All Powerful But Gracious – Genesis 47-48

“Then Joseph went and told Pharaoh, and said, ‘My father and my brothers, their flocks and their herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan; and indeed, they are in the land of Goshen.’ And he took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. Then, Pharaoh said to his brothers, ‘What is your occupation?’ And they said to Pharaoh, ‘Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers.’ And they said to Pharaoh, ‘We have come to dwell in the land, because your servants have no pasture for their flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.’” Genesis 47:1-4

1 John 2:1-2 says, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”

Joseph’s brothers sinned against him. They sold him to human traffickers. Those traffickers in turn sold him to an Egyptian. That Egyptian’s wife got him thrown in a dungeon. If it were not for the Lord, Joseph would have rotted until death in that prison, but the Lord, in a sense, resurrected Joseph from that tomb, and placed him on high. Now, he stands by the side of the mightiest earthly king, and advocates for the “brothers” who once betrayed and nearly destroyed him. He had advised his brothers how to present themselves to Pharoah in the previous chapter. He told them not to say that they were shepherds because the Egyptians despised shepherds. What did they do? They told the Pharoah that they were needy shepherds. It was good that Joseph was not ashamed to call them brothers.

Praise God that we have an Advocate with the Father in Jesus Christ. The word “propitiation” in the original Greek text is the same word that is translated in other verses as “Mercy Seat.” The Mercy Seat was located between the two angels on the Ark of the Covenant’s lid. It was the place where the blood of atonement for sin was poured. Underneath that lid, inside the Ark, was the Ten Commandments. The Mercy Seat being above the commandments illustrates what James 2:13 says, namely, mercy triumphs over judgment. That Mercy Seat represents Christ. He is the One who brought forth God’s mercy to sinners. Hebrews 2:11 says, “Both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers.” Christ became one with us so we could become one with God.

“Then, Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, ‘Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land. Let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.’ Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Jacob, ‘How old are you?’ And Jacob said to Pharaoh, ‘The days of the years of my pilgrimage are 130 years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.’ So Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from before Pharaoh. And Joseph situated his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. Then, Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with bread, according to the number in their families.” Genesis 47:5-12

How wonderful, how marvelous that Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with bread, according to the number in their families! Jacob’s clan was 70 people strong when they arrived in Egypt. That was a lot of people to feed three times per day. But imagine this! God keeps every soul in heaven well-nourished for all eternity.

Jesus Christ assures food forevermore for those who believe in Him. In Luke 22:30, Jesus assured His disciples that someday they would “eat and drink at My table in My kingdom.” In Luke 13:29, Jesus said, “People will come … and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Revelation 2:7 and 22:2 speak of eating from the Tree of Life and Revelation 19:9 speaks of the “marriage supper of the Lamb.” So, there is eating in heaven. Revelation 7:16-17 says, “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

Since God shall us feed for all eternity, we should trust and thank Him now for our daily bread while we live in this world. God kept His servant Elijah alive during a famine by commanding birds to bring him food. And he didn’t eat like a bird. They brought him man-food. I have many testimonies from my family’s time in China. He provided for us in miraculous ways at times.

“Now there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. So, when the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, ‘Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For the money has failed.’ Then Joseph said, ‘Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone.’ So, they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the cattle of the herds, and for the donkeys. Thus, he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year.” Genesis 47:13-17

He who controlled the world’s food supply emptied the pockets of people and made them dependent on him. This was fine as long as he managed resources fairly and ensured that no one was neglected. But what would happen if a “beast” controlled the world’s food supply?

Revelation 13 speaks of an end-times antichrist who coerces people to receive a “666” mark on their right hand and on their forehead for the purpose of buying and selling. He will require the recipient of his mark to blaspheme God. Thus, loyalists to Christ must trust in His mighty power to supply all their needs according to His riches and glory in those days.

“When that year had ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, ‘We will not hide from my lord that our money is gone; my lord also has our herds of livestock. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our lands. Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants of Pharaoh; give us seed, that we may live and not die, that the land may not be desolate.’ Then, Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So, the land became Pharaoh’s. And as for the people, he moved them into the cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other end. Only the land of the priests he did not buy; for the priests had rations allotted to them by Pharaoh, and they ate their rations which Pharaoh gave them; therefore, they did not sell their lands.” Genesis 47:18-22

Once, the people lacked possessions that they could sell for food, they sold themselves. Joseph brought them into the city. Thus, the politicians and the clergy owned them and determined their work schedules and living situations. This arrangement worked for the time being, but what would happen to them after Joseph was gone?

“Then Joseph said to the people, ‘Indeed I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give 1/5 to Pharaoh. 4/5’s shall be your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households and as food for your little ones.’ So, they said, ‘You have saved our lives; let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.’ And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have 1/5, except for the land of the priests only, which did not become Pharaoh’s.” Genesis 47:23-26

Thankfully, Joseph allowed the farmers to keep 80% of their profits. Their administration fee for maintaining the nation’s military, international relations, internal security, courts, prisons, roads, religious institutions and national managers was 20% of their profits.

“So Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions there and grew and multiplied exceedingly. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt 17 years. So, the length of Jacob’s life was 147 years. When the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, ‘Now if I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt but let me lie with my fathers; you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.’ And he said, ‘I will do as you have said.’ Then, he said, ‘Swear to me.’ And he swore to him. So, Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed.” Genesis 47:27-31

Jacob was 147 years old. He survived the conflict between his brother and himself. He survived living far from family for 20 years. He survived the maltreatment from his father-in-law Laban. He survived a household with four women in it by which he had children from each of them. He survived his sons Simeon and Levi massacring the men of Shechem. He survived the sorrow of losing Rachel and afterwards Joseph. He survived a famine. He survived a late-in-life move from his country to a foreign land. He saw the birth of many descendants. He had one request of Joseph, “bury me with my fathers.”

“Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told, ‘Indeed your father is sick;’ and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh, and Ephraim. And Jacob was told, ‘Look, your son Joseph is coming to you;’ and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed. Then, Jacob said to Joseph: ‘God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people and give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’ And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. Your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. But as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).’” Genesis 48:1-7

Joseph’s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, became heirs in the Promised Land along with Joseph’s eleven brothers. The tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim came to be known as the half tribes of Israel but were sometimes referred to as the “house of Joseph.” Each descendant of Joseph inherited a half-allotment of land. They were counted as one tribe. Later, in the Old Testament, the ten northern tribes are sometimes referred to as Ephraim. This was because Samaria, the capital of the northern tribes, was located in Ephraim’s territory.

“Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, ‘Who are these?’ Joseph said to his father, ‘They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place.’ And he said, ‘Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.’ Now, the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. And Israel said to Joseph, ‘I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!’ So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right hand and brought them near him. Then, Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph, and said: ‘God, before whom my fathers, Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day, the Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; let my name be named upon them, and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.’” Genesis 48:8-16

Joseph saw his sons as gifts from God. That’s how every father should view his children. Jacob loved his grandsons. He hugged and kissed them. Loving affection is good. 2 Timothy 3:3 lists the lack of natural affection as one of the signs of perilous times. Jacob gave God the glory for this moment. Jacob blessed his grandsons with a blessing to become many people. His right hand was on Ephraim, the younger of the two. Ephraim did become the dominant and most influential tribe in the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

“Now when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so, he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. And Joseph said to his father, ‘Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.’ But his father refused and said, ‘I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.’ So he blessed them that day, saying, ‘By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!’’ And thus, he set Ephraim before Manasseh.” Genesis 48:17-20

I see the blessing on the second son of Joseph as a prophecy about Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:45 says, “The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.” The first Adam refers to the first created man of the human race. The last Adam refers to Christ. Christ is the God-man. He is the second Adam that never sinned. The blessing of God is on the second Adam because in Him there is redemption for all who believe in Him. He is the One who makes many descendants for God.

“Then Israel said to Joseph, ‘Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.’” Genesis 48:21-22

Jacob knew his time on earth was short. He assured Joseph that God was with him. God brought Joseph back to the land of his fathers even though it was posthumously. When the children of Isreal left Egypt, they carried Joseph’s bones with them. So, the remains of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph are buried in Israel today. Their descendants continue to live there despite many attempts to remove and eliminate them from the land. God watches over His promises to assure that they are kept. Praise the Lord!

Enjoying God’s Favor – Genesis 45-46

“Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, ‘Make everyone go out from me!’ So, no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it. Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am Joseph; does my father still live?’ But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. And Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Please come near to me.’ So, they came near. Then he said: ‘I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.’” Genesis 45:1-8

Speechless! The reactions of Judah and his brothers to Joseph reminds me of the man in the parable of Matthew 22:1-13. That man came to the wedding feast of the King’s Son but did not put on a wedding garment. When the king confronted him about it, he was speechless. The king had him bound hand and foot and thrown into outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. He had been given a garment but refused to put it on. That garment was the robe of righteousness mentioned in Isaiah 61:10-11. Without it, no person is fit to be there.

Just before Joseph had revealed his identity to his brothers, he had told them that he must imprison Benjamin. They were free to return to their father. Judah pleaded with Joseph to let him be imprisoned instead of his brother because their father would die of sorrow without Benjamin. Lives are at stake. The situation is emotionally charged.

Joseph suddenly began wailing so loudly that the sounds of his cries were heard in the Pharoah’s house, presumably next door to his house.

Joseph testified for God. God sent him to Egypt. God wanted to preserve their lives. God took Joseph from being a shepherd like them and made him second in command to Pharoah.

It’s something how those with a mighty anointing from God reflect the Father and Son relationship in the Holy Trinity. Joseph was a type of Christ. David was a type of Christ. Both began as humble servants, but later became as kings. When Jesus came to earth, He spoke and acted as His Father expected Him to do. Then, God exalted Him above all others.

Philippians 2:5-11 says, “Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

“Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph: God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks, and your herds, and all that you have. There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.’ And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you. So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here. Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.” Genesis 45:9-15

Joseph expressed no bitterness toward his brothers. No desire for payback! He sends his brothers to his father. He is lord of all Egypt. He told them, “You shall be near me.” He invited them to bring themselves and their families. He promised them lands. He kisses them, sheds tears over them and talks with them some more before farewelling them.

I praise God that our Lord Jesus Christ is greater than Joseph and that He holds no bitterness against our race for crucifying Him. God sent Him to be crucified to save our lives, and to bring us into the Heavenly Father’s kingdom where He will give us lands. He will treat us way beyond what we can ask or imagine. Why? Because He loves us!

“Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, ‘Joseph’s brothers have come.’ So, it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan. Bring your father and your households and come to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land. Now you are commanded—do this: take carts out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives; bring your father and come. Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’” Genesis 45:16-20

The Pharoah of Egypt was happy to hear about Joseph’s brothers. If they were anything like Joseph, his nation would be very blessed to have them. Pharoah promised Joseph’s brothers the best land and best food. He blessed them with carts [we would say moving trucks] to transport their belongings to Egypt. He richly supplied all their needs. He helped them to enjoy a smooth transition and to adjust to their new life.

“Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them carts, according to the command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey. He gave to all of them, to each man, changes of garments; but to Benjamin he gave 300 pieces of silver and five changes of garments. And he sent to his father these things: 10 donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and 10 female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for his father for the journey. So he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, ‘See that you do not become troubled along the way.’” Genesis 45:21-24

Joseph gave them new clothes. He sent 20 donkeys with them to help transport goods and food. The 300 pieces of silver that Joseph gave to Benjamin were worth $1,200-$6,000 in today’s USD. Benjimin was his only brother from the same mother, but no one lacked for anything,

“Then they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. And they told him, saying, ‘Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.’ And Jacob’s heart stood still because he did not believe them. But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived. Then Israel said, ‘It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.’” Genesis 45:25-28

Now, Jacob is speechless. He can hardly believe what his ears have heard. Joseph who was dead is alive. What’s more he is reigning like a king. Jacob has one goal now. He wants to see Joseph.

“So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, ‘Jacob, Jacob!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ So He said, ‘I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.’” Genesis 46:1-4

Jacob made offerings to the Lord. He was grateful to God. God assured Jacob that he was doing the right thing to move his family to Egypt. Joseph would be at his side when he died. Joseph would bring his remains back to the land where his father and grandfather died.

“Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives, in the carts which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. So they took their livestock and their goods, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him. His sons and his sons’ sons, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.” Genesis 46:5-7

So, they packed up their belongings and headed to Egypt. Genesis 46:8-25 lists the names of Jacob’s descendants via his sons.

“All the persons who went with Jacob to Egypt, who came from his body, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, were 66 persons in all. And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two persons. All the persons of the house of Jacob who went to Egypt were 70.” Genesis 46:26-27

Jacob enjoyed a large family and many grandchildren. Their extended family gatherings involved 70 people if everyone showed up. They were foreigners in a foreign land but enjoyed their own little community of care and friendship in that land.

