His Word Today

¹⁵ And he blessed Joseph and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day, ¹⁶ the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” (Genesis 48:15–16 (ESV)

The words blessed and blessing have been frequently used in these recent blogs. The Hebrew word for blessed is pronounced waybarek. It means to speak words invoking divine favor. This is done with the intent that the object of God’s blessing will have favorable circumstances or conditions throughout their life.  

In today’s text, Jacob not only invoked divine favor upon Manasseh and Ephraim but also their father, Jacob’s favored son, Joseph. Jacob referred to his heritage when he said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day.” The Shepherd God who was with his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac, Jacob acknowledged was also with him. Jacob affirmed that God, like a shepherd, guided, fed, protected and corrected him for close to 150 years (Gen. 47:28; Psalm 23; Isiah 59:20).

In the same breath, Jacob referred to God as the angel. The Hebrew word for angel, pronounced hammalak, means messenger and guide. This would be a reference to the Angel of the LORD.

The Tyndale Bible Dictionary explains, “The angel of the Lord, sometimes ‘the angel of God’ or ‘my (or ‘his’) angel’, is represented in Scripture as a heavenly being sent by God to deal with men as his personal agent and spokesman. In many passages he is virtually identified with God and speaks not merely in the name of God but as God in the first person singular (e.g. with Hagar, Gen. 16:7ff.; 21:17f.: at the sacrifice of Isaac, Gen. 22:1ff.; to Jacob, Gen. 31:13, ‘I am the god of Beth-el’; to Moses at the burning bush, Ex. 3:2; with Gideon, Jdg. 6:11ff.). Sometimes he is distinguished from God, as in 2 Sam. 24:16; Zech. 1:12f, but Zechariah does not consistently maintain the distinction (cf. Zech. 3:1; 12:8).”  

For the angel to be virtually identified with God would be appropriate since Jacob identifies the angel as redeeming him from all evil. To redeem means to deliver, liberate and free. This angel could very well be a pre-incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ.  

Jacob also invoked a prayer to the angel. He prayed, “bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

One author explains, “Jacob’s blessing depicts the nature of the One whom he served (Gen. 48:15–16). First, Abraham and Isaac also walked before this God. True to His word for His name’s sake, He keeps His covenants from generation to generation. Second, our Creator shepherds us like He did Jacob, leading us in the way of righteousness and disciplining us when we go astray (chap. 29–32; Heb. 12:7–11). Finally, He is the “angel” who redeems us (Gen. 48:16). He is not a creaturely angel, but the angel of the Lord with whom Jacob wrestled (Gen. 32:22–32), a pre-incarnate manifestation of the Messiah, according to churchmen throughout history. Centuries after Jacob lived, God came to earth to defeat sin and reveal His faithfulness (John 1:1–18).”

The Shepherd God who led Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and David, etc. is the same Shepherd God who currently leads you and me. May we take comfort and courage in our Shepherd who eventually will lead us home.

Soli deo Gloria!   

⁸ “When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” ⁹ Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” And he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” ¹⁰ Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. ¹¹ And Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.” ¹² Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. ¹³ And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. ¹⁴ And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn).” (Genesis 48:8–14 (ESV)

Today’s text reveals a wonderful and poignant scene between Joseph and his father Jacob. For over two decades, Jacob resigned himself to the misunderstanding that his son Joseph was dead and he would never see him alive again in this lifetime.

How wonderful it was for both Jacob and Joseph to reunite within the purpose and plan of God’s sovereign providence. You can sense Jacob’s emotion when he said to Joseph, ““I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.”

Do not glance over the words “God has let me.” In Jacob’s particular situation, he understood that the providential and sovereign God of heaven and earth permitted him to see his two Egyptian grandsons. This was the same providential and sovereign God who not only preserved Joseph while he was in prison, but also preserved humanity by releasing Joseph from prison.

