In today's passage, we see how God has worked through many characters through history, often in spite of their weakness. God will raise up Joseph to become a key figure in preserving both Egypt and the Israelites and ultimately to establish the conditions for the coming Exodus and the deliverance to the Promised Land.
Born of Rachel, Joseph had won a special place in Jacob's heart. Yet, his dreams and the messages contained within them seemed to point to a superiority complex within him. His brothers grew jealous, and even his father rebuked him for his apparent arrogance. While his tone might have come off as self-assured, his words would ultimately become completely fulfilled. The brothers then seize an opportunity to remove Joseph from their midst, and, in so doing, they live out the trickery and deception that had marked their great-grandfather Abraham, their grandfather Isaac, and their father Jacob. Yet, God would ultimate use it for His glory.
The chief themes of Joseph's biblical account appear to be God's sovereignty and Joseph's consistency in his stewardship. 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)
In Judah and Tamar, we find how Judah's sons' disobedience ultimately led to even further disobedience and brokenness. This trickle-down effect means that we should be extremely cautious to love and serve others and to fully devote ourselves to following God. Otherwise, the pain of disobedience may become compounded over multiple relationships. Even still, however, God's faithfulness through human frailty is amazing. One of the sons born of the clearly inappropriate relationship between Judah and Tamar, Perez, would become a key link in the human genealogical record of Jesus!
QUESTIONS
1. How may you communicate good news in such a way that brings honor to God rather than to you?
2. Are there any areas where you are struggling with disobedience? Do you have a friend whom you can trust to help you make good choices?
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