“Then he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out before him the way to Goshen. And they came to the land of Goshen. So Joseph made ready his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; and he presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while. And Israel said to Joseph, ‘Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive.’” Genesis 46:28-30

Judah led the way. Judah’s name means “Praise.” Psalm 149:6, says, “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth.” Psalm 105:43-45 says, “He [the Lord] brought out His people with joy, His chosen ones with gladness. He gave them the lands of the Gentiles, and they inherited the labor of the nations, that they might observe His statutes and keep His laws. Praise the Lord!”

Answers come to me as I praise the Lord. Turning to the Lord is facing the light. Psalm 36:9 says, “For with You is the fountain of life. In Your light we see light.” As we praise and thank God, His Spirit helps us to discern the best way to go. When praising God, we are much less apt to go to places that we should not go.

Joseph hugged his father’s neck and wept tears of joy with him. Jacob felt that his life was complete. He was ready to meet God now.

“Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, ‘I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘My brothers and those of my father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. And the men are shepherds, for their occupation has been to feed livestock; and they have brought their flocks, their herds, and all that they have.’ So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ that you shall say, ‘Your servants’ occupation has been with livestock from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers,’ that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.” Genesis 46:31-34

Joseph instructed his brothers what to say before they met Pharoah. Just like the Lord, he wanted them to enjoy the same favor that he enjoyed with the king.

I am so glad that the Spirit of Christ who dwells in us, is preparing us to meet the Heavenly Father, so we will enjoy a smooth transition when we arrive in heaven, as well as God’s favor. Praise the Lord!

Forgiveness of Sin – Genesis 43-44

“Now the famine was severe in the land. And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, ‘Go back, buy us a little food.’ But Judah spoke to him, saying, ‘The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. But if you will not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’” Genesis 43:1-5

Have you ever experienced hunger pains to the point that it was difficult to focus on a task? I remember asking myself before we moved into China in the 1980’s, “Will we have enough food to eat?” Thankfully, we never lacked.

In fact, the farmers brought their fresh vegetables and fruits to the gate of the university and sold them there. I enjoyed the dòufu (豆腐 – tofu English) and “miànjīn” (面筋) which is a Chinese wheat gluten, a chewy, high-protein food made by washing starch from wheat dough, used widely as a meat substitute. The Mandarin oranges and finger-sized bananas were also delicious. Praise be to God for daily bread – and for a variety of daily breads!

Jacob saw that his family’s grain supply was gone, so he urged his sons to return to Egypt to buy more. Judah reminded Jacob that they must bring Benjamin with them to purchase grain.

“And Israel said, ‘Why did you deal so wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another brother?’ But they said, ‘The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down?’ Then Judah said to Israel his father, ‘Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.’” Genesis 43:6-10

Judah offered to be the scapegoat if anything happened to Benjamin. In the future, One from Judah’s family line will bear the blame for all sin that has ever been committed by people. In Matthew 1:21, an angel told New Testament Joseph, “She [Mary] will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” People only need to believe in Jesus and profess Him to be saved from their sins.

“And their father Israel said to them, ‘If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down a present for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. Take double money in your hand and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight. Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!’” Genesis 43:11-14

They did have food. Honey, pistachios and almonds are delicious and nutritious. Matthew Henry Commentary says, “We may live well enough upon plain food without dainties; but we cannot live upon dainties without plain food. Let us thank God that that which is most needful and useful is generally most cheap and common.”

Jacob must give his son Benjamin into the hands of his brothers. Perhaps, He suspected them of murdering Joseph. He said, “If I am bereaved, I am bereaved.” Benjamin is Jacob’s only surviving son from his marriage to Rachel. He gives up this beloved son so others may live.

“So the men took that present and Benjamin, and they took double money in their hand, and arose and went down to Egypt; and they stood before Joseph. When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, ‘Take these men to my home, and slaughter an animal and make ready; for these men will dine with me at noon.’ Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house. Now the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, ‘It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.’” Genesis 43:15-18

Though invited to dine with Joseph in his magnificent house, the brothers of Joseph are not feeling good about their situation. Previously, he accused them of being spies. After they paid him for grain during their last visit, they found their money back in their sacks. They are afraid. Is he just toying with them before he executes them?

“When they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they talked with him at the door of the house, and said, ‘O sir, we indeed came down the first time to buy food; but it happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so, we have brought it back in our hand. And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.’ But he said, ‘Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.’ Then he brought Simeon out to them.” Genesis 43:19-23

“Peace?” “Don’t be afraid?” “The God of our fathers gave us the treasure in our sacks?” What is the man talking about? They were very unsettled. At least Simeon, who was imprisoned when they left Egypt is still alive and well.

“So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed. Then they made the present ready for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there. And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house and bowed down before him to the earth. Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, ‘Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?’ And they answered, ‘Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.’ And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves. Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, ‘Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?’ And he said, ‘God be gracious to you, my son.’ Now his heart yearned for his brother; so, Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there. Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, ‘Serve the bread.’” Genesis 43:34-31

Joseph’s brothers were treated with honor. Servants washed their feet and fed their donkeys.

When Joseph arrives, they present to him the spices, myrrh, balm, honey, pistachios and almonds that they brought from their homeland. They bow to the floor before him.

Joseph was overwhelmed with emotion when he saw his brother Benjamin. He blessed him. He left the room to weep. Then, he returned to initiate the banquet.

“So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another. Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin’s serving was five times as much as any of theirs. So, they drank and were merry with him.” Genesis 43:32-34

Joseph seated his brothers around the banqueting table according to their ages. He removed the Egyptians from the room lest they treat his brothers disrespectfully. He gave Benjamin the most generous portion of food. The brothers are finally happy to be there.

“And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, ‘Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack. Also put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money.’ So, he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, ‘Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing.’” Genesis 44:1-5

Joseph set a trap for his brothers. Their downfall must be unsuspected and devastating so that they reap what they had sown, and hopefully repent of what they did to him.

“So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words. And they said to him, ‘Why does my lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing. Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.’ And he said, ‘Now also let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.’ Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack. So he searched. He began with the oldest and left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.” Genesis 44:6-13

Joseph’s brothers were so upset that they tore their clothes to demonstrate how their hearts felt. They had thought all was well, but now, they are on their way back to Egypt.

“So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there; and they fell before him on the ground. And Joseph said to them, ‘What deed is this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?’ Then Judah said, ‘What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord’s slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.’ But he said, ‘Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father.’” Genesis 44:14-17

Numbers 32:23 says, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Ecclesiastes 12:14 says, “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” In Luke 12:2-3, Jesus said, “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the rooftops.”

