“And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou halt, come to poverty.” v.11. This verse establishes Joseph’s age at 39 years. He was 30 when he first stood bore Pharaoh—followed by seven years of plenty and two years of famine. It was at approximately 17 years of age that he had been sold into slavery, so it is not difficult to see that in the 22-year interval he had changed a great deal in appearance and had undoubtedly adopted the dress of the Egyptians and spoke fluently in their language. It is readily seen why his brothers failed to recognize him until he told them who he was. His strangeness to his brethren brings to our attention the words of the Lord Jesus, of whom the Spirit spoke prophetically: “I am become a stranger unto My brethren, and an alien unto My mother’s children.” Ps. 69:8.
All that God had disclosed to Joseph in his boyhood dreams and that he had related to his father and the other sons had come true. Thus his brothers had by now amply proved the truth of the prophecies that they would “make obeisance” and “bow down themselves to him.” When he spoke of another five years of famine his words were accepted without question. How could they question the truth of such a one as this? Their eyes had seen his glory, they had experienced his authority and power, and their hearts had tasted the sincerity of his love and desire for their welfare.
“And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.” v. 13.
Joseph’s glory in the land of Egypt spoke further of the glory that will later be displayed in the Lord Jesus as the Prince of Peace, when His earthly people are happily reunited with Him. Yet there ever was an intrinsic glory in the Person of Jesus while He walked here and though He veiled that glory, there were times when it shone forth. “He could not be hid.” Mark 7: 24. On His way to the garden we hear Him pray: “Father,... glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee .. I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do.” John 17:1,41These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: (John 17:1)
4I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. (John 17:4).
Joseph rejoiced to think of his father learning of his glory. The Son of God rejoiced, in a far more perfect way, to have His glory declared before His Father, but could commune with Him in a divine relationship that Joseph could not experience. Viewing the cross He prayed: “And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.” John 17:55And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. (John 17:5). God’s answer to this we read in Philippians 2:9-119Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9‑11): “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,... and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Memory Verse: “Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Eph. 4: 32.
ML 10/29/1967