be the administrator of the estate, that he's going to get the double portion and actually he did so. That was what that coat symbolized.

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• It was not just simply a beautiful piece of material. It may have been beautiful. But because now he's been elevated above his brethren, they hate him and they cannot speak peacefully to him. So they plan on getting rid of him. So skip down to verse 26 in chapter 37. Genesis 37 verse 26, And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brethren, conceal his blood?

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• Now originally they planned on killing him. Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother in our flesh, and his brethren were content. Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver, and they brought Joseph into Egypt."

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• Now, I've told you this before, and I'll just remind you again. So many people say, well, there's a contradiction there. They sell him to the Ishmaelites, or did they sell him to the Midianites? There's no contradiction. They were Ishmaelites since they were descendants of Ishmael, and they lived in the land of Midian, so they were Midianites. Okay? So, he is now sold into slavery. I want you to understand that in this instance, Joseph was absolutely righteous. His brothers were unrighteous. His brothers hated him. and his brothers sold him into slavery. Now I want you to look in Genesis chapter 39, because once Joseph gets into slavery, he is again unjustly condemned by his master's wife and by his master. Notice Genesis 39 beginning there in verse 3.

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• And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand, And Joseph found grace in his sight and served him, and he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer of his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptians' house for Joseph's sake. And the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house and in the field. And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand.

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• And he knew not all he had save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person and well-favored. And it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and she said, Lie with me. But he refused and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master whateth or knoweth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all he hath into my hands. There is none greater in this house than I, neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife.

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• How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? So he turned her down. And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her to lie by her or to be with her. And it came to pass about this time that Joseph went in the house to do his business, and there was none of the men in the house there within. And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me. And he left his garment at her hand and fled and got him out. And it came to pass, When she saw that he left his garment in her hand and was fled forth, then she called unto the men of the house and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in a Hebrew unto us to mock us. He came unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice. It came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me and fled and got him out.

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• And she laid up his garment by her until his lord came home. And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant which thou hast brought unto us came in unto me to mock me. And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me and was fled out. And it came to pass, when his master heard these words of his wife, which he spake to him, saying, After this manner did thy servant me that his wrath was kindled. And Joseph's master took him, watch, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound. And he was there in prison.

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• Now I want you to note, Joseph again was absolutely, perfectly innocent in the whole affair. He maintained his character, he maintained his integrity, and now Joseph is unjustly condemned, unjustly slandered, because he feared God and he did that which was right, and holy before the Lord. And so the master then, instead of even asking Joseph, just had him thrown in prison where the king's prisoners were kept.

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• Let me assure you of something. The king's prisoners were not kept in a fine hotel. The king's prisoners were basically in what you and I would call a vile hell hole, and later on you will see it's called a dungeon. Joseph has done nothing wrong. He's done everything right. When his brother sold him into slavery, all Joseph was doing was obeying his father. and he got sold into slavery.

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• Now all he's doing is obeying the Lord and doing what he's supposed to do, and he gets slandered and lied about and condemned and thrown into prison. I want you to hold Genesis, but look very quickly to 1 Peter chapter 3. Let me show you what Peter says. 1 Peter chapter 3, beginning there with verse 14. 1 Peter 3, and look in verse 14. 1 Peter 3 verse 14. Here it is. 1 Peter 3 verse 14. Peter writes, but and if you suffer for righteousness sake, happier you. Wow!

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• I wonder if Joseph was happy in that dungeon. I wonder if he's happy in slavery. Watch this. but if you suffer for righteousness sake, happier you, and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear, having a

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• good conscience, watch, that whereas they speak evil of you, As of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that you suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing."

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• Now, I want you to notice a pattern that is developing in Joseph's life. He was obedient to his father. and did that was just and right, and he got sold into slavery. Joseph obeyed God, refused to dishonor his master and his master's wife. He did that which was right and holy, and got thrown into prison. Thirdly, now that Joseph is in prison, once again his character shines very brightly.

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• Look in Genesis 39, beginning there with verse 21. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison, and whatsoever they did there, he was a doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand, because the Lord was with him, And that which he did, and the Lord made it to prosper. So now Joseph's in prison, but he is the head honcho even in prison.

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• Now, that brings us to the text that we read. Genesis chapter 40, and I'm not going to re-read it again. But I want you to notice what happens. In Genesis chapter 40, two of the king's servants are thrown into the prison. The butler and the baker.

