We then saw His careful, prayerful work in finding a bride suitable for the Master’s Son illustrated by Abraham’s unnamed servant (Genesis 24). These stories illuminate the various relationships that the Holy Spirit has brokered for us with our Triune God. We readily see ourselves as dependent children of our Father in heaven. We are humbled to appreciate that we have been made one with the Son.
This post will investigate, through the actions of Joseph’s unnamed servant in Genesis 43, how the Holy Spirit adopts us as brothers [1] of Christ, and, in spite of our failings and sin, has inaugurated us as sons who are fully qualified to represent the Father.
Joseph was a rejected brother, because he was a beloved son. Hated and scorned by his brothers he had been sold into slavery in Egypt. But God was with him and his interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams led to his elevation to a place of power and privilege at the right hand of Pharaoh. Twenty plus years later, in his administration of the resources of Egypt during the time of famine, he came face to face with his brothers seeking to buy food. They didn’t recognize him, so he put them through some tests to gauge if their hearts had turned towards honesty and repentance. One brother, Simeon, was kept in prison as a guarantee of their return. Benjamin, the only innocent brother, was required to be brought when they returned. Their request for grain was fulfilled, and their money secretly returned to their sacks.
The brothers were nonplussed. Their consciences were bothered. They weren’t eager to have further interactions with this representative of Pharaoh. But their hunger won out, and they returned with all the requirements met. Joseph commands his servant to prepare a meal for them – he is going to dine with them today at noon! To their dismay, this man (Joseph) seems to know all about them. They are seated according to their age. They hasten to explain to the servant that they have money for the grain they received last time, and that they didn’t know how it had gotten into their sacks. To their surprise, the servant assures them that it was already paid for. Their objections are ignored as they are graced with a meal from Joseph’s table.
What is being pictured for us here? Joseph illustrates for us a rejected Jesus who was condemned to death on a cross. When we make our way to Him as repentant sinners seeking to have our needs met, our guilt cleared, we find the one who was crucified “amazingly” exalted to the right hand of God, and we are surprised by His grace shown towards us. We have a hard time believing it to be true. We want to earn our forgiveness, to pay our end of the bargain, to contribute something to the cause. The Servant (the Holy Spirit) repeats the same refrain, over and over to our souls, “Paid in full!” – one of the meanings of the Greek word translated as “It is finished” in John 19:30). He makes it clear that we are welcomed as brothers into the family. That despite knowing all there is to know about us – our failures, fears, and regrets – we are now family members.
Paul argues in Romans 8 that there is a goal to salvation. We will “be conformed to the image of [the] Son, in order that he (Christ) might be the firstborn among many brothers” (v.38 ESV). This work is brought about by the Holy Spirit, for those “who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God . . . you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons” (vv.14-15 ESV). The Spirit is at work in our lives, fully aware of our weaknesses and sin, graciously bringing about resemblance to Christ in our persons. In that coming day, it will be the Spirit’s pleasure, and bliss for us, when the Firstborn (Christ) will unashamedly declare the name of the Father to us, His brothers (Hebrews 2:11-12).
[1] When I use the word “brothers” in this article, I am following its common use in the New Testament to refer to both males and females. The same applies to the word “sons”.
