Thoughts on Joseph, part 1

You meant to hurt me, but God turned your evil into good to save the lives of many people, which is being done. (Genesis 50:20, EXB)

Image by Robert T. Barrett (source)

My personal study of the Old Testament this year has been richly rewarding. The story of Joseph has taken on multiple layers of deeper meaning in light of recent topics we've posted here.  Today's post will be a summary and review of various ideas about one of the deeper meanings of the story of Joseph -- specifically how this story teaches us about the grand arc of the House of Israel.  What began with a small group of people in the land of Canaan culminates in the latter days with the gathering of all of God's children who have ever or will ever live on the earth!

Back to 'the fulness of the Gentiles'

I'm revisiting the phrase "fulness of the Gentiles" in Genesis 48:19.  In studying this important phrase, I came across Romans 11:25, where Paul states something remarkable about the future of the House of Israel:

So that you may not claim to be wiser than you are, brothers and sisters, I want you to understand this mystery: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. (NRSV)

The whole chapter is remarkable.  Having just read the five books of Moses, this passage really stands out:

13 I’m speaking to you Gentiles. Considering that I’m an apostle to the Gentiles, I publicize my own ministry 14 in the hope that somehow I might make my own people jealous and save some of them. 15 If their rejection has brought about a close relationship between God and the world, how can their acceptance mean anything less than life from the dead? 16 But if part of a batch of dough is offered to God as holy, the whole batch of dough is holy too. If a root is holy, the branches will be holy too.  (CEB)

 

He's making reference to firstfruits in verse 16. Recall that the holiness of the Levites allows the whole company to be(come) holy.  In a similar manner, Paul is saying here that when the Jews began rejecting the Gospel, God saw fit to have it preached to the Gentiles. In verse 15, he compares this miraculous opening up of the Gospel to the whole world to raising someone from the dead.

Parallels in the story of Joseph

All of this brings me back to Joseph, Ephraim, and Manasseh. Genesis 48:19 tells us that Jacob prophesies that Manasseh will be a great nation, but Ephraim will be the 'melo hagoyyim' -- 'a multitude of nations.'  This phrase could also be rendered 'fulness of the Gentiles.' It's no wonder Paul says in Romans 11:25 that a mystery of God is that the Jews were hardened so that and until the 'fulness of the Gentiles' has come in. This seems to me to be a clear reference to the latter-day restoration, which comes to the world through Ephraim.

Can you see the parallel to Joseph? He was stripped of his robe (a symbol of his authority/divine favor) and sold into slavery, but he prospered nonetheless.  The hand of God was over him, and he recognizes this when he tells his brothers years later:

You meant to hurt me, but God turned your evil into good to save the lives of many people, which is being done. (Genesis 50:20, EXB)

Likewise, the seed of his two sons each play key roles in the latter-day gathering.  Manasseh (through Lehi) gives us the Nephites, whose record has become the instrument of the gathering.  The seed of Ephraim (scattered to the Gentile nations) becomes the nursing father who carries the house of Israel, spoken of by Isaiah.  Nephi expounds on this when he says:

11 Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.
12 Behold, I say unto you, that the house of Israel was compared unto an olive tree, by the Spirit of the Lord which was in our father; and behold are we not broken off from the house of Israel, and are we not a branch of the house of Israel?
13 And now, the thing which our father meaneth concerning the grafting in of the natural branches through the fulness of the Gentiles, is, that in the latter days, when our seed shall have dwindled in unbelief, yea, for the space of many years, and many generations after the Messiah shall be manifested in body unto the children of men, then shall the fulness of the gospel of the Messiah come unto the Gentiles, and from the Gentiles unto the remnant of our seed—
14 And at that day shall the remnant of our seed know that they are of the house of Israel, and that they are the covenant people of the Lord; and then shall they know and come to the knowledge of their forefathers, and also to the knowledge of the gospel of their Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by him; wherefore, they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine, that they may know how to come unto him and be saved. (1 Nephi 15)

Christ speaks of it in 3 Nephi 16:

