“And Now You Know ... the Rest of the Story”
- Scott Bullerwell
- Mar 1
- 14 min read
During the Second World War, until 1976, Paul Harvey produced a radio program, “The Rest of the Story.” It consisted of stories of little-known or forgotten facts on a host of different subjects – providing listeners with the ‘bigger picture’ surrounding a person, event or discovery. It was not until towards the end of the story – that the mystery person or event was revealed ... leading those of us who listened, to try and guess who/what it might be. As the broadcast drew to its conclusion, Harvey would end with his now famous tag line: “And now you know ... the rest of the story.” 1
There is no finer teacher on whether Jesus can be found in the pages of the Old Testament than the teaching of Jesus himself. He said in John 5:39: “You [Jewish people] diligently study the Scriptures [which at that time were the 39 books of the Tanak/Old Testament] These are the Scriptures that testify about me.”
Remember Luke 24, that Emmaus Road experience on that 1st Easter Sunday? Jesus rebuked Cleopas, and another unnamed disciple, as they walked along the road.
25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the Prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.”
(Luke 24:25-27)
The Older Testament is beautiful because
it is the story of God – our God!
Finding Jesus present in the events and the predictions found in the Old Testament is not a difficult task – but not all of those moments are easily discoverable. lying like diamonds on an open field. Indeed not! Some details require dogged persistence and some biblically-rooted dexterity with Scripture, but when successful, those details fluoresce a kind of ‘Rest-of-the-Story’ ending for us, allowing us to marvel at the way God and man knit the text together.
What follows is an uncovering of two such details in the Old Testament pie — details that not only illustrate the astonishing majesty and cohesion of Scripture as it moves forward, but also paints pictures of God’s sovereignty and providence at work. If you have an appetite for something ‘meaty,’ I think you will enjoy the examples.
The Life of Joseph
The writer of Genesis gives a significant amount of paper to Joseph (Genesis 37:2-50:26). I find this fascinating, given that its pages are populated by many other strikingly important characters like Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Outside of Genesis, ‘Joseph’ appears a mere fifty-seven times; forty-five of those times it refers to Joseph’s eponymous tribe ... yet only seven times with an explicit reference to him (Exodus 1:5, 6, 8; 13:19; Joshua. 34:35; Psalm 105:17; 1 Chronicles 2:2; 5:1).
The son of Jacob and his wife Rachel, Joseph was born in the Mesopotamian town of Haran. When he was six, he set out for Canaan with his family, eventually settling in Hebron. (eg. Genesis 30:25 and 31:41). Born to his father in old age, Joseph was favored by his father, who gave him a multi-colored coat. We are not surprised to read that this prompted feelings of jealousy among his brothers, especially the sons of Jacob’s other wife, Leah. The straw that really seems to disenfranchise Joseph was when he repeated to his brothers two dreams he had (Genesis 37) – each one portraying him ruling over them.
At the age of seventeen, things came to a head. On a visit to Shechem, the brothers seized Joseph, threw him into a dry well and shortly thereafter sold him to an Ishmaelite caravan of traders (37:12-28). Some twenty-two years would pass before Joseph would see his father Jacob. Brought to Egypt, he was sold to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s ministers:
“Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. The Lord was with Joseph ...” Genesis 39
The Older Testament has a lot of ways of pointing us to Christ. Regrettably many believers will never discover them, so prejudiced are they towards the Old and so narrow are they in their reading.
Then things went ‘South’ — like South-south! Rejecting the lecherous advances of his master’s wife, Joseph finds himself thrown in jail ... and it was not the kind of jail that provides three lovely meals a day, cable TV, and an evening snack before bedtime like here in Maple Leaf-land. Unlike the inmates in my country who frequently argue their innocence, Joseph is put in the slammer for a crime that he really did not commit! Harsh punishment indeed! It is while Joseph is ‘doin’ time’ ... that the story starts to get earth-shaking. Here is a quick review.
Two of Pharoah’s servants are tossed in jail – the chief Cupbearer and the Chief Baker. Their crime? They had “offended their master” (40:1).
