Good Morning.
So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s tunic or not?” (Genesis 37:31-32)
After removing the coat from Joseph and selling him into slavery, the brothers had to come up with a plausible excuse for why Joseph would not be returning home. Sending his blood-soaked coat back to their father seemed the most reasonable to them. The blood would provide the “evidence” that Joseph was dead –- even though he lived. Once again, we see the foreshadowing of what would happen to the Messiah. All believed him to be dead; they had seen His garments parted among the soldiers — but He lived. Both Joseph and Messiah had only “gone away” to receive a kingdom and make things ready for their loved ones to join them.
Upon receiving the coat, Jacob literally exclaimed, “My son’s coat! A wild beast has eaten him. Torn, torn is Joseph.” This is interesting because the Hebrew term translated as “torn” is the root word taraph which means, “to tear, pluck, or snatch.” It is often used in relation to plucking or tearing something for food. But this is also the word used in Hosea 6 in a prophecy pertaining to Joseph’s son, Ephraim. More generally, it addresses those people in the last days who desperately begin to seek the LORD.
“Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us (taraph), that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.” (Hosea 6:1-2)
The connection to you and I is this: like Joseph we have been separated (torn) from our Jewish brethren for 2,000 years. But He has promised that He will reunite us with them in the last days and that, as one people or “one new man” we will be joined to Him. In fact, He specifically says when that will occur — after two days or 2,000 years. Just as Messiah was raised up on the third day, so will we be raised up to live in His sight. Interestingly, it was on the third meeting (3rd day) between Joseph and brothers that their restoration occurred.
On a more personal note, maybe there are some in your family that you have been separated from, perhaps due to your walk of faith. Let us take comfort in the fact that our Father, who has purposed to reunite His family, is able and willing to reunite ours as well. The separation may have been, and perhaps still is, painful. Don’t lose heart because if we remain faithful, He will revive us and He will restore!
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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