Page 24 - August 2026 - Truth & Tidings

" nd Pharaoh called Joseph’s name his bow abode in strength, and the arms of

Zaphnath-paaneah” (Gen 41:45).
his hands were made strong by the hands
1
A We began this short series by
noting the parallels between Joseph’s time of the mighty God of Jacob” (49:23-24).
Vividly, we imagine a company of
in Shechem and the Lord’s appearance at skilled soldiers, bows in hand, drawing,
Sychar. Then we considered how Joseph’s releasing their arrows and striking their
burial site enriches our appreciation of the target, only to reload and shoot again. The
interaction at the well, and then how the natural response would be to return fire in
Lord Jesus reached across religious and self-defense, but this soldier was different.
cultural boundaries to be that “fruitful “His bow abode in strength” is Jacob’s
bough by a well, whose branches run over way of saying that this victim, through
the wall” (Gen 49:22). This article focuses integrity of character, was able to refrain
more on the parallels between the life path from responding in kind. Of course, the ar-
of Joseph and that of the Lord Jesus. Ulti- chers were Joseph’s brothers, the Potiphar
mately, as our view narrows to Joseph’s family and a butler who had forgotten all
exaltation and his new name with its about him. The arrows of hatred, false
multifaceted meaning, we will enjoy one accusations and ungratefulness hit their
of the more obvious sightings of Joseph mark and were especially grieving in light
in John 4: our own Zaphnath-paaneah. of his complete innocence. But when the
Joseph’s suffering and eventual glory hurtful words connected, he never shot
(Gen 41) are presented as a pattern to emu- back. He found the strength to remain si-
late in our own trials and a foreshadowing lent, supplied by the Mighty One Himself.
of the Lord Jesus Christ’s sufferings and Certainly, this is a picture of the Lord
glory. His humility, purity and patience Jesus, for “when he was maligned, he did
are a bold underwriting over which we not answer back; when he suffered, he
can trace our own behaviour. Jacob’s sum- threatened no retaliation, but committed
mary of his son’s exemplary life includes himself to God who judges justly” (1Pe
a metaphor describing his strength in his 2:23 NET). And, ultimately, the practical
sorrows: “The archers have sorely grieved challenge falls to us: Am I developing
him, and shot at him, and hated him: But
the spiritual courage that will give me
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the KJV strength to hold my fire when the natural
unless otherwise noted. reaction is to shoot back? A sharp-tongued

248 TRUTH kTidings August 2026