Page:The Story of Joseph and His Brethren.djvu/93

90 But there were two classes of Gentiles, as there are two classes of Jews—a class that were good and a class that were absolutely or relatively bad. The good among the Jews were represented by Reuben among the brethren of Joseph, for he not only objected to the proposal of his brethren to put Joseph to death, but endeavoured to rid him out of their hands, and deliver him to his father; the others, who sold Joseph, represented the wicked among the Jews. So there were two different tribes of Gentiles concerned in the disposal of Joseph. He was bought by the Ishmaelites and sold by the Midianites—the Ishmaelites representing the good among the Gentiles who received and acknowledged the Lord at His coming, the Midianites, those who rejected and denied Him.

In Joseph's being taken down into Egypt we behold another striking resemblance or analogy in the Lord's history. Jesus was carried down into Egypt by an express divine command. Here again, indeed, there is a want of strict historical conformity of Joseph's with our Lord's history. The Lord was carried down to Egypt when a "young child;" Joseph