Joseph’s biography indicates that he had no defects and was altogether perfect. Joseph signifies the reigning aspect of a matured saint, the matured Israel.
Genesis 37:2 says, “These are the generations of Jacob.” Then it goes on to tell us of the life of Joseph. This proves that Joseph’s life was a part of Jacob’s generation.
The biographies of Joseph and Jacob are blended together in Genesis because they are actually the biography of one person, not of two.
Joseph was sold into Egypt by his brothers, and then he was imprisoned due to the false accusation of the wife of Potiphar, the captain of the guard, but God was with him. Later, Pharaoh dreamed, yet no one but Joseph could interpret the dreams. Pharaoh saw that the Spirit of God was in him and that he was discreet and wise, so Pharaoh set him over all the land of Egypt (Gen. 41:38-41). Joseph’s reigning actually was the reigning of Jacob through Joseph.
The called race began with Abraham, passed through Isaac, and was completed with Jacob. Even though Abraham had a good beginning with being called, there is no record of his being chosen or of his reaching an ultimate and matured life. For this completion, Abraham needed Jacob. In Jacob we see that the called one was chosen long before his birth; in him we also see the maturity in life. His hands were hands of supplanting, but in his old age, his hands became hands of blessing. Jacob became fully mature. He reached a level of maturity such that he was reigning over the whole land. (The reigning of Joseph was the reigning of Jacob.) In Jacob’s life, however, we cannot see the calling, justification by faith, and the living by faith. He was a person without faith; he supplanted everything. Moreover, in both Abraham and Jacob we cannot see the inheriting of grace, nor the resting and enjoying. Isaac was one who did not labor and struggle. He just inherited, rested, and enjoyed. In Isaac, however, we cannot see the selection, the calling and the maturity in life.
If we add all the experiences of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob together, we see a clear picture of the complete experience of a called one. In them we see God’s selection, God’s calling, justification by faith, the living in fellowship with God, the inheriting of grace, the resting and enjoying, the transformation in life, and the maturity in life.
From Abraham to Joseph, the Bible gives a full picture of a person chosen by God, from being called by God to maturing in life. In Abraham, we see God’s calling, justification by faith, living by faith, and dwelling in fellowship with God. In Isaac, we see the inheritance of grace and also the rest and enjoyment gained through grace. In Jacob, we see God’s choosing, transformation in life, and maturing in life. In Joseph, we see the aspect of reigning in the maturity of life.