Joseph part 5
Scripture reading
15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; yet I have heard [j]it said about you, that [k]you hear a dream and that you can interpret it.”16 Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, “[l]It is not in me; God will [m]answer concerning the welfare of Pharaoh.”
25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s [u]dreams are one and the same; God has declared to Pharaoh what He is about to do.26 The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the [v]dreams are one and the same.27 And the seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven lean ears scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine.28 [w]It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do.29 Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt;30 and after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will [x]ravage the land,31 so that the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very heavy.32 Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is confirmed by God, and God will quickly bring it about.
33 So now let Pharaoh look for a man understanding and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.34 Let Pharaoh take action and appoint overseers over the land, and let him exact a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance.35 Then let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and let them store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh’s authority, and let them keep watch over it.36 And let the food be appointed for the land for the seven years of famine which will happen in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not be cut off during the famine.”
Well, we have been considering the life of Joseph in the Old Testament as a type of Jesus Christ. The story of his life is like a sneak peek into God’s plan of salvation revealed in the New Testament at the advent of Christ. Now I’m not going to go into great detail about all the parallels that we’ve talked about before this. But, for the sake of those who weren’t here for all of it let be just list the parallels.
I. His introduction
Joseph and Jesus were both the beloved sons of their fathers, elevated above their brethren.
II. His rejection
Joseph and Jesus were both sent to their brethren, but both were rejected by their brethren.
III. His enslavement
Joseph and Jesus were both sold by their brethren, and turned over to the Gentiles.
IV. His temptation
Joseph and Jesus were both tempted, but withstood the temptation.
V. His imprisonment
Joseph and Jesus were both bound and imprisoned. Joseph in a jail, Jesus going to trial and to the imprisonment of the tomb.
VI. His ascendance
Both Joseph and Jesus were raised from the pit/dungeon/grave, clothed in new clothes/body, ascended to the place of highest honor, next to the highest throne. Joseph became second only to the Pharoah, the first world kingdom, Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father.
Today we’re going to look at their salvation and inheritance.
Salvation, from the human perspective, is the cornerstone of our faith. We quote Bible verses about it.
John 3:17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
John 10:9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
Acts 2:21 And it will be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith,
We sing hymns about it. Saved, saved
1 I've found a friend who is all to me, His love is ever true; I love to tell how He lifted me, And what His grace can do for you. Refrain: Saved by His pow'r, by His pow'r divine, Saved to new life, to new life sublime! Life now is sweet and my joy is complete, For I'm saved, saved, saved.
But one thing we know, doctrinally, and from practical experience is that a person cannot be saved unless they first seek it.
Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
But, as we concluded our look at the story of Joseph last time, we saw how Joseph’s providing grain to the famine torn kingdom of Egypt was a picture of salvation offered to the Gentile world when Jesus rose. And just as the whole of the Gentile world of Egypt came to Joseph to get bread, the message of salvation through Jesus has primarily been received by the Gentile world. The preaching of the cross began in the Jewish synagogue but was rejected and the Church was established. That’s what we are going to look at today; the truth that salvation is offered, but it has to be accepted, it has to be received, it has to be sought.
Let us pray.
VII. His salvation
A. Joseph’s salvation of the Gentiles
Both Joseph and Jesus provided salvation to the world. Joseph devised a plan that set aside 1/5th of the nation’s grain for 7 years for storage, so that when they came to the 7 years of famine, they could open the storehouses and sell it back to the population.
Jesus, of course, provided spiritual salvation by his death on the cross, so that all who would come to him might receive the Bread of life, and escape eternal damnation.
So, let’s pick up with the story of Joseph. He has just been placed in the highest position of authority that any man could have in the kingdom of Egypt, outside of the supreme rule of the Pharaoh. And take note, first of all, that the first phase of Joseph’s physical salvation served primarily the Gentile world. All of the Jews, except himself, were back in Canaan. They were his family. His brothers who had rejected him and sold him into slavery. And they were his family who did not know him. It had been 20 years since he had seen anyone. Now let’s consider some things about the salvation offered by Joseph.
46 Now Joseph was thirty years old when he [ai]stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and passed through all the land of Egypt.47 And during the seven years of plenty the land brought forth [aj]abundantly.48 So he gathered all the food of these seven years which happened in the land of Egypt and placed the food in the cities; he placed in every city the food from its own surrounding fields.49 Thus Joseph stored up grain [ak]in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped [al]measuring it, for it was [am]beyond measure.
I think it is significant that they accumulated so much grain that they quit keeping a record of how much they had. And it is noteworthy that the grain that he accumulated ended up being more than sufficient for the salvation of all that world. Later, during the famine, when people are coming to Egypt from all the regions around them, they go to Joseph. And we have no record that anyone who came was denied. We have no record that the storehouses ran out of grain, or that they began rationing the grain.
