Topical Bible: Love to Man: Joseph

◄ Love to Man: Joseph ►

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Joseph, a central figure in the Book of Genesis, is a profound example of love to man, demonstrating forgiveness, compassion, and selflessness. His life account, spanning Genesis 37-50, illustrates how love can triumph over adversity and familial discord.

Early Life and Betrayal

Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob and the firstborn of Rachel, was favored by his father, which incited jealousy among his brothers. This favoritism is evident in Genesis 37:3-4 : "Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons because he had been born to him in his old age, and he made him a robe of many colors. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him."

Despite the animosity, Joseph's love for his family remained steadfast. His brothers' jealousy culminated in their selling him into slavery, a betrayal that could have fostered bitterness. However, Joseph's subsequent actions reveal a heart inclined toward love and forgiveness.

Rise to Power and Forgiveness

Joseph's journey from slavery to becoming the second most powerful man in Egypt is marked by divine providence and his unwavering integrity. His ability to interpret dreams, a gift from God, led to his rise in Pharaoh's court. During a severe famine, Joseph's brothers came to Egypt seeking food, unaware of his position. Joseph's response to his brothers' plea for help is a testament to his love and forgiveness.

In Genesis 45:4-5 , Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers: "Then Joseph said to his brothers, 'Please come near me.' And they did so. 'I am Joseph, your brother,' he said, 'the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you.'"

Joseph's ability to see God's hand in his suffering allowed him to forgive his brothers, demonstrating a profound love that transcends human grievances. His actions ensured the survival of his family, fulfilling God's promise to Abraham.

Provision and Reconciliation

Joseph's love extended beyond forgiveness; he provided for his family during the famine. In Genesis 47:11-12 , it is recorded: "So Joseph settled his father and brothers in the land of Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. Joseph also provided his father and brothers and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their children."

This provision was not merely an act of duty but a demonstration of genuine care and responsibility for his family's well-being. Joseph's actions facilitated reconciliation, restoring familial bonds that had been fractured by betrayal and jealousy.

Legacy of Love

Joseph's life is a powerful narrative of love to man, characterized by forgiveness, provision, and reconciliation. His account serves as an enduring example of how love, rooted in faith and trust in God's plan, can overcome the deepest of wounds and bring about restoration. Through Joseph, the biblical narrative illustrates that love is not merely an emotion but an active choice to seek the well-being of others, even in the face of personal suffering and betrayal.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 45:15
Moreover he kissed all his brothers, and wept on them: and after that his brothers talked with him.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Argument from the Prayer of Joseph, to Show that the Baptist May ...
... of them should have been filled with love to man ... belly, surpassing as he did the
common nature of man? Should the piece entitled "The prayer of Joseph," one of ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/25 argument from the prayer.htm

Joseph and Potiphar's Wife; of what Kind Love to Females Ought to ...
... There is Joseph, faithful, and intelligent, and wise, and who ... of the Egyptian woman
brought upon the righteous man. ... For it is required that we love the sisters ...
/.../two epistles concerning virginity/chapter viii joseph and potiphars wife.htm

Joseph of Arimathea
... of our Lord, now boldly avowed his love and loyalty ... for our Lord in death as another
Joseph had cared ... This man is described as an "honourable counsellor," which ...
/.../milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/joseph of arimathea.htm

That Divine Love More Excellently Sanctifies the virtues when they ...
... Of these the one is effective love, which, as another Joseph, using the plenitude
of ... charity; for it is as though he had said, that without love a man is not ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter iv that divine love.htm

How the Love of God Has Dominion Over Other Loves.
... Isaac, Jacob and Joseph were supernatural children; for their mothers, Sarah, Rebecca ...
Similarly, divine love is a child of miracle, since man's will cannot ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter vi how the love.htm

Joseph and Nicodemus
... It was no small piece of courage for Joseph to go ... fortifying us strongly against
the fear of what man can do ... to be found in gazing upon His dying love who met ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture st john chaps xv to xxi/joseph and nicodemus.htm

Love and Life.
... THE NEW TESTAMENT. CHAPTER XLIV. LOVE AND LIFE. There was a good man of Arimathea
named Joseph who was a disciple of Jesus, but not a fearless one. ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter xliv love and life.htm

The Man Born Blind and Joseph of Arimathea
... honorable man, an honorable councillor, a rich man, and yet ... the Son of God, out of
pure love for Him ... act rises up above everything else that Joseph of Arimathea ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/men of the bible/vi the man born blind.htm

Joseph --The Savior of his People.
... But they said that they were all one man's sons, and ... Joseph still spoke roughly to
them, not because he was angry ... His heart was full of love for them, and he ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter viii josephthe savior of.htm

Joseph Attacked by the Archers
... till his dying hour continue to sing of love, of mercy ... he looked on him, I picture
that old man as the ... There stood Joseph, with all his mother Rachel in his eyes ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/joseph attacked by the archers.htm