Joseph’s brothers fell before him, thus, fulfilling the dream that the Lord had given to him. Judah spoke on behalf of his brothers. God had exposed their iniquity. Iniquity refers to unequal treatment of others. He believed Joseph would enslave them all. But no, the better punishment for them is to keep Benjamin and send them back to their father without him. This will destroy their father before their eyes.

“Then Judah came near to him and said: ‘O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s hearing, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even like Pharaoh. My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, who is young; his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’ Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ And we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’” Genesis 44:18-23

Judah advocated for his father, not for himself.

“So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord. And our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’ But we said, ‘We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons; and the one went out from me, and I said, ‘Surely he is torn to pieces;’ and I have not seen him since. But if you take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.’” Genesis 44:24-29

Judah does not want to see his father die in sorrow.

“Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad’s life, it will happen, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So, your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave. For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.’ Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father?’” Genesis 44:30-34

Judah was now willing to suffer on behalf of another.

Praise God that a descendant of Judah, Jesus Christ, bore the blame for our sins on the cross. He atoned for sin that we could not expunge from our records. He saved us from bearing the guilt and penalty for our sins.

Judah was the same man who suggested Joseph be sold to the Ishmaelites for silver. He was the same father who raised two sons that were so wicked God slew them. He was the same man who went into his daughter-in-law when she was veiled and posed as a harlot to gain a heir by him. He was the same man who said, “Let her be burned” before he knew that she was righting a wrong that he had done to her. Judah, like us all, had committed many sins throughout his life. He did not deserve the least of all God’s mercies but God was gracious to him. Gracious to bring him to repentance! He no longer wanted to be the same man as he was in the past. He was going to place the well-being of another, his father, before himself. Praise the Lord!

In Romans 2:4, the Lord asks us, “Do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”

Joseph followed God’s leading in dealing with his brothers, especially with Judah. Rather than destroy Judah and his brothers, the Lord helped him to convict them of their sins. God helped Judah and his brothers to see that forgiveness of sin was their only hope for salvation.

Walking in the Light of Christ – Genesis 41-42

“Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river. Suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river. And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows. So, Pharaoh awoke. He slept and dreamed a second time; and suddenly seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, plump and good. Then behold, seven thin heads, blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. And the seven thin heads devoured the seven plump and full heads. So, Pharaoh awoke, and indeed, it was a dream. Now it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.” Genesis 41:1-8

“People born blind don’t ‘see’ darkness or black. They experience nothingness, an absence of visual sensation, similar to what you might perceive with your elbow, relying instead on rich sensory details like touch, sound, smell, and spatial awareness to understand the world. They describe objects by their tactile properties (shape, texture, weight, temperature) and auditory cues, forming mental ‘pictures’ based on non-visual information.” [1]

Vision is a wonderful gift from God. Pharoah was gifted by God to see while awake and while asleep. While sleeping, the Lord took him to a riverside and showed him 14 cows. While he watched, seven skinny cows ate seven fat cows. Imagine that! That had to be disturbing. He woke up, realized it was a dream, and went back to sleep. The Lord showed him seven sickly stalks of grain eating seven healthy ones. He woke up again. The imagery of sickly things consuming healthy things unsettled him. He asked his magicians and wise men for an interpretation. They had nothing to offer him.

“Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: ‘I remember my faults this day. When Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker, we each had a dream in one night, he and I. Each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. Now there was a young Hebrew man with us there, a servant of the captain of the guard. And we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us; to each man he interpreted according to his own dream. And it came to pass, just as he interpreted for us, so it happened. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.” Genesis 41:9-13

Pharoah’s previously incarcerated butler was able to give Pharoah a lead. The Lord brought Joseph to his mind. Joseph had accurately interpreted two dreams before.

“Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.’ So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, ‘It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.’” Genesis 41:14-16

The Lord summoned Joseph from his prison to a kingly court via the Pharoah. I’m so glad that one day, the Lord will summon me and all who believe in him from this sinful dark world into His glorious kingdom of light and love. Joseph was cleaned up and had a new garment to put on. When Joseph stood before the most powerful earthly king of that day, he testified for God, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharoah an answer of peace.” By God’s grace, Joseph was saved. Joseph believed that God would give him the interpretation of the dream before he even heard it because he was trusting in God’s power not his own.

“Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: ‘Behold, in my dream I stood on the bank of the river. Suddenly seven cows came up out of the river, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such ugliness as I have never seen in all the land of Egypt. And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat cows. When they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were just as ugly as at the beginning. So, I awoke. Also I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven heads came up on one stalk, full and good. Then behold, seven heads, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. And the thin heads devoured the seven good heads. So, I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”

“Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, ‘The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do: The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years. The dreams are one. And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land. So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe. And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.’” Genesis 41:17-32

“God will shortly bring it to pass.” Jesus spoke a similar word to the world through his servant John. Revelation 1:1 says, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must soon take place.” Revelation 22:6 says, “And He said to me, ‘These words are faithful and true. And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.” As sure as Pharoah’s dreams came to pass, so shall the visions revealed by Jesus in the Book of Revelation come to pass.

“’Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect 1/5 of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine.’ So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, ‘Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?’ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.’ And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.’” Genesis 41:33-41

Joseph did not stop speaking after he finished interpreting the dream. The Lord revealed to Joseph the interpretation of the dream and the plan to rescue the world from starvation all in a moment. He got a spiritual download from God. The Pharoah knew it. The Pharoah told his servants that the Spirit of God was in Joseph. He told Joseph, “God has shown you all this.” The Pharoah placed a former overseer of his dungeon in-charge of his palace and of his people.

“Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, ‘Bow the knee!’ So, he set him over all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh also said to Joseph, ‘I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.’ And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On. So, Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.” Genesis 41:42-45

The signet ring was the ring with which Pharoah stamped documents and decrees as approved by him. He clothed Joseph in royal garments and decorated him with gold. His chariot followed Pharoah’s chariot during public processions. The Egyptians bowed their knees to him. Joseph had absolute authority over all activities in Egypt. Pharoah gave Joseph an Egyptian name and wife to indicate to all his citizens that this man was one of them and approved by him.

What a beautiful picture of salvation! At one moment, a soul is in a dark dungeon. Bound by sin! No way out! Then, a great king calls the soul out from the darkness into his marvelous light. He gives the soul a new garment and enriches his supplies. He tells everyone that this soul is now one of His. God gave Joseph the power and opportunity to give the right answer, and then, rewarded him for it. God is good!

