SPIES VERSUS TRUE MEN
Good Friday with Jesus
Friday, 5th April, 2024
"Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and YE SHALL BE KEPT IN PRISON, THAT YOUR WORDS MAY BE PROVED, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely YE ARE SPIES. [17] And he put them all together into ward THREE DAYS. [18] And Joseph said unto them THE THIRD DAY, THIS DO, AND LIVE; for I fear God: [19] If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses: [20] But bring YOUR YOUNGEST BROTHER UNTO ME; SO SHALL YOUR WORDS BE VERIFIED, and YE SHALL NOT DIE. And they did so." Genesis 42:16-20 KJV
Let's remember! Let's remember Jesus' death as if were today!
You see, death is something we are supposed to do everyday, as really as we do life. If we can only live and not die daily, then we are not true men; we are not verified Christians and God cannot be sure of us. We can only be described as spies- certain spies in the kingdom of God. Nations, states and kingdoms do not deal lightly with spies. Spies are threats to national security. They must be tried and proved and if found wanting, killed. In Numbers 21:1, "And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners." Taking the way of spies or behaving like one makes you mete for the punishment of spies- prison.
The purpose of this life is the King's search for loyal eternal partners of His Kingdom. He doesn't want people he can't trust. Everyone who claims to be in His Kingdom must suffer trial- the trial of death, shame, obscurity, poverty, nakedness, homelessness, et cetera, and be found true!
Jesus said there are people who enter in by jumping the walls. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that ENTERETH NOT BY THE DOOR into the sheepfold, but climbeth up SOME OTHER WAY, the same is a thief and a robber." John 10:1.
Joseph in his day was a type of Jesus. He was the man who tasted prison before the palace, just like Jesus indeed tasted death before resurrection power. Joseph knew the benefits of the pit. He knew it was the secret to his exaltation to the palace. He knew that any man who had not been to a prison of some sort could not have his words trusted. When his brothers came to him in the palace, he kept them all in prison for three days! He was giving them an opportunity to prove they were true men and not spies. He was giving them an opportunity to verify that they were worthy of the honour that awaited them- brothers of the Prime Minister of Egypt. Are you a spy in the kingdom of God? Are you one just interested in the goodies of the kingdom and not the sacrifices thereof? It is not okay to have your eye only on the resurrection and not on his death. When you do that, God is not sure of you. He will suspect you greatly and label you a spy!
Joseph said to his brothers on the third day, "This do and live, for I fear God". It's easy not to remember the death of Jesus and hold on only to the benefits of the resurrection or the good things of this life When you do that you are a thief and a robber and most likely do not fear God. We must understand that Joseph was a prophet. He was the guy who had dreams and said things that eventually came to pass. By making that declaration on the third day, he was addressing something that would be an issue for all time in the faith. People will not be lovers of Jesus' death but will chiefly hail His resurrection and boast of power to heal, power to have a sound mind, power to have wealth, etc. People who do such things are likely enemies of the cross- they have no cross in their own lives and will not want to preach it. But we must be lovers of Christ, His death and resurrection so that we can have real and true eternal life. Joseph, in the Scripture above, said, "This do and live". Jesus said, "This do in remembrance of Me"
