Acts 7:13 “And the second time, Joseph was
made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to the Pharaoh.”
Comparing Joseph with Christ is a very common meditation
topic and we have many hints to learn from this historical incident. The first
lesson here should come from Stephen’s narration of the incident. Stephen does
this in a very personal way (verse 9) mentioning that it was the patriarchs or
our fathers who had sold Joseph into Egypt. This is told in a way that it is
your habit that you will kill or humiliate your own brother out of jealousy. But
Joseph is very polite and mentions that it is God who sent him earlier to
preserve life (Gen 45:5). We see Christ doing the same in John 6:58
when people wonder how to eat Jesus, He says that I am bread which has come
down. We are expected to look at Jesus in that context only just like Joseph’s
trials being a foundation for a greater salvation. The urge of jealousy and
murder is natural and it is important for all to realize the loss before
understanding and receiving Christ.
The most important lesson is that Joseph was introduced to
them a second time just as to most of us. We did not know the caliber of Jesus
and had insulted and had thrown Him away. But this rejection has made us
understand our actual state and His glory (Luke 17:25). It is required
that we reject the image of Jesus which is weak and not useful. It happened
only when the whole set of brothers realized that they had rejected Joseph and had
repented, he revealed himself. This second introduction is very important in
salvation for all Christians as most of us spend the whole of our lives without
this revelation. This introduction only will bring life into us and will change
the way we pray, worship and meditate.
In Gen 45:6, we read that the trouble before our
encounter with Christ was just the beginning and there will be an even worse
time ahead which needs divine support and encouragement to survive. So, as in 45:9,
do not tarry. A small delay in understanding our opportunity will make us lose
our interest and indefinitely wait for nothing. In Luke 19:5-6, we read
Jesus asking Zaccheus to hurry and take Him to his house. If Zaccheus had said
that Lord let me go clean up my home or bury my father as in Mathew 8:21-22,
we will lose it. When God gives us an understanding of our hunger and opens up
an opportunity, it is required that we hurry and come to Christ just as we are.
In 45:12, Joseph wants them to see and acknowledge
that Joseph wants them to come to Egypt because this call is directly from his
own mouth. Jesus is calling us to come to Him with all His heart. This is not
somebody else preaching for emotions and encouragement. The hope Jesus gives is
not that we will succeed according to our own will, but according to His will
and plan and he has called us with a Holy Calling (2 Tim 1:9). This call
is holy, gracious and with a divine plan. We see in Gen 46:3, God assuring
Jacob to go ahead to Egypt and I will be with you. This submission to God towards
holiness is very much required in us. In Acts 7:18 we read that there
was another Pharaoh who did not know Joseph in around 300 years. This is the
difference between us and Egyptians. Egyptians had received only food and had
survived a famine through Joseph, but the call to Israel was very high and
divine.
The next area of failure is when we receive cart loads of
grain from Joseph, we become satisfied and stay. We should remember that those
gifts are given to us for the way forward and not to sit back. These gifts are
sometimes material wealth, sometimes spiritual gifts like the tongues,
prophecy, ability to preach etc. It would have been pathetic if those brothers
had compared their gifts with those of Benjamin and complained within
themselves. All of us have opportunities to come and inherit which is nowhere
close to what we can gain by ourselves. If we tarry, the grain will be consumed
and it will become impossible for us to come to Christ.
Our call is not just come and live, the call is that our
brother is made Lord of all Egypt and is victorious. All we have to do is go
and share the victory. Our re-encounter with Christ should be in this fashion
or otherwise, we will keep failing and looking for forgiveness every day. In Gen
45:24, Joseph says that see that you do not be troubled along the way. This
is because he knew how hard the way forward is. But the path of Joseph was the
impossible and he had completed it well. But it really concerns Christ that
this path will trouble us who are weaker. We have to hold the hope well and live with
the gifts that were given to us.
Amen.
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