And a certain man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?” Genesis 37:15 KJV
A man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, “What are you looking for?” Genesis 37:15 NASB
There are few individuals in Scripture who reflect the Lord Jesus as perfectly as Joseph. With a minimum of difficulty, one could enumerate well over sixty ways in which the life of Joseph corresponds to that of the Lord Jesus Christ. So, in looking for contrasts, it is not with the intent of disparaging Joseph. He is a unique and eminent character gracing the page of Scripture.
The purpose is to show that even the best of men have areas in which they pale before the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. Please, then, do not think me dismissive of Joseph and his excellence. As we trace these contrasts, they should be points which inspire and demand worship from our hearts!
There are perhaps four distinct contrasts that can be found in chapter 37. In the first instance, Jacob sent, and Joseph went, yet neither knew what lay ahead for Joseph. Would Jacob had parted with Joseph had he known the sequel? Would Joseph have gone had he known that it would mean 22 years away from his father? We may commend Joseph for his prompt, “Here am I” (v 13), but how much more we should worship the One Who left His home with full knowledge of all that awaited Him! And what of a Father Who sent the Son to be the Savior of the world? He knew the measure of hatred that Satan and sin had implanted in the human breast. He sent Him, however, knowing that they would not reverence the Son (Matt 21:37).
Then in verse 15, we read that Joseph was wandering in the field, not knowing where his brothers were feeding the flocks. Though this was the fault of the brothers, yet it reminds us of the limited knowledge of even Joseph. We often sing in our gatherings the words of J. G. Deck’s lovely hymn: “Wandering as a homeless stranger in the world Thy hands had made.” And please keep singing this wonderful hymn. But the Lord Jesus never “wandered” as though lost or unable to locate what He was to do. He was always “in season” and in place in all that He did. Like Joseph, He came “seeking” the welfare of humanity, not just “his brothers (v 16).
Although the cruelty and callousness of the ten brothers cannot be mistaken, yet there was at least this to be said to the credit of Judah. He recognized that as their brother, it would be wrong to slay him (v 27). How different for the Lord Jesus Christ. They took up stones to stone Him; they conspired to put Him to death; they took counsel against Him repeatedly to find a basis for His condemnation. That He was a Jew and Pilate a Roman, a Gentile, did not hinder them from delivering Him over to the authorities.
Finally, when Reuben returned and discovered an empty pit and that Joseph was gone, he rent his clothes and expressed a sense of responsibility. As the oldest and firstborn, he may well have recognized that the responsibility would be his before his father. While his tears and grief may reflect self-interest and not sorrow for Joseph, there was at least someone who felt remorse over the treatment of Joseph. How different at Calvary and for the Lord; “I looked for some to take pity and but there was none; and for comforters but I found none” (Ps 69:20).
Consider
Can you find some other places where Joseph is in contrast to the Lord Jesus Christ?