As I stated in the last two messages, I want to drive one point home: that the life of Joseph is similar to what happened to the Northern House of Israel. And the House of Israel, in turn, became the lost tribes. The average "megapreacher" on TV will take the life of Joseph, derive some moral conclusions from it, and then apply it to our lives. While this can be done, they fail to see the depth of prophecy that the story really has. They act as if it's "all over" on the closing chapter of Genesis. No, it was not!
Chapter 39 speaks of the favor that Joseph had with his Master, Potiphar, and for that matter God Himself. He was with Joseph, the bible says, with everything he done. That is..... until the master's wife started getting the hots for Joseph. Now what we have to consider here is that Joseph, while favored, did not rise to prominence yet. He was a favored kinda guy, but far from being exceedingly powerful as a leader yet. And like his father Jacob, he seemed to have all kinds of bad luck amidst his favor. The master's wife caught hold of his garment while he was attempting to get away. He was running from sin, but the "incriminating" evidence was already in her hands! Bam! To jail he went, but the bible says the Lord was still with him! Don't always seem like it, does it? And what historically happened to Israel, namely the tribe of Joseph? They became the wanderers among the nations (Hosea 9:17) sometimes fighting even empires such as Rome when we looked into the tracing of their migrations. However, they were in their prison yet until they could group and settle in their appointed place. God favored them and was with them (Amos 9:9).
I brought up the exile of Israel because of chapter 40 and 41. We see that Joseph interpreted the butler's and baker's dreams. The baker was hanged and the butler reinstated to his position before Pharaoh. Joseph only asked one thing --- that the butler would remember him and mention his unjust prison term before Pharaoh. Like all good people who give you all kinds of accolades when you do a great job, they forget you when you were hoping to become their friend. They seem real righteous and holy as if they are on the same page as you and then they're gone! Been there, done that. But chapter 41:1 it states,
And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
This is where we can make the connection to the exile. It does not state how long Joseph was there in prison, but apparently long enough to gain the trust of the prison keeper and then to be placed in the company of the butler and baker for a season. However, in 41:1 it mentions 2 full years. Could this time be between two and three years perhaps? And what about the passage in Hosea regarding the exile of Israel?
Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
That's just what seemed to have happened to Joseph here. He was about to go free! And he was about to become even greater than before! The reader may feel I'm stretching things here, but it find these numbers and the similarity in circumstances a "strange" coincidence. But there's even more! In chapter 41 Joseph interprets the Pharaoh's dreams about the lean and fat cows and corn (grain). Pharaoh was distressed and knew there was a meaning to them. Now, all of a sudden, Joseph came to the mind of the butler---- "Oh, by the way...." Isn't that how it always goes? Now Joseph was suddenly 'good enough'. I won't go into the details of this well-known Sunday School lesson other than to say that the thin cows/corn swallowing up the fat ones meant that there was going to be years of fatness followed by famine. Just that quick, at a moment, Joseph came to power! (Does this remind us of a single great nation suddenly declaring their independence perhaps?). His wisdom impressed the Pharaoh to make him equal in all but the throne. However, there are some prophetic descriptions of Joseph I want to point out in this chapter.
First of all, Joseph acted purely "Gentile" as with his rise to power, he married a daughter of a priest in verse 45. He also had a name change. In verse 51 He had a son called "Manasseh" meaning 'forgetfulness'. But in verse 52 he also had Ephraim because he became FRUITFUL where? in his homeland? No, he became fruitful in the land of his AFFLICTION! And the chapter ends with nations coming to Egypt where JOSEPH was for food. Joseph looked different, he married a very real "un-Jewish" girl, he had sons by her describing his forgetfulness of his old toil AND HIS FATHER "S HOUSE. And yet he became this great, prosperous "Gentile" leader where all the world turns their attention. He was as Gentile as Gentile comes.
And to think that these know-it-all scholarly type that mock the lost tribes look for a population that has Jewish customs and ways! The problem is, they don't read the rest of the bible that says that Joseph's descendants will become just as he was! They would not be recognized as God's people (Hosea 1:9).
What were the parallels? First of all, ask any Sunday School teacher the significance of Joseph marrying that Gentile girl. Probably not too many will know. Ask an evangelist---- he'll probably come up with some 'reason' that is morally related, but is otherwise just an object lesson. Now, let's consult the BIBLE! The bible has oodles and oodles of scripture depicting the House of Israel as Gentile people. This event was prophetic of Joseph's future descendants. Later on, Jacob ADOPTS Joseph's two sons in Simeon and Reuben's stead but under normal circumstances, little Gentile children like Manasseh and Ephraim would not be accepted. But he did accept them! THIS SHOWS JOSEPH"S SEED BECOMING GENTILE and yet adopted into the family of Israel. The physical lineage is yet there (physical seed) but has a component of Gentile at the same time. We see that happening in our Lord's genealogy as well. Just check out those women in Matthew's genealogy sometime.
How about Joseph's name change?
I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. (Isaiah 65:1) AND.....
And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.(Isaiah 62:2)
These passages sound "Christian" and were clearly addressed to Israel that would have a "name change" just like Joseph.
I like the part where his son's name Manasseh means 'forgetful'. We teach on this site that the United States originated in Manasseh. We forgot where we came from--- we even act differently than the nations we were supposed to have originated from. Critics will often quip that we cannot be from Israel because Jews read from right to left whereas we read left to right (again, they erroneously think that we have to act 'Jewish' if we are part of the lost tribes). Well, according to that logic, the people of the United States could not have originated from Britain because everyone knows that the people of the United States drive on the right side while the British drive on the left side of the road! We have truly forgotten and become that appointed place (II Samuel 7:10). As a matter of fact, we forgotten so much that Christians oftentimes take offense at the thought that we are "Jewish".
How about the "fruitful" part of the chapter where he names his son Ephraim? Where did that start? We know that when Britain ended her 2520 years punishment around the turn of the nineteenth century that industry, colonization, population and power grew. But was does the bible say about Israel increasing? Turn to Isaiah 49:19-20 for a clue:
For thy waste and thy desolate places, [where???] and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away. The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell. [obviously they are being fruitful in the land of their destruction similar to Joseph being fruitful in the land of his affliction]
Last thing I want to point out is the chapter ending with all the nations coming to Egypt for "hand outs". Now I do not want to get too detailed here regarding the truth in the similar actions of Britain in her heyday and now the United States. As we mentioned earlier in our series, WE ARE HATED FOR IT. Yet God's word promised in Deuteronomy 28:12
The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
Now, I realize that was contingent on following the Law, but not following the Law resulted in God shutting up His blessing to Israel for a season (i.e. seven times). The basic promise to them nationally was still there regardless of their actions because of the faith of Abraham. So, when the time came again to bless them after their punishment (the exile) they would become great again and this was one characteristic of Israel (i.e. lending to nations). In other words, I believe that Britain and the United States (both being from Joseph) would have succeeded even if they were not "Christian nations", but we have to be careful here. Becoming Christian was prophesied just as becoming great nationally, and as such one cannot eliminate the other, but I want the reader to understand that they are independent of each other, but yet ironically, work together for God to carry out His purpose. Makes sense? I hope so. If it does, praise God you have ears to hear and eyes to see with. All the physical promises to Abraham's seed, as carried out in Joseph does not make everyone there spiritually saved, but from this great earthly people are a subgroup of those called out to do God's work. The national greatness is then a "tool" used to bless everyone else with the gospel message just as Joseph's greatness blessed the world when he had grain for all to have.
We will end here for now. We will pick up at chapter 42 in the next message and we shall see even more characteristics, and it will amaze you!