Joseph as a Type of Christ in Genesis 39
Sunday December 10, 2006
Genesis: Joseph as a Type of Christ in Genesis 39
Lesson # 252
Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 39:1.
Last Wednesday we completed our study of Genesis 39 and on Thursday I mentioned that I thought it would be instructive before we begin a study of Genesis 40 to study the various ways in Genesis 37 and 39 in which Joseph is a type of Christ.
Therefore, on Thursday we studied how Joseph typifies our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in Genesis 37.
This morning we will note how Joseph typifies our Lord in Genesis 39.
“Typology” is from the Greek word for form or pattern, which is tupos (tuvpo$) and in biblical times denoted both the original model or prototype and the copy that resulted.
Biblical typology involves an analogical correspondence in which earlier events, persons, and places in salvation history become patterns by which later events and the like are interpreted.
A type is a specific parallel between two historical entities.
An example of a type is found in Romans 5.
Romans 5:14, “Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.”
The Lord Jesus Christ employed typology in His teaching about Himself.
For example, in John 6, the Lord compared His humanity to the manna that was given to Israel, which typified His human nature that would provide for spiritual nourishment.
A type is designed to teach us a lesson about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, we will see in this morning’s study that the historical personage of Joseph “parallels” the historical personage of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Also, many of the historical events in the life of Joseph that are recorded in Genesis 37 and 39 “parallel” many of the historical events in the life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The fact that the events in the life of Joseph that are recorded in Genesis 37 and 39 typified many of the events in the life of Christ and that Joseph himself is a type of Christ does “not” mean that Joseph is equal to the Lord but rather that Joseph and the events in his life foreshadow the Lord and the events in His life.
No other character in the Bible foreshadowed the Lord Jesus Christ more than Joseph.
In Joseph we see the Lord Jesus as the Preserver, Provider and Savior.
Of the seven great figures in the book of Genesis whose biographies we have studied, Adam, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, Joseph’s story is the longest.
Genesis 39:1, “Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there.”
As we noted Thursday evening in our study of the typology in Genesis 37:28, the fact that Joseph was brought to Egypt foreshadows our Lord brought to Egypt by Joseph.
Matthew 2:13, “Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.’”
Matthew 2:14, “So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt.”
Matthew 2:15, “He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON.’”
The fact that Joseph became a servant of Potiphar’s typifies the Lord Jesus Christ who came to serve both men and God.
Philippians 2:5-6, “Everyone continue thinking this (according to humility) within yourselves, which was also in (the mind of) Christ Jesus, Who although existing from eternity past in the essence of God, He never regarded existing equally in essence with God an exploitable asset.”
Philippians 2:7, “On the contrary, He denied Himself of the independent function of His deity by having assumed the essence of a slave when He was born in the likeness of men.”
Isaiah 49:7, “Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and its Holy One, to the despised One, to the One abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers, ‘Kings will see and arise, princes will also bow down, because of the LORD who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You.’”
Genesis 39:2, “The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.”
The fact that the Lord was with Joseph typifies our Lord who spoke of His heavenly Father as always with Him.
John 16:32, “Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.”
Genesis 39:3, “Now his master saw that the LORD was with him and how the LORD caused all that he did to prosper in his hand.”
The statement in Genesis 39:2 that Joseph became successful and the statement in Genesis 39:3 that the Lord prospered Joseph typifies the Lord Jesus Christ who was prospered by the Father when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand.
Isaiah 52:13, “Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.”
Isaiah 53:10, “But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.”
Genesis 39:4, “So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he put in his charge.”
Genesis 39:4 records that Joseph found favor in the sight of Potiphar, which typifies the Lord Jesus Christ finding favor with God the Father.
John 8:29, “And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.”
Genesis 39:5, “It came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house on account of Joseph; thus the LORD'S blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field.”
Genesis 39:5 records that Potiphar and his entire household were blessed by association with Joseph, which parallels or typifies the church receiving every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places on account of their union and identification with Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:3, “Worthy of praise and glorification is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the One who has blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in the Person of Christ.”
