Considered a forerunner of Jesus Christ with his story as a suffering servant who was sold into slavery but redeemed his family and nation, Joseph’s forgiveness of his brothers after he became a high official in Egypt should be inspirational, ministers say.
“Joseph was definitely somebody who was used by God because he took advantage of every situation he was in, good and bad,” said the Rev. Tim Halstead. “He followed God’s lead and used evil for good and he was willing to forgive, which a lot of us are not willing to do.
“It had to devastating to be sold, but it seems the purpose for that whole thing was for Joseph to see his father Jacob again and take care of him. He honored his dad, who asked not to be buried in Egypt but to be taken back to Israel.”
The Rev. Halstead, pastor of New Life Church, said Joseph was envied by his 11 brothers in Genesis 37-50 because he was his father’s favorite and was given “a long coat of many colors,” among other distinctions.
Foreshadowing Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, Joseph was sold for 20 pieces of silver and was in prison before rising to become vizier of Egypt, or second in command to Pharaoh, by interpreting dreams and demonstrating great integrity. He is believed to have lived in the 17th Century B.C.
“Joseph only got more humble as the Lord worked on him over the years,” Halstead said. “He was a type of Christ. We learn from him that sometimes bad things happen to good people, but God can still redeem us for his purposes.
“We can learn that forgiveness is mightier than revenge and that being competent and doing things well is a good trait for God’s people. When we do things with integrity, it reflects favorably on God.”
The Rev. Larry Hood, pastor of St. Andrew Cumberland Presbyterian Church, said Joseph was also like the prophet Daniel in that both “were just good kids from the beginning.
“He was God’s favorite,” the Rev. Hood said. “Everything worked out for him even though it didn’t always look like it would. His daddy loved him and bestowed upon him the coat of many colors. He had a gift. He had dreams from an early age and he learned to trust that. He stayed true and we never see him waver. He spent 12 years in prison and made his mark there. His faith made him the favorite. “
Using a golfing analogy, Hood said, “Faith is the club we pull out of the bag in a given situation because it teaches us that we are all God’s favorites.
“Some people say God has no favorites. I disagree. We show faith through Jesus not just to appease him but to please him. He lets us know that he loves us and is proud of us. He is intimately involved.”
The pastor said he had heard it postulated that God may break a man deeply in order to use him greatly. “What’s worse than your brothers wanting to kill you and then deciding to make some money off you?” Hood asked.
“Joseph is one of those standards for when we go through stuff. I use him a lot in counseling. Stay in the game and don’t lose the faith we have because that will get us through it.”