Joseph, a righteous person, meets these two offenders in jail – both of whom are important to the development of the narrative (40:4).
The two offenders dream (40:8) and Joseph interprets both (40:12, 18). The Cupbearer’s dream will have a positive outcome (40:13); the Baker’s dream will not.
Joseph asks the Cupbearer to “remember me ... mention me to Pharoah and get me out of this prison” (40:14) ... a request he will not make of the Baker. Most interesting!
Only one ‘offender’ will need to experience Joseph’s dream-interpreting skill to be able to report to Pharoah when Pharoah has his dream. So, ask yourself, why then are there two offenders in the Joseph narrative, when clearly one of them is not required?
The narrator is keen to note that for the Cupbearer, “Within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office” (40:13); for the Baker, “Within three more days Pharaoh will lift off your head from you and will hang you on a wooden post and the birds will eat your flesh” (40:19). Why is it necessary to the story to know the gory details surrounding the one servant’s death? 2
For the most part, we cannot control what happens to us, whether fair or foul. Still, we can choose an attitude that preserves faith. Need an example? Consider Joseph!
If you are beginning to imagine parallels between this Old Testament Joseph prison narrative and the New Testament Jesus, the Son of God in his own prison, on the cross – you are not wrong. This is not a coincidence. In fact, what we have here in Genesis 40 are the details surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus — but 1900 years before it happened. All of the key elements are provided — simply in reverse order. Consider ...
“Remember me ... to Pharoah and get me out of this prison” says Joseph to the Cupbearer. But the servant forgets – for two years (41:1). “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom,” says the criminal hanging on his cross (Luke 23:42). Jesus does not forget. “Today you will be with me in paradise,” replies Jesus.
The destiny of the Cupbearer and the Baker are to be determined in three days (40:13, 19). “It came about on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants .... He restored the chief cupbearer ... but he hanged [lifted up] the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them” (40:20-22).
The Apostle Paul reminds us that Christ was “raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15: ). Jesus himself says the same thing, “It is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead” (Luke 24:46).
One of these days “the third day” is going to
show up for us all, if you know what I mean?
What a Day that will be!
Let us not forget the dreams which Joseph interpreted. The 1st servant dreams about a cluster of grapes on three branches. “I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand,” says the wine taster (40:11). The 2nd servant reports that in his dream there were three baskets of white bread on his head and “the birds were eating them out of the basket” (v. 17).
Notice the dreams were about squeezed grapes and some bread. Now back to the New Testament for a moment, to a familiar passage.
“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:26-28; cf. Luke 22:17-20; Mark 14:22-25). Jesus’ body broken (Bread); Jesus’ blood poured out (wine) — the connection to Joseph, the Cupbearer and Baker could not be more obvious. This is not coincidence!
But there is still one more thing!
Earlier I asked why the Joseph narrator felt compelled to share the gory details of the Bakers death: “Within three days Pharoah will lift off your head and impale your body on a pole. And the birds will eat away your flesh” (Genesis 40:19). Have you thought about your answer?
The afterlife was a serious matter in ancient Egyptian, because everyone wanted to go to The Field of Reeds (Aaru) where it was peaceful for eternity A reflection of the real world, it had blue skies, rivers, boats for travel, and gods and goddesses to worship. Egyptians believed that everyone had a “ka,” or a life force and that when you died, your ka would leave your body and become a spirit that would return to your remains periodically. Embalming and mummification therefore allowed bodies to remain preserved so that the ka would recognize its body when it went in search of it. For Egyptians, a dead person needed their body in order to get to the afterlife.
In the Joseph prison narrative, we see the details of Christ’s crucifixion, 1900 years before it happens.
This was the belief at the time of Joseph. So, when the Baker was told that he would lose his head and the birds would pick away at his body (Genesis 40:1), its impact would have been absolutely devastating to him – not because he was afraid to die (thought he might have been), but because there was absolutely no hope of an afterlife for him. No body = no afterlife!
