SEASONED FOR THIS SEASON - THE MAN HE SENT

THE MAN HE SENT

Psa 105:17-22 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him. The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance: To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.

Most believers have very robust theological assumptions about God and the circumstance in which He depends on us… or sends us to work in furtherance of the objectives of his Kingdom. If humans have to achieve supernatural goals, Humans must understand the context in which divinity intervenes in human affairs. This understanding will sensitize us on what to expect about our assignment, or the processes involved in the crucible stage of our assignment. This understanding will further fortify our resolution about the assignment that He has for us.
The man He sends may not necessarily fit into the picture of what a messenger should look like. Often, we even fail to understand that we are on clandestine mission on his behalf. We might spend a number of years rummaging through the rudiments of existence and the survival chapters of daily living… seemingly unawares that the invisible elements of the master's hands are molding us into a character meant to suit ONLY his purpose for us, our days and our generation.

Joseph was one of such early characters in scripture that was involved in such clandestine operation. He was a man that God sent ahead…

Psa 105:17 He sent a man before them, even Joseph,... We must understand the awesome nature of God in relation to the his sovereignty. He is sovereign and he can do anything any - which way he chooses. In the classical scriptural reference above; we see a close map of the path of the man He sends.

HE SENT A MAN – Joseph. God sent Joseph… this was the spiritual decision being implemented… on the physical plane – the impact of the spiritual choice produced Love and hatred – two opposing influences… one of which Joseph chose to respond to. HE WAS CHOSEN BY GOD – HE WAS HATED BY HIS BRETHREN
HE WAS SENT BY GOD – HE WAS SOLD BY HIS BRETHREN
God sent a man… who was sold as a servant – in other words; A man was sent, between the time he as sent and the time in which he got to the place of his assignment, he had to undergo a change of heart and status. He arrived there as a servant.... just as Jesus made himself of no reputation and came as a servant to us - when He was sent by the father. Veritable leadership in the Kingdom of God must be approached with a servant's heart. This typical pattern of change is a kingdom property.

Phi 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
It takes a servant’s heart to fulfill the will of the master. Doing the will of the master with the heart of a servant is the only path to true greatness. It is a path that is paved with the stones of humility and pebbles of perseverance; it is a path that stretches the limits of endurance and constantly tries our obedience. It is a walk that drills disciples on the challenge of KNOWING WHAT TO DO; BUT DOING IT ONLY WHEN THE MASTER SAYS DO IT. This is the Key to a servants’ walk of and in power.

POINT TO PONDER

The Man that was SENT by God was SOLD for a servant
Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Joh 8:34 - 35 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

It is important to note here that the man sent by God did not sell himself. He was sold by those who were older than him.

He became a servant - being the purpose of his sale.

The fact that he was sold tells us that some form of value and equivalent exchange was placed on him and all he represented.

Those who valued him less - SOLD him. Those who valued him MORE bought him.

Just as Adam sold off to Satan in the garden, and we became servants of Sin - even though we were created free.

After the sale comes the service... as a servant... but - John 8:35 ... the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
There is hope, the years of serving the purpose for which we were sold has a terminal date... the servant needs to become a Son so he can abide forever in the house. thank God for our kinsman redeemer - Jesus Christ who fulfilled the other part of the transaction - HE BOUGHT US... he placed greater value on us - while we served the purpose of our sale under sin.

1Co 6:19 - 20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

The sale therefore was just a means of transporting the man who was already sent to the chosen location for the actualization of his God Given Destiny.

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

WHOSE FEET THE HURT WITH FETTERS: HE WAS LAID IN IRON

We see too often that the man who is sent, gets a very cold reception... sometimes from his fellow brethren. In the walk through the wilderness, on the way to the promised land, the nations that God told Israel to pass through were the ones who refused passage to Israel. The nations that God told Israel to avoid were the nations that asked Israel to come pass through.
While we are not permitted to build an encyclopedia of opposing interpretations to divine instructions, we are constantly however challenged to operate in synergy with the word spoken as a valuable spiritual resource for our walk through earth.

It is easy to operate with elation when there is such a warm free reception. It is however not so when you get into an environment that is copiously situated on the path of a God Given Destiny of Vision and one is faced with the coldest and weirdest reception. This is one of the too many instances we see in scripture where His decision about us or to use us... brings adversity before excellent advantage.

Placing fetters on his feet.. is placing restriction on his mission. Before he got to the place where his destiny would be actualized, he was restricted. The speed with which he would move and advance his mission was curtailed. So, before he entered the environment of Egypt, He was already too aware of the restrictions that He had to observe in other to survive.

