It got to the ears of Pharaoh that Joseph's brethren had arrived in Egypt, "and it pleased Pharaoh well." "And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; and take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land... and the children of Israel did so."
Joseph gave them "provision for the way," and a parting exhortation, "See that ye fall not out by the way." This seems rather a remarkable exhortation, and ungrounded and out of place, did he not know their hearts. Now that he had reconciled them to himself, who once hated him so bitterly and treated him so cruelly, he knew their danger lay in that they might fall out among themselves.
He had known what it was for anger, malice, and jealousy to separate between himself and them; and now his desire was, and he exhorted them to this end, that the same thing might not be found among themselves. There was no fear of falling out among them selves while in his presence, for his presence occupied and kept them, though his keen perception had doubtless observed the rising of it in Reuben's reproach in chapter 42:22. Their danger was, when absent from him, that they would forget him and the grace that had abounded over their sin and, failing to see the beams in their own eyes, would set to work at the fruitless task, in such a case, of casting out the motes in their brethren's eyes—an attempt, under such circumstances, only to be fraught with sorrow and disappointment. God forbid that we should be so indifferent, and so lack spiritual insight, as not to see the motes or beams in our brother's eye when they are there to see, for we cannot assist in the deliverance from them—surely a good thing—unless we see them. Neither let our love be of such a quality that we let them pass, noticed, but uncorrected or unchallenged, for correction is one of the most blessed exhibitions of love, when done in the spirit of meekness, that covers a multitude of sins; but the Lord grant us grace that it may never be done in the spirit that accords with "falling out." We are exhorted—and may it be more constantly before each of us—as far as depends on you, to live at peace with all men. Rom. 12:1818If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. (Romans 12:18); N. Trans.
This is not surely easy, but He who has given the exhortation has also given "provision for the way" for its accomplishment.
When Joseph's brethren arrived in Canaan, they told their father that Joseph was yet alive, and that he was governor over all the land of Egypt. "And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not." He always seemed to disbelieve the good and to believe the bad, and surmise bad where there was not certainty of good. The selfish supplanter of youth, at the expense of others, had grown up into the old man, reaping a full harvest of what he had sown.
Whether it be success or failure for the present that attends our faithless schemes and plots, is of little moment when compared with the effect in future suffering such practices have upon the spirit. Jacob's early sorrowful history, in which Rebekah his mother so much figured, bore marks never to be effaced on earth. He had acted as if there were no God, though he was loved by Him when yet unborn (Rom. 9). And now that he was old, he seemed unable to credit God with good, or trace His hand in blessing, or enjoy the sweet repose so grateful to old age, the fruit of confidence in such a heart and such a hand, learned in all the varying circumstances of such a life.
"When he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived." "When he saw." Nothing but seeing was believing with Jacob; when he saw he believed, saying, "Joseph my son is yet alive." Sight produces resolution too—"I will go and see him"; and "Israel took his journey." When he "saw," and not till then did he say, "it is enough."
We do not read of Jacob praying when the famine came, but we do read what he did when he saw that there was corn in Egypt (Gen. 42:11Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? (Genesis 42:1)). It is the language of the doubting Thomas, in John 20: "Except I shall see in His hands... I will not believe." Jesus appeared a second time, when Thomas was present, and His gentle rebuke upon Thomas's confession of Him then was, "Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed." Sight does not call for faith, and its only advantages are present things. Faith is
far more excellent; it is the substantiating of things hoped for (Heb. 11:11Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)). The world goes on the principle of sight; it knows nothing better; the present is its gain. The Christian lives and walks by faith, with the brightest hopes to buoy him over the adverse' currents of the present, which swamp the boasted freights of sight, but leave him rejoicing ever.
In Gen. 47 Joseph brought his father into the presence of Pharaoh, who asked of him his age. The reply was sad indeed—a pitiful whine, totally devoid of a single chord for God. It was the knell of parting days which would appear to have had no ray of sunshine for Jacob's memory. Ah! he had forgotten, or was too much self-occupied to think of it, that blessed hour when the "sun was set," and on the way to Haran, with stones for his pillow, God had brought before the unconscious Jacob those wondrous mysteries, the ladder, the angels, and the promise; and how he had called it the "house of God," "the gate of heaven." It was a wonderful revelation, though he spoiled the blessing of it to his soul by his vow, and by his bargain; he was ignorant of grace.
Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The days of the years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage." And Jacob blessed Pharaoh and departed. How different the language of Paul in Acts 20 where he says, "Neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy," having testified of the "grace of God," and at the end does finish his course with exultation, saying, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:77I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: (2 Timothy 4:7)), and looked forward to the loved appearing of his Lord. It is just the contrast to Jacob who counted his life so dear, so short, and finished it, not with joy, but with groans and sorrow, without a word of the grace ever so abounding over him. How often is our language much the same, ever recounting the so-called "evil" of the days or years, instead of boasting in the grace that has unremittingly pursued us!
The third circle was brought into blessing round Joseph in this chapter. The circles became narrower as they became more intimate. I will name them, beginning with the smallest and most intimate. None can question that of all the recipients of Joseph's favors, beneficence, and love, Asenath, his wife, was first. Nearer and dearer and smaller this circle, if such I may call it, could not be. Her place was unique, without fear of rival. As we said before, she had not suffered with him, but she certainly shared the spoil. His suffering and reward were both her gain, though she only participated in the latter; and of all the objects of Joseph's love and care, she, though little spoken of, we doubt not, was pre-eminent.
Joseph's brethren came next—a larger circle, though barely numbering seventy. These he dearly loved, suffered for, reconciled, and enriched. This circle answers to Christ's brethren after the flesh, who, like John the Baptist, shall rejoice to hear the Bridegroom's voice ( John 3:2929He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. (John 3:29)), which once they not so much as even regarded; but through repentance and Achor's valley (Hos. 2:1515And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. (Hosea 2:15))—the "door of hope"—the judgment he sustained for them will have this, their "joy fulfilled." Joseph suffered for them as well as by them (at their hands), then reconciled them to himself by making himself known to them. Truly this was love and grace in Joseph; but they only got the second place, though there was a natural link -they were his brethren. Asenath remained unrivaled still, though a Gentile, where no link according to flesh existed ere she became his wife, a fact that foretells the greater grace to be displayed, which now, in this our day of highest privilege, so enriches the objects of it, bringing them into union with Him, the true Joseph, who, as to fact, is still in rejection by His brethren. But as Joseph in the days of his rejection took Asenath to be his wife, so Christ will—before His brethren according to the flesh, in repentance look on Him whom they pierced, and mourn, and welcome Him back with, "This is our God; we have waited for Him"—present us to Himself, a glorious Church, His bride forever.
The third circle is the Egyptians. His wife was given him. His brethren reconciled. Egypt he bought—and the Egyptians. The field-the world-Christ bought (Matt. 13). His brethren are gathered and associated with, and blessed under Him on the earth. His Asenath—the Church—is given Him. All the money of the land of Egypt passed into the hands of Joseph, and when all their money was exhausted, they came to Joseph and said, "Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence?" Why, indeed! Evidently Joseph was most accessible, even to these strangers; their very question suggests it to us. Why should they be wanting, while he had plenty? Yet they had no money. So he told them to give their cattle, their houses, and their flocks, for which he returned them bread. And when that year was ended, they came again and said, "We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent. My lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not aught left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies and our lands." At their extremity and wits' end they told him all, keeping nothing back and Joseph's ready ear was open to their complaint, and his services at their disposal. He had their confidence, and they offered their bodies and their land; "Buy us and our land." In Gen. 47:2323Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land. (Genesis 47:23) he told them, "I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land." When they had "spent all," and had nothing more to sell, and yielded up their very bodies, then, and then only, did they get the seed for sowing the land, four-fifths of the produce of which was to be their own. How we see the purpose of God as to the pre-eminence of Christ brought out in all this! In all these circles Joseph was supreme. It is like a pyramid with Christ the top and center. He will reign and subdue all things unto Him, and thus ratify in manifested power what He effected in the cross—the purchase of the world, the largest circle, the Gentile in the day of the fullness of the Jew.
Next, and higher in the pyramid, are His brethren, the circumference diminished greatly, yet consisting of a company numerous according to the promise as the sand by the seashore. And higher still, nearest and dearest, the Church—His body now, His bride hereafter, companion and partner in His glory, and first object of His heart's delight. The three companies are found in Rev. 7 The personal pronoun, "I," represents the Church—our Asenath. John was in the place of separation, and state of "in the Spirit," which should characterize all who succeed him and share with him Church privilege. This circle—a unit (the Church is one)—is followed by another circle, consisting of a hundred and forty-four thousand descendants of Joseph's brethren. And then the Gentile
company—a great multitude which no man could number. And "He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them," in unchallenged pre-eminence.