Joseph gives us a vivid portrait of Jesus Christ, both in his sufferings, and in the glories to follow. In this study, we see Christ as the Innocent Sufferer, and see him in his Parent’s House, Potiphar’s House, and in the Prison House. Through it all, we learn of the amazing love of Christ, and His willingness to suffer for both our sake and His Father’s glory.
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Christ – The Innocent Sufferer
Genesis Chapter 37, 39 & 40
The Bible devotes 5 words to the creation of the universe, “He made the stars also.” But the Bible devotes 13 chapters to the story of Joseph. Now, if I were writing the Bible, I would probably flip that. I would devote chapter after chapter to the creation of the universe, and a few verses to Joseph. Why does the Holy Spirit devote so much space to the life of Joseph? I believe it is because we see so much of Christ in Joseph. The Holy Spirit loves to glorify Christ. Thus, it is no wonder that He devotes so much space to the life of Joseph. It was said of John Bunyan that he was Bibline – if you were to cut him anywhere He would bleed the Scripture. Well, if you cut Joseph anywhere He bleeds Christ. What I mean by that, is almost anywhere in His story He is picturing the Lord Jesus Christ. True, the New Testament no where tells us that Joseph is a type of Christ. However, the resemblances between him and Jesus are so many and so striking, that most students of his life can’t help but identify him as a type of Jesus Christ.
There are many individuals who show us Christ in the book of Genesis. Adam reveals Christ’s headship. Abel reveals Christ’s blood. Noah reveals Christ’s salvation. Melchizedek reveals Christ’s priesthood. Isaac shows us Christ’s marriage. Well today and next Sunday morning we are going to look at Joseph as he shows us Christ’s sufferings and exaltation. This morning we are going to focus on Christ’s sufferings, and next Sunday we will focus on His exaltation.
This morning we are going to pull bits and pieces from three different chapters – chapter 37, chapter 39, and chapter 40. In fact, in each of these chapters we see Joseph in a different setting. It’s kind of like watching a movie, and seeing the lead actor in three different scenes. In chapter 37 we see Joseph in his parent’s house. In chapter 39 we see Joseph in Potiphar’s house. In chapter 40 we see Joseph in the prison house.
1. Joseph In His Parent’s House: Ch. 37
In Joseph’s home, we had a relationship with his father, and a relationship with his brothers. Let’s look at his relationship with his father first.
Jacob Loved Joseph
Genesis 37:3, “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age.” Joseph was the son of Jacob’s beloved wife, Rachel, the one he had gladly worked seven years to obtain.
Oh, how God the Father loves His only begotten Son! His love for Christ is unparalleled, beyond understanding, infinite in its intensity. Notice what Jesus said Himself:
John 3:35 “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.
Jacob Honored Joseph
Not only did Jacob love Joseph, but He honored him above all his other sons. How? Genesis 37:3 says, “he made him a varicolored tunic.” The NCV calls it “a special robe with long sleeves.” The Amplified says it was “a long tunic with sleeves.” The ESV calls it “a robe of many colors.” The NIV calls it an “ornate robe.” We don’t know exactly what the correct translation should be, but I think we can determine this much. Whatever this robe was, it was intended by Jacob to set Joseph apart from the rest of his brothers. I believe this robe was Jacob’s way of indicating which son was to become the leader of the family, and the heir of his blessing. By giving Joseph this special robe of many colors, Jacob was honoring him above all the rest of his children.
How true it is that God has purposed to honor Jesus Christ above all His children. God’s purpose in the world is to glorify His Son.
John 17:24, “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”
Jacob Sent Joseph
Not only did Jacob love Joseph, and honor Joseph, but he also commissioned and sent Joseph on a long and dangerous journey.
Genesis 37:12-14, “Then his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock in Shechem. Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “I will go.” Then he said to him, “Go now and see about the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.”