Jacob was nearly blind, if not completely so. Therefore, Joseph brought his two sons close to their grandfather. Jacob then kissed and embraced them both. The aged patriarch was prepared to bless Manasseh and Ephraim. However, it is at this point that Jacob did a curious thing.

Dr. John Walvoord explains, “When Joseph presented his two sons to the aged patriarch, the blessing was pronounced. Like Isaac, Jacob gave this blessing when his eyesight was failing. But in the blessing Israel crossed his hands so that his right hand was on Ephraim’s head and his left on Manasseh’s … even though Manasseh, the firstborn, would normally have been blessed with the right hand. This was Jacob’s decision in spite of Joseph’s direction. Joseph, like so many others, expected God to work in a certain way, but found that He is often pleased to work differently and sometimes even unconventionally. But faith recognizes that God’s ways are not man’s ways. It took Jacob a lifetime of discipline to learn that fact. But he learned it, and now he blessed the younger over the elder. For four consecutive generations this re-versed pattern was followed: Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, Joseph over Reuben, and Ephraim over Manasseh.”

English poet and hymn writer William Cowper (1731-1800) expressed the doctrine of God’s providence as follows in his hymn God Moves in a Mysterious Way.

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unsearchable mines
Of never-failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.

And ye fearful saints, fresh courage take
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings, on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense
But trust Him for His grace
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face

His purposes will ripen fast
Unfolding every hour
The bud may have a bitter taste
But sweet will be the flower

Soli deo Gloria!

“After this, Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill.” So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. ² And it was told to Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to you.” Then Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed. ³ And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, ⁴ and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’ ⁵ And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. ⁶ And the children that you fathered after them shall be yours. They shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. ⁷ As for me, when I came from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).” (Genesis 48:1–7 (ESV)

Following the events recorded in Genesis 47, seventeen years pass (Gen. 47:28). This is signaled by the opening phrase found in today’s text: After this. Joseph discovered that his father Jacob was ill and dying. The word ill in the Hebrew refers to terminal sickness.

In response to this news, Joseph sought what Jacob and his brother Esau sought so many years before (Gen. 27). That was a blessing from their father. In Jacob and Esau’s case, it was a blessing from Isaac. In Joseph’s situation, he sought a blessing from his father, but not for himself. Rather, he sought Jacob’s blessing for his own two sons: Manasseh and Ephraim. It was a blessing Jacob would give.

Moses records in the today’s text Jacob’s adoption of his grandsons as his own sons (Gen. 48:5). This is best seen as Jacob’s ultimate expression of his deep love and affection for his son Joseph. The Mosaic Law would later indicate that the firstborn son normally received a double portion of his father’s blessing to illustrate his privileged status (Deut. 21:15–17).

Joseph’s inheritance will be reckoned through two tribes named after his two eldest sons. Joseph’s honor belonged to the entire nation of Israel. However, the Tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh will be regarded as special because they are directly linked to Joseph, the one God used to save the world from famine. 

Dr. R. C. Sproul explains, “Jacob’s preface to his adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh sets up the passing on of the patriarchal blessing to all his sons. Recalling his encounter with the Lord at Luz (Bethel, 28:10–22), Jacob summarizes the content of God’s word to him — life, land, and offspring (48:3–4) — with verbiage that aligns his blessing with the one given to Abraham (17:1–8) and Isaac (26:1–5). A new era in the history of the Lord’s people is about to begin, and Jacob’s words reveal his faith that even his death cannot thwart God’s intent to bless His elect. The Almighty’s promise to Abraham, mediated through Isaac and now Jacob, must come true even if it must be passed down once again.”

We may not witness the fulfillment of our prayers to God this side of glory. However, we continue to trust the Lord that He will answer our prayers, even after we die. Let each of us take comfort in the character of God.  

Soli deo Gloria!

We will continue to devote each Lord’s Day in 2022 at hiswordtoday.org to present a portion of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). For those unfamiliar with the WCF, a brief explanation is appropriate. 

