Genesis 45
Though Judas sold the Lord Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, yet God sent Jesus, like Joseph to “preserve life.” The world hated the Lord Jesus and killed Him, but God sent His Son to die for the sinners in this world—the world which killed Him. Joseph’s brothers wanted to kill Joseph, but God used their sin to save their lives. The world committed the sin of killing God’s Son, but God used His death to give life—eternal life—to whosoever believes in Him as their own Saviour.
Joseph said to his brothers, “Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, ‘Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not.’”
In a greater way, the Lord Jesus Christ humbled Himself, even dying on the cross, “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, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth: And that every tongue should confess that JESUS CHRIST is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Confess Him now and get salvation. You must confess Him in the future, but then it will be too late, and you will not get salvation, but eternal punishment. Many people hate Jesus’ name, but every one of these people will confess that Jesus is Lord, and bow down to Him.
Joseph said, “Tell my father of all my glory in Egypt.” How happy our hearts are to hear all the glory of the Lord Jesus! In Revelation 5, we read that He is the only one in heaven or earth who is worthy to open the book. Jacob had never seen, nor understood, all that glory, just as we know some of the glory in heaven, but cannot understand all. The Queen of Sheba said to Solomon, “I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it; and behold the half was not told me” (1 Kings 10:7).
Joseph in his glory and in such a high position wanted his father and his brothers to be with him. Pharaoh said, “Take your father and your households, and come unto me, and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt.” And he commanded to take wagons to bring them, and said, “Regard not your stuff;” (that means, “your possessions”) “for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.” Here Joseph is a picture of the Lord Jesus, and Pharaoh of God the Father. God the Father’s heart is the same as the heart of our Lord Jesus. Pharaoh said, “Come unto me!” just as Joseph said, “Come unto me!” And so the Father and the Son both call us to “Come!” The Lord Jesus says, “In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself: that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2-3). And the Lord Jesus also said: “Come unto Me ... and I will give you rest.”
The Lord Jesus in His great glory waits the time when we will dwell with Him; then “He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied” (Isa. 53:11). Pharaoh said. “The good of all the land of Egypt is yours,” but our Lord Jesus tells us the inheritance given to us is in heaven. It is incorruptible and undefiled and it does not fade (1 Peter 1:4). Dear believers, the good of all heaven is yours, Regard not your stuff; you have better things. Your own things can just weigh you down; you cannot take them with you. Truly, God our Father gives strength for the way to heaven. He sent the Holy Spirit to lead us safely to His house. Pharaoh sent wagons, but they were only for their little ones, the women, and their father; not for the stuff. We should not lay up treasures upon earth, but in heaven. Everyone of Joseph’s family was going to Joseph’s glory. Joseph sent gifts to his whole family, and food for the desert journey, right to the home he had prepared. The Lord Jesus gives gifts to His Church, and gives everything needed, right to the Father’s house. Jacob was glad of those gifts; so are we (1 Cor. 12). But if there is no love, all good gifts are useless, so Joseph said, “See that ye fall not out by the way.” God tells His children of something “more excellent,”—which is love (1 Cor. 13).
When the brethren told Jacob about all Joseph’s glory, he, like the Queen of Sheba, did not believe. Are we the same? “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken” (Luke 24:25) —but when Jacob saw the wagons he said, “It is enough: Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.”
“And so Israel,” (Jacob’s new name) “took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba.” O Jacob, did you not hear, “Regard not your stuff”? Just like us! The good of all Egypt was his, and yet to take his own things too! Listen: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Matt. 6:19-20).
Now recall Joseph’s pressing words, “Haste ye and go up to my father, and say unto him...Come down unto me, tarry not.” “Ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.” We see Joseph’s hurry to see his loved one. But think how long Joseph had waited for his brothers to repent. For a long time the Lord Jesus has waited patiently to have us with Himself. He says, “I come quickly.” Yet He is still waiting because He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
O Jesus, Lord! ’tis joy to know
Thy path is o’er of shame and woe,
For us so meekly trod;
All finished is Thy work of toil,
Thou reapest now the fruit and spoil,
Exalted by our God.
Thy holy head, once bound with thorns,
The crown of glory now adorns;
Thy seat, the Father’s throne;
O Lord! e’en now we sing Thy praise,
Ours the eternal song to raise
Worthy the Lord alone!
As Head for us Thou sittest there,
Until Thy members too shall share
In all Thou dost receive:
Thy glory and Thy royal throne
Thy boundless love has made our own,
Who in Thy Name believe.
We triumph in Thy triumphs, Lord;
Thy joys our deepest joys afford,
The fruit of love divine.
While sorrowing, suffering, toiling here,
How does the thought our spirits cheer,
The throne of glory’s Thine