21. Separation and Unity

Separation and Unity

How can we reconcile separation and unity? True unity is not possible without separation. Separation has two aspects: separation to God and separation from the world. The order must first be separation to God before there can be effective separation from the world. The saints in Thessalonica turned to God from idols (1 Thessalonians 1:9).

Joseph and his brothers were brothers before and after the separation. Family ties were not changed. But practical relationship ties were greatly affected when the brothers lived ungodly lives and sold him to the Ishmaelites. It was impossible for Joseph and his brethren to walk together in their diverging pathways. His personal integrity and devotion to his father prevented that. As painful as it was, he could not remain united with them in their evil ways. Excuses would not work. Evil could not be justified. But he was not the one to forcibly break the tie to his brothers. Rather, his brothers were convicted by his uprightness in contrast to their ways, so they rejected and sold him. Our Lord’s own, too, rejected Him. Our Lord was holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners (Hebrews 7:26). He was wholly separated to God. While He was the "Friend of sinners," He was never a partaker of any of their evil ways. When they refused to come to Him and rejected Him, they found themselves separated from Him. In their animosity they would cry: "Away with Him!"

Joseph is a type of our Lord. Both were separated first to God. It was this separation that preceded the other. Now, any real unity for followers of God must be on the basis of separation to God first. Of necessity, this will force the world to exclude us. The principle was first demonstrated by

"Cain who was of the wicked one, who slew his brother because his works were evil and Abel’s righteous" (1 John 3:12). The world will hate us for the same reasons if we are faithful to our Lord (v. 13). But it is not only from the world that hatred can be manifested. In James 4:4 we learn that friendship with the world is enmity with God and that whosoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. The company we keep affects us as believers. Just Lot "vexed his righteous soul with the filthy conversation of the wicked" (2 Peter 2:8).

Believers are affected by contacts in this world. And this affects relationships with other believers. A carnal believer may well be uncomfortable with one who really in sincerity wishes to follow the Lord. Lot chose what he thought was the best for himself. It is not to be unexpected that such a carnal one will act in unbecoming ways, as did Lot, Joseph’s brothers and others.

Both Jacob and Moses were inspired to pronounce a special blessing upon Joseph’s descendents because of his faithfulness, and also to emphasize his separation from his brethren. 

Jacob calls "Joseph a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well whose branches run over the wall" (Genesis 49:22-26).

He was like the godly man in Psalms 1:1-6. He carried blessing wherever he went — even outside the "wall" of Israel to the Egyptians and others.

"Archers had sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him." He had been the object of most cruel hatred. "But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts and of the womb: The blessings of thy father hath prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren." His devotion to his God made him fit for the blessings of God on the crown of his head — like the Precious Ointment poured later on the crown of Aaron the high priest.

Moses’ words of Joseph are recorded in Deuteronomy 33:13-17.

"And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, and for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, and for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, and for the precious things of the earth and the fullness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren. His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim and they are the thousands of Manasseh."