1 Peter 2:9-10 says, “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”

“Joseph was 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went throughout all the land of Egypt. Now in the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth abundantly. So he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt and laid up the food in the cities. He laid up in every city the food of the fields which surrounded them. Joseph gathered very much grain as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable.” Genesis 41:46-49

Joseph was 30 years old when his worldwide ministry began. Luke 3:23 says that Jesus was 30 years old when He began His earthly ministry. God anointed Joseph to feed hungry people. Jesus was anointed of the Holy Spirit to feed thousands of people at a time. Jesus provided bread and fish for their stomachs and the bread of life and living water for their souls.

“And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: ‘For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.’ And the name of the second he called Ephraim: ‘For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.’

Then the seven years of plenty which were in the land of Egypt ended, and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, ‘Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do.’ The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt. So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands.” Genesis 41:50-57

Joseph experienced God’s favor, so much so that he gave his sons names to reflect his gratitude towards God. His own brothers betrayed him and made him suffer greatly. But God turned what was meant for evil into a blessing for Joseph. God’s blessings during the latter days of Joseph’s life far outweighed the pain his brothers afflicted on him earlier in his life.

When people cried to Pharoah for bread, he told them to go to Joseph and to do whatever Joseph told them to do. This is the kind of witnesses we should be for Jesus. When people cry out for help, say to them, “Go to Jesus Christ. Whatever He says to you, do it!”

“When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, ‘Why do you look at one another?’ And he said, ‘Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die.’ So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, ‘Lest some calamity befall him.’ And the sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.” Genesis 42:1-5

Jacob had 10 sons looking at each other for someone to be the first one to do something about their ever diminishing food supplies. Jacob tells them that the food is in Egypt. Go to the store. Get some groceries. He withheld Benjamin from going with them. Benjamin was Rachel’s son.

“Now Joseph was governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth. Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted as a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them. Then he said to them, ‘Where do you come from?’ And they said, ‘From the land of Canaan to buy food.’ So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.” Genesis 42:6-8

Now, Joseph had the opportunity to destroy his evil brothers. What would Joseph do?

“Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them, and said to them, ‘You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!’ And they said to him, ‘No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. We are all one man’s sons; we are honest men; your servants are not spies.’ But he said to them, ‘No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.’ And they said, ‘Your servants are 12 brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.’ But Joseph said to them, “It is as I spoke to you, saying, ‘You are spies!’ In this manner you shall be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. Send one of you and let him bring your brother; and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be tested to see whether there is any truth in you; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies!’ So he put them all together in prison three days.” Genesis 42:9-17

The Lord reminded Joseph of his previous prophetic dreams about his brothers bowing to him. Now, he would follow the Lord’s directions to see that prophetic dream through to the end.

Joseph’s brothers were ranchers on the verge of starvation. His dress and living space was that of a king. What’s more, he had the authority of a king to charge them with suspected crimes, imprison and execute them. Their trip to the grocery store turned into a nightmare.

“Then Joseph said to them the third day, ‘Do this and live, for I fear God: If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses. And bring your youngest brother to me; so, your words will be verified, and you shall not die.’ And they did so. Then they said to one another, ‘We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore, this distress has come upon us.’ And Reuben answered them, saying, ‘Did I not speak to you, saying, do not sin against the boy; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us.’ But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter. And he turned himself away from them and wept. Then he returned to them again and talked with them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.” Genesis 42:18-24

There’s an allusion to the three days of Jesus in the tomb and of the resurrection in the fact that Joseph imprisoned his brothers for three days and then, said to them on “the third day, ‘Do this and live.’”

Joseph witnessed to his brothers saying, “I fear God.” His goal was to help them to do the same.

Joseph was led by God’s Spirit to convict his brothers of their sins and to lead them to repentance. This is the work that Jesus (the Word of God) and the Holy Spirit do in the lives of sinners to save them from sin, and from the consequences of sin. Reuben was convicted of sin and confessed that conviction to his brothers. Joseph did not delight in their sorrow, but he did want them to repent of their sins, as he did, and experience God as he did.

“Then Joseph gave a command to fill their sacks with grain, to restore every man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. Thus, he did for them. So they loaded their donkeys with the grain and departed from there. But as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed at the encampment, he saw his money; and there it was, in the mouth of his sack. So he said to his brothers, ‘My money has been restored, and there it is, in my sack!’ Then their hearts failed them and they were afraid, saying to one another, ‘What is this that God has done to us?’” Genesis 42:25-28

In 2 Corinthians 12:14, Paul told his readers, “For I do not seek yours, but you.” Joseph was not interested in what his brothers could do for him. He wanted to do something for them. He had their money placed back in their sacks. How does this impact them? Their hearts feel like they are about to stop beating they are so afraid. They asked, “What has God done to us?”

“Then they went to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them, saying: ‘The man who is lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies. We are 12 brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is with our father this day in the land of Canaan.’ Then the man, the lord of the country, said to us, ‘By this I will know that you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, take food for the famine of your households, and be gone. And bring your youngest brother to me; so, I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. I will grant your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.’ Then it happened as they emptied their sacks, that surprisingly each man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. And Jacob their father said to them, ‘You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me.’ Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, ‘Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.’ But he said, ‘My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.’” Genesis 42:29-38

Reuben offered the lives of his two sons in an exchange for the lives of Joseph and Benjamin, that is, if anything happened to Benjamin during their trip to Egypt. This act relates to one’s debt of sin being paid off by the sacrifice of another who doesn’t deserve to die.

In a sense, Joseph died, resurrected and became lord over his brothers. He is a type of Christ because God chose to anoint him to be such a person. God called Joseph into His marvelous light and in God’s light Joseph’s spiritually blind eyes could see God’s purposes.

1 John 1:7 says, “If we walk in the light, as He [God] is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Amen!

Anointed to do Good Works in Christ – Genesis 39-40

“Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. So, Joseph found favor in his sight and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field. Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.” Genesis 39:1-6

Have you ever been taken somewhere against your will? Was it to a place that you had never been before? Joseph’s life was in the hands of foreigners. He went where they took him. He ate the food they gave him. He learned the language they spoke. His days were ordered according to their needs.

Amidst all the injustices that Joseph experienced, the Lord was with him. The Lord helped Joseph to adapt to a life that he never wanted to live and still succeed.

Joseph was only 17 years old when his freedom was taken from him, yet he was quickly promoted to the position of overseer of his master’s estate. The Scripture says that the Lord made everything that was entrusted to him to prosper. The Lord blessed everything the Egyptian had for Joseph’s sake, and the Egyptian recognized it. He let Joseph run everything.