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• Now Joseph is responsible for their health. So he sees them very sad and he says, what the world's wrong? Well, we both had dreams and there's nobody to interpret it. We don't know what's going on. Joseph said, wait a minute. The interpretation of dreams belongs to God. Tell me you dream. And you know how. The chief butler dreamed the three branches and the grapes, and he was pressing once again the grapes in the Pharaoh's cup, and hey, Joseph said, that's simple. The three branches, three days, three days from now, and you're going to be lifted up, and you'll be restored to your chief butler's ship, and you'll be pressing grapes in the Pharaoh's cup again. And when the chief baker heard that was good, well, let me tell you my dream, and he told him, and about the birds pecking the baked meats on top of his head, and Joseph said, well, I've got news for you. Three days, you're going to be hanged and the birds are going to peck your flesh off your body.

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• But he looked at the chief butler and he told him something. Look in verse 23 of Genesis 40. In fact, let's begin reading with verse 14. After he interprets the chief butler's dream, he says this, But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and show kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house.

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• For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I've done nothing. Watch that they should put me into the dungeon. One time it's called a house, one time it's called a dungeon. So he said, look, just think upon me.

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• Now skip down to verse 23. Look what the Bible says. Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgot him.

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• Now let me ask you a question. How can you forget a man that saved your life? How can you forget a man that helps you to get restored to your butlership? But the chief butler forgot him. Let me ask you a question. How long did the chief butler forget Joseph? Two years. Can you imagine that? Look in chapter 41 verse 1, And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he stood by the river. Now I'm not reading Pharaoh's dream, but if you'll skip down, the chief butler says, Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults unto this day. So it took two full years, and a dream of Pharaoh to jog the butler's memory. God's timing is perfect, but humanly speaking, I would think that Chief Butler should have been a little more appreciative of Joseph than he was. I would think that he probably ought to be thanking the Lord every day for Joseph. Now I pointed out to you in an earlier message on Joseph, and I'm not going to go through all the scriptures to demonstrate this.

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• But, when Joseph was sold into Egypt, he was 17 years old. When he stood before Pharaoh, he was 30 years old. So that meant there was 13 years. You have to also add the seven years, well these two years here, then you have to add the seven years of good. And actually there were two more years after that before his brethren came down into Egypt to even try to buy grain. So you're talking about 22 to 24 years that Joseph was deprived of his family. He was deprived of life.

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• liberty and property, what he should have had from his father. He was deprived of that all of those years.

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• Now you know the story how Joseph gets elevated to second in command in Egypt. And Pharaoh said, nobody's going to move without you in Egypt. I'll give you that command. And whatever you say is going to go. So after the seven years of, seven years of plenty, there began to be two years of famine. And Joseph's brethren came down into Egypt to buy grain. I want you to think about something. Given all the facts that I've just gone over, and knowing that Joseph was unjustly hated, unjustly enslaved, unjustly condemned and imprisoned, unjustly forgotten by the Chief Butler for two years, here's my question. How did Joseph take all of this injustice in his life?

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• I must confess, that most of us, including myself, would have been exceedingly angry and bitter. Not only against my brothers, but against the entire system as well. You have to think about this. Joseph's imprisonment would have never happened if his brothers had not sold him into Egypt. None of this would have started had his brothers not hated him. Humanly speaking, the brothers were the cause of it all. Now, Joseph is elevated in a position of absolute total control.

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• And all of a sudden, these Hebrews come from the land of Canaan to buy grain. And Joseph recognizes them. But they don't recognize him. And he doesn't speak to them in the Hebrew tongue. He speaks in the Egyptian tongue. He speaks through an interpreter, and he speaks very roughly. And he tells them they're spies. Oh no, no, no, we're not spies. We're all the sons of one man. One is not, and the youngest is still with him this day. And Joseph says, well, is the old man, your father, still alive? Yeah. What about younger brother? Oh, yeah. Well, Joseph said, let me tell you something. You're not going to buy any more grain unless you bring your younger brother back. Because surely, if you don't do that, by the life of Pharaoh, you're spies, every one of you.

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• And of course, you know, on the way home, they found all their money restored in their sacks. And they got scared.

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• Finally, all that grain was eaten up, and Jacob said, alright, make it back, get us some more nut. Dad, we're not going. We're not going. The man told us if we didn't bring Benjamin, He's not going to see us. Jacob said, why did you even tell him that you had a younger brother? Well, he asked, how could we know what he would say? Finally, Jacob said, listen to this. Take him and go.

