JOSEPH WAS LIKE OUR LORD JESUS genesis 37, 38

Joseph bore many likenesses to our Lord Jesus Christ. It warms the heart of God’s people to study these similarities. We must search for the Lord in all Scripture.

‘Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colours.’ When John the Baptist immersed our Lord Jesus in the river Jordan, the father spoke from heaven, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ At His transfiguration, the father reaffirmed his love for His Son, ‘This is My beloved Son, Hear Him.’ How precious He was to His dear father!

Israel prepared a special multi-coloured coat for his noble son, liking that to Christ’s heavenly glory( the shekinah ) which our Lord laid aside when He came to earth. When Christ was transfigured, His face shone again with that heavenly splendour.

‘When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him,’ ( v4) Our Lord Jesus came to His own, but His own received Him not’ tragically, just like Joseph’s rejection hundreds of years before. The closer the relationship, the sharper the hurt, and deeper the scar.

God told the future to Joseph, ‘who dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him the more.’ He said, ‘Please hear this dream, which I have dreamed. ‘We were binding sheaves in the field, My sheaf arose, and stood also upright, and indeed your sheaves stood all around, and bowed down to my sheaf.’ (v5-7)

God’s prophecy would be fulfilled precisely, but his own family responded savagely.

Compare this with our Lord Jesus. When ‘He was now drawing near the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty things He had done, saying ,

‘Blessed is the King , Who comes in the Name of the Lord, Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.’ ( Luke 19:37, 38) Some of the Pharisees in a huff called to Him from the crowd, ‘ Teacher, rebuke your disciples. ‘ He answered, ‘I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones ( was this a reference to silicon chips? )would immediately cry out.’ ( v40 ) They resisted Him.

Joseph’s brothers scandalized him, ‘Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you have dominion over us? ( v8) The answer to these jibes was clear. Satan did not limit his fury, ‘so they hated him the more for his dreams and his words.’ ‘Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time the sun, the moon and the eleven stars bowed down to me.’ (v9) God had prepared an amazing ministry for Joseph, yet concealed from his family. The New Testament says, ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man, the things God has prepared for them that love Him’ . ( 1 Cor 2:9)

Israel sent Joseph to search for his brothers. ‘When they saw him afar off, before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him.‘( v18) The great grand children of Abraham were murderous in heart. Oh, every generation needs Christ’s cleansing.

This paralleled our Lord’s rebuff even in his home town Nazareth after reading Isaiah 61, and revealing that ‘this day this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’( Luke 4;21)

‘All those in the synagogue ( even Old Testament readers ) when they heard these things were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust HIM out of the city.’ (v28,29)

Joseph’s brothers said, ‘Come now, let us kill him, and cast him into some pit; and we shall say.’ Some wild beast has devoured him. We will see what becomes of his dreams.’ (v20) Compare this with the New Testament, where we are always amazed that the

Pharisees, the chief priests and scribes determined to seize the gracious, loving Saviour and put HIM to death. Joseph’s treatment should have warned them of this possibility.

‘They stripped Joseph of his tunic of many colours, they took him, and cast him into the pit, which was empty, and without water.’ (vv23,24 ) Recall how Pilate’s soldiers stripped the Lord of glory of His robe and threw Him into the foul den of iniquity of the religious courts, which intended to take His life. They scourged and mocked Him.

His brothers determined to sell him’ to the Ishmaelites, so they pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels (pieces ) of silver.’ Zechariah later prophesied that ‘They would weigh and sell the Messiah for thirty pieces of silver.’ Joseph’s life was a forerunner or precursor of our dear Lord Jesus. We cherish the Old Testament.

`God prospered Joseph even as a slave in Potiphar’s house in Egypt. ‘The Lord was with Him. He was successful. His master saw that the Lord was with him, and the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand.’ ( 39:2,3 ) Compare with our Lord, ‘Who went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, healing all kinds of sickness, and all kinds of diseases among the people.’ ( Matt 4:23 )

‘Joseph found favour in his sight and served him’ ( v4) ‘The Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake, and the blessing of the Lord was on all he had in the house and in the field. ‘ ( v5) Consider John’s gospel chapter 5:20, ‘The Father loved the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does, and He will show Him greater works than these that you may marvel.’

The devil subtly squirmed into these prosperous circumstances through Potiphar’s wife. ‘Joseph was handsome in form and appearance,’ ( 39:6) . His master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, ‘Lie with me’. ‘ He refused her lustful overtures, saying ‘Look, My master does not know what is in the house, and he has committed all to my hand.’ ( v8). Joseph firmly and resolutely resisted her sexual advances. He is typical of our Lord Jesus, Whom satan tempted severely in the wilderness in three distinct areas of his life. Our Lord quoted three times from Deuteronomy and repelled every fiery temptation dart of the enemy. This was valuable to us in resisting the same ferocious foe.

Joseph continued to silence this persistent temptress, ‘How can I do this thing, and sin against God?’ fearing to offend the eternal God Who was his Deliverer. He is a delightful type of our beloved Lord, Who warded off satan with the sharper than any two-edged sword, with the rebuke, ‘Get you behind Me, satan,’ ( Luke 4)

Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him to her husband, claiming that ‘the Hebrew slave whom you brought to us came in to me to mock ( that is, make sport and have sexual relations with me.)’ ( v17). Satan tried to spoil the Son of God with scorching temptations in physical, psychological and spiritual realms. He failed. Praise the Lord. Joseph is the only type in the Old Testament who ( while a sinner ) did not have obvious ungodliness in his life, making him the ideal type or model of his beloved Lord. Moses had slain an Egyptian, while David had murdered and committed adultery.

Joseph had truly found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Have you asked Him to show grace to you? He longs to do so.