Joseph – A Man Of Exceptional Worth

Feature 3 –September 2016 – Grace & Truth Magazine

JOSEPH
A Man Of Exceptional Worth

His Worth To Jacob, His Father
“Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors.” —Genesis 37:3 KJV

Joseph’s name, meaning “adding,” is suggestive of increasing value or worth and fruitfulness. A son of Jacob by his beloved Rachel, Joseph’s birth was nothing short of miraculous, for Rachel was barren. This barrenness, morally speaking, is typical of Israel from whom Christ came “as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground” (Isa. 53:2). Similarly, just as God opened her womb, there must be a divine work of His in us so we can bear any fruit worthy of Him. As Christians, we are therefore urged not only to “walk worthy,” but to be “counted worthy” by God, “who has called us unto His kingdom and glory” (1 Th. 2:12; 2 Th. 1:5).

Joseph’s youthfulness (he was only 17 years old) was not a barrier to a life of fruitfulness and blessing to others. Paul exhorted young Timothy, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation [conduct], in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12). Are we willing to take up this challenge?

Joseph was special to his father, Jacob, because he was the son of his old age, and he was born for a particular purpose. Consequently, Jacob loved him more than all his children, making for Joseph a “coat of many colours.” This coat was expressive of the delight he found in his son. One is reminded of the Son of the Father’s love, the Lord Jesus Christ, who said in eternity past, “Then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him: and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him” (Prov. 8:30). After the eternal Son became Man – that is, when He was born into this world – the voice of the Father was heard at His baptism, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mt. 3:17). The Father’s love, as well as His satisfaction in His Son, was publicly expressed.

This mutual love and affection between the Father and the Son was typified by the relationship between Jacob and his son Joseph. As only a father can, it was Jacob who could truly appreciate the worth of his son. He grew up in his father’s house under his loving gaze. Jacob saw in him a young man of outstanding worth and moral courage, backed by a life of godliness. Thus he could bring to his father the evil report of his brothers. Likewise, when the Lord Jesus testified of the world that its works were evil, they hated Him for it (Jn. 7:7).

His Worth To His Brethren
“And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.” —Genesis 37:18

Joseph’s brothers could not contain their resentment and hatred. They hated him, not only because of his worth in the eyes of their father, but because of his dreams which predicted that they would one day bow down before him. They were so angered by this that they plotted his death.

On a certain day, while his sons were out tending sheep, Jacob sent Joseph to look for them. Since they had been gone so long, Jacob, like any caring father, wanted to make sure his sons were all right. Joseph travelled a long distance to find them because they were not where they should have been. This reminds us of the Lord Jesus who journeyed from the portals of heaven down through the heavenly galaxies to this sinful world that He might seek and save us who were lost! And as Joseph loved his brothers and shared his father’s concern for them, so the Lord did what He did because of His love for us.

When they saw Joseph coming they said, “Behold this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say [to our father], some evil beast hath devoured him: and we will see what will become of his dreams” (vv.19-20). They took Joseph and stripped him of his beautiful coat and threw him into a pit. Later, they drew him out and sold him to Ishmaelites who took him down to Egypt. There he was falsely accused and thrown in prison. Does this not remind us of the way in which the Lord Jesus was treated by His brethren, the Jews? Isaiah prophesied of the Lord Jesus Christ, “And when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected of men” (Isa. 53:2-3). When the Lord physically came among the Jews, He spoke a parable which they perceived as referring to them. Notice the remarkable similarity between the words of Joseph’s brothers and the words of the parable found in Matthew 21:37-38: “But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on the inheritance.”

Trial, with its attendant suffering and tears, will either render us useless or useful, depending on how we receive it. Joseph never let go of God’s promises or ceased to walk with Him. At the end of his trials he could tell his brothers that it was God who had sent him to preserve their lives. Their vision of Joseph was radically changed when they realized that God had indeed sent him before them to keep them alive. Armed with a new message to go and “tell my father of all my glory” (Gen. 45:13), they returned to Canaan. Genesis later records: “And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants” (50:18). This is what Joseph had dreamed as a youth and which had filled his brothers with murderous intent; but now they willingly bowed down before him. Similarly, the Jews will acknowledge the worth of the Lord Jesus, their Messiah, and shall mourn (Zech. 12:10) because of their mistreatment and rejection of Him. They will then confess, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:5).

His Worth To Pharaoh And The Egyptians
“And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.” —Genesis 41:41

God had spoken to Pharaoh in a dream that only Joseph could interpret. Summoned from prison he told Pharaoh that there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Joseph then advised Pharaoh to store up food during the years of plenty, so when the famine came the people would not starve. Are you storing up the Word of God for hard times? Any Christian who has gone through adversity will tell you that he was sustained by the Word of God.

Joseph’s counsel was so timely that Pharaoh placed him over the whole land of Egypt. As he rode in Pharaoh’s second chariot, Joseph’s servants cried before him to the people: “Bow the knee” (Gen. 41:43). In heaven, the Church will bow before the Lamb and, with a heavenly host, sing: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (Rev. 5:12). Furthermore, His worth will be universally acknowledged, for “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth” (Phil. 2:10).

When the famine began and the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, he told them, “Go unto Joseph” (Gen. 41:55). Then “Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians” (v.56). As Joseph was the means of blessing to the Egyptians, the Lord Jesus will have universal dominion, and His kingdom will bring blessing to the whole world. Zechariah prophesied, “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left ... shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up ... unto Jerusalem to worship the King ... even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not ... there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast ... This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles” (Zech. 14:16-19).

This three-fold worth of Joseph is a faint picture of the Lord Jesus, whose value is inestimable, for who but the Father can state it? To the Father, He is indeed worthy, for He has said, “Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool” (Ps. 110:1). To the Church, He is worthy, for they cry, “Thou art worthy ... for Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood” (Rev. 5:9). And the world must acknowledge in a coming day that He is worthy, for it is written “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow ... and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11).

By Richard Barnett