Psalms 137

Psalms 137:1

The Protection of the LORD

From their earliest existence, “when they were only a few men in number”, God has cared for them (Psalms 105:12). That they were truly with a few is underscored by the addition “very few”. They were easy prey for malicious men and predatory gangs. Added to that, they were “strangers”, people without any right to stay and protection (cf. Hebrews 11:9). But God protected them.

Thus they wandered “from nation to nation” and “from [one] kingdom to another people” (Psalms 105:13). Abraham left Ur of the Chaldeans (Genesis 11:31). He entered Canaan (Genesis 12:4-6), he went to Egypt (Genesis 12:10-20), and he lived as a stranger in Philistine Gerar (Genesis 20:1).

But God was with them. He stood up for them and “permitted no man to oppress them” (Psalms 105:14). He even “reproved” kings for their sakes. No ordinary, mortal man and no ruler have been able to lift a finger against God’s chosen people without Him reproving them.

This is what Pharaoh of Egypt and Abimelech of the Philistines experienced (Genesis 12:17-20; Genesis 20:1-18; Genesis 26:6-11). God said to them in clear and threatening language: “Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm” (Psalms 105:15). In this way He has protected them. He has seen to it that no harm has been done to those to whom He has made His promises.

God’s anointed are those whom He has chosen for Himself, whom He has set apart to serve Him. They belonged to God as sanctified by Him. Abraham is called a prophet (Genesis 20:7). Isaac and Jacob can also be called prophets. Isaac prophesied about Jacob (Genesis 27:28-29) and Jacob prophesied about his sons (Genesis 49:1).

Psalms 105:12-15 describe the people’s past, how weak and vulnerable they were. It shows how we too can feel in the world. Then the people are reminded how in those circumstances, when they seemed to be prey to hostile powers, God stood up for them.

Psalms 137:2

The Protection of the LORD

From their earliest existence, “when they were only a few men in number”, God has cared for them (Psalms 105:12). That they were truly with a few is underscored by the addition “very few”. They were easy prey for malicious men and predatory gangs. Added to that, they were “strangers”, people without any right to stay and protection (cf. Hebrews 11:9). But God protected them.

Thus they wandered “from nation to nation” and “from [one] kingdom to another people” (Psalms 105:13). Abraham left Ur of the Chaldeans (Genesis 11:31). He entered Canaan (Genesis 12:4-6), he went to Egypt (Genesis 12:10-20), and he lived as a stranger in Philistine Gerar (Genesis 20:1).

But God was with them. He stood up for them and “permitted no man to oppress them” (Psalms 105:14). He even “reproved” kings for their sakes. No ordinary, mortal man and no ruler have been able to lift a finger against God’s chosen people without Him reproving them.

This is what Pharaoh of Egypt and Abimelech of the Philistines experienced (Genesis 12:17-20; Genesis 20:1-18; Genesis 26:6-11). God said to them in clear and threatening language: “Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm” (Psalms 105:15). In this way He has protected them. He has seen to it that no harm has been done to those to whom He has made His promises.

God’s anointed are those whom He has chosen for Himself, whom He has set apart to serve Him. They belonged to God as sanctified by Him. Abraham is called a prophet (Genesis 20:7). Isaac and Jacob can also be called prophets. Isaac prophesied about Jacob (Genesis 27:28-29) and Jacob prophesied about his sons (Genesis 49:1).

Psalms 105:12-15 describe the people’s past, how weak and vulnerable they were. It shows how we too can feel in the world. Then the people are reminded how in those circumstances, when they seemed to be prey to hostile powers, God stood up for them.

Psalms 137:3

The Protection of the LORD

From their earliest existence, “when they were only a few men in number”, God has cared for them (Psalms 105:12). That they were truly with a few is underscored by the addition “very few”. They were easy prey for malicious men and predatory gangs. Added to that, they were “strangers”, people without any right to stay and protection (cf. Hebrews 11:9). But God protected them.

Thus they wandered “from nation to nation” and “from [one] kingdom to another people” (Psalms 105:13). Abraham left Ur of the Chaldeans (Genesis 11:31). He entered Canaan (Genesis 12:4-6), he went to Egypt (Genesis 12:10-20), and he lived as a stranger in Philistine Gerar (Genesis 20:1).

