Joseph as a Type of Christ, Part 1

[u]Joseph as a Type of Christ, Part 1[/u], by Romans

The Book of Genesis concludes in 13 of the last 14 chapters with the story of the Patriarch Joseph.  We are pretty familiar with Joseph, and the events of his life. But did you know that Joseph was a type of Christ? A type is a prophetic foreshadowing of Jesus! Incorporated within the events of the life of Joseph is a list of about 42 types. Many of the types that I will list tonight and next week are taken from “The World's Bible Handbook,” by Robert Boyd, but to his original list I have added many more types.

Consider:
[b]1.)[/b] [u]Joseph was loved by his father[/u]:
Genesis 37:3 “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.”

In the New Testament, we read of Jesus in Matthew 3:17 “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

John 3:35 adds to that: “The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.”

[b]2.)[/b] [u]Joseph was a shepherd[/u]:
Genesis 37:2 “These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren;”

John 10:11-14 “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12  But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13  The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14  I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.”

[b]3.)[/b] [u]Joseph was sent by his father to his brothers[/u]:

Genesis 37:13-14 “And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
14  And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

John 12:49  For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

In a Parable about His being sent by His Father, Jesus said in
Luke 20:12-13 “And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out.
13  Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him.”

[b]4.)[/b] [u]Joseph was hated by his brothers, and their hatred was fueled by their envy[/u]:

Genesis 37:4,5: “And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.

Matthew 27:18  For he (Pilate) knew that for envy they (the Chief Priests and Rulers) had delivered him.

John 15:25 “But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.”

[b]5.)[/b] [u]Joseph's references to himself in a kingly role were resented and rejected by his brothers[/u]:

Genesis 37:8 “And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.”

Matthew 21:37-39 “But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39  And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

John 15:24-25 “If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

[b]6.)[/b] [u]Joseph's brothers plotted against his life[/u]:

Genesis 37:18 “And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.”

Matthew 26:3-4 “Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,
4  And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him.

John 11:53 “Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.”

[b]7.)[/b] [u]Joseph was stripped of his coat[/u]:

Genesis 37:23 “And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him...”

John 19:23 “Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.”

[b]8.)[/b] [u]He was sold by a family member named Judah[/u]:

Genesis 37:26-27: “And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites...”

Jesus was betrayed by one of His inner circle named Judas, the Greek equivalent of Judah

Matthew 26:14: “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.”

[b]9.)[/b] [u]Joseph was sold for the price of a slave[/u]:

Genesis 37:28 “Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver.”

Matthew 26:15 “And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.”

In each case, Joseph and Jesus were both sold for the going price of a slave in their day.

[b]10.)[/b] [u]Joseph was taken to Egypt[/u]:

Genesis 37:28b : “and they brought Joseph into Egypt”

Matthew 2:14-15 “When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
15  And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.”

[b]11.)[/b] [u]Joseph suffered because of his brothers[/u]:

Genesis 39:1-- Genesis 40:13 tells us of all that he suffered because of his brothers' hatred of him.
The enslavement and the imprisonment that followed.

Mathew 27:33-50 tells us of all that Jesus suffered at the hands of the Jews, His brothers: the betrayal, arrest, beating, mocking, scourging and crucifixion.

[b]12.)[/b] [u]Joseph was sorely and repeatedly tempted[/u]:

Genesis 39:7  And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.”

Genesis 39:10  And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.

Luke 4:1  ¶And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2  Being forty days tempted of the devil.

[b]13.)[/b] [u]Joseph resisted and overcame the temptation by his faith in, and willingness to obey, God[/u]:

Genesis 39:9 how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

Matthew 4:10 “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

[b]14.)[/b] [u]After he resisted and overcame temptation, Joseph was falsely accused [/u]:

Genesis 39:16-18 “And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.
17  And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:
18  And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.

Matthew 26:59-60 “Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;
60  But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses...

[b]15.)[/b] [u]Joseph was bound[/u]:

Genesis 39:20 “And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.”

Matthew 27:2 “And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.”

[b]16.)[/b] [u]Joseph offered no defense[/u]:

Genesis 39:20 “And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.”

Isaiah 53:7 “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”

[b]17.)[/b] [u]In spite of all he had endured, Joseph experienced God's presence through his ordeal[/u]:

Genesis 39:21 “But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

When Pilate had Jesus in custody, he repeatedly declared Him innocent, and diligently sought to release Him:

Luke 23:14-15: “Pilate Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:
15 No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. I will therefore chastise him, and release him.”

[b]18.)[/b] [u]Two other prisoners were with Joseph in prison[/u]:

Genesis 40:2-3 “And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers. And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.”

Luke 23:32-33 “And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.
And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.”

[b]19.)[/b] [u]Only one of the two prisoners (the butler) with Joseph was given good news[/u]:

Genesis 40: 21-23 21: "And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand: But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them.

Luke 23:39-43 “And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41  And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42  And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43  And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

[b]20.)[/b] [u]Joseph was 30 years old when he began his ministry[/u]:

Genesis 41:46 “And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.”

Luke 3:22-23 "And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age...

Luke 4:1-2: “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness... Being forty days tempted of the devil.”

After His temptation, Jesus began His Ministry:

Luke 4:14-15: “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.”

[b]21.)[/b] [u]Joseph was elevated to a place of Glory and Power after his suffering[/u]:

Genesis 41:14, 41 “Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.

Genesis 41:41 “And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.”

On the Road to Emmaus, Jesus asked the two disciples in: Luke 24:26 “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?”

Philippians 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Of this, Matthew Henry writes, “The exaltation was of Christ's human nature, in union with the Divine. At the name of Jesus, not the mere sound of the word, but the authority of Jesus, all should pay solemn homage. It is to the glory of God the Father, to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord; for it is his will, that all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father, Joh 5:23. Here we see such motives to self-denying love as nothing else can supply. Do we thus love and obey the Son of God?”

The astounding foreshadows of Jesus Christ was lived by the Patriarch Joseph in the Book of Genesis. The Book of Genesis is not a humanly authored Book. It is not a Book of myths or legends. And, it is not a Book of superstitious tales, or homogenized pagan folklore. The Book of Genesis includes a foundation of historical events and Themes that set the tone for the rest of Scripture. The Book of Genesis is a Book that defies the imagination, but also defies the odds against such a Book being what our critics claim it is, namely, a written work unscientific folklore or highly imaginative, humanly-devised fables . It is none of these things.  The Book of Genesis was inspired to be written by the Holy Spirit, and committed to writing by Moses. Its existence is a miraculous Gift from God to His Creation, giving us a priceless window that would not be available any other way, into the mind, the heart and the Plans of our God.  There are clear, undeniable and unmistakable foreshadows of our Savior in the life  of the Patriarch Joseph presented within its pages. We covered 21 of  them, tonight. There are about 21 more for us to look at, and we will do just that... God willing... next week.

This concludes this Evening's Discussion, [u]Joseph as a Type of Christ, Part 1[/u]

This Discussion was presented "live" by Romans on August 11, 2016