Joseph & His Younger Brother

[havencanes]

I was reading the story of Joseph and it talks about his youngest brother Benjamin and how he always got somewhere around double the gifts that his other brothers got. Does anyone know why this is? It's probably something very obvious I just don't see it.

[Miss Molly]

Here's how I see it:

In the Bible, characters often play a symbolic role; that is they are "types" of someone or something else still to come. I think the answer to your question has to do with who/what Benjamin represents. In order to figure out who Benjamin pictures, go back to his father Jacob.

Jacob represents the nation of Israel; the name God gives him verifies that. He had two wives and they each picture something too. Leah pictures the fleshly Jew and Rachel is the spiritual Jew or the Church. I'm not saying Rachel's son's were not actually Jewish; I'm saying they represent those Jews – and us - who are Messianic in their beliefs. Rachel's name, if you remember, means lamb or ewe. She was the one most loved by Jacob. (you’ll notice Jacob to this day is still known as Jacob even though God himself changed his name to Israel. That's because the people of Israel are still in their blindness spiritually) Leah is described as having some infirmity, often explained as poor or weak eyes.

Rachel, gives birth to both Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph is known to represent Jesus and there are many articles that go into the similarities between the two, just search for them. Benjamin, is Joseph’s younger brother and his role in Genesis is fascinating. The "lamb" died giving birth to Benjamin; this is a snapshot of the real Lamb of God dying to give birth to the Church. This son represents then those who would gain life by the Lamb’s death. “Benjamin” means “son of my right hand.” Romans 8:17 calls us heirs with the Son. Figuratively, we sit at the right hand of God with Jesus. Our reward is great!

The Apostle Paul is from the tribe of Benjamin and he is known as the Apostle to the Gentiles. Benjamin is a type of the Church and the Church stores it’s reward in Heaven.

[Betty]

Also, Benjamin was not involved with selling Joseph, he was innocent.

[Obadiah]

There's no need to delve into typology for an explanation of why Joseph favored Benjamin over the other ten brothers. Benjamin is Joseph's full brother, the only other son of his mother. Joseph feels a special kinship to Benjamin that he does not feel for his half-brothers.