But God was with them. He stood up for them and “permitted no man to oppress them” (Psalms 105:14). He even “reproved” kings for their sakes. No ordinary, mortal man and no ruler have been able to lift a finger against God’s chosen people without Him reproving them.

This is what Pharaoh of Egypt and Abimelech of the Philistines experienced (Genesis 12:17-20; Genesis 20:1-18; Genesis 26:6-11). God said to them in clear and threatening language: “Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm” (Psalms 105:15). In this way He has protected them. He has seen to it that no harm has been done to those to whom He has made His promises.

God’s anointed are those whom He has chosen for Himself, whom He has set apart to serve Him. They belonged to God as sanctified by Him. Abraham is called a prophet (Genesis 20:7). Isaac and Jacob can also be called prophets. Isaac prophesied about Jacob (Genesis 27:28-29) and Jacob prophesied about his sons (Genesis 49:1).

Psalms 105:12-15 describe the people’s past, how weak and vulnerable they were. It shows how we too can feel in the world. Then the people are reminded how in those circumstances, when they seemed to be prey to hostile powers, God stood up for them.

Psalms 137:4

Joseph

Then we read that God called for a famine upon the land where Jacob and His sons lived (Psalms 105:16). He was fully involved in their protection, but also in their tribulation. He “broke the whole staff of bread”. That is, there was not one morsel of food that would give them strength to live. The supply of bread was taken away from them (Isaiah 3:1).

Why God did that is not mentioned here. We read about that in Genesis 41-44. There we read that God wanted to bring Joseph’s brothers to repentance. That is also what He wants to do with the remnant in the future: bring them into tribulation to purify them (Malachi 3:2-3). The point here is that God had already provided someone who could supply His people with food. God sends tribulation into the believer’s life because He wants to work out plans of blessing in his life (Romans 8:28).

He had sent Joseph before them (Psalms 105:17), as Joseph himself later testifies (Genesis 45:7-8; Genesis 50:20). The psalmist describes the way in which God did this. It is a way of deep humiliation. It began with his sale as a slave. We know from the account in Genesis 37 that his brothers sold him (Genesis 37:28). That is not mentioned here. It is about the way God had determined for the man who would provide His people with bread.

After Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, he ended up in Egypt and in prison. Here we are told what that meant: “They afflicted his feet with fetters, he himself was laid in irons” (Psalms 105:18). We don’t read that in Genesis 39. There we read about his faithfulness to God that brought him in prison (Genesis 39:7-20). They afflicted his feet with fetters as if he were a great criminal, so that he could not walk. That he himself came in the irons means that he suffered inwardly because of what was done to him.

God had set a limit to this severe trial. When His word came true – where we can think of the fulfillment of Pharaoh’s dreams whose meaning God revealed to Joseph (Genesis 41:14-44) – Joseph’s captivity was over (Psalms 105:19). And how did Joseph endure this torment? God has been with him all this time with His word of promise. Through that promise, Joseph was “tested”, or “refined” (cf. Job 23:10). Every trial in our lives God wants to use to purify us. To purify is to make us, or our faith, pure and clean, so that more and more we have only Him in mind and not ourselves or our interests (cf. 1 Peter 1:7).

When God’s work on Joseph was finished, “the king sent and released him” (Psalms 105:20). This act of release is given added emphasis by saying the same thing again in other words: “The ruler of peoples … set him free.” We know that it was God’s work in the king and that God is in fact the Ruler of the peoples. He made Pharaoh dream a dream that none of all the king’s wise men could explain. Only Joseph could do that because of the insight God had given him. Therefore, the king called Joseph to him (Genesis 41:8; 14-16).

After explaining it and the advice Joseph gave unsolicited, Pharaoh – who in the book of Genesis is a picture of God in his position as ruler of the world – appointed Joseph “lord of his house and ruler over all his possessions” (Psalms 105:21; Genesis 41:38-40; Acts 7:10). Joseph became the most powerful man in the land after Pharaoh. He was given authority to “imprison” Pharaoh’s princes “at will, that he might teach his [i.e. Pharaoh’s] elders wisdom” (Psalms 105:22). In Joseph we see the rare combination of power and wisdom. We see this in perfection only in the Lord Jesus, of Whom Joseph is a beautiful picture.

