From Stephen’s speech in Acts 7, we have a clear warrant for judging the history of Joseph to be typical or allegorical. But even without this warrant, the use which the New Testament makes of the Old Testament narratives would authorize us to look for some “hidden wisdom” in his history. As we seek to follow out the series of events in his history, briefly unfolding what I judge to be their mystical or hidden meaning, may the Lord both enlarge and control our minds!
Genesis 37: Joseph Cast Out
Joseph here shows himself as the righteous one and, as such, provokes the enmity of his wicked brethren, as Joseph’s Lord was afterwards hated of the world, for He testified that its deeds were evil. Just as Joseph’s brethren did not care for any divine purpose which interfered with their pride, so it was said to the Lord Jesus, “We will not have this man to reign over us.” Joseph’s brethren envy him and eventually sell him for twenty pieces of silver. Finally, they consider it a light thing to wound their aged father’s heart. “This have we found,” they said of Joseph’s coat besmeared with blood: “Know now whether it be thy son’s coat or no.” And thus they sinned against both their aged father and their righteous, unoffending brother.
In all this we have Israel betraying and murdering the just One. His father had sent Joseph to his brethren to enquire after their welfare. But it was not as the bearer of kind tidings that they received him, but “behold this dreamer cometh.” “Come therefore and let us slay him” — so afterward toward the greater than Joseph. It was not as the minister of grace and love, but as the envied Heir of the vineyard that they looked on Him and said, “Come, let us kill Him, and the inheritance shall be ours.” His love was refused, and for envy His brethren delivered Him unto death. For thirty pieces of silver they sold Him to strangers. They crucified Him who was the Father’s elect One and all His delight.
Genesis 38: the Measure
of Their Sins
The spirit of revelation here interrupts the course of Joseph’s history in order to give us a view of his brethren during Joseph’s separation from them. And what is the view we get of them here? Filling up the measure of their sins, making terms with the uncircumcised, and defiling the holy seed. And so it is now. All in Israel is corruption and uncleanness. Israel has played the harlot with many lovers and is now, while Jesus is separated from them, filling up the measure of their sins.
But we are given also to catch the faint glimpse of distant blessing. Judah confesses his sin, and then “mercy rejoiceth against judgment.” Pharez comes forth, and from him comes the true Inheritor of the blessing, the one that shall prevail, and whose kingdom shall stand forever (Matt. 1:33And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; (Matthew 1:3)).
Genesis 39-41: Joseph Glorified
Here we see Joseph, while in exile, preserving his purity and separation to God. For conscience toward God he endures grief, suffering wrongfully, but the Lord is still with him. He gives him favor in the sight of strangers in spite of all the dishonor and humiliation to which the wickedness of others may reduce him. This tribulation under the divine hand was made to work patience, and by it the crown was brightening for him.
And we find Joseph in some sense glorified also in his prison, for we see him glorified as a prophet, knowing the secret of God. The dreams of the butler and baker were “according to the interpretation,” for they were sent of God. And thus was it with Jesus in His day of sorrow, for He, like Joseph, was glorified as a Prophet (Luke 4:1515And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. (Luke 4:15)). And so it should be in His saints now in measure. They may be despised, but they “have the mind of Christ”; they know the secrets of God, the love of the Father, the judgment of the world, and the coming kingdom and power of Jesus.
But at the close of all this we see Joseph brought out of sorrow, introduced into the full confidence of him who held the royal power, and given authority in the earth. He is made lord of Pharaoh’s house and ruler of all his substance. He becomes the sole treasurer and dispenser of the resources of the whole earth, on which his brethren and all the world were soon to become dependent for preservation. He had been distinguished as “the friend of God,” knowing His ways, and was entitled to be called “the revealer of secrets.”
And surely a greater than Joseph is here — Jesus the Son of God, seated beside the Father on His throne in His full confidence and favor, and made the treasurer of all that grace and blessing upon which Israel and the nations are soon to draw for life and preservation in the earth. Jesus was obedient, and therefore God has highly exalted Him. And besides all this present glory on the throne, the Son of God has received a present joy, as we have seen Joseph did in Egypt. He has now received, from among Gentile strangers, a new family, for Joseph’s Egyptian family clearly typifies Christ’s heavenly family, the church.
Genesis 42-44: the Famine
In the preceding sections, we have seen, first, Joseph cast out by his brethren; second, his brethren filling up the measure of their sin; third, Joseph brought to glory and joy in the midst of those strangers among whom his brethren’s enmity had cast him. And all these we have seen setting forth Jesus, Israel, and the church.
