Spurgeons words provide much encouragement for weary pilgrims as they make their way through the wilderness of this world.
He used Joseph’s struggles to frame his sermon points; I found the points to be on target: they helped me to gain perspective on a couple of ongoing struggles, perhaps you will gain from hearing his words too?
Sermon text: (ESV) [emboldening and underscoring are mine]
Gen 49:22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall.
Gen 49:23 The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely,
Gen 49:24 yet his bow remained unmoved; his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
Gen 49:25 by the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
Gen 49:26 The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.
Sermon highlights:
- Joseph’s blessings from his father, Jacob
- Joseph is dead, but the Lord has His Joseph’s still
- Archers: haters of Joseph, of Christians
- Those are most blessed that understand the meaning of Jacob’s blessing to Joseph, by experience
- 4 things to understand from this sermon: 1) the hateful attack of the archers; 2), the shielded warrior, his bow of strength; 3), his secret strength; and 4), the parallel drawn between Joseph and Christ
- Joseph’s enemies, the archers, attacked from a secret place at a distance, so he couldn’t answer them
- Who are the archers? Archers of: envy, temptation, slander and calumny (false / malicious statements)
- Archers of envy: his own brothers, due to his father’s favoritism of him, and other examples that reduced him from a free man to a slave
- Do not hope to escape envy in the world or in the church; Christ endured it, so will His servants
- All children of God elicit envy from the citizens of the world; the better you are, the more you will be hated (Matthew 5:12b)
- Archers of temptation: Potiphar’s wife: opportunity contrasted with importunity: the way of self vs the way of God
- Archers of slander and calumny: Potiphar’s wife’s slanderous accusations; damage to Josephs reputation
- The answer of a blameless life
- All of Christ’s servants must expect similar treatment: there are no royal roads to heaven, just roads of trial and trouble
- The shielded warrior: upon a Rock, careless of all the roads below
- Joseph’s arrows must be spent elsewhere
- The strength of Joseph’s bow: his bow was his chastity, faith, courage, character, honesty
- The ease of fabricating and shooting arrows of lies; the rapidity and insubstantiality of such arrows
- The strength, quietness, substance and godly trust inherent via finding refuge in God’s truth and promises (much encouragement to rise to the high calling of the Christian via this godly quiet strength which God gives His children as they abide in His appointed means of grace)
- Covenant strength: the covenant between Christ and His Father explained; our benefits
- Parallel between Christ and Joseph: Christ the Shepherd explained; Christ the Stone explained
- Archers of Christ identified and their rationale revealed
- Brief Jewish story of the head corner Stone
Sermon from YouTube site: Christian sermons and audio books.
The above sermon was, in part, about the doctrine of Christ; for other sermons about Doctrine, see, Categories: Doctrine / Theology.
The sermon also spoke about the covenant of grace; to learn more about biblical covenants, see, About Me, at the bottom of the page there is a link to a 22 page downloadable pdf which I wrote for another post.
The pdf is not fully refined, but explains Bible covenants and how God progressively revealed His plan of redemption through these; knowing the contents of the paper will make your subsequent readings of the Bible more understandable, more meaningful, more connected.
May God:
Psalm 119:18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
Psa 119:29 Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law!
Psa 119:30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me.
Psa 119:36 Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!
Psa 119:37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.
Psa 119:74 Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word.
Psa 119:75 I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
Psa 119:92 If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.
Psa 119:94 I am yours; save me, for I have sought your precepts.
Psa 119:133 Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me.
And when you fail, pray that He may:
Psa 119:176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.