Joseph and Joseph , the fruitful boughs of a Tree, bore good fruit in their lives because of OBEDIENCE. Mary tells Joseph.
Joseph in the King's prison in Egypt.
The Genesis 49 Prophecy of Joseph, son of Jacob , is FULL of meaning, and his namesake, JOSEPH, son of Jacob who was in the legal lineage of The LORD JESUS CHRIST , followed after him.
Here is the prophecy from Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, found in Genesis 49.
[ Keep in mind : "JOSEPH" is a Hebrew name from the Hebrew root which means " increasing, added unto, fruitful" . ]
49 And
Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I
may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.
22 JOSEPH is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:
23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:
24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty GOD of Jacob; (from thence is the SHEPHERD+, the STONE+ of Israel:) This STONE+ is from the Hebrew word "eban", whose root is "banah" = a builder. The Hebrew word for son is ben which comes from the same root, "banah" . A son is a BUILDER of the family. )
25 Even by the GOD of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the ALMIGHTY, WHO shall bless thee with blessings of Heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:
26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.
Joseph in Egypt, exiled from his brethren by the hand of his own brethren, suffered.
He kept himself clean before The LORD, no matter the cost. His "reward" for following The GOD of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was to land himself into the "king's prison" . Genesis 39:20.
But, Joseph continued to do right in The LORD'S eyes and GOD blessed Joseph with . . . a quick release from prison ? NO.
No change in circumstances.
Joseph remained still in prison. For years. Even the king's Butler forgot to put in a good word to Pharaoh for Joseph, as he had told Joseph he would do.
Rather, The LORD blessed Joseph . . .
With a good reputation .
In due season, however, Joseph's good reputation bore GOOD FRUIT and Joseph's circumstances did indeed change.
Then it was that Joseph could see GOD'S plan: He was sent ahead of his brethren to preserve their lives. He was indeed that fruitful bough who brought increase to his brethren.
Except . . . Jacob's prophecy in Genesis 49 came YEARS AFTER Joseph had kept his brethren alive through the years of famine.
The SECOND Joseph, son of Jacob, was also a righteous man in the eyes of The LORD, as Scripture tells us.
Joseph's decision to keep his betrothed bride who came to him already carrying a baby, was met with hardship, distress, and an exceedingly ponderous Guardianship as he responded in obedience to The LORD.
Obedience to The LORD is seldom easy. If it is TRUE OBEDIENCE, it will always cost us much.
Obedience is our SACRIFICE of Love towards The LORD JESUS . . . and every sacrifice is salted with salt ( the salt of tears, perhaps, now that the animal sacrifices are obsolete. )
But . . . obedience will always be FRUITFUL in the LORD.
The two JOSEPHS had plenty of reason to become BITTER at the circumstances in their life. They both had ample opportunity to wallow in self-pity and resentment.
Instead, they walked in obedience to GOD THROUGH THE THINGS WHICH THEY SUFFERED. Thus, they both adorned The TREE of LIFE as fruitful boughs.
Joseph = A FRUITFUL BOUGH, on a TREE+.
LET US PRAY:
O LORD, I call YOU+ "Lord, Lord" and then balk when YOU+ call me to walk in obedience , an obedience that is uncomfortable, unfullfilling, and seemingly never-ending.
YOU+ call me to walk in obedience even though others have not kept their promise to me.
YOU+ call me to walk in forgiveness when others continue in wrong-doing towards me.
O LORD, I can even tell when others do right by me only because of duty or fear of being exposed; their heart is not with me like before.
Yet, YOU have called me to love in return, not in bitterness, but in Grace because I have received Your+ Grace so often.
YOU+ have called me to return good from my heart, not from "duty" for while I was yet a sinner, CHRIST died for me.
YOU+ have called me to forgive when others skate over the needs in my aching heart, thinking only of themselves. Yet in YOU+, I shall not want.
LORD JESUS, I need help to walk in obedience when I hurt.
I need help to lay down my life and empty my heart at the foot of Your+ Cross. Your+ Will be done.
I know bitterness will only bear BITTER FRUIT.
Help me become a Fruitful Bough like the two Josephs, laden with fruit well-pleasing in Your+ Sight, a Bough which abides gladly on Your+ TREE+ of LIFE. A Bough which sustains no bitter fruit.
Amen.
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