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the “subordinate standard” of doctrine (to Scripture) in the Church of Scotland and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide.

It is to that “most precise and accurate summary of the content of biblical Christianity” that we will give our time and attention to each Lord’s Day in the year of our Lord, 2022. I trust you will be edified and encouraged each week by The Westminster Confession of Faith.

Chapter Twenty Nine. Of The Lord’s Supper. Part Three.

5. The outward elements in this sacrament, duly set apart to the uses ordained by Christ, have such relation to him crucified, as that truly, yet sacramentally only, they are sometimes called by the name of the things they represent, to wit, the body and blood of Christ;^a albeit, in substance and nature, they still remain truly, and only, bread and wine, as they were before.^b

a. Mat 26:26-28. • b. Mat 26:29; 1 Cor 11:26-28.

6. That doctrine which maintains a change of the substance of bread and wine, into the substance of Christ’s body and blood (commonly called transubstantiation) by consecration of a priest, or by any other way, is repugnant, not to Scripture alone, but even to common sense and reason; overthroweth the nature of the sacrament; and hath been, and is the cause of manifold superstitions, yea, of gross idolatries.^a

a. Luke 24:6, 39; Acts 3:21 with 1 Cor 11:24-26.

I encourage you to read the portions of Scripture listed in this post. Have a blessed Lord’s Day.

Soli deo Gloria!

²⁷ Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly. ²⁸ And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years. ²⁹ And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, ³⁰ but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.” He answered, “I will do as you have said.” ³¹ And he said, “Swear to me”; and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed.” (Genesis 47:27–31 (ESV)

Joseph’s extended family from Canaan settled in the land called Goshen, located in Egypt. Moses recorded in today’s text that they gained possessions, were fruitful and multiplied greatly. Additionally, Joseph’s father Jacob lived another seventeen years in Egypt until the age of 147.

Moses recorded that it was following those seventeen years, that Jacob’s life neared its end. The time came for him to die. When Jacob’s death loomed near, he met with his favorite son Joseph.

Jacob said to Joseph, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.”

Hebrew custom dictated that to place one’s hand under another individual’s thigh indicated a solemn vow to fulfill the desire of that individual. By putting his hand under Jacob’s thigh Joseph promised to carry out his father’s wishes. See Gen. 24:1-9.

It was then that Jacob told Joseph to swear to him that he would fulfill this request. To swear meant that Joseph would solemnly take an oath, promise and pledge that he would carry out Jacob’s command.

Dr. R. C. Sproul explains, “In having Joseph swear to bury him in Canaan (Gen. 47:29–31), Jacob confirmed his belief that God would bring Him out of Egypt (46:4). By faith he looked to the day when Yahweh would keep His promise in its totality, and he knew blessing would come upon his people if they would trust in God’s abundant grace and obey His commands in the Promised Land (28:10–17; Deut. 30:1–10). Burial there manifested Jacob’s trust in God for such blessing even in death. In the light of the full witness of Scripture, we know this abundant life prefigured in Canaan comes after the grave when believers are raised to live in a new Promised Land — a new earth free from the curse of evil (Rev. 21).”

The confidence Jacob had typifies the trust, commitment, dependence believers today have in the person and work of Jesus Christ. In these uncertain days on earth, we may have confidence in the Ancient of Days for eternity. Have a blessed day in the LORD.

Soli deo Gloria!

²³ “Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. ²⁴ And at the harvests you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones.” ²⁵ And they said, “You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh.” ²⁶ So Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, and it stands to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; the land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh’s. ²⁷ Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly.” (Genesis 47:23–27 (ESV)

The Hebrew word for servant is abadim. It means advisor, official, minister and finally, slave. However, the Egyptian people do not perceive Joseph to be a slave master but rather a savior due to his fiscal policies during the famine. They exclaimed, “You have saved our lives.” The people understood that Joseph had not enriched himself at the people’s expense.