4 And I command you that ye shall write these sayings after I am gone, that if it so be that my people at Jerusalem, they who have seen me and been with me in my ministry, do not ask the Father in my name, that they may receive a knowledge of you by the Holy Ghost, and also of the other tribes whom they know not of, that these sayings which ye shall write shall be kept and shall be manifested unto the Gentiles, that through the fulness of the Gentiles, the remnant of their seed, who shall be scattered forth upon the face of the earth because of their unbelief, may be brought in, or may be brought to a knowledge of me, their Redeemer.
5 And then will I gather them in from the four quarters of the earth; and then will I fulfil the covenant which the Father hath made unto all the people of the house of Israel.
6 And blessed are the Gentiles, because of their belief in me, in and of the Holy Ghost, which witnesses unto them of me and of the Father. (3 Nephi 16)

(Stisa's post here is one of the key sources of inspiration for me to make many of these connections. I recommend you go back an re-read that post if this concept interests you.) 

The story of Joseph is a parable of the history of the house of Israel, with Ephraim and Manasseh's roles playing out precisely as defined by Jacob himself in Genesis 48:19. This is re-affirmed repeatedly throughout the scriptures. It brings clarity and importance to the Book of Mormon Title Page:

Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation—Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed—To come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof—Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile ... Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations...

The meaning of 'Ephraim' and the connection to Genesis 1:22 and 28

Several Bible commentaries teach that the name 'Ephraim' means 'double fruitfulness' or 'increasing.' We know that Biblical names often contain wordplay.  'Ephraim' is no exception. There is a connection to the Hebrew word for 'fruitful' ('parah'). The '-aim' ending indicates a pairing or doubling. 

52 Joseph named the second son Ephraim [related to the Hebrew word for “fruitful”; 1:22] and said, “God has ·given me children [made me fruitful] in the land of my ·troubles [afflictions].” (Genesis 41, EXB)

Joseph recognized that God had blessed him with fruitfulness even in the land of his afflictions, hence the name of his second son. The connection to Genesis 1 is also fascinating.  It seems that the commandment given to Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply and replenish/fill the earth is fulfilled in the posterity of this 'doubly fruitful' branch of the House of Israel.

Jacob later blesses Ephraim (not his older brother) with the right hand and tells Joseph his seed will become 'a multitude of nations.' 'The fulness of the Gentiles' would be a perfectly acceptable alternative translation of the same words, as indicated above. At a time when the Gospel was nowhere to be found on the earth, God restored His covenant and ushered in the gathering by calling a descendant of that same Joseph to begin the latter-day work. 

5 Wherefore, Joseph truly saw our day. And he obtained a promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit of his loins the Lord God would raise up a righteous branch unto the house of Israel; not the Messiah, but a branch which was to be broken off, nevertheless, to be remembered in the covenants of the Lord that the Messiah should be made manifest unto them in the latter days, in the spirit of power, unto the bringing of them out of darkness unto light—yea, out of hidden darkness and out of captivity unto freedom.

6 For Joseph truly testified, saying: A seer shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins.

7 Yea, Joseph truly said: Thus saith the Lord unto me: A choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and he shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins. And unto him will I give commandment that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins, his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers. (2 Nephi 3)

The angel Moroni mentioned this principle to Joseph Smith during his visits in 1823:

41 He also quoted the second chapter of Joel, from the twenty-eighth verse to the last. He also said that this was not yet fulfilled, but was soon to be. And he further stated that the fulness of the Gentiles was soon to come in. He quoted many other passages of scripture, and offered many explanations which cannot be mentioned here. (Joseph Smith -- History)

Conclusion

So there you have my attempt at a summary of this really big set of ideas.  The story of Joseph is far more than just a tale of one man forgiving his brothers for selling him into slavery in a fit of jealousy.  It contains symbolism with far-reaching ramifications laying out God's plan to remember His covenant.

My next post will stay of the Joseph theme, looking in more detail at Joseph's coat and what it symbolizes.

"An instrument in the hands of God"

This is a short follow-up note on my series of posts on the phrase "stretch forth thine hand" (which begins here). One main lesson from that study was that prophets are messengers from God calling a covenant people to repent. As we learned from the account of Enoch (discussed in part 4), Enoch feels the same things God feels and emulates actions described by God during his grand vision.