And so, it is with the salvation offered with Jesus. Jesus’ salvation is all-sufficient. 1 John 2:2He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.John 1:29The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.2 Corinthians 5:19That is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.1 Timothy 2:4Who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.2 Peter 3:9The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
So back to Joseph; then comes the seven years of famine.
53 Then the seven years of plenty which had been in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54 and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. So, there was famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 Then all the land of Egypt was famished, and the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, you shall do.”
Note that Pharaoh told all of Egypt that the means of their salvation would be in going to Joseph. He was the sole provision for their bread. We’ve already considered this point, but Jesus to is the sole means of salvation:
Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
56 Now the famine was over all the face of the land. And Joseph opened all [aq]the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 Now all the earth also came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because the famine was severe in all the earth.
Notice that Joseph required those who wanted the grain of Egypt to purchase it and, ultimately, they sold everything they had to Egypt. As the famine progressed for the seven years, first the people brought their money. In the first year their money ran out. Then they sold their livestock. Then after another year, they had nothing to buy food with except themselves and their land.
Genesis 47: 20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for [w]every Egyptian sold his field because the famine was severe upon them. Thus, the land became Pharaoh’s.21 As for the people, he moved them to the cities from one end of Egypt’s border to the other end.
They gave up everything. You might ask, “How is that like salvation?” We don’t pay for salvation. But salvation is not cheap. Jesus said,
Matthew 13: 44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
https://www.gotquestions.org/cheap-grace.html
The term “cheap grace” can be traced back to a book written by German theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, called The Cost of Discipleship, published in 1937. In that book, Bonhoeffer defined “cheap grace” as “the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline. Communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ.” Notice what is emphasized in Bonhoeffer’s definition of cheap grace and what is de-emphasized. The emphasis is on the benefits of Christianity without the costs involved; hence, the adjective cheap to describe it.
In order for us to partake the bread of heaven, we must surrender all other means whereby we try to obtain eternal life. We are instructed to buy from Jesus the gold tried in the fire (Revelation 3:18). We buy from Jesus through the barter method. We exchange what we have for what He has. We exchange a sinful heart for a righteous heart, guilt and shame for purity and peace, condemnation for commendation, eternal death for eternal life.
Here are a few other parallels between Joseph’s salvation and Jesus’.
1. Joseph had to lose his former life in order to save Egypt. Jesus died so that all the world can be saved.
2. Joseph offered grain and Jesus called Himself the Bread of life.
3. The people had to go only through Joseph for bread, Jesus is the only way of salvation.
4. The grain offered by Joseph was sufficient for any who came. Jesus offers salvation to any who come to Him.
5. Joseph was given a Egyptian/Gentile bride by Pharaoh. Jesus’ bride is the church who are principally of the Gentiles.
B. Jewish salvation
42 Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”2 Then he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from there, so that we may live and not die.”3 So ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt.4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “Lest any harm befall him.”5 So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.
I think most of us are pretty familiar with the story of Joseph’s brothers coming to Egypt to buy grain, and the eventual revelation of Joseph. It’s a story that stirs me almost every time that I read it. It is so compelling that it has inspired even a theatrical musical, “Joseph and the technicolor dream coat.”
But for our purposes, in looking for parallels to the life of Christ, we focus on the salvation aspect of the story. Just like the Gentile world surrounding Egypt, Joseph’s family, the Jews, in Canaan were enduring a famine.
What is a famine? “extreme scarcity of food”
https://www.britannica.com/science/famine
famine, severe and prolonged hunger in a substantial proportion of the population of a region or country, resulting in widespread and acutemalnutrition and death by starvation and disease. Famines usually last for a limited time, ranging from a few months to a few years. They cannot continue indefinitely, if for no other reason than that the affected population would eventually be decimated.
Many famines are precipitated by natural causes, such as drought, flooding, unseasonable cold, typhoons, vermin depredations, insect infestations, and plant diseases. The most common human cause of famine is warfare, which destroys crops and food supplies and disrupts the distribution of food. Some have argued that a less proximate cause of famines is the nature of a country’s political system.
This famine is probably caused by drought, since there is no other cause mentioned. By the time that Joseph’s brothers come to know that Joseph is alive in Egypt, the famine had been ravaging the land for two years, and it would continue for five more years. But a little before that, probably in that first year of famine, Joseph’s brethren were beginning to be in the same straits as the Gentile world was. And if it were not for the program of storing grain that Joseph had instituted, his family could have had death from starvation come to their doorstep. They needed salvation, even as the Gentile world did.
So, their father Jacob, sends 10 brothers to Egypt, because he hears that there is grain in Egypt. So, they travel the long journey again to Egypt. And the story continues in Scripture.