One author writes, “In Joseph’s day, slaves were more like modern-day employees who have signed a contract of employment, and the master was akin to a self-employed person who has certain freedoms not shared by the contractual worker. Of course, good business owners today also have more concerns than their workers, for they must labor hard to keep people employed. Likewise, the slave owner bore a greater burden than the slave. The pharaoh is enriched under Joseph, but he must also supply seed and make sure everyone has enough to eat.”

In writing this account of Israel’s life under the administration of Joseph, Moses wanted the people of the Exodus to realize that life in Egypt had not always been difficult for their ancestors. It was there that the LORD providentially allowed them to gain possessions, to be fruitful and to increase in population. This was the same LORD who would lead the people from Egypt back to the land of Canaan.

Much like when he was a teenager caring for father’s flocks (Gen. 37:1-5). Joseph was a shepherd to the people of Israel. He evidenced the same care, leadership, love and affection for the people of Egypt. While saving the people from physical death, He typified the Lord Jesus Christ who saves His people from spiritual death (John 10:11-18).

Dr. John Walvoord writes, “So God blessed His people according to the promises He made to Abraham. They were fast becoming a great nation. Moreover, God blessed Pharaoh because he had blessed the seed of Abraham with the best of Egypt. Later in the time of Moses, when another Pharaoh oppressed Israel, God dealt harshly with the Egyptians.”  

God kept His promises to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3). The LORD keeps His promises today. He is trustworthy, dependable and worthy of worship. Have a blessed day in the LORD.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹³ Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished by reason of the famine. ¹⁴ And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, in exchange for the grain that they bought. And Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. ¹⁵ And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our money is gone.” ¹⁶ And Joseph answered, “Give your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock, if your money is gone.” ¹⁷ So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the herds, and the donkeys. He supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. ¹⁸ And when that year was ended, they came to him the following year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent. The herds of livestock are my lord’s. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our land. ¹⁹ Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we with our land will be servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.” ²⁰ So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for all the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine was severe on them. The land became Pharaoh’s. ²¹ As for the people, he made servants of them from one end of Egypt to the other. ²² Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.” (Genesis 47:13–22 (ESV)

It may be easy to forget that in the immediate aftermath of Joseph’s reunion with his family there remained five years of famine in the land (Gen. 45:1-6). Joseph still had a lot of work to do. His leadership skills from the LORD would be sorely tested.

It is also easy for most of us to begin tasks and projects. It is another thing entirely to complete those undertakings with the same enthusiasm and excellence with which we started. The fervor we possessed at the beginning of a job may lapse into fatigue before we are finished.

Believers in Christ should remember the perspective we are to have when undertaking a project or doing our job at work. Colossians 3:23–24 (ESV) says, “²³ Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ”

To work heartily means that all we do is for the LORD and should be done with our entire soul and spirit. This is how God works, how Joseph worked and how we are to work.

One author writes, “This work to save the land of the Nile shows how wickedly ungrateful it was for another pharaoh to enslave Joseph’s family (Ex. 1:8–14). From beginning to end, all blessings are from the Lord. The Egyptians prospered when they treated God’s chosen well and heeded the wisdom He gave through Abraham’s sons. In Moses’ day, Egypt suffered because she ceased to bless the Lord’s people (Ex. 7–14).”

We may not have control over the ultimate results of the work we do and the projects we accomplish. However, in what we are responsible for may the LORD find us faithful to honor and glorify Him in the effort.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “According to John Calvin and Matthew Henry, the famine and relief described in today’s passage remind us that we live and die at God’s mercy. It is easy to forget that we live, move, and have our being in the Lord (Acts 17:28) and that we must be grateful to Him for every blessing in our lives. When we forget Him, as a later pharaoh reveals, we cannot be surprised if we suffer the consequences. Offer thanks to God for the many specific blessings in your life today.”

Have a blessed day.

Soli deo Gloria!