Why was Jacob concerned about his sons who had gone to Shechem? The reason probably has to do with what we have already read in Genesis 34 of what had happened in Shechem. Dinah, Jacob’s daughter, had been violated by a man named Shechem. Joseph’s brothers made an agreement that they would intermarry with the people of Shechem’s tribe, as long as all the men of Shechem got circumcised. Now, on the third day after all the men of Shechem were circumcised and were in awful pain, that Simeon and Levi came into the city with their swords, and while all the men were incapacitated slaughtered all the men of that city, and looted all their wealth, wives and children. Jacob had good reason to be worried about his sons being in Shechem! He must have figured that the Canaanites and the Perizzites would ambush and kill them (34:30). In spite of the fact that Jacob’s sons were wicked, he was concerned for their welfare, and sent Joseph on a mission to go to them and make sure they were all right.
Doesn’t this speak to you of the mission that the Father sent the Son on? Jesus was sent on a long and dangerous mission as well. Even though the people of this world are wicked, He loves them still, and sent His Son not just to see about their welfare, but to provide for their eternal salvation!
John 6:38-39, “”For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.”
Oh, how often Jesus speaks of the Father sending Him into the world.
Notice also in verse 17, “So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.” The brothers were not seeking Joseph. Joseph was seeking his brothers. He took the initiative, left home, went after them, and found them. It reminds me of the shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep to go after the one sheep who has gotten lost. The truth is, brothers and sisters, that sinners don’t seek God. Why should they? God’s not lost. They are the ones who are lost! God must seek them. If any many is ever saved, it’s going to be because God took the initiative to send His only begotten Son into the world to seek and save that which was lost.
The Brothers Hated Joseph
This is stated emphatically, and repeated three times for emphasis (verse 4, 5, and 8). As a result of their hatred for Joseph “they could not speak to him on friendly terms” (37:4). Romans 8:7 says that the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God. All unsaved people’s minds are set on the flesh. A natural man recoils from every manifestation of the glory of God. Because Jesus Christ is the supreme manifestation of the glory of God, the sinner’s hostility is most violently set against surrendering to Him. According to Jesus Himself, the world hates Him (Jn.15:18-25). Most people will flatly deny that they hate Jesus Christ. However, the fact that they will not surrender their lives to Jesus Christ speaks volumes. Whether they will admit it or not, their actions declare that they hate Christ.
Notice that as a result of hating Joseph, his brothers could not speak to him on friendly terms. This sentence teaches us much about the Biblical doctrine of human inability. The Scriptures are clear that lost people can’t come to Christ, unless the Father draws them. They are unable. But why are they unable? Is their inability a natural or a moral inability? A natural inability is being unable to do something because you don’t have the natural faculties necessary to do that thing. For example, I have a natural inability to fly, because I don’t have wings. Now what are the natural faculties a man needs to come to Christ? Well, he needs a mind, a conscience, and a will. Every person has those natural faculties. Therefore, his inability to come to Christ is not a natural inability, it’s a moral inability. What kind of inability did Joseph’s brothers possess? They could not speak to Joseph on friendly terms. Was that because they didn’t have a mouth, and lips and vocal chords? No, they had all the natural faculties they needed to speak to Joseph on friendly terms. However, they lacked the will to do it. It’s kind of like a missionary we know who went to Papua, New Guinea, where the natives ate live worms. The missionary was expected to eat whatever the natives ate, but he just couldn’t do it. Why? It wasn’t because he didn’t have a mouth and teeth. It was because he hated the very idea of it. This is why the sinner is culpable even though he is unable to believe. He ought to love God and desire to do His will. However, he hates the very idea of loving and serving God and would rather love and serve Himself.
The Brothers Envied Joseph
In Genesis 37:11 we are told that Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him. No doubt, this was true because of the special honor and attention that Jacob gave Joseph over the rest of his sons.