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• If I be bereaved of my sons, I'll be bereaved of my sons. And then he said this, all these things are against me. And they took Benjamin and went back down into Egypt. And Joseph made them a meal and they had to eat with Joseph. And Joseph was still making himself strange to them. But he gave Benjamin about five times as much as he gave everybody else.

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• He must have been eating like trip, I don't know. I want you to look in Genesis 45. I want you to see this. Look in Genesis 45. Let's begin reading. He was going to keep Benjamin. You remember that? Let's begin reading. Let's read in Genesis 44. Because Judah has become a surety for Benjamin. And when he's going to keep Benjamin, Judah tries to intervene, look at him.

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• In verse 19, he says, My Lord, ask his servants, saying, Have you a father or a brother? And we said unto my Lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one. And his brother is dead, talking about Joseph, and he is alone, is left of his mother, and his father loveth him. And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him. And we said unto my Lord, The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die. And thou saidst unto thy servant, Except your youngest brother come down with you, you shall see my face no more. And it came to pass, when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my Lord. And our father said, Go again, buy us a little food. And we said, We cannot go down, if our youngest brother be not with us. Then will we go down, For we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us.

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• And thy servant, my father, said unto us, You know that my wife bear me two sons. And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn to pieces, and I saw him not since. And if you take this also from me, and mischief befall him, you shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. Now therefore, when I come to thy servant, my father, and the lad be not with us, seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life, It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die. And thy servants will bring down thy gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrows to the grave. Then thy servant became surety for the lad and my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever. Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad as a bondman to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brethren.

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• For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? Lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father."

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• Now I want you to watch this. Watch carefully now, because I want you to see how Joseph responds to all of the injustice that has been done to him for the last 22 to 24 years. Here it is. Verse 1 of chapter 45, Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him. And he cried, calls every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known to his brethren. And he wept aloud.

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• And the Egyptians of the house of Pharaoh heard. 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, that is, they were afraid of his presence. Remember now, Joseph is in control. And Joseph said to his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.

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• Now therefore be not grieved nor angry with yourselves that you sold me hither, for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land, and yet there are five years in which there shall be neither earing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives with a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God. And he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and Lord of all his house, and ruler without all the land of Egypt. Haste you, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me Lord of all Egypt.

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• Come down unto me, and tarry not. And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast, and I will nourish thee. For there are yet five years of famine, lest thou and thy household and all that thou hast come to poverty. I want you to note something. I want you to pay careful attention to the absence of bitterness.

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• anger, ill will, hatred, revenge, strife. And I want you to pay close attention to why Joseph tells them that God sent him into Egypt. First of all, he says this. Look in verse 5.

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• Now therefore, be not grieved nor angry with yourselves that you sold me hither, for God did send me before you to preserve life." That's the first reason God sent him, to preserve life.

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• Now, look if you would at verse 7. Here's the second reason God sent him. And God sent me before you to preserve your posterity in the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. He said, God sent me down here not just to save life in general. Yes, that is true. But God sent me down here to save your life and the lives of your children. He sent me down here to preserve you a posterity in the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. Joseph understood that everything that happened to him was for the preservation of life, even the lives of his brethren.

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• So let me ask this question and answer it for you. How could Joseph endure such injustice in his life and still be kind and gracious and loving and patient? And the answer is, he believed in the absolute sovereignty of God. He said, God sent me down here. And I understand that God does not make mistakes. Listen carefully. If we suffer, we are to suffer for His sake and His honor and His glory. Philippians 1.29 says very clearly, For unto you it is given on behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake. And God will use our suffering and our injustices to bring grace and patience and character in our lives. Joseph was so absolutely, totally certain that God was sovereign and that God had directed everything in his life.

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• that it kept him from bitterness and resentment. Now, I want to show you something. You say, well, Jacob is alive. Yeah, Jacob is alive. And we know that, you know, he's going to do this for Jacob's sake. Well, Jacob died. If you'll turn right over to Genesis chapter 50, You see, the brothers thought this as well. They thought, you know, Joseph is going to be kind to us while daddy's alive. But when daddy's dead, he's going to nail us for what we did to him.

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• Now that was their conscience condemning them. They deserve to be nailed. So after Joseph, after Jacob dies, look in Genesis chapter 50. And let's begin with verse 15. Genesis 50, verse 15. And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will perventuate us and will certainly require to require us all the evil that we did of him. He will pay us back. He'll get us. We did him wrong. We know we did him wrong. It's human nature. He's going to get us back since dad is dead. Verse 16, And they sent a messenger to Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, Whether he did or not, I don't know.

