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From Eternity Past
beaten back, recovered their ground and were blessed of God, so we
too may be overcomers in the strength of Jesus. On the other hand,
the record of their lives may serve as a warning to us. God sees sin in
His most favored ones, and He deals with it in them even more strictly
than in those who have less light and responsibility.
After the burial of Jacob, fear again filled the hearts of Joseph’s
brothers. Conscious guilt made them distrustful and suspicious that
Joseph would now visit upon them the long-deferred punishment for
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their crime. They dared not appear before him but sent a message:
“Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto
Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their
sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the
trespass of the servants of the God of thy father.”
This message affected Joseph to tears, and, encouraged by this,
his brothers came and fell down before him with the words, “Behold,
we be thy servants.” Joseph was pained that they could regard him as
cherishing a spirit of revenge. “Fear not,” he said; “for am I in the
place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me: but God
meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much
people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your
little ones.”
Seeing Christ in Joseph
The life of Joseph illustrates the life of Christ. It was envy that
moved the brothers of Joseph to sell him as a slave; they hoped to
prevent him from becoming greater than themselves. They flattered
themselves that they were to be no more troubled with his dreams, that
they had removed all possibility of their fulfillment. But their course
was overruled by God to bring about the very event they designed to
hinder. So the priests and elders were jealous of Christ. They put
Him to death to prevent Him from becoming king, but they were thus
bringing about this result.
Joseph, through his bondage in Egypt, became a savior to his
father’s family; yet this fact did not lessen the guilt of his brothers.
So the crucifixion of Christ by His enemies made Him the Redeemer
of mankind, the Saviour of the fallen race, and Ruler over the whole