Josephs brothers

[Abigail]

Hi brothers and sisters,
I've been missing you this week!

I'm in a process of pondering on the nature of judgement. This week the story of Joseph's brothers popped up in my mind/heart as a figure of judgement.

Joseph is often seen as a figure of Jesus and I just felt like the story of the brothers is a beautiful picture of judgement / God dealing with man.

After the brothers got rid of Joseph, they lived on. Until the day came they were in great need of help and they realized it. Joseph tried them, tried their characters. The brothers did not feel very loved in the process, I suppose, yet in the meantime Joseph was loving them, caring for them and even cried over them. The testing time was so good for them. They learned to acknowledge their crime: 'We are truly guilty about our brother, for we saw the distress and anguish of his soul when he begged us and we would not hear. So this distress and difficulty has come upon us'. Simeon felt part of the distress Joseph had gone through. They learned to humble themselves. They learned to give themselves for their younger brother.

They were so distressed when they discovered the one they had condemned to slavery/death was Lord and King. He was so reassuring: 'Come near to me!... Do not be distressed and disheartened or vexed and angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me ahead of you to preserve life!' How beautiful a picture of Christ comforting man, who killed Him, by that, fullfilling God's plan of salvation.

Then, Joseph's admonishment when he sent them home: 'See that you don't quarrel along the road.' Men love to blame each other and he knew. Faultfinding brings no life, but the Good News does, because it points to Christ instead of to ourselves.

The last part speaks to me about how we often see God and are afraid of punishment. I believe the brothers already had had the judgement / discipline they needed, yet they're still expecting punishment. And see Joseph's response:

'When Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Perhaps now Joseph will hate us and will pay us back for all the evil we did to him. And they sent a messenger to Joseph, saying, Your father commanded before he died, saying, So shall you say to Joseph: Forgive, I pray you now, the trespasses of you brothers and their sin, for they did evil to you. Now, we pray you, forgive the trespass of the servants of your father's God. And Joseph wept when they spoke thus to him. Then his brothers went and fell down before him, saying, See, we are your servants! (reminds me of the prodigal son) And Joseph said to them, Fear not; for am I in the place of God? As for you, you thought evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive, as they are this day. Now therefore, do not be afraid, I will provide for and support you and your little ones. And he comforted them.'

[marie glen]

Amen! and what a picture of God Himself! Of which Jesus is "the exact representation of the Father's nature".. :icon_flower: