Firm Foundations:
Joseph part 2

Joseph part 2

Scripture: Genesis 39: 39 Now Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian official of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him [a]from the Ishmaelites, who had brought him down there. 2 And Yahweh was with Joseph, so he became a [b]successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. 3 Now his master saw that Yahweh was with him and how Yahweh caused all that he did to succeed in his hand. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and [c]attended on him; and he appointed him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he gave in his hand.

Well, we are continuing today with our series of sermons entitled “Firm Foundations: From Creation to Christ.” And we are coming to the end of the book of Genesis.

So, today we are transitioning into the story of the next major character of Scripture and the book of Genesis; Joseph.

The point of the study is for us to see the connection between the stories of the Old Testament and our Lord Jesus Christ.

And it is fitting that we conclude Genesis with Joseph, because the story of Joseph is one of the greatest foreshadowing’s of Christ in all the Bible. And that is how I want to approach the story of his life, as a foreshadowing of Christ.

But before we start, let’s go to the Lord in prayer.

The old hymn goes.

Tell me the story of Jesus, Write on my heart every word; Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.

Tell of the cross where they nailed Him, Writhing in anguish and pain; Tell of the grave where they laid Him, Tell how He liveth again.Love in that story so tender,
Clearer than ever I see; Stay, let me weep while you whisper, “Love paid the ransom for me.”

Tell me the story of Jesus, Write on my heart every word; Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.

Here's the outline for Joseph’s life through that lens. His introduction, His rejection, His enslavement, His faithfulness, His temptation, His imprisonment, His ascendance, His salvation, His inheritance

I. His introduction

Joseph

A. He was a shepherd like his father.

Genesis 37: 2 Joseph, when seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers while he was still a youth,

B. He was the preferred son.

Why did Jacob prefer Joseph?

1. He was the son of his old age.

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a [b]varicolored tunic.

But how is Joseph a foreshadowing of Christ in how he is introduced in Scripture? He came into the world as the favored son of Israel. He was not first-born by order, but he was chosen by his father because of affection and because he loved righteousness.

Matthew 3:17 and behold, there was a voice out of the heavens saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

Hebrews 1:2 in these last days spoke to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds,

Joseph was the picture of the Coming Beloved Son who would inherit from His Father, and ultimately save his brothers.

But how else did Joseph foreshadow Jesus?

II. His rejection

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a [b]varicolored tunic. 4 And his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and so they hated him and could not speak to him in peace.

5 Then Joseph [c]had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; so they hated him even more.

So, Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. 18 And they saw him from a distance, and before he came close to them, they plotted against him to put him to death. 19 Then they said to one another, “[j]Here comes this dreamer! 20 So now, come and let us kill him and cast him into one of the pits; and we will say, ‘A wild beast devoured him.’ Then let us see what will become of his dreams!”

And when Jesus came to Earth, He was despised and rejected by men. His own people betrayed Him, lied about Him, and handed Him over to Roman authorities to have Him killed.

Isaiah 53: 3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of [b]sorrows and acquainted with [c]grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Joseph was hated by his brothers, Jesus was despised and rejected by His people, and the people of the world.

Joseph was sold and became a slave.

25 And they sat down to eat [m]a meal. Then they lifted up their eyes and saw, and behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing [n]aromatic gum and [o]balm and [p]myrrh, going to bring them down to Egypt. 26 And Judah said to his brothers, “What gain is it that we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.”

They are callously eating a meal when they see from quite a distance a caravan of spice traders coming. The area of Dothan where they were was situated on a caravan route bringing products from India and Western Asia to Egypt. Now much has been made by some commentators about these traders being called Ishmaelites and then later Midianites. If you remember, Ishmael was the son of Abraham by Hagar the Egyptian handmaiden. He is Isaac’s half-brother. He and his mother were sent away when he was 13 because he was laughing at Isaac being weaned. So some commentators scoff at the idea that there would be a band of “Ishmaelites” at this point in the story. What they don’t say though is that it has been 150 years since Ishmael and his mother separated from Abraham’s family. We know that Ishmael ends up having 12 sons of his own. It is not at all a stretch to believe that 4 to 5 generations later his tribe could have become a notable trading culture in the middle east.