In the crucifixion narrative, two criminals justly suffer the consequences of their criminal acts. The repentant thief, to Jesus’s right (according to tradition), even admits their just sentence: “We have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes” (Luke 23:41). Notice what happens next. This same thief reaches out, asking that Jesus remember him “when you come into your kingdom” (v. 42). Jesus assures him of the certainty of his spiritual promotion.
The fate of the sneering, impenitent thief is just as sure! Like the Joseph story Baker, he is lost; completely, irretrievably, utterly – lost! For him, there is no hope ... no possibility of a commuted sentence spiritually. His unwillingness to believe in Jesus – made his future certain as well. In the language of the Joseph story, “... And the birds will eat away your flesh.” This thief will die in his sin and live-out his eternity in darkness and torment. “And now you know ... the rest of the story.”
The Red Heifer
Our journey begins some 3500 years earlier, and involves a rather obscure narrative – Numbers 19 and the appearance of a red heifer. I am not exaggerating when I say the Law of the Red Heifer is one of the most significant and yet least understood sacrificial laws of the O.T. Listen to what the Midrash, a separate body of Jewish commentaries on Scripture, says:
"Four Torah laws cannot be explained by human reason, but being divine, demand implicit obedience: to marry one's brother's widow (Deut. 25:5), not to mingle wool and linen in a garment (Deut. 22:11), to perform the rite of the scapegoat (Lev. 16:26, 34), and to perform the rite of the red cow (Num. 19)." Numbers Rabbah 19:8, as quoted in The Torah: A Modern Commentary, 1149. cf. Rabbah 19:5
Now, there are different forms of impurity in the Old Testament (e.g. child-birth, non-kosher food, sex, disease). In Numbers 19 – if you touch a dead body or death somehow touches you – you become unclean. So God says here, “In the event an Israelite or Gentile (v. 10) comes into contact with death … this is how you are to sanctify yourself – You have to be sprinkled with a special mixture of spring water and ashes from the burned remains of the Red Heifer. This Red Heifer is the antidote to your impurity.”
Despite the complexity of the laws surrounding
the Red Heifer, its significance lies in the
ability of the cow’s ashes to purify the impure –
every last one of them ... and us!
I think it essential here to provide a portion of the Numbers 19 text.
"This is a requirement of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke. Give it to Eleazar the priest it is to be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. Then Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the Tent of Meeting. While he watches, the heifer is to be burned - its hide, flesh, blood and offal. The priest is to take some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool and throw them onto the burning heifer. After that, the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water. He may then come into the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean till evening. The man who burns it must also wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he too will be unclean till evening. A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They shall be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing it is for purification from sin. The man who gathers up the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he too will be unclean till evening. This will be a lasting ordinance both for the Israelites and for the aliens living among them" (Numbers 19:1-10).
Death does not bring impurity – the
absence of God-given life does.
Within Judaism, this passage is a purification ritual-text ... and while this passage is rich in details, for sure it is thin on interpretation. Did you see the apparent paradoxes in the narrative? I list two here, though several more could be added.
(a) You purify someone who has come into contact with a dead corpse ... by sprinkling them with the ashes, mixed with water, of a Red Cow – which itself is a dead corpse. Wow!
(b) The ashes of the Red Heifer purified the contaminated person ... AND contaminated the pure person. A clean person is defiled ... so that a defiled person can be clean. Really?
Now, from the Numbers 19 passage notice that everyone involved in the Red Heifer process becomes unclean ... and I do mean ‘Everyone’! Furthermore, they stay “unclean until evening,” a phrase repeated frequently (vv. 7, 8, 10, 19, 21 22). Why is that? Well, here is where the cohesiveness of Scripture really shines.
From the Older Testament we know that a Jewish-calendar day does not begin at midnight, but in the evening (“erev”) at sunset and continues throughout the night and following day, until the next evening. Throughout the 6 days of creation in the Book of Genesis, these days of beginnings were “an evening and morning, one day”. 3 Therefore, some have suggested that “unclean until evening” (Numbers 19) merely reflects the beginning of a new day – so ending their uncleanness. At first glance, it seems a reasonable conclusion to reach – but I think the majesty and intricacy of Scripture is much deeper here for Numbers 19. I’ll explain.