Likewise, the religious leaders of Jesus’ day were jealous and envious of him. In Mt. 27:18 we are told that Pilate knew that it was because of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. The religious leaders had seen Jesus grow swiftly in popularity. The power in Israel was shifting from them to Jesus Christ. At one point they said, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation” (John 11:47-48). Just as Joseph’s brothers were moved by envy, so were the religious leaders of Jesus’ day moved by envy to get rid of Him.
The Brothers Plotted Against Joseph
Genesis 37:18 says, “When they saw him from a distance and before he came close to them, they plotted against him to put him to death.” Verse 19-20 tell us that the primary reason they wanted to kill Joseph was because of the dreams he had had. You see in 37:5-10, we are told that Joseph had two dreams in which Joseph’s family members actually bowed down to him. The idea that Joseph’s older brothers would actually bow down to their younger brother so infuriated them, that they plotted against him to put him to death.
So too, the religious leaders of Jesus’ day said, “we will not have this man to rule over us!” They would not bow to Jesus Christ. The only recourse they had was to kill him. Mt. 26:3-4 says, “Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Caiaphas; and they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him.”
The Brothers Stripped Joseph
37:23 says “So it came about, when Joseph reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the varicolored tunic that was on him.” They seized the opportunity to strip Joseph of that coat, that symbol of his father’s favor and honor.
Similarly, when Jesus was crucified it is generally agreed that he was stripped of all his clothes, and was left on that cross completely naked to heighten his sense of shame in addition to the physical torture.
The Brothers Sold Joseph
Originally the brothers were just going to throw him into a pit and leave him to die of thirst. However, after Joseph was in the pit a while, the brothers saw a caravan of Ishmaelites off in the distance coming toward them. The brothers thought it was a much better idea to sell Joseph as a slave, and make some money, than to just kill him, and get nothing at all. So, they lifted him out of the pit, and sold him for 20 pieces of silver.
I’m sure by now the bells are going off in your mind. Judas Iscariot did the very same thing to Jesus Christ. Judas sold Jesus to the religious leaders for 30 pieces of silver.
2. Joseph In Potiphar’s House Ch. 39
Joseph Resisted Strong Temptations
Potiphar may have been a successful as the captain of the bodyguard and as a businessman, but he made a poor choice of a wife. His wife, once she had seen that Joseph was handsome, sought to seduce him. However, Joseph refused, saying that she was the only thing that was withheld from him because she was his master’s wife. How then, could he do this great evil and sin against God? But she pressed him day after day, until finally one day when no one else was in the house, she caught hold of his garment and said, “Lie with me!” But Joseph left his garment in her hand and ran.
So too, Jesus Christ endured strong temptations – not at the hands of a woman scorned, but at the hands of Satan himself. Satan brought his malicious temptations against Christ in three successive waves. First he tempted Him to turn stones into bread. Then he tempted him to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple. Finally, he offered to give Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. But in all these temptations, Jesus was victorious. He was tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15).
Joseph Endured False Accusations
It has been said, “Hell has no fury like a woman scorned.” Well, Joseph scorned Potiphar’s wife, and she is furious – so furious that she concocts an elaborate lie to punish him. She says that he tried to rape her, but she screamed, and that’s why he left his garment in her hand and fled.
So too, the Jewish religious leaders brought all kinds of false, trumped up charges against Jesus Christ. Mt. 26:59-61 says this, “Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, and said, “This man stated, `I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.´” In Luke 23:2 the Bible says, “they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.” Later in verse 5 it reads, “But they kept on insisting, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching all over Judea, starting from Galilee even as far as this place.” So exactly what were the accusations against Jesus Christ making Him guilty of death? He claimed He would destroy and rebuild the temple in three days. He was misleading the nation, forbidding to pay taxes, saying that He is Christ, a King, and stirring up the nation.
However, over and over again, all the Biblical witnesses tell us that Jesus was not guilty.
Pilate: John 19:4,6, “I find no guilt in Him.”
Judas: Mt. 27:4, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”
Pilate’s Wife: Mt. 27:19, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.”
