Remain Faithful    Gen. 48:3-6; 49:8-10; 50:15-21    May 25, 2008

Introduction
The statement by Joseph found in Gen. 50:20 gives us a very good reason to Remain Faithful.
It tells us, "You planned evil against me; God planned it for good." Many times situations and circumstances seem to hinder our progress for the Lord. They may even be caused by family or friends, but the final word does not rest with situations and circumstances, but with the Lord.

1. Remain Faithful Remembering God's . . Covenant. 48:3-6

A. The Covenant . . Repeated by Jacob. 48:3-4
3 Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed
me. 4 He said to me, 'I will make you fruitful and numerous; I will make many nations come from you,
and I will give this land as an eternal possession to your descendants to come.'

B. The Covenant . . Received By Joseph For His Son's. 48:5-6
5 Your two sons born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt are now mine.
Ephraim and Manasseh belong to me just as Reuben and Simeon do. 6 Children born to you after them
will be yours and will be recorded under the names of their brothers with regard to their inheritance.

        It helps to repeat the covenants or promises of God. Joseph no doubt repeated them to himself. God affirmed His promises as He appeared to Joseph eight different times; (Gen 28:13-15; 31:3,11-13; 32:1-3,24-32; 35:1-5,9-15; 46:1-4). If God makes a special appearance to any of us it would be helpful if He would repeat it. Have you ever claimed a scripture or a promise from God as your guide through some troubled time? It is helpful. Joseph received the covenant relationship for his sons as they replaced his brothers; Reuben and Simeon. Jacob evidently decided the sins of these brothers needed to be punished. Reuben committed sexual sin, and Simeon took it upon himself to lead in the slaughter of the men at Shechem. I wonder if these men ever asked for Jacob's forgiveness?

2. Remain Faithful Serving In . . Confidence. Ge 49:8-10
A. Serving In Confidence Through . . Praise. 49:8a
8 Judah, your brothers will praise you.. . ."

B. Serving In Confidence Through . . Prophecy. 49:8-10
". . . Your hand will be on the necks of your enemies; your father's sons will bow down to you.
9 Judah is a young lion-- my son, you return from the kill-- he crouches; he lies down like a lion and
like a lioness--who wants to rouse him? 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, or the staff from
between his feet, until He whose right it is comes and the obedience of the peoples belongs to Him.

        Do you remember the name "Judah" means, "God be praised?" It is fitting that Jacob calls forth this quality for Judah. Judah's humility before his brother Joseph and the plea related to Benjamin, (44:33,34) probably contributed to the Lord's selection of him. We know Jesus comes from the tribe of Judah and these prophecies are fulfilled in Him. Jesus being called, "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" originates from these verses as well as the truth that Jesus will rule eternally. The KJV version uses the word "Shiloh" and most commentators say the Hebrew for that word presents difficulties for translation. If it refers to Jesus then it speaks about the second coming of Christ. Although not in our text, verse 11 probably refers to riches and the fact that Christ's return will be magnificent in glory and the wealth of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

3. Remain Faithful Acting With . . Compassion. Ge 50:15-21
A. Acting With Compassionate . . Confession. 50:15-17a
15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said to one another, "If Joseph is
holding a grudge against us, he will certainly repay us for all the wrong we caused him." 16 So they
sent this message to Joseph, "Before he died your father gave a command: 17 'Say this to Joseph:
Please forgive your brothers' transgression and their sin--the wrong they caused you.' Therefore, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father."

B. Acting With Compassionate . . Consideration. 50:17b-21
". . . Joseph wept when their message came to him. 18 Then his brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, "We are your slaves!" 19 But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid.
Am I in the place of God? 20 You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the
present result--the survival of many people. 21 Therefore don't be afraid. I will take care of you and
your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

        When Jacob died Joseph's brothers feared for their lives and lifestyles. They fabricated a story of
confession that included compassionate requests from Jacob that he did not make and sent them to Joseph. Wether Joseph believed they came from his father or not we do not know, but we do know he received the confession with compassionate consideration. Joseph realized God worked through his experiences causing him to be in a place to help many people including his family. We don't know the details of Joseph's worship experiences while separated from his family, but we see the affect as he acted with godly compassion that enabled him to Remain Faithful. Amen? Amen!