In God’s dealings with Joseph to fulfill His promise lies an encouraging lesson for us. We can trust that God knows all our difficulties and that He has already prepared a solution for them in advance. He oversees everything and directs everything for the good of His own. The way in which He does this, we can often only see afterwards. At the moment itself we wonder how things will turn out.

We see this also with Joseph. Who could imagine that God sent Joseph to Egypt in this way, to be a blessing to his father and his brothers in their time of need? For Jacob and his sons, that blessing is first and foremost spiritual: they are restored to their relationship with Joseph. The blessing is also material: they receive food and are even allowed to come and live with Joseph in Egypt.

The deeper meaning of this section about Joseph is that he is a type of the Lord Jesus, Who as the Savior had to undergo a path of rejection and suffering before He could actually be the Savior. The Lord Jesus Himself expressed it this way: “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” (Luke 24:26). The grace of God is expressed in this psalm because God Himself sent His Son into the world to save us.

Psalms 137:5

Joseph

Then we read that God called for a famine upon the land where Jacob and His sons lived (Psalms 105:16). He was fully involved in their protection, but also in their tribulation. He “broke the whole staff of bread”. That is, there was not one morsel of food that would give them strength to live. The supply of bread was taken away from them (Isaiah 3:1).

Why God did that is not mentioned here. We read about that in Genesis 41-44. There we read that God wanted to bring Joseph’s brothers to repentance. That is also what He wants to do with the remnant in the future: bring them into tribulation to purify them (Malachi 3:2-3). The point here is that God had already provided someone who could supply His people with food. God sends tribulation into the believer’s life because He wants to work out plans of blessing in his life (Romans 8:28).

He had sent Joseph before them (Psalms 105:17), as Joseph himself later testifies (Genesis 45:7-8; Genesis 50:20). The psalmist describes the way in which God did this. It is a way of deep humiliation. It began with his sale as a slave. We know from the account in Genesis 37 that his brothers sold him (Genesis 37:28). That is not mentioned here. It is about the way God had determined for the man who would provide His people with bread.

After Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, he ended up in Egypt and in prison. Here we are told what that meant: “They afflicted his feet with fetters, he himself was laid in irons” (Psalms 105:18). We don’t read that in Genesis 39. There we read about his faithfulness to God that brought him in prison (Genesis 39:7-20). They afflicted his feet with fetters as if he were a great criminal, so that he could not walk. That he himself came in the irons means that he suffered inwardly because of what was done to him.

God had set a limit to this severe trial. When His word came true – where we can think of the fulfillment of Pharaoh’s dreams whose meaning God revealed to Joseph (Genesis 41:14-44) – Joseph’s captivity was over (Psalms 105:19). And how did Joseph endure this torment? God has been with him all this time with His word of promise. Through that promise, Joseph was “tested”, or “refined” (cf. Job 23:10). Every trial in our lives God wants to use to purify us. To purify is to make us, or our faith, pure and clean, so that more and more we have only Him in mind and not ourselves or our interests (cf. 1 Peter 1:7).

When God’s work on Joseph was finished, “the king sent and released him” (Psalms 105:20). This act of release is given added emphasis by saying the same thing again in other words: “The ruler of peoples … set him free.” We know that it was God’s work in the king and that God is in fact the Ruler of the peoples. He made Pharaoh dream a dream that none of all the king’s wise men could explain. Only Joseph could do that because of the insight God had given him. Therefore, the king called Joseph to him (Genesis 41:8; 14-16).

After explaining it and the advice Joseph gave unsolicited, Pharaoh – who in the book of Genesis is a picture of God in his position as ruler of the world – appointed Joseph “lord of his house and ruler over all his possessions” (Psalms 105:21; Genesis 41:38-40; Acts 7:10). Joseph became the most powerful man in the land after Pharaoh. He was given authority to “imprison” Pharaoh’s princes “at will, that he might teach his [i.e. Pharaoh’s] elders wisdom” (Psalms 105:22). In Joseph we see the rare combination of power and wisdom. We see this in perfection only in the Lord Jesus, of Whom Joseph is a beautiful picture.

In God’s dealings with Joseph to fulfill His promise lies an encouraging lesson for us. We can trust that God knows all our difficulties and that He has already prepared a solution for them in advance. He oversees everything and directs everything for the good of His own. The way in which He does this, we can often only see afterwards. At the moment itself we wonder how things will turn out.

