Joseph, Son of Jacob! Part III
There are many similarities between Joseph (the son of Jacob) and Jesus (the son of Joseph and Mary). The first similarity is that there were twelve men involved in the life of Joseph, he and his eleven brothers; Jesus’ twelve Disciples. They were both sold for pieces of silver. Also, they both began their mission at the age of thirty. Another thought would be that they both dealt with saving the lives of people they loved. Joseph saved them from earthly death (starvation), and Jesus saved, and continues to save, people from the eternal death and separation. The last, but not least, similarity between Jesus and Joseph was the endings of their stories. One ascended to the height of the earthly throne, and the other the height of the heavenly throne.
The last post on Joseph was his act of forgiveness for his brothers. Imagine the fact that he was alone, and for fourteen years he was a slave. Allow me for a moment to remind you that being a slave (bought for money) in those days was just like one would buy a mule. The master could work the slave to death if he wanted to, because he owned him. I will also remind you that Joseph was thrown into prison for no good reason. At the time Joseph saw his brothers and was the emperor of Egypt, he did not arrive there without misery. But Joseph was willing to forgive his brother for having put him through that misery. It is nice to have a forgiving heart, to disregard the past and to start fresh and looking continually looking forward. When Joseph made himself know to his brothers, it came with plenty of joyful tears.
Can you picture the scene? Joseph was as happy as could be; He was no longer an orphan. He forgave his brothers, the same brothers who sold him to the Ishlamites and lied about his whereabouts. I would say that they were very lucky that Joseph did not throw them in prison for life; rather he chose the Godly way to handle things.
Joseph sent the news to Pharaoh that his brothers were there and that his father was still in Canaan. Pharaoh being more than gracious. told Joseph to send for his father. He would give Joseph’s family the best lands to live in. Also, he ordered to send all kinds of gifts and a special chariot to Jacob to bring him down south. All was done as the king ordered.
When the news arrived to Jacob that Joseph was alive, he could not bear it. Jacob doubted that his son was a ruler until he saw the wagons loaded with gifts. Jacob fainted at first, but when he heard that he was going to Egypt he regained consciousness. So, Jacob collected every member of his extended family, including the grandchildren, and headed to see his son Joseph. The journey must have been very long, filled with impatience to arrive. There would be another celebration once Jacob arrived. I can picture all of Egypt rejoicing with the ruler for the occasion. At this time, Jacob 130 years young!
Besides all the endless dramas in this story, I see God’s hand in every turn, and His love and care everywhere. When we go through hard times, I hope that you remember this story and never forget God’s hand in your life. Psalm 37:23 states, “The steps are directed by the Lord!” In Proverbs 16:09, it states, “A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs the steps.” I thank the Lord for the reminders that He loves and cares for each one of us.
The last post on Joseph was his act of forgiveness for his brothers. Imagine the fact that he was alone, and for fourteen years he was a slave. Allow me for a moment to remind you that being a slave (bought for money) in those days was just like one would buy a mule. The master could work the slave to death if he wanted to, because he owned him. I will also remind you that Joseph was thrown into prison for no good reason. At the time Joseph saw his brothers and was the emperor of Egypt, he did not arrive there without misery. But Joseph was willing to forgive his brother for having put him through that misery. It is nice to have a forgiving heart, to disregard the past and to start fresh and looking continually looking forward. When Joseph made himself know to his brothers, it came with plenty of joyful tears.
Can you picture the scene? Joseph was as happy as could be; He was no longer an orphan. He forgave his brothers, the same brothers who sold him to the Ishlamites and lied about his whereabouts. I would say that they were very lucky that Joseph did not throw them in prison for life; rather he chose the Godly way to handle things.
Joseph sent the news to Pharaoh that his brothers were there and that his father was still in Canaan. Pharaoh being more than gracious. told Joseph to send for his father. He would give Joseph’s family the best lands to live in. Also, he ordered to send all kinds of gifts and a special chariot to Jacob to bring him down south. All was done as the king ordered.
When the news arrived to Jacob that Joseph was alive, he could not bear it. Jacob doubted that his son was a ruler until he saw the wagons loaded with gifts. Jacob fainted at first, but when he heard that he was going to Egypt he regained consciousness. So, Jacob collected every member of his extended family, including the grandchildren, and headed to see his son Joseph. The journey must have been very long, filled with impatience to arrive. There would be another celebration once Jacob arrived. I can picture all of Egypt rejoicing with the ruler for the occasion. At this time, Jacob 130 years young!
Besides all the endless dramas in this story, I see God’s hand in every turn, and His love and care everywhere. When we go through hard times, I hope that you remember this story and never forget God’s hand in your life. Psalm 37:23 states, “The steps are directed by the Lord!” In Proverbs 16:09, it states, “A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs the steps.” I thank the Lord for the reminders that He loves and cares for each one of us.
posted by Rev. Alfred Batarse, PhD. | 3:16 PM
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