A related phrase which caught my attention during the course of this study is "an instrument in the hands of God."  This is unique to the Book of Mormon, but it shows up several times.  With only one exception (which will be discussed below), every time the word "instrument" is used in the Book of Mormon it is in connection with "an instrument in the hands of God."

Here are the verses where it is used.  Notice how consistent the context is -- each instance refers to leading/delivering a people or bringing them to repentance. I love the description of the purpose of the instrument (highlighted in green below).  If you ever want a succinct summary of why God sends prophets/messengers to earth, this is a nice list.

24 Rebel no more against your brother, whose views have been glorious, and who hath kept the commandments from the time that we left Jerusalem; and who hath been an instrument in the hands of God, in bringing us forth into the land of promise; for were it not for him, we must have perished with hunger in the wilderness; nevertheless, ye sought to take away his life; yea, and he hath suffered much sorrow because of you. (2 Nephi 1)

 

24 And there shall rise up one mighty among them, who shall do much good, both in word and in deed, being an instrument in the hands of God, with exceeding faith, to work mighty wonders, and do that thing which is great in the sight of God, unto the bringing to pass much restoration unto the house of Israel, and unto the seed of thy brethren. (2 Nephi 3)

 

10 Nevertheless, after much tribulation, the Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers, and has made me an instrument in his hands in bringing so many of you to a knowledge of his truth. (Mosiah 23)

 

36 And thus they were instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, to the knowledge of their Redeemer. (Mosiah 27)

 

8 Now the name of the man was Gideon; and it was he who was an instrument in the hands of God in delivering the people of Limhi out of bondage. (Alma 1)

 

30 And it came to pass that Alma, being a man of God, being exercised with much faith, cried, saying: O Lord, have mercy and spare my life, that I may be an instrument in thy hands to save and preserve this people. (Alma 2)

 

9 And it came to pass that they journeyed many days in the wilderness, and they fasted much and prayed much that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them, and abide with them, that they might be an instrument in the hands of God to bring, if it were possible, their brethren, the Lamanites, to the knowledge of the truth, to the knowledge of the baseness of the traditions of their fathers, which were not correct.

10 And it came to pass that the Lord did visit them with his Spirit, and said unto them: Be comforted. And they were comforted.

11 And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls. (Alma 17)

 

3 Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work.

...

15 Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love; yea, and we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work. (Alma 26)

 

9 I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy. (Alma 29)

 

14 And Alma, and Ammon, and their brethren, and also the two sons of Alma returned to the land of Zarahemla, after having been instruments in the hands of God of bringing many of the Zoramites to repentance; and as many as were brought to repentance were driven out of their land; but they have lands for their inheritance in the land of Jershon, and they have taken up arms to defend themselves, and their wives, and children, and their lands. (Alma 35)

 

'keli' -- an article, utensil, vessel (כְּלִי)

The Hebrew word for 'instrument' is 'keli,' derived from the verb meaning 'to be completed.' Of note, the tools described in the Old Testament intended for use in the temple are also called 'instruments,' along with many other objects.

The lone exception in the Book of Mormon of the word 'instrument' being used in a context other than "an instrument in the hands of God" is from 3 Nephi 22:16 (quoting Isaiah 54:16):

16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

This verse sheds a little light on the topic by reminding us that we can become useful helpers in bringing about God's eternal purposes for His children. This happens only as we devote ourselves to Him and align our will with His.

In the context of the "two ways" this means that we either become instruments in the hand of God or we end up worshipping the things which our own hands have made.

Captivity

Captivity is a very central theme in both the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon. Searching for that particular word gives 163 results in those two volumes of scripture combined and 4 results in the rest of the standard works! No wonder, perhaps, considering the captivity in Egypt between Abraham and Moses, when the covenant people of Israel was established, as well as the Babylonian captivity after they had broken the covenant in the promised land. Jeremiah in particular talks about it a lot. He prophesied of the Babylonian captivity but also the later escape and restoration of the Jews.