We see this also with Joseph. Who could imagine that God sent Joseph to Egypt in this way, to be a blessing to his father and his brothers in their time of need? For Jacob and his sons, that blessing is first and foremost spiritual: they are restored to their relationship with Joseph. The blessing is also material: they receive food and are even allowed to come and live with Joseph in Egypt.

The deeper meaning of this section about Joseph is that he is a type of the Lord Jesus, Who as the Savior had to undergo a path of rejection and suffering before He could actually be the Savior. The Lord Jesus Himself expressed it this way: “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” (Luke 24:26). The grace of God is expressed in this psalm because God Himself sent His Son into the world to save us.

Psalms 137:6

Joseph

Then we read that God called for a famine upon the land where Jacob and His sons lived (Psalms 105:16). He was fully involved in their protection, but also in their tribulation. He “broke the whole staff of bread”. That is, there was not one morsel of food that would give them strength to live. The supply of bread was taken away from them (Isaiah 3:1).

Why God did that is not mentioned here. We read about that in Genesis 41-44. There we read that God wanted to bring Joseph’s brothers to repentance. That is also what He wants to do with the remnant in the future: bring them into tribulation to purify them (Malachi 3:2-3). The point here is that God had already provided someone who could supply His people with food. God sends tribulation into the believer’s life because He wants to work out plans of blessing in his life (Romans 8:28).

He had sent Joseph before them (Psalms 105:17), as Joseph himself later testifies (Genesis 45:7-8; Genesis 50:20). The psalmist describes the way in which God did this. It is a way of deep humiliation. It began with his sale as a slave. We know from the account in Genesis 37 that his brothers sold him (Genesis 37:28). That is not mentioned here. It is about the way God had determined for the man who would provide His people with bread.

After Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, he ended up in Egypt and in prison. Here we are told what that meant: “They afflicted his feet with fetters, he himself was laid in irons” (Psalms 105:18). We don’t read that in Genesis 39. There we read about his faithfulness to God that brought him in prison (Genesis 39:7-20). They afflicted his feet with fetters as if he were a great criminal, so that he could not walk. That he himself came in the irons means that he suffered inwardly because of what was done to him.

God had set a limit to this severe trial. When His word came true – where we can think of the fulfillment of Pharaoh’s dreams whose meaning God revealed to Joseph (Genesis 41:14-44) – Joseph’s captivity was over (Psalms 105:19). And how did Joseph endure this torment? God has been with him all this time with His word of promise. Through that promise, Joseph was “tested”, or “refined” (cf. Job 23:10). Every trial in our lives God wants to use to purify us. To purify is to make us, or our faith, pure and clean, so that more and more we have only Him in mind and not ourselves or our interests (cf. 1 Peter 1:7).

When God’s work on Joseph was finished, “the king sent and released him” (Psalms 105:20). This act of release is given added emphasis by saying the same thing again in other words: “The ruler of peoples … set him free.” We know that it was God’s work in the king and that God is in fact the Ruler of the peoples. He made Pharaoh dream a dream that none of all the king’s wise men could explain. Only Joseph could do that because of the insight God had given him. Therefore, the king called Joseph to him (Genesis 41:8; 14-16).

After explaining it and the advice Joseph gave unsolicited, Pharaoh – who in the book of Genesis is a picture of God in his position as ruler of the world – appointed Joseph “lord of his house and ruler over all his possessions” (Psalms 105:21; Genesis 41:38-40; Acts 7:10). Joseph became the most powerful man in the land after Pharaoh. He was given authority to “imprison” Pharaoh’s princes “at will, that he might teach his [i.e. Pharaoh’s] elders wisdom” (Psalms 105:22). In Joseph we see the rare combination of power and wisdom. We see this in perfection only in the Lord Jesus, of Whom Joseph is a beautiful picture.

In God’s dealings with Joseph to fulfill His promise lies an encouraging lesson for us. We can trust that God knows all our difficulties and that He has already prepared a solution for them in advance. He oversees everything and directs everything for the good of His own. The way in which He does this, we can often only see afterwards. At the moment itself we wonder how things will turn out.

