The following thoughts from the life of Joseph and his brothers are just one continuous message, and that message is on the FAMILY, with application to both the natural and spiritual family.
Ephesians 3:14-21 is a portion of scripture that we need to look at repeatedly, however at this point we will only note verses 14 and 15. As a result of bowing our “knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,” we were born into the family of God. There is only one such family with members in heaven and on earth. 1 Peter 1:23 speaks of us as having been born again by the Spirit of God, while James 1:18 speaks of our spiritual birth by means of the Word of God.
So whether the family under consideration is natural or spiritual, let us note two particular things which God desires for such families: God desires the presence of a love that leads to unity! God has a divine strategy to unite families, while Satan has a sadistic design to divide families, both natural and spiritual!
In the process of this study we will consider such passages as: Genesis 37, 39-50; 1Corinthians 1-3, 12-14. Let us familiarize ourselves with the story of Joseph and his brothers as given to us in the book of Genesis.
The Story:
Genesis 37 … introduces us to Joseph and his brothers by telling us of the dreams of Joseph and the conflict that came between the brothers and Joseph. There was a plot to kill Joseph, but through the intervention of Reuben and Judah, Joseph is spared from death. However, Joseph is sold to certain Midianite merchants, who in turn sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, the captain of Pharoah’s guard.
Genesis 39 … tells us of the place of prominence given to Joseph as the one put in charge of Potiphar’s entire household. Potiphar’s wife sought to entice Joseph to sexual immorality, but he refused her solicitation. As a result of her false accusations against Joseph he was put into prison. But even in prison, God blessed Joseph, and he became a leader under the prison warden.
Genesis 40 … tells us of the dreams of the imprisoned cupbearer and baker, and Joseph’s interpretation of those dreams. Joseph asks the cupbearer to request Pharoah to release him from prison, but the cupbearer forgot to do so.
Genesis 41 … tells us that two years pass, and Pharoah has two disturbing dreams to which he cannot find an interpretation. These dreams reminded the cupbearer of Joseph and his ability to interpret dreams. Pharoah brought Joseph out of prison, he interpreted the dreams, and proposed a survival plan for the predicted famine that would come upon Egypt and the surrounding nations. Finally, Joseph was selected by Pharoah to implement and oversee the survival plan. And Joseph is very successful in the storing of food during the seven years of plenty, and the distribution of that food during the seven years of famine.
Genesis 42-45 … contains the story of the re-connecting of Joseph and his brothers, as his brothers come to Egypt to acquire food in order to survive during the years of famine. These chapters describe in detail the process through which Joseph and his brothers pass leading to the disclosure of Joseph to his brethren.
Genesis 46-47 … tells of the coming of Joseph’s extended family to live in Egypt. Joseph is re-united with his father and the entire family.
Genesis 48-49 … gives details of blessings given by Jacob to his sons and grandchildren just prior to his death.
Genesis 50 … tells of the final details that were dealt with by Joseph and his brothers resulting in the full restoration of family unity!
Now with this story in our thoughts let us read Genesis 37:2-11.
These verses portray a very serious division within this family between Joseph and his ten brothers. It is evident to me that the major reason for this division was rooted in the INEQUITABLE LOVE shown by their father, Jacob, for the members of his family. Jacob loved Joseph more than he loved his ten brothers. The reason given for such an inequitable love was that Joseph was born to Jacob in his old age. This was a love that was based on emotion, and not on the action of the will. NOTE: Love is, first to be an action of the will! Love is a choice, and then it is to be felt in one’s emotions. The repeated command of Jesus is: “LOVE ONE ANOTHER.” It is evident that in order to obey such a command, one must do so out of one’s will, by choosing to love, and not out of one’s emotion. Jacob’s emotional, inequitable love created in the ten brothers an opposing emotional reaction that was equally inequitable in its’ lack of justice. The reaction of the ten brothers was focused toward their father and their brother Joseph.
It seems to me that life is like a road, and as human beings we are to travel together on this road of life. However, let us remember that each road has two ditches. We tend to separate from one another by taking extreme positions on one thing or another. In our analogy, we move into opposite ditches. Jacob’s inequitable love moved Joseph into a ditch of pride and arrogance, while the ten brothers moved into an opposite ditch of inferiority and insecurity, resulting in an intense, murderous anger. Their positions in opposite ditches resulted in a lack of relationship with one another on their road of life. The coat of many colors (a richly ornamented robe) given to Joseph by his father, was worn with pride and arrogance. Then Joseph had two different consecutive dreams. Both of which were reported by him to his brothers. He could have kept those dreams to himself, but I believe that it was out of his pride and arrogance that he reported the dream to them. One would have thought that after the reaction of the brothers to Joseph’s first dream, Joseph would have kept the second dream to himself! However, it seems evident to me that these dreams were reported to his brothers out of his pride and arrogance. Such actions by Joseph pushed his brothers further into the ditch of inferiority, and insecurity, hence the increase of their anger and hatred for Joseph. We must understand that neither the action of Joseph, nor the reaction of the ten brothers was right!