Genesis 39:6a, “So he left everything he owned in Joseph's charge; and with him there he did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate.”
When Potiphar put His entire estate under Joseph’s authority, this foreshadowed God the Father putting all creation and every creature under the authority of His Son Jesus Christ.
John 3:35, “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.”
Genesis 39:6b, “Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.”
Genesis 39:7, “It came about after these events that his master's wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, ‘Lie with me.’”
Genesis 39:8, “But he refused and said to his master's wife, ‘Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge.’”
Genesis 39:9, “There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?”
Genesis 39:10, “As she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her.”
Genesis 39:11, “Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside.”
Genesis 39:12, “She caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me!’ and he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside.”
When Joseph resisted the temptation to commit adultery with Potiphar’s wife day after day and did not sin, this typified our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who was tempted and never sinned.
Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”
1 John 3:5, “You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.”
Genesis 39:13-14, “When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, she called to the men of her household and said to them, ‘See, he has brought in a Hebrew to us to make sport of us; he came in to me to lie with me, and I screamed.’”
Genesis 39:15, “When he heard that I raised my voice and screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled and went outside.”
Genesis 39:16, “So she left his garment beside her until his master came home.”
Genesis 39:17-18, “Then she spoke to him with these words, ‘The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to make sport of me; and as I raised my voice and screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.”
Genesis 39:13-14 records that Joseph was accused of a crime that he did not commit by Potiphar’s wife and never defended himself, which foreshadowed the Lord Jesus Christ who never defended Himself when He was falsely accused.
Matthew 26:59, “Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death.”
Matthew 26:60, “They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward.”
Matthew 27:12, “And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer.”
Isaiah 53:7, “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth.”
Genesis 39:19, “Now when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, ‘This is what your slave did to me,’ his anger burned.”
Genesis 39:20, “So Joseph's master took him and put him into the jail, the place where the king's prisoners were confined; and he was there in the jail.”
Genesis 39:19-20 and Psalm 105:18-19 record that Potiphar put Joseph in chains, which foreshadows our Lord being bound before being led away to be delivered to Pilate.
Matthew 27:1-2, “Now when morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus to put Him to death; and they bound Him, and led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate the governor.”
Psalm 105:18, “They afflicted his feet with fetters, he himself was laid in irons.”
The fact that the fetter hurt Joseph’s feet typifies our Lord’s feet being pierced through at His crucifixion.
Psalm 22:16, “They pierced my hands and my feet.”
As we noted Potiphar did not believe his wife’s accusations against Joseph.
The fact that Potiphar does “not” really believe his wife’s accusations against Joseph as indicated in that he does not execute Joseph but rather imprisons him indicates quite clearly that he was angry because he lost the services of the most efficient business manager in all the land of Egypt.
Therefore, the fact that Potiphar does “not” believe his wife’s accusations and that Joseph was innocent foreshadows Pilate believing that our Lord was innocent of the accusations made against Him by the chief priests who demanded His crucifixion.
Luke 23:4, “Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, ‘I find no guilt in this man.’”
Genesis 39:21, “But the LORD was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer.”
Genesis 39:22, “The chief jailer committed to Joseph's charge all the prisoners who were in the jail; so that whatever was done there, he was responsible for it.”
Genesis 39:23, “The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph's charge because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made to prosper.”
Genesis 39:21-23 records Joseph winning the respect of the prison warden, which typifies our Lord winning the respect of the Roman centurion who presided over His crucifixion.
Luke 23:47, “Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, ‘Certainly this man was innocent.’”
Matthew 27:54, “Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God!’”
Finally, the fact that Joseph suffered unjust treatment at the hands of the Gentiles foreshadows our Lord being mistreated by the Gentiles.
Acts 4:25-26, “WHY DID THE GENTILES RAGE, AND THE PEOPLES DEVISE FUTILE THINGS? THE KINGS OF THE EARTH TOOK THEIR STAND, AND THE RULERS WERE GATHERED TOGETHER AGAINST THE LORD AND AGAINST HIS CHRIST.”
Acts 4:27-28, “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.”