We see this also with Joseph. Who could imagine that God sent Joseph to Egypt in this way, to be a blessing to his father and his brothers in their time of need? For Jacob and his sons, that blessing is first and foremost spiritual: they are restored to their relationship with Joseph. The blessing is also material: they receive food and are even allowed to come and live with Joseph in Egypt.

The deeper meaning of this section about Joseph is that he is a type of the Lord Jesus, Who as the Savior had to undergo a path of rejection and suffering before He could actually be the Savior. The Lord Jesus Himself expressed it this way: “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” (Luke 24:26). The grace of God is expressed in this psalm because God Himself sent His Son into the world to save us.

Psalms 137:7

Joseph

Then we read that God called for a famine upon the land where Jacob and His sons lived (Psalms 105:16). He was fully involved in their protection, but also in their tribulation. He “broke the whole staff of bread”. That is, there was not one morsel of food that would give them strength to live. The supply of bread was taken away from them (Isaiah 3:1).

Why God did that is not mentioned here. We read about that in Genesis 41-44. There we read that God wanted to bring Joseph’s brothers to repentance. That is also what He wants to do with the remnant in the future: bring them into tribulation to purify them (Malachi 3:2-3). The point here is that God had already provided someone who could supply His people with food. God sends tribulation into the believer’s life because He wants to work out plans of blessing in his life (Romans 8:28).

He had sent Joseph before them (Psalms 105:17), as Joseph himself later testifies (Genesis 45:7-8; Genesis 50:20). The psalmist describes the way in which God did this. It is a way of deep humiliation. It began with his sale as a slave. We know from the account in Genesis 37 that his brothers sold him (Genesis 37:28). That is not mentioned here. It is about the way God had determined for the man who would provide His people with bread.

After Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, he ended up in Egypt and in prison. Here we are told what that meant: “They afflicted his feet with fetters, he himself was laid in irons” (Psalms 105:18). We don’t read that in Genesis 39. There we read about his faithfulness to God that brought him in prison (Genesis 39:7-20). They afflicted his feet with fetters as if he were a great criminal, so that he could not walk. That he himself came in the irons means that he suffered inwardly because of what was done to him.

God had set a limit to this severe trial. When His word came true – where we can think of the fulfillment of Pharaoh’s dreams whose meaning God revealed to Joseph (Genesis 41:14-44) – Joseph’s captivity was over (Psalms 105:19). And how did Joseph endure this torment? God has been with him all this time with His word of promise. Through that promise, Joseph was “tested”, or “refined” (cf. Job 23:10). Every trial in our lives God wants to use to purify us. To purify is to make us, or our faith, pure and clean, so that more and more we have only Him in mind and not ourselves or our interests (cf. 1 Peter 1:7).

When God’s work on Joseph was finished, “the king sent and released him” (Psalms 105:20). This act of release is given added emphasis by saying the same thing again in other words: “The ruler of peoples … set him free.” We know that it was God’s work in the king and that God is in fact the Ruler of the peoples. He made Pharaoh dream a dream that none of all the king’s wise men could explain. Only Joseph could do that because of the insight God had given him. Therefore, the king called Joseph to him (Genesis 41:8; 14-16).

After explaining it and the advice Joseph gave unsolicited, Pharaoh – who in the book of Genesis is a picture of God in his position as ruler of the world – appointed Joseph “lord of his house and ruler over all his possessions” (Psalms 105:21; Genesis 41:38-40; Acts 7:10). Joseph became the most powerful man in the land after Pharaoh. He was given authority to “imprison” Pharaoh’s princes “at will, that he might teach his [i.e. Pharaoh’s] elders wisdom” (Psalms 105:22). In Joseph we see the rare combination of power and wisdom. We see this in perfection only in the Lord Jesus, of Whom Joseph is a beautiful picture.

In God’s dealings with Joseph to fulfill His promise lies an encouraging lesson for us. We can trust that God knows all our difficulties and that He has already prepared a solution for them in advance. He oversees everything and directs everything for the good of His own. The way in which He does this, we can often only see afterwards. At the moment itself we wonder how things will turn out.

We see this also with Joseph. Who could imagine that God sent Joseph to Egypt in this way, to be a blessing to his father and his brothers in their time of need? For Jacob and his sons, that blessing is first and foremost spiritual: they are restored to their relationship with Joseph. The blessing is also material: they receive food and are even allowed to come and live with Joseph in Egypt.

