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Bible Dictionaries
Joseph
Morrish Bible Dictionary
or Eleventh son of Jacob and first of Rachel. The interesting history of Joseph is too well known to need being given in its detail, but attention should be given to the many respects in which Joseph was a striking type of the Lord Jesus. He was the beloved one of his father: this with the intimations given to him of his future position, destined for him by God in the midst of his family, stirred up the envy of his brethren and resulted in his being sold to the Gentiles: as the Lord was hated by His brethren the Jews, and sold by one of them. Joseph was accounted as dead. He was brought very low, being cast into prison, under a false accusation against him because he would not sin: his feet were 'made fast in the stocks,' and the iron entered his soul: in all these circumstances he was foreshadowing the Lord in His humiliation.
On the elevation of Joseph to power he was unknown to his brethren, as the Lord in exaltation is now to His brethren after the flesh. During thistime he had a Gentile wife and children and became 'fruitful': so while the Lord is rejected by the Jews, God is gathering from the nations a people for His name. Joseph ruled over the Gentiles, as the Lord will do. Then all Joseph's brethren bowed down to him, as eventually all the twelve tribes will bow down to the Lord. This is followed by all the descendants of Jacob being placed in a fruitful part of the country, as the nation will be gathered to the pleasant land in the millennium.
The beautiful and touching way in which Joseph dealt with his brethren, will be repeated in a magnified way by the Lord's tender and loving dealing with the remnant of Judah when they come to speak to Him about the wounds in His hands, and to mourn over the way He was treated by them. They will then see that, notwithstanding their hatred, He laid the foundation in His death for their future blessing.
When Jacob prophetically blessed His sons, Joseph had a prominent place. Genesis 49:22-26 . He was to be very fruitful, with branches running over the wall: so the blessing of Israel through Christ extends to the Gentiles. He was sorely grieved, hated, and shot at, as was the Lord; but his bow abode in strength, and from him was the shepherd, the stone of Israel (two titles of the Lord). Then the blessings of heaven and of the deep, of the breasts and of the womb, are multiplied on the head and on the crown of Joseph, as the one separated from his brethren: all foreshadowing, though to be far exceeded by, the many crowns and the glory in heaven and on earth of the true Nazarite, now sanctified in heavenly glory, the Lord Jesus. For the blessing by Moses cf. Deuteronomy 33:13-17 . Joseph, when about to die, had faith that God would surely deliver Israel from Egypt and gave directions concerning his bones. Genesis 37 — Genesis 50; Exodus 13:19 . For the Egyptian king under whom it is supposed that Joseph lived, see EGYPT.
2. Father of Igal, of Issachar. Numbers 13:7 .
3. Son of Asaph: appointed to the service of song. 1 Chronicles 25:2,9 .
4. One who had married a strange wife. Ezra 10:42 .
5. Priest 'of Shebaniah' who returned from exile. Nehemiah 12:14 .
6. Husband of Mary the mother of Jesus. He was 'a just man,' and was obedient to the instructions he received from God as to his wife, and in protecting the infant Jesus. He was of the house and lineage of David, his genealogy being given in Matthew 1 and perhaps in Luke 3 . The visit to Jerusalem, when the Lord was twelve years old, is the last incident recorded of him. He is once called 'the carpenter,' Matthew 13:55 , as is the Lord also in Mark 6:3 . It was a custom for all Jews to learn a trade. Matthew 1:16-25; Matthew 2:13,19; Luke 1:27; Luke 2:4-43; Luke 3:23; Luke 4:22; John 1:45; John 6:42 .
7. Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, and a rich man. He was a secret disciple of Jesus, and had not consented to the action of the Sanhedrim in condemning the Lord. He boldly asked for the body of Jesus, and interred it in his own new tomb, thus fulfilling Isaiah 53:9; Matthew 27:57,59; Mark 15:43; Luke 23:50; John 19:38 .
8-10. Son of Mattathias; son of Juda; and son of Jonan — three in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus. Luke 3:24,26,30 .
11. Disciple, also called BARSABAS, surnamed JUSTUS, who, with Matthias, was selected as fit to take the place of Judas, but the lot fell on Matthias. Acts 1:23 .
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Morrish, George. Entry for 'Joseph'. Morrish Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/mbd/j/joseph.html. 1897.