Thief on the Cross: Luke 23:41, “but this man has done nothing wrong.”
Centurion: Luke 23:47, “Certainly this man was innocent.”
The united testimony of everyone who spoke out at the trial of Jesus was that He was innocent of any crime. Indeed, Jesus was holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens (Heb. 7:26).
3. Joseph In The Prison House Ch. 40
Joseph Was Punished Unjustly
After Joseph was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, Potiphar had him thrown in jail. It turns out that Joseph was imprisoned for twelve long years! For twelve years Joseph did not see the light of the son. For twelve years he was denied any freedom. And all for a lie!
Likewise, Jesus Christ was punished severely for crimes that He did not commit. He was punished in our place, for our sins. Though there was no sin in Him, there were mountains of sin upon Him. God took the punishment due His people, and placed it on His beloved Son. Jesus bore our sins in His body on the tree. Isaiah 53:6 says, “All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.” “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus endured a severe punishment. What must it have been like to bear the wrath of almighty God against sin? I can’t even imagine!
Joseph Pronounced Salvation
Joseph found himself in prison with two other criminals, the king’s cupbearer and baker, just as Jesus found Himself being crucified between two criminals (Mt. 27:38).
The fate of each of these men was quite different from one another. Each of them had a dream which they recounted to Joseph. Joseph then told them what their dreams meant. Joseph announced that the cupbearer would be lifted out of prison and restored to his former office. To this one Joseph pronounced salvation, restoration, and blessing. Does that sound familiar? Even while Jesus was hanging on the cross, He pronounced salvation to the repentant thief (“today you shall be with Me in Paradise”). Not only that, but there will come a day in which Jesus will pronounce eternal salvation and glory to all of Christ’s true followers. One day He will say, “Come you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
Joseph Pronounced Judgment
Joseph announced to the baker, on the other hand, that he would be hanged on a tree until dead and the birds would eat his flesh off his bones. To one Joseph pronounced salvation. To the other he pronounced judgment. To the one dying thief, Jesus pronounced that he would be in Paradise, but to the other criminal was left to die in His sins and face judgment. Likewise, just as there is a day coming when all Christ’s true followers will hear Him welcome them into eternal glory, so there will come a day in which Jesus Christ will pronounce eternal judgment on those who have not followed Christ. To them He will say, “Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.” Jesus is the One who will stand in judgment and assign every human being their eternal destiny – either heaven or hell.
Life Application:
I’m convinced that the reason the story of Joseph’s life was given so much space and prominence in the Bible, is because it is so full of Jesus Christ. It would be a shame for you to miss that this morning.
In these three chapters – Genesis 37, 39, and 40 – we have a vivid portrait of Jesus Christ, the Innocent Sufferer. Even though He was loved and honored by His Father, He was hated, envied, plotted against, stripped and sold by his brothers. Later, He was accused and punished for crimes He did not commit. In spite of these heavy afflictions, He resisted the powerful temptations of Satan, and endured false accusations by the religious leaders against Him. Furthermore, He suffered the awful wrath of God for sins He did not commit. Why? All because His Father sent Him on a mission to see about the welfare of His brothers. And one day He will stand before every person who has ever lived, and pronounce either eternal salvation in the glorious presence of God, or eternal destruction away from His presence and the glory of His power.
My friends, what will you do with Jesus Christ? Will you do what his brothers did? Will you despise and forsake Him? Will you reject Him and spurn His love? If so, you will hear a pronouncement of eternal judgment. Or, will you do what Joseph dreamed that his family would do? Will you fall on your face and bow before Jesus Christ? Will you worship Him, praise Him for dying in your place, place your entire trust in Him and His work, and refuse to every trust in anything you can ever do? If so, you will hear a pronouncement of eternal salvation from His lips! May God help you to bow before Him this morning.
“For Christ also died for sins, once for all, the just for the unjust, in order to bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3:18).
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