But Israel is not always to be forgotten. Just as sore affliction will bring them to Jesus and to repentance, so here stress of famine in the land of Canaan leads Joseph’s brethren to seek that help which was now in Joseph alone.
Joseph, however, had something more to do for them than simply to supply their present need. He must prepare not only a blessing for them, but them for a blessing. He makes himself strange and speaks roughly to them, and by this he calls their sin to remembrance. “We are verily guilty,” say they, “concerning our brother.” But he hides himself while all this is going on and speaks to them by an interpreter. They had once bound and sold Joseph to strangers, and now a stranger takes and binds one of them. He dismisses the rest with present supplies for their houses, charging them not to see his face again, unless their youngest brother was with them, for he must know whether they had as yet the affections of children and of brothers, or whether they were still as when he had known them — reckless of a brother’s cries and a father’s bereavement.
Thus the work goes on in their souls. They had been convicted, and godly sorrow was then working fear in them. But now there is the final test. Joseph’s cup is put into Benjamin’s sack, and they are again dismissed with fresh supplies. But now was the crisis. Benjamin, the cup being found on him, becomes forfeited to Joseph. This was the solemn moment in the whole proceeding: How will the once murderous brethren and the once thankless children now behave themselves? Judah stands before Joseph in the shame of confessed iniquity. They were all innocent touching the cup, but they were not so touching their brother, and this sin is the real one before them now. Then Judah draws near and again pleads as with the bowels of a son for Jacob and as a brother for Benjamin. He is ready to abide a bondman himself; only let “the lad” go back to “his father”; let the father’s heart be comforted, and the brother’s innocence preserve him, and Judah will be satisfied, come to himself what may.
At this point nothing more is asked for! Joseph’s love could no longer hide itself. “Cause every man to go out from me,” said he, and then he made himself known to his brethren. He set free their evil conscience and bound up their broken hearts. Grace and blessing could now flow out.
So it will be with Israel and the Lord. In their affliction by and by, they will seek Him, and in richer wisdom and love than even that of Joseph, He will lead them to repentance and cause them to look on Him whom they pierced. With a surer and readier love than that with which Joseph fell on his brethren’s neck and kissed them will Jehovah Jesus return to them (Lev. 26:40-4240If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me; 41And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: 42Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land. (Leviticus 26:40‑42)). “I will say it is My people, and they shall say, the Lord is my God.”
Genesis 45-47: Joseph
Their Sustainer
The reconciliation being now perfected, all was ready for the loading of the brethren with unreserved blessing: Pharaoh’s goodwill is to be fully toward them, as well as Joseph’s. Pharaoh will have their aged father brought down and, with his households and his flock, seated in the fattest and choicest portion of the land. All this was marvellous in Jacob’s ears when he heard it. He “believed not for joy and wondered,” for this to him was receiving Joseph alive from the dead. He accordingly goes down into the land of Egypt and finds that all things had rather been working together for him.
But Joseph was not only to be made known to his brethren, but Joseph’s kindred are also now to be made known to Pharaoh (Acts 7:1313And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. (Acts 7:13)). Accordingly he presents them to the king. They were shepherds, it is true, keepers of cattle from their youth, such as were held in abomination in the land of Egypt. But what of that? “He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” He owns them in the presence of the king, and the king himself is of one mind with Joseph toward them; he owns them also and honors them and will have them regard the whole of his land as before them. And they are accordingly placed in the best of the land, in Goshen in the land of Rameses, and Joseph nourishes them and their households.
But this is not all. Joseph is to be the upholder of the whole earth in life and in order. He secures the full honor of Pharaoh’s throne, as well as being the healer and restorer of Israel. He gives the Egyptians their lives out of his storehouses, but he gathers their money, their cattle, their lands, and themselves, all for Pharaoh. For himself he retains nothing but his place of honor and trust and service under the king.
And so will it be in the end of the days. Israel, then repentant, shall be seated in the true Goshen, the glory of all lands, and Jesus shall own them and present them as His brethren without shame. The earth shall yield Him her increase, and all the people shall praise Him (Psa. 67). At His name every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
I do not notice the remaining chapters of this history, for in them Jacob becomes principal again, and the place which Joseph occupies in them is of another character. But these chapters give us properly Joseph and constitute one complete mystery, beginning with our Lord’s rejection and ending with the kingdom of Christ, taking up, by the way, His union with the church and His heavenly glory.
J. G. Bellett (adapted)