SECOND QUARTER 2022
SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #12
JUNE 18, 2022
“JOSEPH, PRINCE OF EGYPT”

 

The Sabbath School lesson this week covers the events of Joseph’s life after he interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams which are recorded in Genesis chapters 41:37 through Genesis chapter 45. The story is very familiar to us. Joseph rose to second in command in Egypt after Pharaoh saw the Spirit of God in Joseph. “And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.”

Ellen White comments on this: “There are few who realize the influence of the little things of life upon the development of character. Nothing with which we have to do is really small. The varied circumstances that we meet day by day are designed to test our faithfulness and to qualify us for greater trusts. …. By faithfulness in that which is least they acquire strength to be faithful in greater matters. PP 222.3

An upright character is of greater worth than the gold of Ophir. Without it none can rise to an honorable eminence. But character is not inherited. It cannot be bought. Moral excellence and fine mental qualities are not the result of accident. The most precious gifts are of no value unless they are improved. The formation of a noble character is the work of a lifetime and must be the result of diligent and persevering effort. God gives opportunities; success depends upon the use made of them. PP 223.1. The story from here reveals these principles in Joseph’s life.

Genesis chapters 42-45 teaches us so many lessons and we could spend time discussing points such as sin and what it does to our perception of God and His character. We could speak of His pleading heart for His wayward children and His character as revealed in Exodus 34:6, 7, or the meaning of the investigative judgement, or the necessity of true repentance. We could spend time on Genesis 43:8, 9 and Judah’s offer to be the surety for Benjamin and the significance of Judah making this offer. But what is the story really all about. In the book Patriarchs and Prophets page 239.2, Ellen White says, “The life of Joseph illustrates the life of Christ.”

Prior to the children of Israel going in to Egypt, Joseph had dreams. And in the context of those dreams the children of Israel, literally the descendants of Jacob went in to Egypt, and for a time became slaves prior to the Exodus when they were called out of Egypt. As we read Matthew 2:13 another man, Joseph had a dream. “Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, ¹⁵ and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son”. Jesus is here in solidarity with His people Israel to whom this text also refers - Hosea 11:1. Matthew chapters 3-7 continues the parallel of the life of Jesus and the children of Israel: Chapter 3 the baptism, Chapter 4 the wilderness of temptation, and Chapter 5 the giving of the law of God. But let us finish the quote that we began with above.

“The life of Joseph illustrates the life of Christ. It was envy that moved the brothers of Joseph to sell him as a slave; they hoped to prevent him from becoming greater than themselves. And when he was carried to Egypt, they flattered themselves that they were to be no more troubled with his dreams, that they had removed all possibility of their fulfillment. But their own course was overruled by God to bring about the very event that they designed to hinder. So the Jewish priests and elders were jealous of Christ, fearing that He would attract the attention of the people from them. They put Him to death, to prevent Him from becoming king, but they were thus bringing about this very result. PP 239.2

Joseph, through his bondage in Egypt, became a savior to his father's family; yet this fact did not lessen the guilt of his brothers. So the crucifixion of Christ by His enemies made Him the Redeemer of mankind, the Saviour of the fallen race, and Ruler over the whole world; but the crime of His murderers was just as heinous as though God's providential hand had not controlled events for His own glory and the good of man. PP 239.3

As Joseph was sold to the heathen by his own brothers, so Christ was sold to His bitterest enemies by one of His disciples. Joseph was falsely accused and thrust into prison because of his virtue; so Christ was despised and rejected because His righteous, self-denying life was a rebuke to sin; and though guilty of no wrong, He was condemned upon the testimony of false witnesses. And Joseph's patience and meekness under injustice and oppression, his ready forgiveness and noble benevolence toward his unnatural brothers, represent the Saviour's uncomplaining endurance of the malice and abuse of wicked men, and His forgiveness, not only of His murderers, but of all who have come to Him confessing their sins and seeking pardon. PP 239.4

The descendants of Jacob, the Israelites, would be in Egypt 400 years and be slaves. “Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. ¹⁴ And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. Genesis 15:13. They would be led out of Egypt “by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm”. They would cross the Red Sea miraculously and come to Mount Sinai where God would remind them that He “bore them on eagles wings and brought you to myself” and give them His Ten Commandment Law. And in the second writing of this law, after their rebellion, He would give Moses one of the most beautiful descriptions of His character. “And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, ⁷ keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” In His presentation of the law at Sinai, He revealed His character.

The opening sentence of the quote from Patriarchs and Prophets says, “The life of Joseph illustrates the life of Christ”. Going back to Matthew, we see Jesus retracing the steps that Israel took which means that Matthew 5 would be the new Mount Sinai. Matthew 5 says that Jesus “opened His mouth and taught them saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Ellen White in MB 6 says, ““He opened His mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”—Matthew 5:2, 3.

As something strange and new, these words fall upon the ears of the wondering multitude. Such teaching is contrary to all they have ever heard from priest or rabbi.” Something strange and new!

These introductory texts in the Sermon on the Mount teaches us the steps of true repentance. The issue with Joseph’s brothers was sin against their brother and their perception of what he would do should he ever see them again. But in this passage as Christ gets ready to expand on the true meaning of the law, He gives us this important sequence in true repentance. Blessed are those that recognize their spiritual poverty because heaven is their home. Strange and new. Martyn Lloyd Jones who preached in Westminster Cathedral on the book of Romans for ten years, said that there is no greater articulation of the great truth of Justification by faith than this beatitude, blessed are the poor in spirit. Heaven is for these people because they recognize their spiritual poverty. This sounds a bit like the message to Laodicea. “The proud heart strives to earn salvation; but both our title to heaven and our fitness for it are found in the righteousness of Christ. The Lord can do nothing toward the recovery of man until, convinced of his own weakness, and stripped of all self-sufficiency, he yields himself to the control of God. Then he can receive the gift that God is waiting to bestow. From the soul that feels his need, nothing is withheld. He has unrestricted access to Him in Whom all fullness dwells. DA 300.1.

The beatitude continues, Blessed are they that mourn that condition. “The mourning of which He speaks does not consist in melancholy and lamentation. While we sorrow on account of sin, we are to rejoice in the precious privilege of being children of God. DA 300.2

We often sorrow because our evil deeds bring unpleasant consequences to ourselves; but this is not repentance. Real sorrow for sin is the result of the working of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit reveals the ingratitude of the heart that has slighted and grieved the Saviour and brings us in contrition to the foot of the cross. By every sin Jesus is wounded afresh; and as we look upon Him Whom we have pierced, we mourn for the sins that have brought anguish upon Him. Such mourning will lead to the renunciation of sin.” DA 300.3. This mourning, gives us meekness and then we hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Christ, realizing that we are the undeserving recipients of the mercy and grace of God, then we begin to treat others the way God has treated us. Then our hearts begin to be purified and we become peacemakers.

As we review the story of Joseph and his brothers this week, we see the heart of the brothers, full of fear, suspicion, and mistrust, unsure of the character of their brother. But the grace of God had worked in Joseph’s heart, and he was able to reassure them and tell them, “Please come near to me.” So, they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. ⁵ But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. Gen 45: 4, 5. Joseph was a peacemaker. The Beatitudes conclude with blessing on those whose mission is to bring the message of Christ our righteousness to those around them. To say something “strange and new” about God, to woo people to Jesus, to woo people to the Father.

May God transform our hearts

Lyndi Schwartz