Because Christ was resurrected, enthroned, glorified, and received gifts, He is the Savior of the world. As the Savior of the world, He is also the Sustainer of life and the Revealer of secrets (Acts 5:31; John 6:50-51). Joseph typified Christ in these three aspects, for these titles are all included in the name Zaphnath-paaneah given to Joseph by Pharaoh (41:45). This name firstly means the Savior of the world; secondly, the Sustainer of life; and thirdly, the Revealer of secrets. We all know that Christ is the Savior of the world. As the Savior of the world, He is the Sustainer of life and the Revealer of secrets. All these titles were ascribed to Joseph. Firstly, Joseph was the revealer of secrets, then the savior of the world. He became the savior because he sustained the life of the people.
Regarding Joseph's being the sustainer of life, the record of the Bible is marvelous. Pharaoh had two dreams, the first of cows and the second of ears of corn (41:1-7). Why did Pharaoh not dream of seven turtles and seven black stones? Both the cows and the grain are good for food. Today we enjoy eating steak, which comes from cows, and bread, which comes from grain. Here we see two kinds of life—the animal life and the vegetable life. We need to enjoy both kinds of life. According to the ordination in the Bible, before the fall man ate only of the vegetable life (1:29). After the fall, however, man was told to eat meat because of the need for the shedding of blood for redemption (9:3). Thus, after the fall, man had to take as his supply the vegetable life and the animal life. Actually, the animal life must come first, for the fallen ones need to be redeemed before they can enjoy life. At the Lord's table we see the bread and the blood. The blood comes out of the Lord's animal life for redemption, and the bread comes from His regenerating life. In the Gospel of John the Lord is likened to a lamb. In John 1:29 John the Baptist said, "Behold the Lamb." This is the animal life for redemption. In John 12:24 the Lord compared Himself to a grain of wheat falling into the earth to reproduce by regeneration. This is the vegetable life for regenerating. Both kinds of life are mentioned in Genesis 41.
As we consider this, we realize again that the Bible is truly a divine book. No human being could have composed it. The more I probe into the depths of the Bible, the more I am convinced that its contents are divinely revealed. Surely it is the Word of God. Who other than God could have written such a chapter as Genesis 41? Today, the life supply we receive from the Lord Jesus as the Sustainer of life includes both the animal life for redemption and the vegetable life for production. Hallelujah, day by day we are nourished in this way! Simultaneously Christ is both the Savior of the world and the Sustainer of life.
He is also the Revealer of secrets, the One who interprets dreams. Have you ever considered how many dreams the Lord Jesus interpreted when He was on earth? By dreams I mean revelation, the secrets He has revealed to us. He interpreted at least seven dreams in Matthew 13 and a number of others in Matthew 24 and 25. Truly the Lord is the Revealer of secrets.