So, they see the caravan and then they have a discussion. Judah says to his brothers, let’s not kill Joseph, let’s sell him into slavery. Reuben tried to save Joseph from death and send him back to his father. Judah doesn’t want to kill Joseph either. Maybe he is concerned about the guilt of murder, or maybe he is concerned about how they will cover it up. But either way, he convinces his brothers that it would be more profitable all way around to sell him into slavery.

By the way, speaking of parallels to the story of Jesus; both Jesus and Joseph were sold by a Judas. Both Judas’s sought to enrich themselves by selling the innocent. Judah, Jacob’s son sold Joseph for 20 shekels of silver. Judas Iscariot sold Jesus for thirty.

And his brothers listened. 28 Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for [q]twenty shekels of silver. Thus they brought Joseph into Egypt.

Now notice that now it doesn’t say Ishmaelite traders, but Midianite traders. Again, some commentators try to call this a contradiction in Scripture. But it is not necessarily so. Midian was also a son of Abraham by the wife he took after Sarah died; Keturah. So just like it had been over 100 years for a people to become Ishmaelites, in the same time period a group called Midianites could have grown. And this could either be the same group, a mix of descendants of Ishmael and Midian, or it could be that there were two different caravans. The first caravan they see that gives them the idea to sell Joseph; Ishmaelites. But they end up selling him to a second caravan of Midianites.

Either way, Joseph, at 17 years of age, was lowered a rope by his own brothers, pulled out of a pit, and sold to a caravan going to Egypt as a slave. Well apparently, Reuben wasn’t present when this transaction took place.

29 Then Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he tore his garments. 30 Then he returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is not there; as for me, where am I to go?”

We can imagine the scene here. They had thrown Joseph in the pit. It is coming close to time for the evening meal. Reuben knows this and tells them that he is going off to do some errand with the sheep. He stays away for enough time that he thinks they will be sitting down, away from the pit, to eat their meal. In this way, he hopes to go to the pit alone and rescue Joseph. But while he is off on his errand, they hatch the second plan, and Joseph is sold into slavery before he comes back to the pit. Now comes the nasty business of what they will tell their father. And none of them, not even Reuben wants to tell him the truth. I’ve often wondered what would have happened if Reuben would have told his father the truth. I suspect that Jacob would have saddled up the camels and pursued those traders all the way to Egypt if need be. But, as Joseph himself would say later,

“What you meant for evil, God meant for good.” Joseph ends up in a position in Egypt that enables him to save his family and the Gentile world around him from starvation.

31 So they took Joseph’s tunic and slaughtered a male goat and dipped the tunic in the blood; 32 and they sent the varicolored tunic and brought it to their father and said, “We found this; please recognize it—whether it is your son’s tunic or not.” 33 And he recognized it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him; Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 34 So Jacob tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 Then all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, “Surely I will go down to Sheol in mourning for my son.” So, his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile, the [r]Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, the captain of the bodyguard.

And Joseph is a picture of Jesus. He comes into the world, is hated by his brethren. But He ends up bringing salvation to His own people, and to the world.

Jesus left heaven and humbled Himself all the way down to that of a slave, just as Scripture describes: “You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross! As a result God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth— and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:5–11 NET)

III. His enslavement

Joseph was sold and became a slave.

Joseph, at 17 years of age, was lowered a rope by his own brothers, pulled out of a pit, and sold to a caravan going to Egypt as a slave.

And Joseph is a picture of Jesus. He comes into the world, is hated by his brethren. But He ends up bringing salvation to His own people, and to the world.

IV. His faithfulness

Joseph was faithful in all his duties as a slave.

Genesis 39: Now Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian official of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him [a]from the Ishmaelites, who had brought him down there. 2 And Yahweh was with Joseph, so he became a [b]successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. 3 Now his master saw that Yahweh was with him and how Yahweh caused all that he did to succeed in his hand. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and [c]attended on him; and he appointed him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he gave in his hand.