How have you seen your environment. What restrictions has been placed on or issued spiritually, physically and mentally - under whatever guise - Money, Education, Language, Accent, Knowledge, Laws, Culture, Status etc... prior to our decision to obey his call and step out of the boat?

What voice or utterance have you failed to challenge... that has declared in swaorn resolve that despite your obedience, your speed and achievements or impact will be restricted?

POINT TO PONDER

He was sent, Then they HURT his feet.

Isa 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

The feet of those who bring good tidings will most often be hurt before they will be washed. Because of the prevalence of evil, good and those who bear it may encounter resistance... until evil and all it represents... bows at the gate of the good.

Pro 14:19 The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

HE WAS LAID IN IRON
His rest was hard. There was no rest for all the labor he was putting in... it seemed like he was not being able to crack the surface. He felt the hardness of the ground whenever he desired rest. He lay in Iron.

POINT TO PONDER
Through the eyes of faith, while laying in Iron, the resolute heart is supported by the comfort of the spirit... and is enabled to call the hard iron as Green Pastures.

The man who is sent must be determined to till the ground until the fallow ground becomes a fruitful field. The man who is sent must recognize that rest has to be ordered from above. the location of rest is determined by the tracking and monitoring system of the spirit. As Jacob traveled - running away from his brother, he got tired in his journey and rested because the sun was set. The hardness of the location of his rest is illustrated by the type of pillow he laid on... but on that same hard ground, he had assess to an open heaven.
When Jacob woke up after the glorious vision in the hard place, he said... this is a dreadful place... God is here.... and I knew it not....
This is the place where we have to bring all our stereotypes to an end. Heaven was open to a location on earth that was stony and hard... like iron. The man who was tired and sought rest on the HARD ground... saw that there was a continuing activity going on there that God was supervising himself. In his tiredness, the man who was walking under a covenant and prophetic covering was at this said location but could not FEEL AFTER HIM or FIND HIM. How often do we judge the presence of spiritual activity by the veritable lack of physical activity. How often does a lack or result become an incentive to reassess the timing of our season of obedience.

Jacob did not say - I brought God here... he was said - I knew it not.... was it because he was tired... he could no longer feel after Him again? How could he have gotten to such a place of spiritual and prophetic significance and not know it. Why was it that God was there... but he never knew it until he slept?

The hardness of he ground and the stony nature of the environment is Kingdom incentive for deploying tried and would be tried instruments or vessels to this battle front. If the environment were not challenging, we would not have noticed its inherent restrictions before we got on location.

Act 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

UNTIL THE TIME THAT HIS WORD CAME

There are seasons and times under which we must all walk as the Lord has determined. The Lord has determined our times and they are all known to him. God never fails to determine the strength of character with which we walk with him. He is never in dobt... but he does require that we all be on the same page concerning whe he knows about us. We will be stooges of his design... if he decides to use us without letting us know what he knows about us.

He caused Joseph to dream and to tell his dream... as being from the Lord. As revolutionary as his dreams were, Telling them to his skeptic brothers was setting the stage for an adventure of affliction on account of the dream. Joseph endured cruel affliction and what seemed to be a total degeneration of his status and convictions. With every season of change, the farther he seemed to move from the reality or actualization of his dreams.

Gen 37:8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. Joseph was hated by his brethren, not merely because of his dreams... but because of the audacity of his faith in changing the tenor of HIS WORDS in accordance with his dreams. Joseph was proven as a man of tenacious character and integrity. Unknown to his brethren as they hated and sold him, there was a trial going on in the spirit. (We must remember that our lives and the outcome of our seasons are not determined by what others do to us, or how they appraise us, but by the verdict of the Spirit.) Deep was calling unto deep.... there were observations and arguments going on, on behalf of this young dreamer... Joseph's words were on trial by THE WORD OF THE LORD. The verdict of the trial was issued in the spirit... to be implemented on the earth. Our words are transaction instruments in the Spirit.

THE KING SENT AND LOOSED HIM

When decrees are released in the Spirit after a trial that produces a verdict - noting that the tenor of your words are in synergy with HIS WORD, Earth must comply and implement. The King... The ruler of the people let him go free.

Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

All that Joseph had been accused of, were not remembered anymore. In the very presence of those who sent him into prison, He who rules the people... who had an obligation to please the people - (the Egyptians) sent his word direct... ordering the release of a foreigner who was in prison for an accusation of sexual assault of a high ranking member of the Egyptian ruling class.
These seemingly insignificant political activities of a day in palace of the King of Egypt; were actually a direct result of the end of the TRIAL of Joseph's words by HIS WORD.