Lehi was a contemporary with Jeremiah. With the imminent Babylonian captivity as backdrop, there is no wonder that this is an important theme in the Book of Mormon too. Lehi prophecied

That after they should be destroyed, even that great city Jerusalem, and many be carried away captive into Babylon, according to the own due time of the Lord, they should return again, yea, even be brought back out of captivity; and after they should be brought back out of captivity they should possess again the land of their inheritance. (1 Nephi 10:3)

Similar to Jeremiah

And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive. (Jeremiah 29:14)

It is a theme repeated time and again in the Book of Mormon, not only in remembrance of their father Lehi who escaped the Babylonian captivity. Nephi reminds his brothers of the Egyptian captivity and escape

Therefore let us go up; let us be strong like unto Moses; for he truly spake unto the waters of the Red Sea and they divided hither and thither, and our fathers came through, out of captivity, on dry ground, and the armies of Pharaoh did follow and were drowned in the waters of the Red Sea. (1 Nephi 4:2)

The reminder of the Egyptian captivity is repeated in the next chapter (see 1 Nephi 5:15). Eventually, the Nephites get their own captivity and escape narratives to commemorate, for instance the parallel stories of Limhi's people and Alma's people. Remembering this captivity becomes vital and is even commanded by an angel, as previously written in this post.

A peculiar addition to the captivity focus of the Book of Mormon is the Jaredite history with lots of kings living in captivity for much or all of their lives. Perhaps an expression of the Jaredite's failure to comply with the special conditions of the promised land.

Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written. (Ether 2:12)

But as mentioned before, the Book of Mormon tends to use physical phenomena and apply them spiritually. The physical captivity of their fathers becomes an analogy of the captivity of the devil. Or perhaps it is even regarded as more or less one and the same. It is interesting to note the transitions between physical and spiritual captivity in the Book of Mormon. For instance, in 2 Nephi 1, Lehi talks to his sons and repeats the promises and conditions that the Lord gave to the Jaredites

Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever. (2 Nephi 1:7)

Only a few verses later, he speaks of the captivity of the devil

Or, that a cursing should come upon you for the space of many generations; and ye are visited by sword, and by famine, and are hated, and are led according to the will and captivity of the devil. (2 Nephi 1:18)

It's not even easy to determine whether he talks about physical or spiritual captivity in this verse. Sword and famine are physical and "captivity of the devil" is added in that context. They go hand in hand. The same thing happens again when Lehi speaks to his son, Joseph, only two chapters later

4 For behold, thou art the fruit of my loins; and I am a descendant of Joseph who was carried captive into Egypt. And great were the covenants of the Lord which he made unto Joseph.

5 Wherefore, Joseph truly saw our day. And he obtained a promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit of his loins the Lord God would raise up a righteous branch unto the house of Israel; not the Messiah, but a branch which was to be broken off, nevertheless, to be remembered in the covenants of the Lord that the Messiah should be made manifest unto them in the latter days, in the spirit of power, unto the bringing of them out of darkness unto light—yea, out of hidden darkness and out of captivity unto freedom. (2 Nephi 3)

First a reminder of Joseph's (physical) captivity in Egypt. Then a prophecy of his descendant's escape out of darkness and (spiritual) captivity. 

One final example from Alma:

5 And behold, after that, they were brought into bondage by the hands of the Lamanites in the wilderness; yea, I say unto you, they were in captivity, and again the Lord did deliver them out of bondage by the power of his word; and we were brought into this land, and here we began to establish the church of God throughout this land also.

6 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, you that belong to this church, have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell? (Alma 5)

God delivered their fathers out of physical captivity and bondage. He also delivered their souls from hell. Whatever type of captivity, God has the power to deliver. This is an important message from Nephite prophets. 

Another parallel between the word of God and the covenant people

14 And it shall come to pass that my people, which are of the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their possessions; and my word also shall be gathered in one. And I will show unto them that fight against my word and against my people, who are of the house of Israel, that I am God, and that I covenanted with Abraham that I would remember his seed forever. (2 Nephi 29)

Writing about the miraculous preservation of a remnant of Joseph of Egypt's coat (see here) got me thinking about the verse above.