Everywhere that Joseph served, he serves faithfully, and is elevated in position because of God’s blessing and his work ethic. We know that he ends up in jail because of false accusations. But even there he is faithful.

21 But Yahweh was with Joseph and [q]extended lovingkindness to him and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. 22 So the chief jailer gave into the hand of Joseph all the prisoners who were in the jail; so that whatever was done there, he was [r]the one who did it. 23 The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph’s hand because Yahweh was with him; and whatever he did, Yahweh made to succeed.

In both of these cases, the overseer trusted Joseph so much that he quit double-checking his work. Potiphar only concerned himself with his own food.

Later, he becomes second only to the throne of Pharaoh.

Psalm 105:20 The king sent and released him, The ruler of peoples sent and set him free. 21 He set him up as lord of his house And ruler over all his possessions,

Hebrews 11:22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave commands concerning his bones.

Joseph is a very interesting character in Scripture. We never hear of anything that he did wrong. He never commits a sin. Now, we know that he did sin, just like every human being who ever lived. But there is nothing ever described in Scripture. Through all his trials, he never accuses God of injustice or lashes out at anyone else. He is faithful.

And there is something here that may imply that he was steadfast in his devotion to God.

The text says, “his master saw that Yahweh was with him and how Yahweh caused all that he did to succeed in his hand.”

The text uses God’s name; Yahweh. And so, it says that Potiphar saw that Yahweh was with Joseph. Does this mean that Potiphar knew who Yahweh was? Probably not. And it doesn’t necessarily mean that Potiphar even knew the name of God, or that God is the only God. It’s not likely that he believed that. The name Potiphar means; devoted to the sun. He was a devotee to the Egyptian sun god. So, the statement could be just a generic recognition that Joseph was supernaturally blessed. But I think that it could also imply that Joseph and Potiphar had conversations about Joseph’s heritage and God. Joseph may have told him the name Yahweh, and told him that God is the only God. And after such a conversation, and seeing how smoothly his household ran after Joseph came, he ascribes it to the providence of Yahweh. Joseph was faithful wherever he landed.

https://biblehub.com/commentaries/genesis/39-3.htm

“Though changed in condition, Joseph was not changed in spirit; though stripped of the gaudy coat that had adorned his person, he had not lost the moral graces that distinguished his character; though separated from his father on earth, he still lived in communion with his Father in heaven; though in the house of an idolater, he continued a worshipper of the true God.”

And that is a fourth way that Joseph foreshadows Jesus. Jesus was faithful in all His duties as our human Savior.

When He was baptized.

Matthew 3: 13 Then Jesus *arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he *permitted Him.

Jesus was saying to John, I need to do every right thing there is to do. I cannot leave one right thing undone. That is quite a different measure than what we use. We figure that we are righteous if we don’t do the bad stuff. Jesus not only did not commit sin, but He worked to do every good deed that He was meant to do.Philippians 2:8ESV / 732 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.Romans 5:19ESV / 567 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

Hebrews 5:8

Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.Revelation 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

Joseph foreshadowed the obedience of Christ.

His introduction, rejection, enslavement, faithfulness

V. His temptation

One of the more dramatic episodes in the life of Jesus is when He was tempted for 40 days and nights, in the wilderness, by Satan. This is in such starch contrast to the first time that Satan tempted people. Adam and Eve were tempted while living in a perfect Garden. Jesus was in the wilderness. Adam and Eve succumbed to the temptation in a matter of moments. Jesus never relented for forty days and forty nights. Adam and Eve were tempted with full bellies. Jesus hadn’t eaten for forty days. And that was not the greatest of Jesus’ temptations. And Joseph, in the Old Testament, foreshadowing Christ, was tempted.

Several years after Joseph came to Egypt, rose to some authority in Potiphar’s house, Joseph was tempted by Potiphar’s wife but rejected the temptations. This is how the story goes.

Genesis 39: 6 So he left everything he owned in Joseph’s hand; and with him there he did not [d]concern himself with anything except the [e]food which he [f]ate.

