Joseph And His Brethren

by Stroner, C. R. | Category: Types And Shadows In Genesis | Dec 1955

Perhaps of all the types in Genesis which we have been considering, there is none in which there are more detailed foreshadowings than in the life of Joseph. In last month's article we saw the favoured son far away from his father, suffering punishment because of the sins of others and then suddenly exalted to the highest place.

As we consider Joseph's relations with his brothers, we see that thoughts of envy and jealousy were allowed to take root in the brothers' minds and eventually brought forth their callous treatment of Joseph and their cruel deception of their father. Envy and jealousy are two evil states of mind which have often been used by the adversary to work havoc amongst brethren in Christ.

It appears that the" coat of many colours "(Genesis 37.3), known to us since childhood, may have to give place to "a long robe with sleeves as a more accurate translation. This coat was evidently a mark of special favour. Not only was the coat a cause of offence, but Joseph brought a report to his father of the evil doings of his brothers and he recounted dreams which clearly indicated his exaltation in a coming day. The Lord Jesus, "who knew what was in man" (John 2.25), spoke faithful words to many, which stung them to the heart and He made claims which no man had made before.

It is of interest to note the way in which God used dreams in past days, not only before, but after Christ's coming. Dreams fill an important place in the life of Joseph and at critical moments in the story of the Lord's birth, when God spoke to Mary's husband and to the Wise Men through dreams.

Men believed in those days that dreams foretold the future or carried messages of warning and God made use of this method to communicate with men. Nowadays it is generally believed that dreams are, for the most part, prompted by events, thoughts and anxieties of our waking lives, and it seems that God no longer uses dreams. We have the complete Scriptures, and God normally guides us today by directing our minds to suitable portions of His Word.

When Joseph was sent by his father to visit his brethren, it proved to be a longer journey than he had expected, but he was obedient and persevering in his quest. The Lord Jesus, in perfect obedience to His Father, left the glory of heaven to search for each one of us and did not turn back but "came where we were" (Luke 10.33). In both cases, the end of the quest was to be sold by those from whom special consideration and kindness might have been expected-" His own."

When the brothers had placed Joseph in the pit they "sat down to eat bread" (Genesis 37.25), and when the cruel work of placing the Lord upon the Cross had been completed, men "sat and watched Him there" (Matthew 27.36).

We note the hypocrisy of the brothers, who seemed to feel almost virtuous because they sold their own brother instead of killing him. But hypocrisy was seen in its fullest measure when the priests refused to put the thirty pieces of silver into the temple treasury, saying, "It is the price of blood" (Matthew 27.6). They could bring themselves to give a bribe so that an innocent man might be betrayed and killed, but the temple funds must be left untainted. Truly they "strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel" (Matthew 23.24).

We pass over the details of the visits by Joseph's brethren to Egypt.

As the affairs of these brethren begin to go wrong, conscience begins to stir; Reuben speaks of "a reckoning for his (Joseph's) blood" (Genesis 42.22). This seems rather a strange statement. Is it possible that the other brothers had deceived Reuben all these years, so that he thought that Joseph had been killed?

The climax comes when Joseph reveals himself to his brothers. They had cause to be troubled, for the one whom they had treated so wickedly had them completely in his power. However, he speaks kindly to them at last, and when he has kissed his brothers and they have wept together, they are able to speak to him.

The time is coming when the Lord Jesus will be made known to His brethren by race-the Jews. In Zechariah 12. we have a graphic picture of the mourning which will take place when they shall look unto Him whom they have pierced. Like Joseph's brethren, those who come to the Lord and avail themselves of the "fountain opened ... for sin and for uncleanness" (Zechariah 13.1) will learn that God has overruled their terrible national crime to bring untold blessing to men of all nations.

In the last book of the Bible (Revelation 1.7) the assurance is again given that "every eye shall see Him, and they which pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over Him."

If this article should come into the hands of anyone who is still denying the claims of the Lord Jesus and thus assenting to the action of those who crucified Him, we warn you that you will yet stand before Him. To the despised Nazarene God the Father has committed all authority and judgement.

Thus we conclude this series of articles on the types and shadows in Genesis. It has been said that every major principle in God's dealings with man is first seen in this book-" the seed-plot of the Bible." We have seen that, without fanciful interpretation or forcing of analogies, the great truths concerning the Lord Jesus have been portrayed in the lives of men who lived centuries before the Lord came to earth. Thus the Holy Spirit has impressed His mark on every page, and we bow in thanksgiving to God for the grandeur and range of His revelation of Himself in the Scriptures.

Stroner, C. R. | Dec 1955
Types And Shadows In Genesis