Joseph and His Brothers
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couragements like our own, where they fell under temptations as we
have done, and yet took heart again and conquered through the grace
of God, we are encouraged in our striving after righteousness. As
they, though sometimes 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. It shows that God will by no means clear the guilty. He 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.
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After the burial of Jacob fear again filled the hearts of Joseph’s
brothers. Notwithstanding his kindness toward them, conscious guilt
made them distrustful and suspicious. It might be that he had but
delayed his revenge, out of regard to their father, and that he would
now visit upon them the long-deferred punishment for their crime.
They dared not appear before him in person, 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’s love for
his brothers was deep and unselfish, and he was pained at the thought
that they could regard him as cherishing a spirit of revenge toward
them. “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.”
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. And when he
was carried to Egypt, 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 own course was overruled by God to bring
about the very event that they designed to hinder. So the Jewish priests
and elders were jealous of Christ, fearing that He would attract the
attention of the people from them. They put Him to death, to prevent
Him from becoming king, but they were thus bringing about this very
result.