The preservation of the coat is a symbol of both the promises made by God about His seed and also about His word. Both would be miraculously preserved by the hand of God until the day comes when they shall be gathered in one. We live in the day when that has begun. The covenant people are the ones who make sacred promises to live by the word of God. Both are miraculously preserved by the Word of God, who came into the world to be a light unto it.

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name (John 1)

In this post, I will review some of the key verses which detail how these promises are written about in the Book of Mormon.

The Words of Jacob/Israel

Here are the words of Jacob as quoted by Moroni as he rallied an army (by covenant) to defend the liberty of the Nephites:

24 Yea, let us preserve our liberty as a remnant of Joseph; yea, let us remember the words of Jacob, before his death, for behold, he saw that a part of the remnant of the coat of Joseph was preserved and had not decayed. And he said—Even as this remnant of garment of my son hath been preserved, so shall a remnant of the seed of my son be preserved by the hand of God, and be taken unto himself, while the remainder of the seed of Joseph shall perish, even as the remnant of his garment.

25 Now behold, this giveth my soul sorrow; nevertheless, my soul hath joy in my son, because of that part of his seed which shall be taken unto God.

26 Now behold, this was the language of Jacob. (Alma 46)

(The phrase "taken unto himself" in red is interesting and related, but outside the scope of this post, It will be the subject of a post in the next few days.)

Notice how Israel describes the remnant: "preserved and not decayed." He prophesies that the same will happen to a remnant of his son's seed.  What will make the difference between decaying and being preserved?  The word of God, of course. Having it and "keeping" it. In a magnificent and directly relevant sermon to his son Joseph, Lehi teaches this very clearly:

23 Wherefore, because of this covenant thou art blessed; for thy seed shall not be destroyed, for they shall hearken unto the words of the book. (2 Nephi 3)

As I read the words of Joseph of Egypt in Alma 46, I was immediately reminded of two key phrases in the Book of Mormon which revolve around the same theme, which equally apply to the people of God and the word of God and which have been the subject of several previous posts:

• "Kept and Preserved" (see this post)
• "Retain their Brightness" (see this post)

"Kept and Preserved"

Summarizing from the post linked above, we find various contexts in which the phrase "kept and preserved" appears in the Book of Mormon:

• the plates of brass (see Mosiah 1:3-5, Mosiah 28:11, Alma 37:3-4 and 14)
• the plates of Nephi (see 2 Nephi 25:21, Mosiah 28:11)
• righteous leaders (see Mosiah 2:11)
• God's people (see Omni 1:6, Mosiah 2:20, Mosiah 7:20, Alma 9:22, Alma 44:4)
• the Urim and Thummim (Mosiah 28:14)

The express purpose of the word of God is to bring about covenants (see 1 Nephi 13:40-41), thereby creating a covenant people.  Keep in mind that the word of God goes far beyond the written word.  It includes all that is necessary to walk to the tree of life.

"Retain their brightness"

Another phrase/symbol that can be applied to the word of God and the people of God is the concept of brightness. 

• Nephi's brother Jacob knew the things which were written upon plates "must remain" (Jacob 4:1), whereas anything written "upon anything save it be upon plates must perish and vanish away."
• Lehi, upon receiving the plates of brass, states: "these plates of brass should never perish; neither should they be dimmed any more by time." (1 Nephi 5:19)
• King Benjamin says this about the words he was commanded to deliver to his people by an angel: "They shall stand as a bright testimony against this people, at the judgment day" (Mosiah 3:24)
• Alma-2 tells his son Helaman that "if they are kept they must retain their brightness; yea, and they will retain their brightness; yea, and also shall all the plates which do contain that which is holy writ." (Alma 37:5)

Conclusion

This promise given by God to the ancient patriarchs underscores the intimate connection between God's covenant people and His word.  The connection between covenant-making and the scriptures is emphasized in our modern temples, too, in several important ways. I'll close this post with a prophecy of Joseph in Egypt about a Latter-day Joseph who restore this everlasting covenant to the earth and begin the final gathering of Israel:

7 Yea, Joseph truly said: Thus saith the Lord unto me: A choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and he shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins. And unto him will I give commandment that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins, his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers. (2 Nephi 3)