“So Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan. They are now in the land of Goshen.” ² And from among his brothers he took five men and presented them to Pharaoh. ³ Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, as our fathers were.” ⁴ They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.” ⁵ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. ⁶ The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.” (Genesis 47:1–6 (ESV)

Even though Joseph was the governor or viceroy of Egypt, he was careful to follow protocol with respect to his family from Canaan. Even though he planned on them settling in Goshen (Gen. 46:28-34), he wanted to make sure it was agreeable to Pharaoh.

Therefore, Joseph arranged for five of his brothers to have an audience with the king of Egypt. This was after Joseph had met with Pharaoh and told him, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan. They are now in the land of Goshen.”

Genesis 47:3-4 says, “³ Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, as our fathers were.” ⁴ They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”

A key word in this dialogue is sojourn. It means to live as a stranger, to be a guest, or to be in a place. This dwelling is with a focus that one is living as a guest or stranger in a place, whether a territory, city, or house (Gen.12:20). You sense that Jacob and his family did not plan on dwelling in Egypt for over 400 years (Gen. 15:13-16; Ex. 12:40; Acts 7:6; Gal. 3:17). However, this is what the LORD had told Abraham. The LORD had other plans (Proverbs 16:9).

Unlike the Pharaoh of the Exodus (Ex. 1-2), this Pharaoh was gracious and generous to Joseph’s family. He told Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. ⁶ The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “The pharaoh graciously grants the requests of Jacob’s family and even puts them in charge of his livestock (vv. 5–6), establishing Jacob and his sons as court officials and thereby investing them with legal rights and protection. Incidentally, this turn of events corroborates what is known about ancient Egyptian civilization, again demonstrating Scripture’s trustworthiness. A later pharaoh, Rameses III, employed over 3,200 foreigners as overseers of his vast herds of cattle and other animals.”

Dr. Sproul concludes, “Believers do often enjoy positions of safety and privilege in cultures that do not trust the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. When Christians engage the government responsibly, blessing often ensues as seen here and in other passages such as Nehemiah 1:1–2:8. Yet our security does not rest in the government, for as the pharaoh shows us, ruling authorities can turn on the church even if she has benefited the society (Ex. 1:8–22). Let us not be terrified or taken off guard should this happen. Our sworn allegiance is to Christ’s kingdom, which is not of this world (John 18:36), and to that realm alone do we owe unqualified submission.”

1 Peter 2:11–12 (ESV) says, “¹¹ Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. ¹² Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”

Have a blessed day as we seek to live and glorify our Lord Jesus Christ.

Soli deo Gloria!

“Joseph was the instrument God used to dispense bread to the world in time of famine. Likewise Jesus is the “Bread of Life” who dispenses the True bread for the life of people from every tribe, tongue, people and nation (John 6:35, Rev. 5:9).”

The Bible is literature. It contains various parts of speech such as nouns, verbs, adjective, adverbs, prepositions, pronouns, conjunctions, and participles. The Bible also contains various figures of speech such direct comparison, metaphors, and indirect comparisons, similes. Another example of a figure of speech is known as typology or a type.

Typology, (Gk. typos, ‘seal-impression’), is a way of setting forth the biblical history of salvation so that some of its earlier persons or phases are seen as anticipations of later persons or phases. In other words, an Old Testament person, place, or thing correspondingly foreshadows, or prefigures, a later and greater fulfillment found in the New Testament.

While there are many Old Testament examples of typology, Joseph is a prime example from the Book of Genesis. Joseph prefigures in several ways the New Testament fulfillment of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

To begin with, Joseph was a shepherd (Gen. 37:1-2. This prefigures Jesus’ identity and work as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 27-29). Joseph’s father, Jacob, dearly loved him (Gen. 37:3). God the Father dearly loved God the Son and called Him His beloved Son (Matt. 3:17; Eph. 1:6). Joseph’s brother hated him (Gen. 37:4). So it was that the Jewish people, and Jesus’ own siblings, did not receive and believe in Him (John 1:9-11; 7:1-4).

