The story of Joseph is a model for the way of Christ.
Joseph reveals himself to his brothers not as a judge, but as a saviour. He says: “God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance” (Genesis 45:7).
Later, when their father Jacob had died, the brothers were afraid again. But Joseph had forgiven them. He did not want to bring up the matter again. When his brothers did, Joseph wept (Genesis 50:17). It hurt him deeply that his brothers did not trust him.
In Genesis 50:20, Joseph says: “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today”.
Even our bad choices do not prevent God from turning our lives into blessings.
Joseph never cried about himself and his situation, but only about his brothers.
It is the same with Jesus. He is totally committed to us. He weeps and struggles for us. He takes our guilt upon Himself and holds nothing against us. He is full of love. Nothing hurts him more than when we don’t trust his words and keep bringing up our mistakes.
Messiah images in the Torah
- God seeks us – Adam where are you?
- The possibility of a choice – Two trees in the Garden of Eden
- Neediness instead divinity – A new view
- God’s master plan – Salvation through a human being
- A divine clothing – God acts
- A world upside down – Kai and Abel
- Living in the presence of God – Enoch
- God is calling – Noah
- A king-priest like Melchizedek
- God visits Abraham
- Life through a sacrifice – Isaac
- The ladder to heaven – Jacob
- New identity from Jacob to Israel
- Messiah Ben Joseph – Joseph the son of Jacob
- Shiloh, whom all nations will serve – Blessing on Judah
- Moses, the prototype of the Saviour
- References to Jesus in Moses
- The Passover Lamb
- The pillar of cloud and fire
- God wants to be with us – The tabernacle / The temple
- The snake on a pole – An image of a new beginning
- The rock in the desert – Faith is not a method
- A prophet greater than Moses
- A star from Jacob – Bileam