6 Now Joseph was the one in power over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down to him with their [a]faces to the ground.7 And Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, “Where have you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”
I can’t help but note that Joseph is personally involved in receiving people inquiring about buying food. You would think that, in his position, that he would delegate that day-to-day responsibility to some underlings. But I also have to think that from the time that he was elevated to this high position, all the way to the where we are in the story, that he had to be thinking about his dreams as a young man, that his brothers would bow before him. And now he could see how God would fulfill that.
So, after the seven years of plenty, when the famine started, he had to have an anxious eye on the horizon, knowing that one of these days, his own family would come to Egypt for grain. So, he takes a more personal interest in receiving those needing grain.
And that is so like the Spirit of our Lord, desiring the day when the Jews finally “look on Him whom they have pierced, and mourn for Him as an only Son.”
Now, after introductions, many of us know that Joseph gets rough with his brothers. He accuses them of being spies. And because of that accusation, they tell him their family history; they are 12 brothers, one is dead and the youngest remained at home with his father.
But Joseph persists in calling them spies and demands that their words be tested. To prove that they are not spies, they will have to bring their youngest brother back with them to Egypt, demonstrating that they weren’t lying. Then he throws them all in prison for 3 days.
You might wonder why he is doing all of this. Is he reacting to his brethren out of vengeance for what they did to him. Well, I don’t think you can discount that in any sinful human being. But I think the chief motive was that he needed to test them. He needed to see if they had changed from the people they were 13 years prior. And he needed to do it without their knowing who he was.
And notice the testing. He accused them of being spies. You might remember that one of the first things we learned about Joseph, when he was 17, was that he was taking care of his father’s sheep with four of his brothers, and that he brought back an evil report to his father about his brothers. They were doing something they shouldn’t have, and he reported it to his father. It wouldn’t at all have surprised me if they began using the word “spy” to refer to Joseph. They held him in contempt. So now Joseph accuses them of the same thing. Then he throws them in prison, likely the same prison where he was held for years, for three days.
But before he puts them in jail, he plants this thought in their minds. If they were to get grain from him, and live, they would need to return home, get Benjamin, the youngest, the baby of the family, maybe their father’s new favorite, and bring him to Egypt. What is the test? Are they willing to turn over another brother. Have they changed? Or are they still the lot of men who seek their own selfish whims regardless of who it hurts.
I couldn’t help but think of how these things parallel the salvation of the Jews through Jesus Christ. Like Joseph’s brothers rejected him as their father’s heir, the Jews, for the most part have rejected Christ. And if we look at the history of the Jews, we could say that they have been put through a testing of trials. We’ve considered it before, but the Jewish people have a very long history of being tried.
And as cruel as those trials may seem to us, in the end, our Lord is working to bring the Jewish people to salvation. And they cannot come to salvation except through repentance.
Romans 9: I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit,2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart.3 For I could [a]wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh,4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises,5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the [b]Christ according to the flesh, who is God over all, blessed [c]forever. Amen.
Well, the testing of Joseph’s brothers continued. And he found out that there was evidence of repentance there. But he needed to know if it was genuine repentance, or simply “sorry I got caught.” Would they sell out their own brother again if it meant saving their own skins?
18 And Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God:19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in [f]your prison; but as for the rest of you, go, bring grain for the famine of your households,20 and bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be proven true, and you will not die.” And they did so.21 Then they said to one another, “Surely we are guilty concerning our brother because we saw the distress of his soul when he begged us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us.”22 And Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not tell you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; yet you would not listen? So also his blood, behold, it is required of us.”23 Now they did not know that Joseph was listening, for there was an interpreter between them.24 And he turned away from them and wept. Then he returned to them and spoke to them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.
Simeon was the second oldest. He was the child of Leah. And we get an early sense that he has a cruel streak in him. There is a story we didn’t cover where Simeon and Levi’s sister is raped. And Simeon and Levi plot revenge. But it was not enough for them to kill the perpetrator. They wiped out all the men of the village where the perpetrator lived. Their father was incensed at their actions. He says,
Genesis 34:30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me odious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and my men being few in number, they will gather together against me and strike me, and I will be destroyed, I and my household.”
On his deathbed Jacob would say about Simeon and Levi,
Genesis 49:5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers; Their swords are implements of violence.
We also know that later Simeon and Levi are disinherited by Jacob. He replaces them in his blessing of his sons with Joseph’s two sons.
Genesis 48:5 So now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are.
So, why Simeon? Well, I think it is another test. They are being tested as to whether they are willing to bring the youngest, favorite son of their father to Egypt, and subject him to danger. That is a test of whether they still let jealousy drive their actions. And now maybe they are seeing the cruelest son among them tied up and taken away. How is that a test? Well, it would show how truly self-centered they were. They could have easily said, “Simeon is getting what he deserves.” Maybe Simeon led in the conspiracy to throw Joseph in the pit.
