The heart of Christ towards sinners - emaculate yet movingly personal. Not to long ago I peeped out a sermon on 'Suffering and God's Sovereignty' specifically in the life of Joseph. And one thing this brother specifically said caught my attention for the better. Joseph, truly a remarkable man with a legacy worth approving, a model for us to look back on in history to see how to respond in the midst of unfortunate trials.
Continuing off this little theme I have going on of seeing how all these hero's of the Bible point to the Hero of the Bible, these saints' stories given by God are for us to see Jesus the Messiah fulfilling, pointing too, and how He excels all the more. Christ excels that of Joseph!
First thing I want to show in connecting the dots of Joseph's response to suffering and Jesus' response, is the Egyptian theme Moses gives in the book of Genesis. We have to understand that first, this book, Genesis, was written during the Israelites wanderings after God's liberating acts from the oppressing Egyptians. Egypt was fresh in the front of the minds of the covenant nation both for the bad and as we see later on in the years of their wanderings in the wilderness, the good (Num 11:1-9). It makes sense then that God used Moses to thread together a thematic element crucial to the faithfulness in God the Redeemer for the first generation audience of Genesis.
Egypt, as we see beginning with Abraham's story up until Joseph's deportation into slavery in their very hands, was a national outlet away from trusting in God's promise for the inherited land. It was to say, a false assurance of prosperity, abundance, protection and rest. This quiet echo of a theme is seen in Abraham and Lot's dealings of their homeland, Lot's comfort next to Sodom, Ishmael's mockery of the child of promise and his result of marrying an Egyptian women after material blessing and so on.
[I do urge you to examine this theme on your own throughout the second half of Genesis to reap God's rich exhortation full of relentless grace.]
And this stirred my thoughts. What in my life do I see as Egypt? Seemingly offering me comfort, joy, and prosperity. Tempting me to run and camp there rather than trusting in the God of promises who is faithful, even in this chasm between reality and those promises. Where is your Egypt? Are you like the Israelites wandering, seeing no hope in the present circumstances but turning around and seeing the lusciousness of Egypt's abundance; complaining and longing to just head back, home?
Significantly, this Egyptian theme takes the story to the point of Joseph being forced to abide there. Now we begin to see a connection. Joseph's brothers hated him for being the favored son of Jacob. And after Joseph's dream in which he told these brothers of his that he was truly superior to all, being the one who was in charge, who was rebuked even by his father Jacob. But this was the last straw for the other brothers. Plotting to scheme a murder against Joseph, they agreed to arrange Joseph to be sold, rather, into Egyptian slavery - for what? Shekels of silver. Where else do we see this same instance occur? Was it not Jesus himself, being sold by Judas Iscariot for some shekels of silver!? What makes this more, is that just as Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, so was Jesus, calling upon all those who had followed him and do the will of the Father, his brothers (Mt 12:49).
After suffering much agony and despair, Genesis 45:4 tells us this, "Then Joseph said to his brothers, 'Please come closer to me.' And they came closer. And he said, ' I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt." But how is Christ better. Note his response after suffering in John 20:17. This verse echos Joseph's words of compassion towards his brethren in height of advancement (note that this verse in John is also in height of Christ's advancement). But Joseph immediately added their sin when telling his brothers who he was. Not so Christ! He reminds poor sinners not a word of what they've done to Him.
Family, our thoughts of our sins need not be any more when we see Christ's face, for He remembers no more. Nor does He remind them of what He has done. No, He remembers not His sufferings, why? He finished the work and now hastens to do another for them, eagerly in heaven. How lovingly He says He goes to OUR Father (cf. Heb 2:11).
Stay encouraged family!
Egypt, as we see beginning with Abraham's story up until Joseph's deportation into slavery in their very hands, was a national outlet away from trusting in God's promise for the inherited land. It was to say, a false assurance of prosperity, abundance, protection and rest. This quiet echo of a theme is seen in Abraham and Lot's dealings of their homeland, Lot's comfort next to Sodom, Ishmael's mockery of the child of promise and his result of marrying an Egyptian women after material blessing and so on.
[I do urge you to examine this theme on your own throughout the second half of Genesis to reap God's rich exhortation full of relentless grace.]
And this stirred my thoughts. What in my life do I see as Egypt? Seemingly offering me comfort, joy, and prosperity. Tempting me to run and camp there rather than trusting in the God of promises who is faithful, even in this chasm between reality and those promises. Where is your Egypt? Are you like the Israelites wandering, seeing no hope in the present circumstances but turning around and seeing the lusciousness of Egypt's abundance; complaining and longing to just head back, home?
Significantly, this Egyptian theme takes the story to the point of Joseph being forced to abide there. Now we begin to see a connection. Joseph's brothers hated him for being the favored son of Jacob. And after Joseph's dream in which he told these brothers of his that he was truly superior to all, being the one who was in charge, who was rebuked even by his father Jacob. But this was the last straw for the other brothers. Plotting to scheme a murder against Joseph, they agreed to arrange Joseph to be sold, rather, into Egyptian slavery - for what? Shekels of silver. Where else do we see this same instance occur? Was it not Jesus himself, being sold by Judas Iscariot for some shekels of silver!? What makes this more, is that just as Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, so was Jesus, calling upon all those who had followed him and do the will of the Father, his brothers (Mt 12:49).
After suffering much agony and despair, Genesis 45:4 tells us this, "Then Joseph said to his brothers, 'Please come closer to me.' And they came closer. And he said, ' I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt." But how is Christ better. Note his response after suffering in John 20:17. This verse echos Joseph's words of compassion towards his brethren in height of advancement (note that this verse in John is also in height of Christ's advancement). But Joseph immediately added their sin when telling his brothers who he was. Not so Christ! He reminds poor sinners not a word of what they've done to Him.
Family, our thoughts of our sins need not be any more when we see Christ's face, for He remembers no more. Nor does He remind them of what He has done. No, He remembers not His sufferings, why? He finished the work and now hastens to do another for them, eagerly in heaven. How lovingly He says He goes to OUR Father (cf. Heb 2:11).
Stay encouraged family!
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