(A) Joseph sent by his father
We see here that Joseph was sent by his father Jacob to check on his brothers. When Jacob asked Joseph to go, how does Joseph respond when told to do so? Joseph was willing to do so and he goes automatically. What is so significant about this point?
The trip to find his brothers was not just “next door”. As Sidney has shown us through the map yesterday, Joseph had to travel to Shechem, which was a great distance away.
Furthermore, as we had seen last week, Joseph was very much not well liked by his brothers.
Even when Joseph had arrived, he realizes that his brothers were not there. In this case, for some individuals, they might just not bother to continue the search or just ends their job there since they have already “fulfilled duty”. We might think that Joseph can just call it off and said that he has already done what his father has told him. But he went the extra mile – Joseph found new leads to reach his brother and he continued to find them through these new leads. For Joseph, he is the favoured son. Thus maybe he would do what his father told him to do since he is the favoured son. He loves his father more enough to do what his father calls him to do. We cannot be sure of his exact motivations, but nonetheless, the point is Joseph’s response is a response of obedience.
Joseph is obedient because his father loves him. How have you obeyed your earthly parents today? The Bible does tell us to honour our father and mother – first law that talks about horizontal relationships. Notice how the command to obey is not dependent on how our parents treat us, or how they will treat us in response to our obedience. Are you obedient just because your parents like you and love you more?
(B) Joseph betrayed and sold by his brothers
We saw later in the passage that Joseph’s brothers conspired to kill him and frame it as an animal attack. He was sarcastically called a dreamer. He had a dream that all his parents and siblings would bow down to him – deeply offended not just his brothers but also his parents as well. There is so much contempt in calling him a dreamer. We see his brothers saying, “we will see what it becomes of his dreams”. But, we will later see how and what happens to the dreams – which is the irony altogether (stay tuned!).
In the several chapters on Genesis that we have done, we always think that we can make a clear comparison between black and white, the better and the worse, the thesis and the antithesis. We see how certain genealogies are better, and others that are plagued with terrible familial and relationship problems. We see that there is the genealogy that there is conflict, and the other that is saved and redeemed. But just as we thought that the Jacob’s genealogy would be great and proper, it is also plagued with all these familial problems as well – it is not that white after all. We see that Jacob’s genealogy has this black and white as well. It goes to show how they are just like any other – plagued by sin as well. It is purely by God’s grace that His people are chosen and saved.
We see that in our relationships we are at each other’s throats. Both Reuben and Judah have alternative plans for Joseph – they didn’t want to kill him. For Reuben, it was gaining power and position in the eyes of his father. For Judah, it was calculating opportunities and selling his brother for “profit”. Yet in the end for both we see how this earthly brother relationship is that it is all about ourselves – about what kinds of personal profit and gain I can achieve for myself. Are we like Reuben or Judah in our earthly relationships not only towards family but our peers and colleagues as well? Are we intentionally or unintentionally playing with power, calculation, risks or whatsoever. Sometimes, we see how we can reason out about how we are “helping someone” – yet at the same time being pragmatic and “rationale” for my gains? At the end of the day, God isn’t there to give you salvation and redemptive work just because you earned it and avoid certain things, but because He has chosen people like you as a sinner for His redemptive work.
When Reuben realized that his brother was missing he freaks out, tears Joseph’s clothes. We can see it as a sign of desperation, despair and more importantly, anguish and despair. We do not know what exactly is the root of this anguish, especially when this was only felt by Reuben and not by his other brothers. It may be due to a loss in his brother, or a loss in opportunity for redemption – we can only hypothetically guess. But we see that the loss of Joseph was particularly significant, for Jacob was in intense mourning because he had lost his most favoured son.
What does it mean for us at the end in thinking about this Holy Week? How does this help us in this week in looking forward to Good Friday? Joseph was betrayed and sold by his brothers. What sort of scene have we seen before? What sort of parallels can be draw?
Just as how Joseph was sent by Jacob – Jesus was sent by His Father in Heaven. Just as how Joseph was obedient, Jesus was also obedient (Phil 2:8). Just as how Joseph was there to come to his brothers, Jesus came to earth for his people. Just as how Joseph was rejected by his brothers even though he came, Jesus was rejected by his people where they called to “crucify him!” (John 1:11). In how Joseph was betrayed with 20 shekels of silvers, stripped of his robe, Jesus was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver and also stripped of his robe, being placed in a fake crown that was made of thorns. When Jesus died on the cross, the fellowship was broken.
That's not all.
When Joseph (later in Genesis!) came back to aid his family for the famine, Jesus also came back to earth to redeem His people back so that His people can be saved from their sin. How amazing that in reading this passage this week we see the parallels and being in this remembrance of what Jesus has done on the cross for all of us today.
While we think that the headings are very relatable to us, they reflect about what Christ has done as well. We were and are the betrayers. We will never be obedient and we will never be able to be obedient to our parent’s maintain good brotherly and familial relationships, or even obey God – we are the betrayers. Yet this is the amazing point of grace in which Jesus was given to us.
Our heavenly Father, through the finished work of His Son, has given us a dream, a covenantal promise and command by Him. We will be called “dreamers”, we will be called sarcastically, politically attacked and undermined, but what do we do? How do we continue to live the life called by Christ?