In accordance with Jewish Law, the priests offered a sacrifice every morning and every evening of every single day for 1500 years (see Tractate Tamid 3, 2-3.3). 4 This was called the ‘Perpetual Sacrifice.’ Every morning the Burnt Offering began with a male lamb that burned on the fire all day. Since people could give a burnt offering at any time – their sacrifices were put on top of the altar on which the morning lamb was already burning.
“The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer
sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify
them so that they are outwardly clean.” Hebrews 9:13
When the sacrifices were completed for that day - a 2nd. Lamb was killed and placed on top of the fire -- sandwiching the whole day’s sacrifices between the two lambs. The liturgical service concluded with the burning of incense, successfully making the two lambs a single sacrifice. The fire then burned through the night. The next morning, the priests removed the ashes and started the process all over again. So, there was always a lamb burning on the altar before the LORD. Exodus 29:38-39 ...
“This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day: two lambs a year old. Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight.”
The time of the morning lamb sacrifice was 9 am [the Third Hour in Jewish time]. This coincides with the 9 am first hour of prayer in Acts 2:14-15. 5 The time of the evening sacrifice was 3 pm [the Ninth hour in Jewish time] which interestingly was the same hour Peter and John performed the first miracle after Pentecost (Acts 3:1). It would be correct to say here that the evening sacrifice is the one that Finishes — a point we should not miss.
Now interestingly, when the Roman soldiers drove that first nail into Jesus’ hands ... “It was nine in the morning when they crucified him” (Mark 15:25). This coincides with the morning lamb sacrifice. Then at 3 pm – the time of the evening sacrifice ... John says (19:30) that Jesus cries out in a loud voice, “Finished” (telelestai) ... and “With that he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” In complete control – Jesus dismisses his spirit. So, like the lamb that starts and finishes the day, we can rightfully say that Jesus is the perfect sacrifice who starts and finishes not only the day ... but eternity! And now armed with this information, we are in a better position to understand Numbers 19 and its repeating phrase “unclean until evening.”
In the language of OT typology – the Jews were waiting until evening to be cleansed – because 3 pm is the time when (a) Jesus the evening sacrifice .... (b) Jesus the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29) .... (c) Jesus the Red Heifer without defect or blemish and (d) Jesus whose ashes were for “purification from sin” (19:9) — sheds his blood, dies and Finishes his work.
Think of the morning and evening sacrifice of the lamb as a kind of sandwich in the making, where everything between the sandwich (top/bottom; beginning/end)
is covered by the lamb
The ancient Israelites did not know it at the time, but they were looking FORWARD to the cross. Now we are able to fully appreciate why Jesus is referred to as the “Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13; see also 1:8, 17). And this is why Jesus is referred to as the “Author and Finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2) ... for in types and shadows, Jesus’ death fulfills both the Morning and Evening sacrifices. And that is why, in my view, the unclean remained in that condition “until evening.” “And now you know ... the rest of the story.”
The Bible is marvelously crafted. Only inspiration can assure us such cohesion. As we fix our eyes on Christ, who in types and shadows (e.g. Joseph / Red Heifer) is faithful to his work and office, I trust that the marvel and magnificence of Scripture will teach all Christians to turn over every stone on their journey of discovery in their effort to “Know ... the Rest of the Story!” “OnlySaying ...”
1. Listen to Paul Harvey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=tYe_G0kfv7E
2. The NIV, among other translations, notes that the servant is decapitated. The words “three” and “third” are repeated nine times in Genesis 40:9-20 ... an unusual emphasis, and one that is significantly associated with Jesus.
3. The twilight period – from when the sun sets over the horizon – until three stars are visible in the sky ("bein hashemashot” – twilight) was debated among the early rabbis, since should a boy be born during this time, it helped in determining when the circumcision should be scheduled.
4. Tamid is an abbreviated form for Olat Tamid ("daily burnt-offering") and refers to the daily (morning and evening) sacrifices as set out in Exodus 29:38–42 and Numbers 28:1–8.
For hours of prayer and Temple service, see ... https://www.agapebiblestudy.com/charts/jewishtimedivision.htm
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