Although Joseph was a shepherd and the father's beloved and although he ministered to his brothers according to his father's will, he was hated and harassed by the brothers to whom he ministered (37:4-5, 8, 11, 18-36). The same was true of Christ (Acts 10:38-39). Christ was sent to minister to the children of God, but they hated Him. According to the Gospels, the Jewish leaders hated Christ, conspired against Him, and plotted to kill Him. This was also Joseph's experience with his brothers. In 37:19 and 20 his brothers said, "Behold, this master of dreams cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him..." (Heb.). Thus, they conspired and plotted against their brother Joseph.
Joseph's brothers harassed him through the Ishmaelites, who were Midianites (37:25, 28). Both the Ishmaelites and the Midianites were descendants of Abraham. Abraham had three wives: Sarah, Hagar, and Keturah. Through Sarah, his genuine wife, Abraham brought forth Isaac. Through Hagar, Sarah's handmaid, he brought forth Ishmael, the product of Abraham's flesh. Finally, through Keturah, Abraham brought forth Midian. Only one son—Isaac—was brought forth by grace. Both Ishmael and Midian were brought forth through the flesh. Therefore, in the Old Testament both Ishmael and Midian signify the flesh, the natural strength. Joseph, a descendant of Isaac, was sold to the descendants of Ishmael and Midian, to the Ishmaelites, the Midianites. It seems that the Bible erroneously uses the terms the Ishmaelites and the Midianites interchangeably. In chapter thirty-seven, verse 25 speaks of the Ishmaelites and verse 28, of the Midianites. Were the ones to whom Joseph was sold Ishmaelites or Midianites? According to the Bible, both the Ishmaelites and the Midianites were of the same category. In the eyes of God the Ishmaelites and the Midianites both signify the flesh. Thus, Joseph was sold through the flesh. The same thing happened to the Lord Jesus. If the Jewish leaders had been in the spirit, they would never have delivered Jesus Christ to Pilate. Christ was delivered to Pilate by the Jewish leaders through the flesh. When the Jewish leaders delivered Jesus to Pilate, they were no longer Israelites; they were Ishmaelites and Midianites. Their delivering up of the Lord Jesus was done in the flesh.
Joseph was sold through the flesh to Egypt (37:28, 36), which signifies the world. The fact that Joseph was sold through the flesh to the world indicates that the flesh is linked to the world. It was the same in the case of the Lord Jesus. Through the flesh, the Jewish leaders delivered Christ to Pilate, the Roman authority, who certainly was in Egypt, that is, in the world.