ISRAEL LOVED JOSEPH
Genesis 37:1 ¶ And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. 4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
Genesis 37:5 ¶ And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: 7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. 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.
We finished our last article (July 3, 2016), showing Joseph’s ‘prism’ ministry – that is, how his coat of many colors reveals the richness of his character, like a prism defusing the communicable attributes of God, (those characteristics of God which can be communicated to mankind), throughout his life. For the Lord God, in his essential glory cannot be looked upon. 1 Timothy 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. Therefore there must be those mediators, like Joseph, provided in order for other created beings to ‘see’ Him! Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
And, of course, Christ is the primary mediator for the revelation of the infinite God to mortal man! 1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Hebrews 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
And also let us again remind our readers that Genesis chapter thirty six should have begun with Genesis 35:22B – Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: – and ended with Genesis 37:2A – These are the generations of Jacob. The punctuation (the period) after that last word shows that the subject begun in Genesis 35:22B is now ended. Therefore Genesis chapter thirty seven should begin in Genesis 37:2B with the words Joseph, being seventeen years old,…
For the Book of Genesis shall conclude with the life of this most illustrious Patriarch! As he pictures both the sufferings and the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ! Adam reflects Christ as mortal man. 1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
Abel pictures Christ as having the knowledge of that offering and sacrifice which alone pleases God. Genesis 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: For of Christ we read: Hebrews 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: And Like Christ, Abel’s blood had a voice before the Lord God. Genesis 4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. (See also Hebrews 12:24 quoted in the previous column.)
Noah pictures Christ as the only human being to find acceptability before God to bring salvation to his house, and judgment to the disobedient world. Genesis 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. And of Christ we read: Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Abraham ventures out into the new world for which Noah had come across the waters of judgment to discover. And in venturing out he becomes the father of the faithful! Romans 4:16 … which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, And the Lord Jesus Christ is the very author of that faith. Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;
Isaac sets forth that perfect sonship which is even obedient to a sacrificial death. Genesis 22:7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. And so did Christ. Philippians 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Jacob represents the Lord Jesus in his servitude. Laboring long and hard in a strange land in order to bring his family back to the heavenly country. Genesis 35:26 … these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padanaram. 27 And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned. 1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Jude 24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
And now we come to Joseph, the sufferer who came to rule the world. Philippians 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Revelation 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
When once Joseph came out of that Egyptian prison, he was immediately made ruler of all Pharaoh’s domain. And when once the Lord Jesus had finished the accomplishment of redemption by his death and resurrection, he was made reigning Lord over all the Father’s creation! Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Jesus Christ is now presently reigning Lord!
And there are many similarities in the lives of Jacob and Joseph. Here are but some:
Both their accounts of faith begin with their fathers being deceived. Genesis 27:26,27; Genesis 37:31-34.
Both had murderous brothers. Genesis 27:41, 37:18. Compare Psalm 69:4; John 15:25.
They were the younger of the brothers, driven to a foreign land. Compare 1 Corinthians 15:45-47.
Both married and had children in those foreign lands. Compare Revelation 19:7,9.
Both their families returned to the land of promise. Compare John 6:37, 10:28.
Both suffered before ruling. Compare 2 Timothy 2:10-12.
Both were separated from their homes by parental favoritism. Compare John 3:16; Matthew 3:17.
Both had dreams. Genesis 28:12, 31:10,11.
Both found favor with God and man. Genesis 32:28 & 41:39. Compare Luke 2:52.
Both had Ephraim and Manasseh as their sons. Genesis 48:5,6. Compare Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6.
Both had their names changed. Genesis 32:28 & 41:45. Compare Philippians 2:9.
And here are some interesting facts to consider concerning Joseph’e life:
Joseph had two prison episodes – a pit prison and Potiphar’s prison – and both had his clothing as proof. Genesis 37:31-33; 39:15-18.
Joseph’s dreams were of Sheaves and Stars. Their purpose was for the worship of God. See Daniel 2:10,11.
Pharaoh’s dreams were of Cows and Corn. Their purpose was for the welfare of man.
Both had double dreams of one and the same circumstance. Genesis 41:25,26,32.
Joseph’s dreams could not be realized until Pharaoh’s were. See Psalm 105:16-19.
Remember dear soul that the scriptures are not a book of history, although they are historically correct. But they are a book setting forth divine redemption! They are to reveal the Person of Christ and his redemptive work. John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
It is the spiritual application of the living word that saves. James 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. For just familiarizing one’s mind to the facts of the bible will only make you a knowledgeable, but still unconverted religionist! 2 Corinthians 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Mankind lost his relationship with the Lord God by ‘coming short of the glory of God.’ Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; And the only way to regain that glory is to have the Person of the Word, not only come into flesh by Incarnation, but also come into our flesh by Regeneration! John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Therefore it is not having the scriptures in your mind, but it is in having the Person of the Word in your heart which recovers that glory lost in Adam. Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Therefore we must not just be studying Jacob and Joseph for accurate historical knowledge, but we must be searching for Christ revealed, not only through them, but on every page of the Holy Scriptures.
And did it ever occur to you that the household of Isaac knew the meanings of Joseph’s two dreams? While neither Pharaoh, nor Nebuchadnezzar knew themselves, nor had any ‘wise’ counsellors to give them their dream’s meaning. They were even so ‘wise’ that they were assured that only supernatural beings (‘gods’), could know such things. And they were sure that no human being possessed such a spirit! Daniel 2:10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. 11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
Yet, like the ignorant world today, with only it’s worldly wisdom, there is within the world those redeemed souls who all have an unction with the Holy One! 1 Corinthians 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
1 John 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
John 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. gb
