Scripture Reading: Gen. 1:26-28; 45:4-9; 50:14-22
Ⅰ
Our experience of the Triune God as life is portrayed in the lives of nine persons:
A
Adam was created as a vessel to contain God, he received the promise of God's redemption, and he experienced the anticipated redemption of God—Gen. 2:7; 3:15, 20-21.
B
Abel, an overcoming martyr, lived for God's satisfaction and worshipped God according to God's revelation—Heb. 11:4; Gen. 4:4.
C
Enosh needed God and called upon the name of Jehovah to enjoy His riches, living not by himself but by God—v. 26.
D
Enoch walked with God by faith on the pathway of redemption, obtaining the testimony of being well pleasing to God—5:24; Heb. 11:5-6.
E
Noah walked with God and worked with God, having a life and a work that changed the age—Gen. 6:8-9, 13-14, 18.
F
Abraham was called out by the God of glory, he responded to God's calling by faith, he was justified by faith, and he lived by faith, knowing God as the Father and experiencing God as the God of resurrection—12:1-3; 15:5-6; 21:1-5; 22:1-18; Heb. 11:8-10, 17-19; Rom. 4:1-22.
G
Isaac, a type of Christ marrying the church, inherited grace and lived a life of rest and enjoyment—Gen. 25:5; 26:3-5.
H
Jacob was chosen, dealt with, broken, transformed, and matured, and he prophesied with blessings—Rom. 9:10-13; Gen. 25:23; 27:41-45; 31:1-2; 32:28; 35:1; 47:7, 10; 48:9, 15-16, 20; 49:1, 26, 28.
I
Joseph, whose life was directed by his dreams, reigned for the Lord and dispensed the riches of God in Christ to the hungry ones—41:38-57.
Ⅱ
The book of Genesis begins and ends with image and dominion—1:26-28:
A
God created man in His image to express Him, and He gave man His authority to represent Him—v. 26.
B
After the experiences of the nine important persons, Genesis concludes with a life that, in Jacob, expresses God in His image and, in Joseph, represents God with His dominion—48:14-16; 41:40-44, 57.
Ⅲ
The exercise of God's dominion over all things is manifested in Joseph's life—45:8-9, 26a:
A
Joseph was mature in life; therefore, he ruled over himself and over the whole earth—41:46:
１
With Joseph we see not only life but also the way of life, which is to keep ourselves under control—43:26-34; 45:1-5, 9.
２
Joseph's temper, disposition, emotion, intention, and desire were all under the control of God's leading—Prov. 21:1.
３
As a leader, Joseph did not act according to his need, desire, disposition, or temperament but according to the maturity of life.
B
Joseph realized that everything that happened to him was according to God's sovereignty—Gen. 45:5-9; 50:15-21; Rom. 8:28:
１
If we realize that we are here for God's purpose and for the Lord's recovery, we will know that whatever happens to us is for God's purpose—2 Tim. 1:9.
２
Joseph remained under God's sovereign hand and did not initiate anything; we must keep ourselves under God's sovereignty and let Him initiate whatever needs to be done—1 Cor. 7:17-24.
C
In order for Joseph's dreams to be fulfilled, he had to undergo a great deal of suffering—Gen. 37:5-11; 42:8-9a.
１
Joseph was in Egypt to fulfill God's will to preserve a remnant for His purpose, and in order for God's will to be fulfilled, Joseph had to suffer—45:7.
２
Because of his sufferings, Joseph became rich and had the life supply to feed others.
３
If we would be able to supply food to others, we need to pass through a long period of suffering—Eph. 3:13; Col. 1:24; 2 Cor. 1:3-4; 4:10-12.
D
Joseph denied himself and lived under God's restriction—Matt. 16:24; 7:13-14:
１
Joseph was a self-denying person who had no self-interest, self-enjoyment, self-feeling, or self-ambition; everything was for God and for God's people.
２
Because Joseph was a person who denied himself and lived under God's restriction, the kingdom of God could be brought in through him.
３
The key to the practice of the kingdom life is denying the self and living under God's restriction.
E
As one who represented the reigning aspect of the mature life, Joseph behaved in a proper way toward everyone—Gen. 42:6-28; 46:29:
１
Joseph dealt with his brothers not according to his sentiments but according to their need—42:6-28; 43:15—45:24.
２
As we contact the saints, we must not do so according to our feelings, temperament, or natural being but according to their need.
F
The reigning of Joseph in Egypt was the kingdom of God, which is for the fulfillment of God's purpose—41:55-57; 47:11-27; Rev. 11:15:
１
Egypt became a land of enjoyment; all the people became enjoyers on the same level because everyone and everything was under the same lord.
２
Under the rule of Joseph, Egypt was a picture of the millennium, where everyone will be on the same level because everything will be in the Lord's hand—Psa. 24:1.
G
No one in the Bible received a blessing greater than that given to Joseph; the entire universe became a blessing to him—Gen. 49:22-26; Deut. 33:13-17.