This may have also been a signal to them that the one who was most guilty regarding Joseph, was suffering most.
25 Then Joseph gave a command to fill their bags with grain and to restore every man’s money in his sack and to give them provisions for the journey. And thus, it was done for them.
I think it is noteworthy that he restores their money in their bags. It means that even as he is trying them and testing them, he is ensuring that they are cared for. What a parallel to how our Lord has treated the Jewish people.
I think that this is an interesting study. I did a little searching, and when you compare the household incomes in the U.S. among religious groups, Jewish households are at the top, Hindu second, Southern Baptists are about a quarter of the way up from the bottom.
How did American Jews get so rich?Since the mass immigration some 100 years ago, Jews have become richest religious group in American society. They make up only 2% of US population, but 25% of 400 wealthiest Americans.
So, there seems to be a double-edged sword concerning Jewishness that goes all the way back to these sons of Israel.
Well, there are details that transpire on the journey. They discover that their money is restored and take it as a bad omen. They return to their father and describe how they were treated, that Simeon is still incarcerated in Egypt and that the overlord of the land demanded that they could only return if they brought their youngest brother.
I said that there was evidence that they had repented. Jacob, their father, is incredulous about the fact that his youngest, Benjamin, may be subjected to danger from this anonymous man.
36 And their father Jacob said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me.”37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hand, and I will return him to you.”38 But [j]Jacob said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone remains. If harm should befall him on the journey on which you are going, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”
But, despite his refusals, the famine continues. We will later learn that only two of the seven years has passed. Chapter 43 says.
43 Now the famine was heavy in the land.2 And it happened when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a little food.”
But Judah reminds him of what they were told.
3 Judah spoke to him, however, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’4 If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food.5 But if you do not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”6 Then Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly [a]by telling the man whether you still had another brother?”7 But they said, “The man questioned particularly about us and our kin, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ So we told him concerning these things. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”8 Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, we as well as you and our little ones.9 I myself will be the guarantee for him; from my hand you may require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then [b]I shall bear the sin before you all my days.10 For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice.”
11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your [c]bags, and bring them down to the man as a present, a little [d]balm and a little honey, [e]aromatic gum and [f]myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.12 Now take double the money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was put back in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was a mistake.13 And take your brother also, and arise, return to the man;14 and may [g]God Almighty grant you compassion before the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”
And they return to Egypt.
15 So the men took this present, and they took double the money in their hand, and Benjamin; and they arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
16 Then Joseph saw Benjamin with them and said to his house steward, “Bring the men into the house, and slay an animal and prepare it; for the men are to eat with me at noon.”17 So the man did as Joseph said and [h]brought the men to Joseph’s house.18 And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in, that he may [i]seek occasion against us and fall upon us and take us for slaves with our donkeys.”19 So they came near to Joseph’s house steward and spoke to him at the entrance of the house,20 and they said, “Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food,21 and it happened when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and behold, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in [j]full. So we have brought it back in our hand.22 We have also brought down other money in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks.”23 And he said, “[k]Be well, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; your money has come to me.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.24 Then the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys fodder.25 So they prepared the present [l]for Joseph’s coming at noon; for they had heard that they were to eat [m]a meal there.
26 Then Joseph came home, and they brought into the house to him the present which was in their hand and bowed to the ground before him.27 And he asked them about their [n]well-being and said, “Is your old father [o]well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”28 And they said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” They bowed down and prostrated themselves.29 Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son. And he said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”30 And Joseph hurried out for [p]he was deeply stirred with compassion over his brother, and he sought a place to weep; and he entered his chamber and wept there.31 Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself and said, “Set the [q]meal.”32 So they set the meal for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.33 And they [r]were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.34 And he took portions to them from [s]his own table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times greater than any of theirs. So, they feasted and drank freely with him.
And this is where we look at some final parallels to Jesus. We have taken the story of Joseph up to the point before he reveals himself to them. In the story of Jesus, that’s where we are now. At Jesus return, He will appear in the eastern sky, after years of Great Tribulation. And it will be an especially trying time for the Jewish people.
But it will be a reunion full of love and pathos only foreshadowed by that of Joseph and his brothers. The conclusion for us today is to consider how much Joseph yearned for his brothers before he finally revealed himself to them. He set a feast before them. He brought them into his house. He inquired about Jacob. He had to leave the room because he was overcome with emotion and weeping.
And that really foreshadows the love that our Lord Jesus Christ has for all the lost of the world, and in particular, the Jewish people.
Matthew 23:37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you did not want it.