The deeper meaning of this section about Joseph is that he is a type of the Lord Jesus, Who as the Savior had to undergo a path of rejection and suffering before He could actually be the Savior. The Lord Jesus Himself expressed it this way: “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” (Luke 24:26). The grace of God is expressed in this psalm because God Himself sent His Son into the world to save us.

Psalms 137:8

Joseph

Then we read that God called for a famine upon the land where Jacob and His sons lived (Psalms 105:16). He was fully involved in their protection, but also in their tribulation. He “broke the whole staff of bread”. That is, there was not one morsel of food that would give them strength to live. The supply of bread was taken away from them (Isaiah 3:1).

Why God did that is not mentioned here. We read about that in Genesis 41-44. There we read that God wanted to bring Joseph’s brothers to repentance. That is also what He wants to do with the remnant in the future: bring them into tribulation to purify them (Malachi 3:2-3). The point here is that God had already provided someone who could supply His people with food. God sends tribulation into the believer’s life because He wants to work out plans of blessing in his life (Romans 8:28).

He had sent Joseph before them (Psalms 105:17), as Joseph himself later testifies (Genesis 45:7-8; Genesis 50:20). The psalmist describes the way in which God did this. It is a way of deep humiliation. It began with his sale as a slave. We know from the account in Genesis 37 that his brothers sold him (Genesis 37:28). That is not mentioned here. It is about the way God had determined for the man who would provide His people with bread.

After Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, he ended up in Egypt and in prison. Here we are told what that meant: “They afflicted his feet with fetters, he himself was laid in irons” (Psalms 105:18). We don’t read that in Genesis 39. There we read about his faithfulness to God that brought him in prison (Genesis 39:7-20). They afflicted his feet with fetters as if he were a great criminal, so that he could not walk. That he himself came in the irons means that he suffered inwardly because of what was done to him.

God had set a limit to this severe trial. When His word came true – where we can think of the fulfillment of Pharaoh’s dreams whose meaning God revealed to Joseph (Genesis 41:14-44) – Joseph’s captivity was over (Psalms 105:19). And how did Joseph endure this torment? God has been with him all this time with His word of promise. Through that promise, Joseph was “tested”, or “refined” (cf. Job 23:10). Every trial in our lives God wants to use to purify us. To purify is to make us, or our faith, pure and clean, so that more and more we have only Him in mind and not ourselves or our interests (cf. 1 Peter 1:7).

When God’s work on Joseph was finished, “the king sent and released him” (Psalms 105:20). This act of release is given added emphasis by saying the same thing again in other words: “The ruler of peoples … set him free.” We know that it was God’s work in the king and that God is in fact the Ruler of the peoples. He made Pharaoh dream a dream that none of all the king’s wise men could explain. Only Joseph could do that because of the insight God had given him. Therefore, the king called Joseph to him (Genesis 41:8; 14-16).

After explaining it and the advice Joseph gave unsolicited, Pharaoh – who in the book of Genesis is a picture of God in his position as ruler of the world – appointed Joseph “lord of his house and ruler over all his possessions” (Psalms 105:21; Genesis 41:38-40; Acts 7:10). Joseph became the most powerful man in the land after Pharaoh. He was given authority to “imprison” Pharaoh’s princes “at will, that he might teach his [i.e. Pharaoh’s] elders wisdom” (Psalms 105:22). In Joseph we see the rare combination of power and wisdom. We see this in perfection only in the Lord Jesus, of Whom Joseph is a beautiful picture.

In God’s dealings with Joseph to fulfill His promise lies an encouraging lesson for us. We can trust that God knows all our difficulties and that He has already prepared a solution for them in advance. He oversees everything and directs everything for the good of His own. The way in which He does this, we can often only see afterwards. At the moment itself we wonder how things will turn out.

We see this also with Joseph. Who could imagine that God sent Joseph to Egypt in this way, to be a blessing to his father and his brothers in their time of need? For Jacob and his sons, that blessing is first and foremost spiritual: they are restored to their relationship with Joseph. The blessing is also material: they receive food and are even allowed to come and live with Joseph in Egypt.

