Finding Jesus in the OT Week 9 - Joseph

Passage

Genesis 37 ESV

1 Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan. 2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him. 5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. 9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind. 12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” 14 So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 15 And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” 16 “I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” 17 And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. 18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” 21 But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. 25 Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt. 29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes 30 and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” 31 Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33 And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.

The Type

Joseph is one of famous stories you hear about in children's ministry

Many people have heard about it

Joseph serves as a type and shadow of our Savior.

Whether Joseph understood it, everything that happened to him was only secondarily about him.

Supremely, Joseph’s life was about Jesus.

Joseph and Jesus were sent by their Fathers

Jacob sent Joseph to his brothers, Jesus’ Father sent Him to His borthers

Genesis 37:12–14 ESV

12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” 14 So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

Matthew 15:24 ESV

24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Joseph and Jesus sought their brothers

Genesis 37:15–18 ESV

15 And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” 16 “I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” 17 And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. 18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him.

Joseph was constantly “seeking” his brothers

Luke 15:4 ESV

4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?

Luke 19:10 ESV

10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Joseph and Jesus’ Brothers Rejected Them and Plotted Their Deaths

Genesis 37:19–20 ESV

19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.”

Joseph’s brothers would not accept him

Jesus’ brothers did not accept Him

John 1:11 ESV

11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

Reuben Tried to Deliver Joseph, Like Pilate Tried to Deliver Jesus

Genesis 37:21–22 ESV

21 But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father.

Reuben was the oldest, which made him the leader

He knew Joseph was innocent and should not be murdered, so he tried to deliver him out of his brothers hands

Pilate was the leader of the Jews, He knew Jesus was innocent, and should not be murdered

Matthew 27:22–23 ESV

22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

Joseph and Jesus were striped of their tunics

Genesis 37:23 ESV

23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore.

Joseph was stripped of his clothes, so was Jesus

John 19:23 ESV

23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom,

Joseph and Jesus’ Brothers Were Indifferent Toward Their Suffering

Genesis 37:25 (ESV)

25 Then they sat down to eat.

They threw Joseph into a pit to die while they sat down to eat

They had indifference for Joseph and his suffering

The indifference resembles what Jesus faced while on the cross

Matthew 27:41 ESV

41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying,

Joseph and Jesus Were “Resurrected” Out of the Pit

Genesis 37:25–28 (ESV)

25 And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit

They did not want to murder Joseph because it wouldn’t make money

So they lifted him out, the pit was meant to be death for Joseph, so this was a figurative resurrection

Jesus was resurrected upon death

Joseph and Jesus Were Sold for the Price of Slaves

Genesis 37:28 (ESV)

28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver.

Joseph was sold for the price of a slave

Exodus 21:32 says that thirty pieces of silver was the value of a slave

Jesus was sold for the price of a slave

Matthew 26:15 ESV

15 and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver.

Joseph and Jesus Were Taken to Egypt

Genesis 37:28 (ESV)

28 They took Joseph to Egypt.

Joseph was taken to Egypt

So was Jesus

Matthew 2:14 ESV

14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt

Joseph and Christ Were Exalted Rulers

Genesis 41:39–40 ESV

39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.”

Joseph went form being brought low, to becoming ruler over Egypt

He is over everyone and everything except Pharoah

Jesus was put over everyone and everything except God the Father

1 Corinthians 15:27 ESV

27 For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him.

Joseph and Christ Have Every Knee Bowed to Them

Genesis 41:42–43 ESV

42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. 43 And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt.

Joseph was exalted by Pharaoh and every knee was made to bow to him

God does the same for Jesus

Philippians 2:9–10 ESV

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

People Look to Joseph and Christ to Be Saved

Genesis 41:55 ESV

55 When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.”

The Egyptians began to starve, and must look to Joseph to be saved

Jesus not only can save the physical, but also the spiritual eternal lives of people

Isaiah 45:22 ESV

22 “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

Joseph and Christ Offer the “Bread of Life”

Genesis 47:13–19

There was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe…Joseph gathered up all the money…in Egypt and Canaan, for the grain. All the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, ‘Give us bread, for why should we die?’ Joseph said, ‘Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock if the money is gone.’ They brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread…Thus he fed them with bread. They came to him the next year and said…‘There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our lands. Why should we die before your eyes? Buy us and our land… for bread…that we may live and not die.’”

Bread is mentioned 7 times serving as the focus of the verses

Three times the people ask for bread so they would not die

The bread that Joseph was giving them gave life for a moment

Jesus said “I am the bread of life,” The years that Joseph added to peoples lives are in no comparison to the years Jesus adds

John 6:35 ESV

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

Questions

What questions do you have from the readings?

What similarities do you see between Joseph and Jesus? What differences?

Joseph's brothers didn't believe Joseph and Jesus' Jewish brothers didn't believe Him. Does that change your perspective about sharing the Gospel with others?

Both Joseph and Jesus were falsely accused but were redeemed out of it. What should that tell you about your sin? What does that tell you about Satan's strategy against you?

What has been your favorite type that we went over this season? What has been the most impactful thing for you?