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Joseph and His Brothers
149
of mankind, the Savior of the fallen race, and Ruler over the whole
world; but the crime of His murderers was just as dreadful as though
God’s guiding hand had not controlled events.
Joseph was falsely accused and thrown into prison because of
his faithfulness; so Christ was despised and rejected because His
righteous, self-denying life was a rebuke to sin. Although He was
not guilty of any wrong, Christ was condemned on the testimony of
false witnesses. And Joseph’s patience under injustice, his ready for-
giveness and noble graciousness toward his brothers who had shown
him no kindness or sympathy, represent the Savior’s uncomplaining
endurance of the hate and abuse of wicked men and His forgiveness
of all who come to Him confessing their sins and seeking pardon.
Joseph lived to see the growth and prosperity of his people, and
through all the years his faith in God to restore Israel to the Land of
Promise was unshaken.
When he saw that his end was near, his last act was to show that
his destiny was connected with Israel. His last words were, “God
will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of
which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” And he took
a solemn oath from the children of Israel that they would carry his
bones with them back to the land of Canaan. “So Joseph died, being
one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was
put in a coffin in Egypt.”
Through the following centuries of toil, that coffin testified to
Israel that they were only staying in Egypt temporarily. It called
them to keep their hopes fixed on the Land of Promise, for the time
of deliverance would surely come.
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