Hebrews 11:22
I believe with total surety that my path has never crossed
anyone like Joseph, the son of Jacob.
You recall how his brothers sold younger Joseph into slavery, and why? He was
a favorite child of his father, he was also young and
somewhat foolish in that he told dreams to his brothers that pointed to him
being the head of the family. But
as a very young man in a foreign land, he had this kind of character; he was a
godly influence, he had business integrity, he resisted temptation, and he honored
the God of his father.
I have no doubt that you have read the account in Genesis
chapter 37 of Joseph’s life and his encounters with his brothers. Only Benjamin and Joseph had the same
mother, and if you look at the blessing of Jacob’s sons before his death, it is
interesting to compare the blessing given to Benjamin and Joseph. These blessings are found in Genesis
49, and how they distinguish the character of these two brothers of the same
mother. Jacob’s blessing of
Joseph, “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful
bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall.” (A bough is a
large main branch of a tree, from which smaller branches grow.) You may want to read the full blessing,
and in it is seen how the hand of the Lord set Joseph apart from his brothers. We
must not forget that these blessings of the father have derived from the
actions, the performance, or we might say the character of these brothers. Benjamin was the baby of the family,
and after Josephs reported death to his father, Benjamin took that very special
place in the heart of Jacob. But
Benjamin’s blessing was not what one would have expected, in fact, it has much
to do with the future of the tribe of Benjamin. This was the blessing; “Benjamin
is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at evening dividing
the spoil.” (Genesis 49:27)
After the death of their father, the brothers began to worry
what Joseph would do, you might say they began managing themselves. When people manage themselves, they
always ask this question; what would I do in Josephs place, and there in lies
the test of character. So the
brothers came up with a story; “Your father gave
this command before he died, ‘Say to Joseph, Please forgive the transgression
of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.’ And now, please forgive the
transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” (Genesis 50: 16-17)
Again we see what made this man stand out from his
brothers and most men; “But Joseph said to them, “Do
not fear, for am I in the place of God?
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to
bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you
and your little ones.” Thus he
comforted them and spoke kindly to them.” (Genesis 50:19-21)
Many years later, Joseph is 110 and he calls his brother and
makes them promise to remove his bones when God visit them. We must understand that Joseph held to
the same promise that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had look forward too. Verse 24, “And
Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and
bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac,
and to Jacob.” Then Joseph made
the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall
carry up my bones from here.” It
is 300 plus years later when the Exodus takes place and Joseph’s bones left
Egypt with the people of the promise.
What a faithful God!
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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