God anointed Joseph to be a type of Christ to his generation. Joseph was anointed by God to do good works. In Mark 7:37, people said of Jesus, “He has done all things well.” Potipher’s wealth increased under Joseph’s supervision. The Heavenly Father’s kingdom grew under Jesus’ care.

One difference between Joseph and Jesus was their outer appearance. Joseph was handsome. Genesis 29:17 says, “Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance.” Joseph inherited his mother’s good looks. Isaiah 53:2 says of Jesus, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.” God chose to give His Son a non-astounding appearance. The beauty of Christ on earth was His inner being. Inwardly speaking, Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus is the express image of God’s person.

“And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, ‘Lie with me.’ But he refused and said to his master’s wife, ‘Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?’” Genesis 39:7-9

Good looks can be a blessing and a curse. If you live among sexual predators, good looks may draw the kind of gazes that you don’t want.

When a sexual predator attempted to lure Joseph into her trap, he made it clear to her that she was tempting him to do great wickedness and sin against God. He refused her. Joseph was not greedy for something more. He was grateful for the kindness, generosity and trust that her husband had shown him. Thus, Joseph did not succumb to temptation.

In Matthew 4:1-11, the devil tempted Jesus to sin. Jesus used the Word of God which is also called the sword of the Spirit in Ephesians 6:17 to defeat the devil’s lies. In Matthew 4:10, Jesus rebuked the devil, saying, “Away with you Satan.” Matthew 4:11 says that angels ministered to Jesus after this encounter.

Remember! “All that shines is not gold!” Proverbs 5-7 warn against adultery. Proverbs 7:21-23 compares the person who yields to adulterous temptations to an animal taking a hunter’s bait and being destroyed by the trap.

In Matthew 5:28, Jesus declared lust an act of adultery in one’s heart. James 1:14-15 describes the process, “Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” Lust and adultery begin with a thought, progress to a desire, and then become a sin when acted on, and conclude with death.

In John 15:4 Jesus said, “Abide in Me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.” The key to victory over temptation is to abide in Christ. Keep your soul well-fed with Scripture, prayer and obedience to God’s will. Don’t go to places where temptation exists. Beware of TV shows, movies and commercials! Like the devil, many want to reach out to you as though a friend, but in reality, their goal is to deceive, rob and enslave you. 1 John 2:17 says, “The world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

When temptations come my way, I tell myself, “Abide in Christ. Abide in Christ.” 1 John 3:6 says, “Whoever abides in Him does not sin.” The King of kings keeps my heart from the heartbreaker.

In Luke 9:23, Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” If our mindset is to serve our sinful flesh, there are endless opportunities to do that. But then, what will we have? Shame! We can make choices but we cannot choose the consequences. Jesus urged us to deny ourselves and follow Him. Live by the law of love! Love for God and love for neighbor. It is hard to limp between two positions. In 1 Kings 18:21, Elijah said to all the people, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him.”

“So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her. But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me.’ But he left his garment in her hand and fled and ran outside. And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, ‘See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.’” Genesis 39:10-15

The devil is relentless. You didn’t fall to a particular temptation today? Great! Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance for from it flow the springs of life.” 1 Peter 5:8 compares the devil to a roaming and roaring lion seeking for someone to devour.

In Ephesians 6:10-20, the Lord urges us to put on the full armor of God. When I lived in China, I was very aware of spiritual forces of wickedness. There were people who wanted to arrest, humiliate, punish and destroy Christians. One wrong step and I would have been destroyed. In the USA, the devil is destroying souls via lust and pride, but few seem to see any danger in it.

Many nations lack witnesses for Christ. The mission field needs laborers. We should be raising up and sending missionaries not indulging our flesh with endless feasts and entertainment.

When the devil could not bag Joseph via a seductive temptation, he resorted to violence against him. The same predator who sought to defile Joseph, sought to destroy him when he refused her advances. In Revelation 17, Jesus reveals to us a harlot who uses seduction to allure unsuspecting souls into her service. In Revelation 13, Jesus reveals to us a beast who uses deprivation and pain to bend people’s knees to him. In both cases, we need Christ to prevail. James 4:7 says, “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

“So, she kept his garment with her until his master came home. Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, ‘The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.’ So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, ‘Your servant did to me after this manner,’ that his anger was aroused. Then, Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.” Genesis 39:16-20

Potipher’s wife bore false testimony against Joseph. In the Gospel’s, the Pharisees suborned false witnesses to testify against Christ. Both Joseph and Jesus were unjustly arrested. They paid a price for someone else’s sin. Thankfully, both were anointed by God to be good witnesses.

“But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.” Genesis 39:21-23

The Lord was merciful to Joseph. Psalm 103:13-14 says, “As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust.” The Lord blessed Joseph with a supervisor who looked upon him favorably. The Lord also blessed Joseph to manage the prison well. Most managers appreciate people on their team who can carry the burden of overseeing day to day operations. And God was using Joseph’s current circumstances to prepare him for the next phase of his witness for God.

“It came to pass after these things that the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief butler, and the chief baker. So, he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined. And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; so, they were in custody for a while.” Genesis 40:1-4

God moves in mysterious ways. In a sense, the Lord brought Pharoah’s court into the prison for Joseph’s sake. The Pharoah’s chief butler and baker were now under his care. He was able to learn insights and information about the Pharoah of Egypt from these men.

“Then the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream, both of them, each man’s dream in one night and each man’s dream with its own interpretation. And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them and saw that they were sad. So. he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in the custody of his lord’s house, saying, ‘Why do you look so sad today?’ And they said to him, ‘We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.’ So, Joseph said to them, ‘Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.’” Genesis 40:5-8

But the Lord was not done yet. He gave the butler and baker dreams that they wanted interpreted. Joseph knew that he could interpret their dreams with God’s help.

The 17 prophetic books from Isaiah to Malachi are almost entirely made up of visions. In the case of Obadiah and Nahum, entirely made up of visions! Isaiah and Ezekiel begin their books by stating that the Lord gave them visions. The Book of Revelation came to John as a vision. There are also numerous passages of the Bible that stem from dreams that God gave to people.

Even Joseph’s witness for God was set in motion after God gave him dreams.

