Genesis 49, verse one and two, and then we'll go down to the verse 22. Let's hear God's word. And Jacob called on to his sons and said, gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. Gather yourselves together and hear, ye sons of Jacob, and hearken on to Israel your father. Verse number 22. Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a whale, whose branches run over the wall. The archers have sorely grieved him and shot at him and hated him. 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, 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 off the breast and off the womb, the blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of thy progenitors until the utmost bound to 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. We'll end our reading there, the verse 26. Let's briefly pray. Loving Father, O God, we come now before thee, we come before the word, we thank thee for this meeting, the young people that are gathered here, bless and we pray, and may our time, O God, together be a rich blessing, even to their hearts and to their souls. May we see much of Christ tonight, and may our souls then fall in love with him, all over again. We think of that chorus we used to sing many years ago. I keep falling in love with him over and over and over and over again. Lord, may it be so in our lives. And now, Lord, therefore, we pray that thou wilt send thy spirit and help the preacher and grant, Lord, help for the hearer as well. We pray these our prayers in Jesus' precious and worthy name. Amen. Having had a private audience with his father, albeit accompanied with his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, Joseph now comes to assemble with his other brothers around the deathbed of their much loved and much revered father, Jacob here in Genesis chapter 49. Most certainly, the 147 years of Jacob's earthly pilgrimage was showing in his body. evidencing that death was drawing near for him and yet his spirit was still ablaze with a light of prophecy. Here's a man who's going to end the race well and there's a lesson for us not just to begin the Christian race but to end the Christian race straining and striving for the line and to win the well done of God. I'm sure we could picture the scene, a father about to go into eternity, death is coming But quickly for Jacob, one Christian writer put it like this, how intense the awe with which each of the sons heard their names. One by one, the old man's trembling voice now pausing for breath, now speaking with great difficulty. The character of each is criticized with prophetic insight, the salient points of their past history are vividly brought to mind, and some foreshadowing is given them of their future. It is the words of dying Jacob to Joseph that I want us to specifically focus upon this evening in our time around God's precious word. Now, if you can remember back to our studies in the book of Joseph, whenever that was, years ago, some of you were only starting youth fellowship, Well, you'll recall that we were thinking of Joseph as a type, a picture, a foreshadowing of the Lord Jesus Christ. Joseph is an eminent picture or type or foreshadowing of the coming Messiah. For example, you'll recall how Joseph was the well-beloved son of Jacob, of his father Jacob. And Christ is the well-beloved Son of God the Father. You'll know that Joseph was rejected and despised by his other brethren. We read in Scripture that whenever Christ came into the world, He was rejected and despised of men. He came on to his own and his own received a not. And so on many occasions we see pointers to the Lord Jesus Christ. And we want to return to that line of thinking this evening and consider the last words of Jacob to Joseph through the prism, through the telescope of Joseph being a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because what is said here in Genesis chapter 49 with regard to Joseph by Jacob most certainly can be said of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are three periods three epochs, three episodes in the life of Jesus Christ that I believe are prophetically alluded to in the words of Jacob concerning his son Joseph. The first period of the Son of God's existence that I find Jacob prophetically speaking of is the life of Christ. Verse 22, Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well whose branches run over the wall. Now in these words we are reminded of our Savior's own statement in John chapter 15 verse 5. What does he say there? He says, I am the vine. Ye are the righteous. Young people, Christ is the fruitful bough of Genesis 49 and the verse 22. In Isaiah chapter 11, if you want to turn there, Isaiah chapter 11, We'll read the two verses at the start of the chapter. These are words concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. Prophetic words again, Isaiah 11 verse 1 and 2, And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots, and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. Note what title is given to the Messiah, the Christ, here in verse number 1. He is called a branch or a bough. In Jeremiah chapter 23 verse 5, Jeremiah speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ as the righteous branch. the righteous boy. Christ is most certainly, I believe, this fruitful boy. Yes, Joseph was a fruitful boy, but Jacob was speaking about the coming Christ as he spoke about Joseph here in Genesis chapter 49. And I want us just to just take a little time and stand under, as it were, if we could say it like this, under the tree of