NEW FRONTIER AND ASSIGNMENT
The King of Egypt made him lord of his house.
Josephs case was not argued in any Egyptian court. He was assumed guilty, and without trial; and sent to prison.

Gen 41:40 - 44 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.

As guilty as Joseph was assumed to be, He was nonetheless made lord over Pharaoh's house. A man with a verbal history of sexual assault on a woman was put in charge of Pharaoh's house.

HE MADE HIM RULER OVER ALL THAT HE HAS, AND WILL EVER HAVE. PHARAOH RETIRED THAT DAY. (It must be noted that the King never takes off his ring for no one... in oriental times, the greatest honor, or elevation to power that a King can bestow on any citizen was MARRIAGE and the privilege of ruling over a part or UP TO HALF of his Kingdom). In this instance however, a verdict from above was being executed... power was meant to change hand - Pharaoh relinquished power that day, and secured his retirement by appealing to Joseph saying in verse 44... I am Pharaoh... I only have a name to retire on henceforth... but ..." without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt."
It's a new season. Amen.

EXTENDED PRIVILEGES OF POWER - THE TEST OF CHARACTER

To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.
Being set free to move around Egypt for the first time with the only ring of authority in the land and on the second chariot with proclamation for everyone to bow the knee; Joseph quickly settled down to work... with a leverage of freedom and pleasure that CANNOT be questioned or challenged. He was permitted to BIND the princes of Egypt at his pleasure... To BIND is to tie up.. to throw in prison or put in custody. To BIND is to restrict and limit. Now it all comes together. He was hurt as he got into Egypt... in other to continue in the land, he was now given the opportunity to do same - BIND the princes... the Government officials and those in pseudo authority in the land - at his pleasure... just to make him feel good. O, how fearful Potiphar and his wife would have become as they heard this latter part of Josephs' job description and privilege.

Joseph came on the Job with a well rounded and developed Character. He was not going to take the privilege of rulership as an opportunity to satisfy his pleasure or seek revenge.
Pharaoh discovered that what Joseph was imprisoned with was a scarce commodity that even his Senator were bereft of. However, due to the fact that he was retiring, he called on Joseph to teach his Senators Wisdom. In the days that Joseph ruled Egypt, the elected and selected Senators of Egypt were all students in Josephs' School of Wisdom - Palace Campus.

THE CORN OF EGYPT
Throughout the season of famine, the corn of Egypt was preserved... not by the technology and skill that they possessed, but by the Wisdom of God in the vessel that he sent. When Corn was preserved in Egypt at the divine instance of the man that He sent, Egypt became prosperous. The Pharaoh who appreciated and submitted himself to the superior wisdom and excellence that God sent into Egypt... live through the plenteous times.. even in the season of famine. The Pharaoh who failed to recognize Joseph and his Wisdom, by oppressing God's people, brought ten plagues on Egypt and perished in the process... thus sending Egypt back to being an impoverished nation. Egypt became poor when Israel left.

Those who seek to demonstrate obedience to God must actively seek where God is at work or where His spirit is moving, and without questioning, join in his work. He is the master.
Israel heard that there was corn in Egypt. He did not question why there was famine in the Land of Promise... while there was corn in Egypt at the same time. This would have been a good time to question God for allowing Corn to be scarce in and for Israel while it remained abundant in Egypt. He is God and Lord of all the earth.

For too long we (the Church) has refused to wean itself off the milk of the privilege to conserve God's power and his provisions. We have greedily assumed right to his provisions... even if it is at the expense of His glory. We will only begin to serve the global Kingdom interest - when we understand that the ROD OF OUR STRENGTH IS SENT - NOT INTO ZION, BUT OUT OF ZION... TO RULE IN THE MIDST OF THE ENEMY

The sent man must know how to operate dominion in the enemy's domain.

Psa 110:2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

The ten plagues that came on Egypt were the actions of God in quest for his glory. The plagues and the plight of teh man that he sent to preserve corn in Egypt was meant to preserve and nation... to birth a nation out of a family in fulfillment of His promise and to MAKE HIMSELF A NAME - howbeit - amongst the heathen.

2Sam 7:21-24 For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them. Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods? For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever: and thou, LORD, art become their God.

POINT TO PONDER

God wants to show his strength in the midst of the Heathen... unbelievers.
We His people, want God to display his power to us INSIDE THE FOUR WALLS OF THE CHURCH.

He says... as important as the Church is, I AM GOD BEFORE THE CHURCH AND WILL BE AFTER THE CHURCH.
Psalm 46:10 .... I will be exalted among the heathen....
Psa 96:3 Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.

Psa 102:15 So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.