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• Scripture doesn't say, Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. But they're saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall you say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee, the trespass of thy brethren in their sin. Do you realize this is the first time in Scripture they are acknowledging their sin? And that they sinned against Joseph? So shall you say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, thy trespass of thy brethren in their sin, for they did unto thee evil. And now we pray thee, forgive the trespass of thy servants of thy God and thy Father. Watch. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. And his brethren also, when it fell down before his face, and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not. For am I in the place of God? But as for you, you thought evil against me.

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• But God meant it unto good to bring to pass as it is this day to save much people alive. Watch, now therefore fear you not. I will nourish you and your little ones.' And he comforted them and spake kindly unto them." Wow! Here's a man that suffered injustice for at least 22 years. And he's still just as gracious and kind and merciful as he was before he endured all the injustices. I stand amazed at the grace of God in the life of Joseph. I stand amazed at the grace of God in the lives of all of His saints that have endured torture, prison, martyrdom, and still maintained their integrity, their graciousness, and their kindness.

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• We had Harlan Popov in our home years ago, and the kids had gerbils. They were little. Not the gerbils, but the kids. And the gerbils, too. But the kids were happy with those gerbils. Mr. Popov, you know, he was in a Romanian prison for, what, 14 years? His book tortured for his faith. And when the girls came out and said, Mr. Popov, look at our gerbils. The first thing he said was, rats! They said, no Mr. Popov, they're gerbils. He said, rats! I know what they are. Had to eat them for 14 years just to stay alive. Huh? Are you listening?

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• I stand amazed at what some people can endure and come out gracious and kind and loving. I can only pray that God would give me the same grace in the same kind of situation. In our day of corruption, and it is everywhere, in our day of corruption and persecution, and when there is hatred of God and His Word and Christianity and Christians in general, I believe we need all the grace of God that we can get.

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• Who knows where we will be next year or even before this year is over. Who knows where we will be a year after next. Who knows what kind of circumstances or situations we will find ourselves in. We may be in desperate times just like those Egyptians in those seven years of famine. We may be in desperate times. We may be in times where conditions are hot and heavy against Christians.

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• And we will need the grace of God. We need to be faithful and ask God to keep our hearts, and keep our hearts tender. Old Dr. Bob Jones Sr. taught all of his preacher boys to pray this prayer. Make my heart tender and my hide tough. And that's exactly what we need. Tender hearts and tough hides. Let me make just two applications very quickly. Joseph is a prime example of the truth that before honor is humility. That's what Proverbs 15 and verse 33 teaches. is humility. Joseph was humbled greatly before he was exalted. Now listen carefully. Exaltation without humility will always lead to pride, arrogance, and tyranny. Proverbs 22 and verse 4 declares, by humility And the fear of the Lord are riches, honor, and life. So before honor is humility. And Joseph was greatly humbled.

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• He was persecuted, imprisoned, slandered, and condemned for doing that which is right and holy. Here's a second truth. God has promised in Romans 8 and verse 28 to work everything for our good. Now God did not promise that everything that happened to us would be good. But He did promise to work everything for our good. Have you thought about this? was deprived of life, liberty, and property.

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• And when Joseph got in a position of power, he wanted to make sure that his family and others had those blessings that he was denied. What did he tell them? Fear not, I will nourish you. I'll sustain you. I'll take care of you. God sent me here to preserve your posterity. If we ever understand that God is absolutely sovereign in every area of our lives, it will change our attitude. Think about this. Suffering was God's school for effective leadership in Joseph's life.

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• And one of the reasons probably we have such ineffective, sorry, wicked leaders today is they've never had any character, and they've never suffered, and they've never done without. And they do not know what it is like to be deprived of life, liberty, and property. And therefore, they don't know what it's like to preserve that for other families and other people. Joseph learned through suffering. I can assure you there are things that make my blood boil.

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• And there are times I surely do want to slap some folks right upside the head I'm sure you. But I pray that God would make me like Joseph, enduring whatever He sends my way, and coming out with a gracious, kind, and loving spirit. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this day. We thank You for Your love, for Your mercy, for Your grace, Your goodness, and Your kindness. Help us, Lord, to be like Joseph. Help us to be like our Lord Jesus Christ. Help us to love justice and to do that which is right. And when we suffer, Lord, may it be for righteousness sake and not because of our sins and our stupidity. Make us holy, we pray in the name of Jesus Christ.

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• And we ask it for Your honor and Your glory. Amen.

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T03:10:32Z