Christ. One is to look up into His life. One is to consider the bowels of Christ. And I want you to see how fruit-laden those bowels are. See, the Lord Jesus Christ was anointed by the Spirit of God without measure. Therefore, He bore to the infinite degree every fruit of the Spirit. Consider then those fruits as they are born on the boy of Christ and in the life of Christ. Young people, who among men, who among mankind ever bore to the infinite degree the fruit of love but the Lord Jesus Christ? The Savior's entire earthly ministry was characterized by love. Love moved him. love motivated him love inspired him love was demonstrated at the cross of calvary there manifested by the sacrifice he made for us upon the cross here in his love not that we loved him but that he first loved us We thank God for the demonstration of the Savior's love. When he laid down his life for us, it served to us as a supreme example of love. And there in the bow of Christ, there hangs the fruit of love. We thank God for Christ's love. Who among men bore to the infinite degree the fruit of joy but Christ? Scripture tells us that he was anointed with the oil of gladness. above his fellows. Christ was filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory as he considered and he thought of the prospect of bringing many sons and many daughters to glory. In Hebrews 12 verse 2, we read that Jesus being the author and finisher of our faith for the joy that was set before him, He endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. There was none as joyful in the Lord Jesus Christ. He bears in his life the fruit of joy. Who among men bore to the infinite degree peace but Christ? He came into this world as who? The Prince of Peace. He preached peace. He secured peace through the blood of his cross. And when he returns to earth again and his kingdom is established, that kingdom will be characterized by peace. His glorious reign will be a peaceful reign, the reign of Christ. None but Christ knew peace to its utmost extent. Who among men bore to the infinite degree the fruit of long suffering, But Christ, the long-suffering, the patient endurance of the Savior is there for all of us to see in the pages of Holy Scripture. He suffered long with his foes. Ah, he suffered long with his disciples. Many a time he questioned their faith. Many a time He rebuked them for their lack of faith, and yet He bore long with them. And we see in His earthly ministry, His long-suffering, His patience with His enemies, I am with His disciples. And young person, if you know the Savior, you think about how long He has patiently endured with you, and how long He has patiently endured with me. All the long-suffering of Christ, who but Christ bore to the infinite degree the fruit of gentleness but him. Paul speaks of that gentleness. In 2 Corinthians 10 verse one, he speaks of the gentleness and meekness of Christ. We sing the little chorus or the little children's hymn, gentle Jesus. meek and mild and truly there was none as gentle as he think of the children they come to him without fear when he says suffer little children to come on to me and forbid them not. Have you ever been a harsh and austere kind of individual? I believe those children would have hid behind their mother's skirts, but not these children. No, they understood that there was a gentle savior before them, a gentle shepherd. There's none as gentle as Christ gentle. He is being yes in his dealings with us, even when he comes to chasten us, even when he comes to reprove us. Young people, he doesn't do it, oh God, he doesn't do it without gentleness. He's a father and he withholds what we truly deserve. We only get a little of the chastening we deserve. He's so gentle, the gentle Lord Jesus. Think about the goodness of Christ. The Savior is the personification of goodness. One who is inherently good. He is good in and of himself. There is none good but God. Only God is good. And he is inherently good. And then he extends his goodness to men, even to the ungodly. in His common grace, causing the rain to fall on the fields of the ungodly, on those that would go out and cut their silage on the Lord's day, and those that would have no thought of going to the house of God, and those who have no concern about their soul, those who take the name of Christ and yet out of God's common grace, and in His goodness, He showers even the ungodly with His goodness. The entire ministry and the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary's tree is most certainly the greatest example of God's goodness towards humanity. Who bore to the infinite degree the fruit of faith or of faithfulness. Christ was faithful in every responsibility, in every task assigned to him by the Father whilst he was on earth. And today, young people, tonight he continues to be what? A faithful high priest for his people. Oh, see the boughs, laden with the fruit of faithfulness. What about meekness? The meekness of Christ? Christ was meek and lowly of heart. We read of that in Matthew 11 and the verse 29. Come on to me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest and take my yoke upon you. you and learn of me for i am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest onto your soul verse 30 i think that is none can deny that he was meek towards his enemies enemies that hated him enemies that persecuted him the whole story of the savior's life is filled with instances of invincible meekness for example his disciples would have fire to be called down out of heaven whenever Christ wasn't