“Then the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, ‘Behold, in my dream a vine was before me, and in the vine were three branches. It was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes. Then, Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.’ And Joseph said to him, ‘This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days. Now, within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your place, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand according to the former manner, when you were his butler. But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me. Make mention of me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house. For indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; and also, I have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon.’” Genesis 40:9-15

The Spirit of God, who gave to the butler his dream, was also able to give to Joseph its interpretation. John 1:18 says that Jesus declares God. The Greek word for “declared” in this text is “εξηγησατο.” The word “εξηγησατο” is from the Greek verb “ἐξηγέομαι” (exégeomai), which means to explain, interpret, or declare in detail. Jesus is the interpreter of God for us. He helps us to understand God. He helped Joseph to interpret the butler’s dream.

“When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, ‘I also was in my dream, and there were three white baskets on my head. In the uppermost basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.’ So, Joseph answered and said, ‘This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head from you and hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from you.’” Genesis 40:16-19

The baker not the butler committed the crime. The baker was executed. The butler exonerated.

“Now it came to pass on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. Then, he restored the chief butler to his butlership again, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph but forgot him.” Genesis 40:29-23

Joseph had hoped that the butler would advocate before Pharoah for his release from prison, but he forgot Joseph. However, two full years later, Pharaoh had a dream and needed an interpreter. In Genesis 41:9-13, the butler confessed his error to Pharoah concerning Joseph. He told Pharoah about Joseph. In Genesis 41:14, Pharoah released Joseph from prison. In Genesis 41:25-36, Joseph told Pharoah the interpretation of his dream. In Genesis 41:42-44, Pharoah made Joseph second in command over all Egypt.

Genesis 41:46 says that Joseph was 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Luke 3:23 says that Jesus was about 30 years of age when He started His ministry. The Lord anointed Joseph to save the people of the world from starvation during a famine. In Luke 4:18-19, Jesus announced, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

The people of Joseph’s day looked to Joseph to meet their earthly needs. We look to Jesus, and He richly provides for our temporal and eternal needs. Plus, 2 Peter 1:4 says that He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them we may become partakers of the divine nature... anointed to do good works in Christ. Praise the Lord!

Seeing Messiah in the Scriptures - Genesis 37-38

“Now Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. This is the history of Jacob. Joseph, being 17 years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also, he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.” Genesis 37:1-4

The deeper meaning of Jacob’s special love for Joseph was not revealed to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah. Joseph’s tunic of many colors was like a prophetic message to them saying that one day he would serve and in a sense save people from many nations including them. Joseph was a type of Christ amidst his brother for through his life they would be saved.

Ask Jesus Christ to reveal Himself to you in the Bible. He is there. Luke 24:27 says, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Jesus Messiah is the theme of the entire Bible because only in Him is there redemption for Israel and for all people.

Joseph’s brothers hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. Perhaps each one asked himself, “Why can’t I be the one loved of my father more than my brothers?” The world cannot tolerate the fact God has One Beloved Son in whom all people must be saved. How can you say that Jesus is the only way to the Father? I say it because I believe in Him. In John 14:6, “Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

John 1:18 says of Jesus, “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” The word for “declared” Him is the Greek word from which we draw the term for interpreting Scripture, which is to exegete. Jesus is the exegete of Scripture. He is it’s interpreter. We need Him to help us understand the Bible.

“Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. So he said to them, ‘Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed, your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.’ And his brothers said to him, ‘Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?’ So, they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.” Genesis 37:5-8

God gave Joseph prophetic dreams. As he told his brothers his dream he was prophesying to them. They felt toward Joseph what others felt toward Jesus in Luke 19:14, “We do not want this man to reign over us.” They were shortsighted. The Lord anointed Joseph to save them and their children from death and bring them into a rich inheritance. The reign of Christ saves believers in Him from eternal death and brings believers in Him into an eternal inheritance.

“Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, ‘Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.’ So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, ‘What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?’ And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.” Genesis 37:9-11

This passage speaks to those who would think to deify Mary or Joseph. They were the earthly parents of Jesus Christ, but they still needed to believe in Him just like every other sinner needs to do to be saved. Joseph’s father, Jacob, would need to come to Jospeh later in life to be saved from the famine that was ravaging the world at that time. God was using Joseph as a type of Christ in that era to teach people about faith in God.

“Then his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. And Israel said to Joseph, ‘Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.’ So, he said to him, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said to him, ‘Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks and bring back word to me.’ So, he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem.” Genesis 37:12-14

While Joseph’s brothers shepherded their flocks, the father of Joseph sent him to see how they were doing and report back to him. Here, Joseph serves as a mediator between the father and his children. 1 Timothy 2:5 says of Jesus Christ, “There is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” So, Joseph is a type of Christ in this way as well.

“Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, ‘What are you seeking?’ So he said, ‘I am seeking my brothers. Please tell me where they are feeding their flocks.’ And the man said, “They have departed from here, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ So, Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan.” Genesis 37:15-17

This passage expresses the humanity and humility of Joseph. Though he had an anointing on his life from God, he was not divine. He was human like you and me. At times, he needed to ask for help from others to accomplish his mission.

“Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. Then they said to another, ‘Look, this dreamer is coming! Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!” Genesis 37:18-20

Joseph’s brothers thought they could overthrow the plan of God for his life. Lamentations 3:36 says, “To subvert a man in his cause — the Lord does not approve.” The Pharisees got Jesus crucified, but they could not keep Jesus in His tomb. On the third day, He resurrected from the dead. Jesus has also ascended to the right hand of the Father, and from there He will return.

“But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, ‘Let us not kill him.’ And Reuben said to them, ‘Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit, which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him’—that he might deliver him out of their hands and bring him back to his father.” Genesis 37:21-22

Reuben, like the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, was Joseph’s stepbrother, but he did not want to see harm come to Joseph. He feigned agreement with them to get them to lessen their sentence against Joseph from death to imprisonment. Later, he would rescue Joseph.

“So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.” Genesis 37:23-24

They stripped Joseph of his garment and cast him into a pit to die. In a sense, the Gospel was being preached to Joseph’s brothers through his life. In the future, other descendants of these brothers would have Jesus stripped of His outer garment, crucified and placed in a cave of the earth... a tomb. Men stripping off the clothes of Joseph and of Jesus demonstrates what was in their hearts. They wanted to rob God’s servant Joseph and God’s Messiah Jesus of the royal positions that God had designated for them. Their victories were short-lived.

“And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. So Judah said to his brothers, ‘What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.’ And his brothers listened. Then Midianite traders passed by; so, the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for 20 shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt. Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes. And he returned to his brothers and said, ‘The lad is no more; and I, where shall I go?’” Genesis 37:25-30

Joseph’s hateful brothers heeded Reuben’s advice, but while Reuben was gone, Judah advised them to sell Joseph to slave traders. This Judah’s betrayal prefigures another Judah’s betrayal.

