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12 Then his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” So he said to him, “Here I am.” 14 Then he said to him, “Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.” So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem. ~ Genesis 37:12-14
Today, we continue our study of the life of Joseph. Just as God spoke His wisdom to us through stories out of Jacob's life, He did the same through the life of Joseph. In doing so, God didn’t present Joseph as perfect, but rather exposed him for all of us to see. The patriarchs of Israel were no different than we, they struggled to walk with the Lord as we do and I find that quite encouraging. Through these stories we see the struggles in the lives of people who loved God and wanted to love Him even more. As we watch God interact with them, we get a sense of what it looks like to have a personal relationship with Him.
In v.12-13 of today's passage we read, "12 Then his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, 'Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.' So he said to him, 'Here I am.'"
Jacob, the father of Joseph, was at this time, living in Hebron which was about 60 miles away from Shechem. During this period, Joseph had his dreams concerning his brother's sheaves bowing down to his sheaf, and then the 12 stars and the sun and moon bowing down to the Lord Jesus. After this, his brothers went back to Shechem to feed their flocks. Shechem was the same place where Jacob and his family had once lived, the place where Jacob's sons had killed all of the men of the town.
The name "Israel" is mentioned only twice in this chapter; the first to describe Jacob's love for Joseph and the second when Jacob spoke to Joseph directly. Later, when he hears of his son’s supposed death, he will be called Jacob. There is Jacob, the deceiver, who will be deceived, and there is Israel who struggles with God. In this verse, he is Israel.
And so Israel said to Joseph, the beloved son, "Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem?" This question was a way of introducing a line of thought. It is a rhetorical question like others frequently used throughout both the Old and New Testaments. The question was actually a statement of fact. With the usage of this question, Jacob was preparing Joseph for his directions. By introducing this thought as a question, it alleviated the explanation. Jacob told Joseph where his brothers were and what they were doing. As a result, all he had to do was to give his directions and then anticipate Joseph's response.
At this point in the narrative, Jacob was a picture of God the Father. Joseph pictured the Lord Jesus. Joseph was hated by his brothers, something which was specifically noted earlier in this chapter. The Lord Jesus, likewise, knew He would be hated by His countrymen. Jacob then sent His most beloved son similar to way that God the Father sent His Son from His heavenly home to this wicked world.
As soon as Jacob spoke, Joseph responded, and he did so without hesitation in his words. Joseph replied, "Here I am." In Hebrews 10:5-7 we read, "5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: 'Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. 7 Then I said, 'Behold, I have come in the volume of the book it is written of Me to do Your will, O God.'" Quoting Psalm 40 the Lord Jesus responded in the same manner as Joseph.
In v.14 of todays passage we read, "Then he said to him, 'Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.' So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem."
Literally, Jacob said to Joseph, "go see if there is peace." Jacob wanted to make sure that his sons were ok. If so, Joseph was to bring back the news. This shows that Jacob had assigned Joseph as the overseer to his older brothers. Jacob's sons were back in the place where they had killed all of the men in the entire town of Shechem. Jacob was concerned for the safety of his sons. Since Jacob also mentioned the flocks, he was also concerned for the weakest of the sheep. What a picture of the Father was Jacob and what a picture of the Lord Jesus was Joseph. In John 10:11 we read, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep."
Jacob and Joseph were in the Valley of Hebron. This is the only time in the Bible the words "the Valley of Hebron" is used. It was specifically named here to show us that from this place of depth comes the reuniting of God and man through the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Deep is the love of God even for the least. The root for the word "valley" is used in Psalm 92:5 which reads, "O Lord, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep." In Romans 11:33 we read, "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!"
The Lord Jesus left heaven! The simplicity of those words belie the magnitude of their meaning. The second person of the trinity, who has always existed in perfect, unbroken union with God, the Father, and God, the Holy Spirit, left that perfect fellowship to find you and me. He left heaven with full disclosure of the horrors that awaited Him on earth. During the final hours of His earthly life, the Lord Jesus asked the Father if there was any way other than the cross. It makes me wonder what He felt in those last hours before He stepped out of heaven, put on human flesh, and submitted to the Father’s will for leaving. Despite all of that, He sought us out so that we might be secured by Him for eternity.