entertained in a particular time. And what does Christ say to them? He says, you know not what manner of spirit ye are of. He was meek, meek. What about temperance? or self-control. We see the Son of God's self-control in His dealings again with His enemies. Not an angry word, not an angry word in the midst of all the indignities that they offered Him. When He was reviled, He reviled not again. When He was buffeted and spat upon and abused so wickedly, He took it patiently. He exhibited the greatest self-control that any human being has ever exhibited. Certainly the Boy of Christ, If we can look at him in that way as a well laden boy, full of the fruit of the Spirit. But let us get a little personal and ask the question, what about the branches? What about our boys? Are they well laden with these fruits? Those who claim to be Christ, if you're a Christian, you have become a partaker of the divine nature. Do you bear in your life the fruit of the Spirit, at least to some degree? Is love and joy and peace and long-suffering and gentleness and faith and meekness and temperance evident in our interactions, not in church, but at home? Whenever your brother or your sister annoys you, is there patience there? You're long-suffering. Whenever you're wanting the bathroom and someone else is in it, are you patient? Well, what about joy? Are you grumpy? grumpy teenagers, maybe grumpy adults, plenty of them about, I'm probably one of them. But is there joy, joy unspeakable in your soul? Does peace, peace flood your soul? Are you gentle, are you good? Is there faithfulness? Are you an individual who is quick to lose the temper or calm by the grace and help of God? And by the Spirit of God, can you show temperance, self-control in your life? What about at work, at school? Are you bearing fruit? Can people see it? Only you can answer that question. Thank God there's a well for this boy, the well. Where's the water? The water's in the well. What is the water? The water is the word. Thank God as we read the Word and as we apply it to our lives and as the Spirit applies it in our lives and as we live it out in our lives, then we start to bear this fruit. I wonder if God was to inspect the tree of this preacher. I wonder would he be looking around the boughs and seeing if there's any fruit at all. Am I bearing any of these fruits? Are you? Well, Jacob goes on in verse 22 here to speak of the reach of this boy, this fruitful boy. He says that it ran over the wall. Joseph is a fruitful boy, even a fruitful boy by a whale whose branches run over the bowl. And that was true of Joseph's life. Think of it. You think of Joseph's life and the reach, the extent of his influence. This is what we're speaking about here, this fruitful bough. It's not only in the well, not only is the fruit available to those that are inside this well, this walled well, but rather this fruit, the influence of the life, it's going beyond the perimeter, going beyond the boundary. And was it not the fact that Joseph was the one whose life not only impacted his own family and nation, but it impacted the world. Don't forget, it's been not long ago since we thought about it, but don't forget, it was to Joseph that the world came and resorted to in time of famine to by degree in enabling the peoples of the world to survive the days of scarcity. During those seven years of famine, it was to Joseph and so his influence, it went beyond Egypt had reached into Canaan and to the other known world at that particular time. His influence was wide. His influence was great. And as we think of that, yes, we think of the Son of God. We can say that the reach of Christ's life is much similar to that of Joseph's life. Yes, Jesus Christ ministered to the Jewish nation. inside the wall. But as branches ran over the wall into the Gentile nations, the gospel has been preached. It reaches to the nations of the world. Christ is this great spreading boy. It reaches far beyond Israel. It reaches into Northern Ireland and to all the nations of the world. I read this by one Christian writer, he said, the confines of Palestine were too narrow to hold the Lord Jesus. It has never been God's purpose to keep all his blessings boxed into that tiny compass. Other sheep have I, which are not of this fold, them also I must bring. The church is multinational. The wall was there and served its purpose, but now the branches of that fruitful boy embrace the whole wide world. Do our branches of influence run over the wall? Does the Great Commission mean anything to us? God has entrusted you and I to take the gospel into the whole world and see to its dispersal among those that we study with, those that we live among, those that we work with, and so are we involving ourselves in this great task. Young people, we cannot simply live our Christian lives in the confines of this church building. Our branches need to run over the wall. Moving on quickly, we thought about the life of Christ, these prophetic words of Jacob, but they not only point us to the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, they prophetically point us to the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look there at the verse 23, the archers have sorely grieved him and shot at him and hid it in. Now, when you read the word him, we're thinking of Joseph, but put in the word Christ there. The archers of sorely grieved Christ. They shot at Christ and hated Christ. Whilst Jacob's natural eye was on his son, Joseph, when he said these words, recalling the mistreatment that his beloved son had