JOSEPH HAD NO BIBLE
(week 43/15)
OLUBI JOHNSON
Romans 15:4 KJV: For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
This scripture reveals to us that ALL (2 Tim.3.16-17) scripture BOTH OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS contain accounts of the lives, sayings and deeds of historical characters that we should LEARN from TODAY.
This is particularly true of the life of Joseph (Gen.37-50).
Joseph’s exemplary life is a model for all of us.
Using Moses as a general pattern in principle, every one’s life is in 3 parts:
i. Preparation (Moses: 0-40 years (Act.7.20-23))
ii. Revelation (Moses: 40-80 years (Ac.7.29-34))
iii. Manifestation (Moses: 80-120 years (Ex.4-Dt.34.7))
We see the same pattern in the life of the Lord Jesus:
Preparation—0-12 years (Lk.2.1-42);
Preparation and Revelation—12-30 years (Lk.2.51-3.23) and
Manifestation—30-33 years (Jn.2.11-21.25).
The life of the Lord Jesus was unique, since He was God (though temporarily stripped of His divine attributes of omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence while on earth (Php. 2.5-11), He by divine plan (Ac. 2.23) lived only a very short life to fulfill the purpose of dying for our sins and leaving us a pattern of how to grow spiritually and manifest the glory of God as men anointed (Ac.10.38) by the Holy Spirit.
The life of Joseph follows this same pattern, but now of an ordinary man like us who lived, married, had children and lived a normal, though highly supernatural and fulfilling life: hence, a perfect example to follow.
Preparation—0-17 years (Gen.30.22-24; 37.2-5);
Preparation and Revelation–17-30 years (Gen.37.5-41.46);
Manifestation—30-44 years (Gen.41.47-47.28).
The remaining years of Joseph (44-110) fulfilled the scripture in
Job 36:11 NIV: IF they obey and serve him, they will spend THE REST of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.
This is the pattern we should ALL follow:
Years of Preparation—natural education, learning and working.
Years of Revelation—coming to know God and growing in God—spiritual education.
Years of manifestation, prosperity and fulfillment of destiny.
Now, observe that in Joseph’s life, he COMBINED BOTH the years of preparation and revelation, consequently, by the age of 44, he had fulfilled his purpose of saving his generation from famine and bring his family into Egypt where they would grow from being a family to becoming a nation (Gen.50.18-26).
This is in contrast to Moses, who spent the first 40 years ONLY in preparation and then revelation only came at the age of 80 before manifestation began.
So, we like Joseph, should MULTIPLEX preparation and revelation SIMULTANEOUSLY and so have MORE time for manifestation, prosperity and fulfillment. Hence the scripture says
Ecclesiastes 12:1 NIV: Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them”—
Now, HOW did Joseph do this WITHOUT the written Word of God?
Joseph had ONLY the spoken Word that had been passed down to him from the Patriarchs by oral tradition and revelation:
Genesis 26:5 NIV: because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws.”
Observe, Abraham had NO WRITTEN commands, decrees and laws: so they were commands, decrees and laws that had been passed down by REVELATION and oral tradition!
Acts 7:2-3 NIV: To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. (3) “Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’
Joseph kept these commands, decrees and laws IN HIS HEART AND MOUTH as Moses and Solomon LATER wrote in
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 NIV: These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. (7) Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Deuteronomy 30:11-14 NIV: Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. (12) It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” (13) Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” (14) No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
Deuteronomy 11:18-19 KJV: Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. (19) And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Obviously, Joseph did this and so when he was tempted by Potiphar’s wife, the Word in his heart kept him and he did not just see a beautiful woman but he saw God (Gen.39.7-12) in his heart fulfilling:
Proverbs 6:20-25 KJV: My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: (21) Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. (22) When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. (23) For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: (24) To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. (25) Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
Now, since Joseph, who had NO BIBLE was faithful to God in a heathen land, with no temple (Church), priesthood (Pastors) full of demonic powers, HOW MUCH MORE SHOULD WE TODAY, who are under a better covenant with better promises and a complete Bible:
Luke 12:48 NKJV: But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
Hebrews 8:6 KJV: But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
So now, God is looking for PRESENT DAY JOSEPHS who will keep His Word in their mouths and hearts day and night (at least once every 6 hours and at every opportunity and so in every temptation with their thoughts and actions) so enforcing the law of the Spirit life in Christ Jesus and ultimately manifest His glory in this hour fulfilling
Psalms 110:3 AMP: Your people will offer themselves willingly in the day of Your power, in the beauty of holiness and in holy array out of the womb of the morning; to You [will spring forth] Your young men, who are as the dew.
Selah!
