- v2 - Shepherd character - John ch 10 - "I am the Good Shepherd..."
- v3 - Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children... - "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased..."
- v3 - The timing of Joseph's birth (Jacob was in old age and Rachel had been barren!) - Think of the Lord Jesus - "When the fullness of the time was come..." Christ came at the right time, according to God's schedule!
- v3 - The coat of many colours - The Saviour had a distinctive coat too, woven from the top throughout, and without seam. Really his coat speaks of his lovely seamless character, no gaps, flaws or joins and of course without sin! This is what made the Lord so distinctive amongst men, not so much a coat of many colours.
- v4 - His brethren hated him - Psa 69 - "Those that hate me without cause are more than the hairs of my head"
- v5 - Joseph brought a vision/message from God - Christ fully told out the Father, He was the message! The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us...
- v13 - Sent by the Father, a willing servant - Lo I come... The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world...
- v14 - Sought his brethren's welfare - Concerning Christ - "He came unto his own..."
- v15 - He was found wandering - This could never be said of the Saviour! Every step was purposeful and planned, always in the right place at the right time.
- v20 - Come now therefore and let us slay him - Think of Mk 12 - "this is the heir, come let us kill him..."
- v22 - Reuben hoped to deliver him once again to his father - Think of the Lord Jesus, of him it is said that "God spared not his Son but delivered Him up for us all..."
- v23 - They stripped him of his coat - We spoke earlier about that distinctive coat of the Lord's speaking of his lovely character. Although he was stripped of his coat at Calvary (they cast lots for his garments) they could not divest him of his beautiful sinless character, neither could they tarnish it! In fact his flawless character is only enhanced and seen in it's fullest glory at Calvary.
- v24 - They cast him into a pit, there was no water in it - Interesting that the scriptures make specific mention of the lack of water. When we think of the Saviour we think of the depths of his suffering at Calvary, both at the hands of men and bearing the judgement for our sin there. There were waters for Him there - Psa 69 for example: "Waters are come in unto my soul, I sink in deep mire where there is no standing. I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me..." We remember the words found in Genesis chapter 1, God gathered the waters unto one place... and that was Calvary. "All thy waves and thy billows have passed over me..."
- v25 - They sat down to eat bread - Calvary - "sitting down they watched him there..."
- Gen 42:21 - We saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear... Interesting detail here found a few chapters later. We think of Pilate when he brought forth the Saviour arrayed in mockery and disdain - "Behold the man!" They saw and looked upon him... Concerning the soul - Isaiah says he "poured out his soul unto death... he shall see of the travail of his soul..." Unlike Joseph however, I don't think the Saviour 'besought' or pleaded with his tormentors... Surely he suffered as the willing victim! We are told exactly what was said from the cross, there were no protestations or remonstrations.
- v28 - Both were sold for a pittance - Give me my price, so they weighed for my price 30 pieces of silver...
- v33 - The father looked upon the blood - Of course Jacob was deceived by the blood of the kid of the goats, it wasn't his son's blood. Think of God the Father when he looked down upon Calvary, that mercy seat where the Saviour shed his precious blood to atone for sin once and for all! "When I see the blood, I will pass over you" We are told that Christ is our Passover! We are justified by his blood, it cleanses us from all sin, and makes peace by the blood of His cross!
I trust these simple thoughts will be a blessing and encourage others to add to and develop these thoughts.
Yours in Christ, Mark