Lest we think too negatively concerning Jacob and his inequitable love, we need to refresh our memories about the conditions of the family from which he had come. Isaac and Rebekah were extremely divided in their love for their twin sons, Esau and Jacob. Genesis 25:27-28 states, “The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents. Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.” It is quite natural for new parents to parent in a manner similar to the way they were parented. This doesn’t make it right, but it is a tendency.
But before we get into the details of the process through which this family will pass, let’s look at the end of the story as recorded in Genesis 50:22: “And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father’s house.” KJV. “Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with his entire father’s family.” NIV. The family that was so divided in Genesis 37 is now united in Genesis 50. What a transformation!
How did such a transformation take place? I believe that the transformation came about because of two things: 1. A plan of divine action and 2. A godly human response. God had a strategic plan for the life of Joseph, and a different strategic plan for the lives of the ten brothers.
The object of both of these plans was to bring change into the lives of Joseph and his ten brothers. However, these strategic plans of God required a godly human response from both Joseph and his brothers! In the process of this study we shall consider God’s plan and their respective responses that brought about change in all of their lives, which eventually brought this divided family by love into unity.
There is one more significant aspect of family development to be considered at this point: How can two parents care for twelve children? The truth of the matter is that it takes a whole family to raise each member of a family! This is true, whether it is the natural family, or the spiritual family, the Church!
Exodus 18 records the advice given by Jethro, Moses father-in-law concerning Moses’ leadership of the spiritual family, the nation of Israel. Exodus 18 is the record of the meeting of Jethro, Zipporah (Moses wife), and their two sons Gershom, and Eliezer with Moses after the deliverance of the nation of Israel from the bondage of Egypt. A very enlightening conversation is contained in this passage of scripture.
It is important for us to know the background of Jethro (or Reuel as he is called in Exodus 2:15-20). Moses spent 40 years of his life in the land of Midian where he served his father-in-law as a shepherd of his sheep. It is interesting to note that Jethro, as a descendant of Midian was related to Moses the Israelite. In Genesis 25:1-2, after the death of Sarah, Abraham took Keturah as his wife, and they had six children, one of which was Midian. In Exodus 18:7 we see the deep respect that Moses had for his father-in-law, Jethro as he bowed down to him and kissed him! V.8 tells how Moses reported to him the manner by which the Lord delivered the Israelites out of Egypt. V.9 states that Jethro was delighted at the report, and in V.10 Jethro declared, “PRAISE BE TO THE LORD, who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians.” He continues in V.11, “Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.” Jethro then brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God.” Then Aaron, Moses, and all the elders of Israel met with Jethro in “THE PRESENCE OF GOD.” What a wonderful picture of spiritual relationships!
Jethro continues with them, and on the next day, Moses took his seat as judge for the people (v.13). As Jethro observed, he asked this question: “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”
Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and laws.” (vs.14-15). Jethro: “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.” Jethro continues: “Listen now to me and I will give you some advice; and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform.”
May I suggest to you that Jethro’s outline of Moses’ responsibilities was as follows:
1. Moses was to represent the people and their problems before God, that is, Moses was to, by prayer, intercede for the people and their problems before the LORD.
2. Moses was to teach “the decrees and laws” of the LORD (that is the word of God), so that the people might by them, learn “the way to live” and “the duties … to perform.”
However there was a limit to what Moses could do, so Jethro says: “ … select capable men from all the people---men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain----and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult cases to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.” Vs.24-26 states that Moses did exactly that!
This is a picture of how God wants us a Body of believers to care for the Church of the Living God! Pastor and people working together to care for the flock of God. There is no competition, just co-operation in caring for the spiritual family of God.
Someone has said that the New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed, and that the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed. The picture that we have viewed in Exodus 18 of leaders and followers working together in unity is portrayed in the familiar passage of Ephesians 4:11-13. The leaders, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, are to equip the followers to do the work of the ministry. This results in the building up of the Body of Christ into a functional, working unity!
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