Judas Iscariot, a disciple of Jesus, betrayed Jesus to the priests of Jerusalem for 30 pieces of silver. Jesus referred to His disciples as brothers. So, His “brother” sold Him for 30 pieces of silver. 30 pieces of silver was the going price of a slave. Old Testament Judah got silver for Joseph. New Testament Judas got silver for Jesus. Judas is the New Testament name for the Old Testament name Judah.

“So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, ‘We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s tunic or not?’ And he recognized it and said, ‘It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.’ Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, ‘For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.’ Thus, his father wept for him. Now the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.” Genesis 37:31-36

Joseph’s brothers dipped his tunic in the blood of a goat to make it appear that an animal had killed him. It is no coincidence that a goat was slain. Its blood symbolized Joseph. A goat is the closest related animal to a sheep. Jesus of Nazareth is the Lamb that was slain to take away the sins of the world.

Jacob mourns for Joseph for many days and refuses to be comforted. Revelation 1:7 says of Jesus, “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.”

Next, we have the story of God preserving the bloodline of Messiah.

“It came to pass at that time that Judah departed from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah. And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua, and he married her and went in to her. So she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. And she conceived yet again and bore a son and called his name Shelah. He was at Chezib when she bore him.” Genesis 38:1-5

After Judah’s betrayal of his brother Joseph for 20 pieces of silver, he marries a Canaanite woman. They have three sons together.

“Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord killed him. And Judah said to Onan, ‘Go in to your brother’s wife and marry her and raise up an heir to your brother.’ But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; therefore, He killed him also.” Genesis 38:6-10

Judah loses two of his sons by Shua his wife. Both of these sons were considered wicked by the Lord to the degree that He killed them, meaning they went to their graves early due to the bad choices they made. Judah deprived his father Jacob of his son Joseph and God deprived Judah of two of his sons. Tamar, the woman that Judah acquired for Er his firstborn son, was now a widow and childless. She would have no inheritance in Israel unless she could have a son.

“Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, ‘Remain a widow in your father’s house till my son Shelah is grown.’ For he said, ‘Lest he also die like his brothers.’ And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.” Genesis 38:11

God’s Law for Israel was that a brother needed to impregnate his sister-in-law if his brother, her husband, died childless. This was done to preserve his brother’s family line. Judah did not give Tamar, the widow, to his third son when he was of marrying age. He said, “Lest he also die like his brothers.” And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.

“Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. And it was told Tamar, saying, ‘Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.’ So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife. When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face. Then he turned to her by the way, and said, ‘Please let me come in to you; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law.’” Genesis 38:12-16

Judah lost his wife. His time of grieving had passed and he was busy shearing sheep. His daughter-in-law, Tamar, was still without a son to secure an inheritance for herself. She had a plan to resolve the problem. She posed as a prostitute. Would Judah bite on the bait? He did.

“So, she said, ‘What will you give me, that you may come in to me?’ And he said, ‘I will send a young goat from the flock.’ So. she said, ‘Will you give me a pledge till you send it?’ Then he said, ‘What pledge shall I give you?’ So, she said, ‘Your signet and cord, and your staff that is in your hand.’ Then he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him. So she arose and went away and laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood. And Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her. Then he asked the men of that place, saying, ‘Where is the harlot who was openly by the roadside?’ And they said, ‘There was no harlot in this place.’ So, he returned to Judah and said, I cannot find her. Also, the men of the place said there was no harlot in this place.’ Then Judah said, ‘Let her take them for herself, lest we be shamed; for I sent this young goat and you have not found her.’” Genesis 38:17-23

Judah offered Tamar a goat in exchange for intimacy with her. The brothers of Joseph used the blood of a goat to deceive their father about Joseph’s death. Tamar agreed to a goat as payment for her time of intimacy with Judah. He did not know she was his daughter-in-law.

The men of Timnah testified that there was no harlot in their town. This statement verifies that Tamar did not do for pay from other men what she did for Judah. She was only trying to preserve the inheritance that she should have from Judah’s family line. Little did she know that God’s plan for her was to be in a much greater family line, the family line of Messiah!

“And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah was told, saying, ‘Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot. Furthermore, she is with child by harlotry.’ So, Judah said, ‘Bring her out and let her be burned!’” Genesis 38:24

Judah had not kept his word to give his third son to Tamar. When he learned of Tamar’s moral failure, he did not advocate to spare her from justice. No grace! He was ready to let her burn.

“When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, ‘By the man to whom these belong, I am with child.’ And she said, ‘Please determine whose these are—the signet and cord, and staff.’ So Judah acknowledged them and said, ‘She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.’ And he never knew her again.” Genesis 38:25-26

Oh no! She had Judah’s signet ring, cord and staff. He was the father of the child. He confessed that she was a better person than he. The signet ring symbolized his authority. He signed contracts with it. He did not keep his contract with Tamar. The cord symbolized integrity, while the staff symbolized his power. Judah gave up all of these for a moment of pleasure. [1]

Judah had deceived his father into believing that Joseph had been slain by wild animals. He was in turn deceived by Tamar. Judah should not have betrayed Joseph or lied to his father.

“Now it came to pass, at the time for giving birth, that behold, twins were in her womb. And so it was, when she was giving birth, that the one put out his hand; and the midwife took a scarlet thread and bound it on his hand, saying, ‘This one came out first.’ Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, ‘How did you break through? This breach be upon you!’ Therefore, his name was called Perez. Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand. And his name was called Zerah.” Genesis 38:27-30

Tamar gave birth to twins. Perez was counted as the firstborn based on his hand coming forth first before his brother’s body, but his brother, Zerah, had a scarlet thread tied to his hand. The scarlet thread symbolized the blood by which Zerah would be saved by a descendant of his brother’s genealogy, namely Jesus of Nazareth.

Tamar is one of five women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus. “Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron…” Rahab [the former harlot], Ruth [the Moabite], the wife of Uriah [Bathsheba], and the virgin Mary are the other four. All five of these women experienced questions about their reputations, but God redeemed their lives and placed them in His Book and in the genealogy of His Son. See Matthew 1:3, 5-6, 16 for more details.

So, you see, it is important to look for Messiah, both for your eternal salvation, and for an accurate understanding of the Scriptures.

May our Heavenly Father bless you to always see His beloved Son, the Messiah, in the Scriptures. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.


[1] Google sources