Now Joseph was beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance. (He is in his late twenties, and is a good looking man. Got his looks from his mother.)

7 And it happened after these events that his master’s wife [g]set her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.”

This situation was one built for temptation to evil. In many oriental societies, men and women were separated during day to day life. But there is historical evidence that that was not the case in ancient Egyptian society. Especially in the upper classes, women and men mixed in day by day life. And, to compound the issue, Egyptian women were far less reserved in their morality. They would be called “loose,” the vernacular of a previous generation. Not only did the culture and morals of their society set Joseph up, but she was a person of power in the household. Refusing her advances could cause him troubles from her over the long haul. And then, we learn that this was not just a one and done temptation. She kept at it day after day.

He refuses on a couple of grounds.

8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, with me here, my master [h]does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has given all that he owns into my hand. 9 [i]There is no one greater in this house than I,

His first objection is on the grounds of fidelity. The master has trusted him with everything.

and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil

He’s given me everything. This would be a betrayal of that great trust. In addition to that..

How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?”

It would also be a violation of the commitment and trust he had in God.

10 So it happened that as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her.

He would not relent.

He ends up fleeing. 1 Corinthians 10:13

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”Proverbs 4:14-15

“Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on.”2 Timothy 2:22

“So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

And just as Joseph was tempted, and did not relent, so to Jesus was tempted and did not relent.

Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness but rejected the temptations. And the temptation of Christ did not end in the wilderness.

Hebrews 4:15For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things like we are, yet without sin.

The temptation continued all the way to the cross. Especially in the Garden of Gethsemane when the temptation was to turn from the cross, God’s plan of salvation.

VI. His imprisonment

Joseph was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife.

11 Now it happened [j]one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside. 12 Then she seized him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled and went outside. 13 Now it happened, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, 14 that she called to the men of her household and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in a [k]Hebrew to us to laugh at us; he came in to me to lie with me, and I [l]screamed. 15 Now it happened that when he heard that I raised my voice and [m]screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled and went outside.” 16 And she placed his garment beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she spoke to him [n]with these words, saying, “The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to laugh at me; 18 and as I raised my voice and [o]screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.”

She turned it around and accused Joseph of being what she was. And she orchestrates it to get revenge on Joseph for rejecting her. She does her best dramatic presentation. She lays Joseph’s garment near her, not in her hand. She doesn’t want the truth that she had pulled it off of him to appear to be a viable explanation. She immediately calls for help from any men in the house. At the start, they were nowhere around. The house was empty, and Joseph had only come into the house to do his job.

The fact that the house was empty leaves you to think that maybe Potiphar’s wife had sent all the servants away. Now she calls them back. And she appeals to racism and victimhood and camaraderie. She appeals to the servants as comrades. My husband unjustly elevated someone over us. And he elevated a Hebrew. And she appealed to their sense of fear. All the women in the household are in danger. But it was a false accusation.

Potiphar seems to have believed her. But Joseph’s punishment was actually pretty lenient for the time. For attempted rape, a person could receive 1000 lashes, for rape itself they could be put to death. So, it’s quite possible that he didn’t completely believe her. But for his own honor, or just to make the problem go away, he imprisons Joseph.

Scripture says that Joseph was 17 years old when his brothers sold him to the Ishmaelites (Genesis 37:2). By the time he was released from prison and appointed as head over Egypt, Joseph was 30 years of age (Genesis 41:46). Therefore, thirteen years passed from the time Joseph was sold by his brothers to the time he left prison. Some of that time, Joseph was in Potiphar’s service before he was wrongly accused by Potiphar’s wife; the rest of the time, he was in prison.

Jesus was falsely accused by the Jewish leaders.

Matthew 11:19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

Matthew 27:12-14 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. Then Pilate *said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed.

False witnesses, then the charges were different when the went before Pilate, and they were false as well

Luke 6:7 The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find reason to accuse Him.

Joseph was wrongly imprisoned in a dungeon. Jesus was wrongly imprisoned in the grave.

Firm Foundations: Joseph part 2

Firm Foundations:
Joseph part 2