Dear Grace Bible Readers,
These chapters are some of my favorite in the Scriptures. The chief themes appear to be God's sovereignty and Joseph's consistency in his stewardship. At the start of the passage, Joseph has just arrived in Egypt, after being sold into slavery by his brothers. The irony is that the brothers' mistreatment of Joseph would ultimately lead to the blessing of Jacob (Israel)'s entire family -- and to the Egyptian people as well. Joseph is gifted with abilities for administration, and he rises to take a prominent role in running three different franchises: Potiphar's house (as a slave); the Egyptian jail (as a prisoner); and all of Egypt (as Pharaoh's second-in-command). In each case, Joseph takes no credit for himself but instead points to God's sovereignty and his ultimate servanthood to God, not men.
Furthermore, in the person of Joseph, we see many Christological symbols:
1. He was called to Egypt, as Jesus was during Herod's reign of terror on the young boys of Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16).
2. Jesus too was rejected by his brothers (Mark 6:4).
3. He spoke to the cupbearer and the baker, promising restoration for the cupbearer. In the same manner, Jesus proclaimed forgiveness for the thief who asked Jesus to remember him when Christ's kingdom had come (Luke 23:43).
4. Both Joseph and Jesus gave glory to God for His work (Genesis 41:16; John 8:28).
5. The Holy Spirit worked powerfully through both to reveal truth to needy people (Genesis 41:38,39; John 14:16,17; John 16:13-15)
As the passage ends, Joseph's brothers are set for a quite unexpected reunion with their "lost" brother.
Questions:
1. What are responsibilities that God has given you? How can He use you to bless others?
2. Are there examples of God's using challenging circumstances in your life for His ultimate glory? Based on these remembrances and Joseph's story, how might you approach some of your present difficulties?
In Christ,
Steve Edwards
No comments:
Post a Comment