The deeper meaning of this section about Joseph is that he is a type of the Lord Jesus, Who as the Savior had to undergo a path of rejection and suffering before He could actually be the Savior. The Lord Jesus Himself expressed it this way: “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” (Luke 24:26). The grace of God is expressed in this psalm because God Himself sent His Son into the world to save us.

Psalms 137:9

Joseph

Then we read that God called for a famine upon the land where Jacob and His sons lived (Psalms 105:16). He was fully involved in their protection, but also in their tribulation. He “broke the whole staff of bread”. That is, there was not one morsel of food that would give them strength to live. The supply of bread was taken away from them (Isaiah 3:1).

Why God did that is not mentioned here. We read about that in Genesis 41-44. There we read that God wanted to bring Joseph’s brothers to repentance. That is also what He wants to do with the remnant in the future: bring them into tribulation to purify them (Malachi 3:2-3). The point here is that God had already provided someone who could supply His people with food. God sends tribulation into the believer’s life because He wants to work out plans of blessing in his life (Romans 8:28).

He had sent Joseph before them (Psalms 105:17), as Joseph himself later testifies (Genesis 45:7-8; Genesis 50:20). The psalmist describes the way in which God did this. It is a way of deep humiliation. It began with his sale as a slave. We know from the account in Genesis 37 that his brothers sold him (Genesis 37:28). That is not mentioned here. It is about the way God had determined for the man who would provide His people with bread.

After Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, he ended up in Egypt and in prison. Here we are told what that meant: “They afflicted his feet with fetters, he himself was laid in irons” (Psalms 105:18). We don’t read that in Genesis 39. There we read about his faithfulness to God that brought him in prison (Genesis 39:7-20). They afflicted his feet with fetters as if he were a great criminal, so that he could not walk. That he himself came in the irons means that he suffered inwardly because of what was done to him.

God had set a limit to this severe trial. When His word came true – where we can think of the fulfillment of Pharaoh’s dreams whose meaning God revealed to Joseph (Genesis 41:14-44) – Joseph’s captivity was over (Psalms 105:19). And how did Joseph endure this torment? God has been with him all this time with His word of promise. Through that promise, Joseph was “tested”, or “refined” (cf. Job 23:10). Every trial in our lives God wants to use to purify us. To purify is to make us, or our faith, pure and clean, so that more and more we have only Him in mind and not ourselves or our interests (cf. 1 Peter 1:7).

When God’s work on Joseph was finished, “the king sent and released him” (Psalms 105:20). This act of release is given added emphasis by saying the same thing again in other words: “The ruler of peoples … set him free.” We know that it was God’s work in the king and that God is in fact the Ruler of the peoples. He made Pharaoh dream a dream that none of all the king’s wise men could explain. Only Joseph could do that because of the insight God had given him. Therefore, the king called Joseph to him (Genesis 41:8; 14-16).

After explaining it and the advice Joseph gave unsolicited, Pharaoh – who in the book of Genesis is a picture of God in his position as ruler of the world – appointed Joseph “lord of his house and ruler over all his possessions” (Psalms 105:21; Genesis 41:38-40; Acts 7:10). Joseph became the most powerful man in the land after Pharaoh. He was given authority to “imprison” Pharaoh’s princes “at will, that he might teach his [i.e. Pharaoh’s] elders wisdom” (Psalms 105:22). In Joseph we see the rare combination of power and wisdom. We see this in perfection only in the Lord Jesus, of Whom Joseph is a beautiful picture.

In God’s dealings with Joseph to fulfill His promise lies an encouraging lesson for us. We can trust that God knows all our difficulties and that He has already prepared a solution for them in advance. He oversees everything and directs everything for the good of His own. The way in which He does this, we can often only see afterwards. At the moment itself we wonder how things will turn out.

We see this also with Joseph. Who could imagine that God sent Joseph to Egypt in this way, to be a blessing to his father and his brothers in their time of need? For Jacob and his sons, that blessing is first and foremost spiritual: they are restored to their relationship with Joseph. The blessing is also material: they receive food and are even allowed to come and live with Joseph in Egypt.

The deeper meaning of this section about Joseph is that he is a type of the Lord Jesus, Who as the Savior had to undergo a path of rejection and suffering before He could actually be the Savior. The Lord Jesus Himself expressed it this way: “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” (Luke 24:26). The grace of God is expressed in this psalm because God Himself sent His Son into the world to save us.