Who that has ever read the Bible at all does not know the story of Joseph and his brethren? To most it is little, if anything, more than an interesting story; but it is really one of the most striking likeness of the work of Christ to be found in the Bible. Of all the Old Testament characters, Joseph is throughout his whole life the most complete type of Christ. This is set forth most vividly in the scripture appointed for our present lesson, although we have only a partial view.
It is often said of a child who exhibits unusual strength of character, that he is "wise beyond his years." If that were ever an allowable expression it might be used of Joseph; but it is not. At twelve years of age Jesus astonished the learned scribes and doctors of the law by the depth of his understanding; and the account of it is given us, not to show us how different He was from other children, but to teach us what all children of that age ought to be and know.
So Joseph, before he was seventeen, had wisdom from God, that made him envied and hated by his brethren, who were many years older than he. Like Daniel, he had understanding in visions and dreams. The secret of his wisdom is given in: "The wisdom which is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits." (James 3:17)
"Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8)
Joseph was pure in heart, and therefore he had communion with the great Source of wisdom and knowledge. "First pure." That is not only the requisite for wisdom, but it is the beginning of it. In order to be wise, one needs only purity of heart. This ought to be, and often is, most found in children, and it is for this reason that the deep things of God are hid from the wise and prudent and revealed unto babes.
"The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes upon him with his teeth." (Psalm 37:12)
"All they that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution." (2 Timothy 3:12)
So, "the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt." (Acts 7:9)
Thus it was with Christ. His pure life was a constant reproof to the wickedness and hypocrisy of the rulers of the Jewish people. His righteousness exceeded the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, and so He would not resort to the multitudinous forms and ceremonies to which they had recourse to conceal their emptiness. They hated Him, because He was better than they; and when at last they seized Him, and delivered Him bound to the Roman governor, "Pilate knew that for envy they had delivered Him." (Matthew 27:18)
"And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not your brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send you unto them. And he said to him, Here I am. And he said to him, Go, I pray you, see whether it be well with your brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem." (Genesis 37:13-14)
In like manner Christ, came to declare the name of His Father unto His brethren. Joseph went to "see the peace" of his brethren, and to carry greetings from their father: and Christ came preaching peace.
"He came unto His own, and His own received Him not." (John 1:11)
They said, "Let us kill Him," even as Joseph's brethren said when they saw him coming. Seldom has the church had a reformer whom it has not slain, or attempted to slay.
"Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted?" (Acts 7:52)
But not every one who is on the side of the hosts of evil is willfully bad. Many are not decidedly against the truth, but they are simply not for it. They would be in favor of it, with all the heart they have, if others were; but they are "unstable as water," and must needs go with the wind of public sentiment.
Such a man was Reuben. He would gladly have rescued Joseph from his murderous brethren, for he had no desire to kill him. We see that they readily fell in with his proposal not to kill Joseph, but to put him into a dry well; and we may be sure that if he had only had enough strength of character to assert himself, he might as the oldest, have turned aside all their ill will, and sent Joseph back to his father in safety. But he temporized, and therefore his good intentions went for nothing, and he became one with those who had no thought of good. Indeed such a temporizer is really worse than the brutally wicked, since he has impulses to good of which they know nothing, and allows them to be stifled.
In Reuben we see the type of Pilate, who could have rescued Jesus from the mob if he had had the courage of his convictions. Reuben proposed a compromise, to save the life of Joseph; Pilate said to the Jews who were clamoring for the death of Jesus, "I will scourge Him, and let Him go." (Luke 23:22)
But there was no reason for doing Joseph any harm, and there was no cause for scourging Jesus, since no fault was found in Him. Having made some concessions to the spirit of murder, everything had to be yielded. A compromise with error is always a victory for the devil. Truth and error, righteousness and sin, will not mingle.
The greatest lesson of all, however, both in the case of Joseph and that of Jesus, is how all things work out the will of God. It is true that Joseph's brethren sold him to the Ishmaelites to gratify their own hateful, envious dispositions; yet we read that: "[God] sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant." (Psalm 15:17)
And Joseph himself, seeking afterward to comfort his brethren, said: "Be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me hither; for God did send me before you to preserve life." (Genesis 45:5)
In this he represented the tender lovingkindness of Jesus, who said: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)
But the main thought now before us is that God causes the wrath of man to praise Him. So, "the kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ. For of a truth against your holy child Jesus, whom You have anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever your hand and your counsel determined before to be done." (Acts 4:26-28)
God works all things after the counsel of His own will. Whether we will or not, His will must be done. If God's will is done with our will, it is well for us; if our wills are opposed, our very obstinacy and opposition will accomplish His purpose, but we shall suffer.
When His will is done through us, He counts it the same as though we had done it; but if we do not wish His will to be done, then our sin is as great as though we had defeated His purpose, even though our act accomplishes His design.
Thus since God's purpose will be carried out in any case, how much more sensible for us to yield to it gladly, than to be unwilling instruments of it.
The comfort and hope that we get from this story of how God's will is done even by men who are doing their utmost to thwart it is this: Since the wrath of men praises God; since even our hatred and opposition are used in His service, how much more must our willing mind be used by God, even though we have no power.
How easy it is for us to know that our faith is counted for righteousness, when even our unbelief and rebellion work out His righteous will.--Present Truth, September 26, 1901--International Sunday-school Lesson for October 6--Genesis 37:12-36.
E.J. Waggoner