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Joseph
Genesis 44
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Jesus
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Comparison
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44:1 Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: "Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's silver in the mouth of his sack. 2 Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one's sack, along with the silver for his grain." And he did as Joseph said. 3 As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.
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Luke 12:48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
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Here the brothers are given much, their response will be measured by Joseph as Christ will measure our response to spiritual gifts given. Of course, as Joseph's brothers had no idea that the silver was given back, they did not deserve great punishment. God does test us.
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4 They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, "Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, `Why have you repaid good with evil? 5 Isn't this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.'" 6 When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them.
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Matthew 18:26 "The servant fell on his knees before him. `Be patient with me,' he begged, `and I will pay back everything.' 27 The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. `Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. 29 "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, `Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' 30 "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.
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Joseph is setting the brothers up to teach the lesson to come from Christ many years later. One should not repay evil for good.
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7 But they said to him, "Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that!
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John 13:36 Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later." 37 Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."
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We give ourselves too much credit. Joseph knew the hearts of his brothers and knew that they were capable of doing what he accused them of doing. Jesus also knew Peter would deny Him, despite Peter's insistence that would not happen. We are similar.
Both of their brothers claim they would not do wrong.
Both Joseph and Jesus were told by their brothers they mustn't say something.
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8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house?
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John 13:38 Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
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Again, Joseph knew his brothers' hearts from when they sold him into slavery. Christ knew Peter's and the rest of our deceitful hearts too.
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9 If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord's slaves." 10 "Very well, then," he said, "let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame."
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John 13:37 Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."
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We, as in the examples before us, give ourselves too much credit. We brazenly believe we can stand up on our own.
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11 Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.
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Matthew 26:35 But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same.
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When we make claims of righteousness, we make fools of ourselves and prove ourselves wrong.
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12 Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
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Luke 22:60 Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times."
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Our failures will find us out. We cannot hide our sins, God is always watching and knows all.
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13 At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.
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Luke 22:62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.
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When our sins are exposed, we go through great anguish.
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14 Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him.
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Philippians 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow , in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
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Joseph's dream was coming true again. This will occur in the future as well with Jesus' brothers (Jew and Gentile).
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15 Joseph said to them, "What is this you have done? Don't you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?"
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Luke 22:61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times."
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Joseph (through trickery and knowledge because he was their brother) and also Jesus showed divine inspiration and understanding greater than that of any man.
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16 "What can we say to my lord?" Judah replied. "What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants' guilt. We are now my lord's slaves--we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup."
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Philippians 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow , in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
John 16:8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me;
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The brothers have finally surrendered their will to Joseph. This point of the brokenness of self-will signifies true acceptance of the role of a bond-slave to Christ. Not our will, but His be done to the glory of God.
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17 But Joseph said, "Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you, go back to your father in peace."
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2Kings 14:6 Yet he did not put the sons of the assassins to death, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses where the LORD commanded: "Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sins ."
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners , Christ died for us.
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Joseph, before the Mosaic law, was embracing the same Godly directed principle that the guilty one alone should bear the penalty of their own sins.
Christ, however, bore the guilt of each of us. This teaches us the mercy of God. Justice would call for our destruction. Grace gives us hope.
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18 Then Judah went up to him and said: "Please, my lord, let your servant speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself.
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Mark 14:62 " I am ," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
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Again, Joseph was considered equal to Pharaoh. Jesus used the term "I am" claiming His portion of the God-head, leading to His crucifixion for blasphemy.
This is the beginning of an incredible parallel. Joseph would not reveal himself to his brothers until Judah (meaning 'we are guilty') pled with Joseph for his salvation. We are waiting on the Jews to repent and beg forgiveness from Him as will occur at the end of time.
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19 My lord asked his servants, `Do you have a father or a brother?' 20 And we answered, `We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother's sons left, and his father loves him.'
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John 4:16 He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back." 17 "I have no husband ," she replied. Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband .
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Joseph, as did Jesus, would ask questions for which they already knew the answers. This would work to their purposes in their relationship with the hearer.
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21 "Then you said to your servants, `Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.' 22 And we said to my lord, `The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.' 23 But you told your servants, `Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.' 24 When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said. 25 "Then our father said, `Go back and buy a little more food.' 26 But we said, `We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.' 27 "Your servant my father said to us, `You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 One of them went away from me, and I said, "He has surely been torn to pieces." And I have not seen him since. 29 If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in misery.' 30 "So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy's life, 31 sees that the boy isn't there, he will die. Your servants will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave in sorrow. 32 Your servant guaranteed the boy's safety to my father. I said, `If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!'
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repeat, already discussed
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repeat, already discussed
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33 "Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord's slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers.
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Romans 9:3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race,
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Judah, similar to Paul, was willing to suffer the consequences of the (supposed) sin of his brother, Benjamin.
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34 How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come upon my father."
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Romans 9:1 I speak the truth in Christ--I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit-- 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
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In this same series of verses in Romans, it is quite clear that great sorrow accompanies the realization of being 'cut off from God'. God, the Father, like Jacob, would also feel misery similar to the story of the prodigal son as well.
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