received from the hands, obviously, of his brothers, Jacob's spiritual eye, not his natural eye, but not his spiritual eye, is on the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. And there are two matters that Jacob addresses in verse 23. Firstly, he addresses the hurt inflicted on his son. The archers have sorely grieved him and shot at him. You know, if it hadn't have been for Reuben's timely intervention, Joseph's other brothers would have killed him when he came to see them in Dothan. All they did Stripping him. Remember, they stripped him of his coat. Remember that? They stripped Joseph of his coat. They placed him into a pit. They sold him. That all grieved Joseph. And what did they do to Christ? They took off his robe. They stripped him. They put him into prison for a night into the pit. Yes, they sold him, Judas Iscariot, for 30 pieces of silver. All the hurt that was inflicted upon the Son of God when He ministered on earth, the Savior's own countrymen, His brethren, naturally speaking, they mistreated Him. They hurt Him. They attacked Him verbally. They attacked him physically. They set up traps for him in an effort to take from him his very life. And eventually they would have him impaled, fixed, kneeled to the cross to die. Most certainly Christ was this one. He was shot at by the archers. Young people, when we consider the hurt that was inflicted upon the Lord Jesus Christ and all the sufferings and the pains that he endured, we remember that he did it all for me. He did it all for you. The buffeting, the bruising, the battering was inflicted upon his body because he took to himself the responsibility of dying in our room, dying in our stead. Out of envy, wicked men placed the Son of God on the cross of shame, inflicted the greatest hurt that could be imaginable. And when we think of that hurt, young people, the hurt that Christ endured, what is our hurt compared to his? Does our hurt not peel into insignificance as a Christian? Maybe the archers were shooting at you this week. Maybe they were firing the arrows of malice, hatred, envy, scorn. Maybe someone at school laughed at you this week because you're a Christian. You've taken your stand for Jesus Christ. Remember, your Savior knows how you feel, and he, thank God, he can enter into your hurt. Whatever that hurt is, he can enter into it in a most sympathetic and most empathetic way. The second matter that Jacob addresses in the words of verse 23 is the matter of the hatred directed to his son. The hurt felt by the son, the hatred directed to his son. We're told that it was hatred that motivated these archers to sorely grieve and shoot at Jacob's beloved son. The archers have sorely grieved at him and shoot at him, shot at him, hated him. Genesis 37 verse four, Joseph's brothers were told they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. There's no doubt that the enemies of Christ hated him. He was the object of their hatred. Why? Because he exposed their hypocrisy and because he revealed to them their sin. That's why they hated him. He was despised and rejected of men. John informs us, he comes on to his own, his own received and not. Hatred rather than love was what the Savior experienced by and large from the general public when he ministered on this earth. And he would speak of the hatred that sinners would have for him. John 15, 24 and 25. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not sinned. Now have they both seen and hated both me and my father, but this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law. They hated me without a cause, without a reason. They hated him. I often find myself thinking along those lines. I think to myself, why do the ungodly hate God's people? Because by and large, God's people are some of the kindest, some of the most gracious, some of the most loving people that you'll ever meet on this face, on the face of this earth, and yet, They hate us. They hate us because they hate Christ. That's why they hate us. John 15, 18, and 19, if the world hates you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, The world would love his own, but because you're not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. The Apostle John, 1 John 3, 13. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hates you. Don't be taken by surprise. Don't let it surprise you if the world hates you. A.W. Pink said, the world loves its own. But those who walk in separation from the world, and there are few in number, those who follow a rejected Christ will know something of what it means to enter into the fellowship of his sufferings. No one likes to be hated. Everybody wants to be loved, including this preacher. But the lot of the Christian in this world is that the world will hate us, and the world will despise us. But brother, sister, be of good cheer, because if the world hates us, remember, God still loves us. God still loves us. And so we have here the death of Christ. And then finally and quickly, in these dying words, they also point us to the resurrection of Christ. Verse 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 of Israel, the stone of the shepherd, the stone of Israel, even by the God of thy father who shall help thee, and by the Almighty who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, and blessings of the earth, of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breast, and of the womb, the blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors, to the utmost bind 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." Look