Joseph is what theologians call a “type” of Christ, meaning that whenever we study Joseph the Holy Spirit is teaching us something about the Messiah. The events and actions which Joseph literally and historically did prefigure or foreshadow somehow actual events and actions the Messiah will Himself engage. (A list of at least 30 of these parallel traits between Joseph and Jesus can be downloaded here.) Nearly all of the things associated with Joseph are fulfilled at Christ’s First Coming — nearly; a few are still outstanding. And we see one of the outstanding ones in chapters 43-45 of Genesis, that His brothers don’t recognize Joaseph at his first coming, but only at his second.
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It’s been at least twenty-five years, perhaps more, since Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery and allowed their father to believe he’d been killed by a wild animal. And during that entire time they were waiting, so to speak, for the other sandal to drop. They knew there was going to come a time that they would be held accountable for what they’d done and now they were sure this was it. And it was all topped off with Reuben’s big “I told you so”. They were sure of two things: they’d committed sin and there would be a penalty for it.
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Names are very important in the Bible, nearly always revealing some kind of additional insight into what is going on whether it’s a name of a person, place, or thing. And the way biblical figures go about naming their children in particular reveals even more of what is transpiring within them spiritually and emotionally. Joseph basically names his children “forgetfulness” and “fruitfulness” to reveal the healing process that’s taken place addressing the injustices experienced and how God has used them to provide something greater.
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There have been those who, without my prior inquiry have volunteered what they believed was a personal message for me from God. Rather than desiring to hold me accountable specifically to the standards of God’s Word, they seemed eager to establish some kind of dominance over me by presenting “new” information they received supernaturally through a dream or a “word”. So of course I find it interesting that Pharaoh was seeking an answer to begin with and Joseph was not predisposed to jump in and share what he felt it all meant. It highlights that the difference between a true and false messenger of God is whether they’re more concerned for their personal position or God’s.
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