Additionally, Joseph’s father, Jacob, sent him to his brothers (Gen. 37:13-14). God the Father sent Jesus, God the Son, to His brothers (Heb. 2:10-18). Joseph’s brother plotted to harm him (Gen. 37:20). The Jews plotted to kill Jesus (John 11:45-53; 13:1-11). Joseph’s brother stripped him of his robe, or tunic (Gen. 37:23. The Romans stripped Jesus of His robe (John 19:23-24).

The Midian traders took Joseph to Egypt (37:26). Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Egypt (Matt. 2:14-15; Hosea 11:1).  Joseph’s brother sold him to the Midianites for the price of a slave (Gen. 37:28). Judas agreed to betray Jesus for the price of a slave (Matt. 26:14-16). Joseph endured temptation (Gen. 39:1-7). Jesus endured temptation (Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13).

Joseph encountered false accusations (Gen. 39:16-18). Jesus encountered the same (Matt. 26:59-60). Joseph experienced arrest and chains (Gen. 39:20). Jesus experienced the same (Matt. 27:1-2). Joseph was in prison with two other prisoners (Gen. 40:1-3). The Romans crucified Jesus with two other prisoners (Luke 23:32).

Joseph experienced the joy of being exalted following his suffering (Gen. 41:41). So too did Jesus (Phil. 2:9-11). Both Joseph and Jesus were thirty years old at the beginning of their public ministry (Gen. 41:46; Luke 3:23). It is recorded that both of them wept (Gen. 42:24; 45:1-2, 14, 15; 46:29; John 11:35).

Both Joseph and Jesus forgave those who wronged them (Gen. 45:1-15; Luke 23:34). They both saved the nation of Israel: Joseph physically (Gen. 45:7), and Jesus spiritually (Matt. 1:21). Finally, what men did to hurt them, God the Father turned to good (Gen. 50:20; I Cor. 2:7-8).

“One day God would send another Prince, a young Prince whose heart would break. Like Joseph, he would leave his home and his Father. His brothers would hate him and want him dead. He would be sold for pieces of silver. He would be punished even though he had done nothing wrong. But God would use everything that happened to this young Prince – even the bad things – to do something good: to forgive the sins of the whole world.”  – Sally Lloyd-Jones, the Jesus Story Book Bible

Soli deo Gloria!

We will continue to devote each Lord’s Day in 2022 at hiswordtoday.org to present a portion of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). For those unfamiliar with the WCF, a brief explanation is appropriate. 

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the “subordinate standard” of doctrine (to Scripture) in the Church of Scotland and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide.

It is to that “most precise and accurate summary of the content of biblical Christianity” that we will give our time and attention to each Lord’s Day in the year of our Lord, 2022. I trust you will be edified and encouraged each week by The Westminster Confession of Faith.

Chapter Twenty Nine. Of The Lord’s Supper. Part Two.

3. The Lord Jesus hath, in this ordinance, appointed his ministers to declare his word of institution to the people, to pray, and bless the elements of bread and wine, and thereby to set them apart from a common to a holy use; and to take and break the bread, to take the cup, and (they communicating also themselves) to give both to the communicants;^a but to none who are not then present in the congregation.^b

a. Mat 26:26-28 and Mark 14:22-24 and Luke 22:19-20 with 1 Cor 11:23-27. • b. Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 11:20.

4. Private masses, or receiving this sacrament by a priest, or any other, alone;^a as likewise the denial of the cup to the people;^b worshipping the elements, the lifting them up, or carrying them about for adoration, and the reserving them for any pretended religious use, are all contrary to the nature of this sacrament, and to the institution of Christ.^c

a. 1 Cor 10:6. • b. Mark 4:23; 1 Cor 11:25-29. • c. Mat 15:9.

I encourage you to read the portions of Scripture listed in this post. Have a blessed Lord’s Day.

Soli deo Gloria!

The His Word Today Podcast begins June 1, Soli deo Gloria!