at that statement, his bow, abode, and strength. Despite being the target of the world's hatred and malicious intentions, Christ, like Joseph, remained strong throughout his life, and even in his death, he laid down his life. and he took it up again. His hands were made strong again by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob when he comes forth out of the tomb, that sealed tomb, when he comes forth triumphantly on resurrection morning. And then he ascends to the Father. And why does he ascend to the Father? He ascends to the Father, yes, to represent us, but also to send down blessing, the blessing from heaven above. The blessing of heaven above, the blessing of the deep, the blessing of the breast and of the womb, the blessing of thy father. He is in the glory to send down the blessing to the child of God. Paul speaks of us being what? Blessed. With all spiritual blessings and heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Young person, if you're a Christian, you're blessed. Blessed. And there's blessing coming down to us day after day. His mercy, that's a blessing. His grace, it's a blessing. His love, it's a blessing. His power, it's a blessing. They come down to us from Christ, who not only died, but he rose again from the dead. Yes, these archers, they tried their worst. They tried to kill Joseph. They succeeded in the life of Christ, but his bow abode in strength. He lay down his life. He had power to lay it down and he had power to take it up again and thank God his hands were made strong by the mighty arms of the God of, or the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. And note, maybe tonight, You know, young person, you feel weak, but tonight I want to remind you that the arms of God's hands are still strong. Strong enough to save you, if you're not a Christian. Those hands of God is strong to save you from the sea in which you're sinking and drowning, the sea of sin. Strong enough to support you, Christian, whatever trial and trouble and difficulty you're going through. Strong enough, young person, if you're a Christian, his hands are strong enough, his arms are strong enough to uphold you in your place of schooling, your place of employment, where Christianity is laughed at and mocked. God's hand, strong enough to hold you. Strong enough. to bring you through all the valleys of life, and there are many, strong enough to carry you safely over death's river, and strong enough to carry you into heaven. All then lean on God's strong arm. His is an arm that can never be broken or weakened. God we can say as the psalmist did in psalm 89 verse 13 thou hast a mighty arm strong is thy hand and high is thy right hand this is our God young people one with a mighty arm a strong hand his hand his right hand the hand of power high it's high it's not low it's not flagging, it's not to his side, but rather it's strong, it's high. I think of the event there in the life of Moses. Remember he was there in the mountain with Aaron and Hur, and as the battle went on and lingered and went on for hours, his arms got lower and lower, dropping to the side. And Aaron and Hur, they come to lift up his hands. And Israel prevails in the valley. That never happens with our God. He needs no Aaron and Hur. His right hand is a high right hand. Know that God would bear his arm, his mighty arm in these days, and sweep multitudes into the Redeemer's kingdom. Young people, let's pray to that end, that God will make bear his arm. I believe then, young people, that we see Jesus Christ in these words of Jacob from his deathbed. Think of that. Jacob died speaking about Christ. Yes, he's speaking about Joseph, but he's looking ahead. He's looking to the Messiah, this great branch, this boy that's going to bear fruit to an infinite degree. This one is going to live and die and then rise again from the dead. He dies speaking of Christ. That's the way to die. That's how I want to die. I trust that's how you want to die. When we come to die, may we be found speaking of Christ, the one that we have come to love and the one we've come to serve. May God help us to see more of Christ in his word. And may tonight I've given you a little glimpse again of your God, your Lord, and your Savior. Amen. Let's bow our heads in prayer. Let's pray. Oh God, our loving Father, we thank Thee that Thou art the great fruit bearer. We thank Thee that there is none like our Savior. We thank Thee that when we come to inspect His bowels, how well laden they are, every fruit of the Spirit imaginable. O God, we bless thee that there is a bounty in Christ that we cannot find among the sons of men. And therefore the psalmist was right when he said, Whom have I? Whom have I in heaven? Or whom have I on earth that I desire more than thee? There is none like our God. and therefore help us. May in his example we be encouraged to find that as the master has trodden the path, so we must trod the same path. We must tread it until we find ourselves safe in the arms of Christ, safe in heaven. There be those who are not saved, who know not the Christ of God. Lord, save them by thy saving arm, thy right hand, the hand that reaches down, this hand that cannot be shortened, that it cannot save. We pray, O God, that thou would reach down thy hand tonight and save them and do your work of grace within their hearts. Lord, we pray these prayers, praying for our young people, encourage them, keep them safe and in the hollow of thine hand. In these days, we offer prayer in Jesus, precious and worthy. In holy name, amen. Amen.