In what ways does Joseph point us to JESUS?

1) The ultimate treasure of the Father who gives good gifts:

After repeated sermons on how favouritism in parenting always ends in disaster, we might miss the bigger picture of Joseph in context. Here he is in Genesis, a story of origins in the goodness of God, the origins of redemption in the plans of God, the provision of grace in a rebelious world which turns its back on the father of creation.

Don't miss the beauty of God in our ugly world. Here is the precious Son, who honours his father and is loved. Our heavenly Father only gives good gifts to our world (James 1:17), and the best of his gifts is His son (Romans 8:2).

2) The Obedient man of faith rejected in a Godless world.

In the rhythm of Genesis we become accustomed to the pattern of human failure in the context of God's provision... (Crisis failure, judgement, grace), that is until the cycle comes to the climactic human rebellion of Ch11 when we are wondering if the editor has missed a stroke? Where is the grace plan amidst worldwide chaos, confusion and self inflicted human collapse?

Then... Abraham the man through whom God administers the eternal plan of grace (12:1-3), and his descendents of grace... miraculous and underserved. Joseph is such a man. Born into a world acting without conscience. Rejected by his own, his brothers are deaf to the sufferring they cause. As they sit and eat their full, their ears block out his cry of sufferring from the pit. It takes them 22 years to admit the truth as they stand before him in his exaltation, a man vindicated given power by God, a man who blesses all nations.

3) The One who suffers is vindicated in a seemingly impossible situation. 

Parts of Genesis (The drug rape of Ch19, Ch 34 the Sexual abuse of Dinah, Ch38 the pretend cult prostitute) and especially the story of Joseph reads like the worst and ugliest of trashy soap operas. In the context of a world gone mad craving sex and self gratiphication, Potiphars horny wife (using power as an aphrodiziac), is only one issue  amongst many Joseph is dealing with as the world turns its back on the Maker and his wisdom. (Gen 2:23)

 Born into a dysfunctional modern family of one father and four mothers, he has to escape a tough start, an abusive family with a history of conflict, death and grief, infertility sadness, surrogate mothers, rivalries for male affection, envy and murderous intent, a microcosm of disharmony in a world out of tune with GOD. In all this God's name is not mentioned ... and we wonder ...will he remain a prisoner of humanities past ? Can God overrule and weave the broken threads into a tapestry that makes sense - maybe even make something so ugly become beautiful ?

4) The Great Man who leads the family and world into blessing:

It is God who raises Joseph, as he resists all human mechanisms for power, and is promoted as the man of Faith. Although he seems to overcome all the odds to become the great man of his time, the true heroic story is always the sovereign plan of the eternal creator, who uses miaculous intervention and orchestrated "coincidence" in his eternal plan of salvation for all time, and all peoples. 

We need to be very careful with typology, but don't miss the beauty in the ugliness... 

Read Genesis through the right lens of the one who lives to tell us our story.

"And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, 

he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." 

Luke 24:27

 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,  but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. ³ He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Hebrews 1:1-3

At every turn, these passages whisper Christ and His rescue of us , our need of him, the beauty of his character and work . Read Ch37-50 again and run to Jesus as he shows us our hearts.

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The beloved Son	Gen 37:3 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 colours	Matt 3:17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son,[a] with whom I am well pleased.”
Hatred by the brothers	Gen 37:4-5But 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.	John 15:25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
Kingship rejected	Gen 37:8 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.	LUKE 19:14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business.
Conspired and plotted against	Gen 37:18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him.	Matt 27:1 When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death..
Stripped (a robe of respect exchanged for shame)	Gen 37:23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colours that he wore.	Matt 27:28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. NOTE: Until relatively recently scarlet / red dye or artist paint could only be made by crushing insects in a pestle and mortar (a crushing humiliation) Taunted him with a high ranking colour to show how he wasn't in charge. CF Scarlet and blood in childbirth (Gen 38:6 "the Lord put him to death", 38:27 Scarlet thread -  Rahab the woman of shame not accepted by society Joshua 2:21) Luke 2:7  (wrapped in swaddling)
They sat down to eat without conscience, in heartless ignorance to SIN.	Gen 37:23-24, Gen 42:21 “A physicist could compute the exact time required for his cries to go twenty-five yards to the eardrums of the brothers. But it took twenty-two years for that cry to go from the eardrums to their hearts.” (D. Barnhouse)	Phil 3:17-20 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Sold for silver	Gen 37:28 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[a] of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.	Matt 26:15  and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver.
Went into Egypt, came out of Egypt.	Gen 37:36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.	Matt 2:14-15  And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Two others bound with him 1 saved, the other destroyed.	Gen 40:1-4,	Luke 23:32-43
	Ch 40:14 with Luke 23:42 " And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Without Sin in conduct and nature.	For a time *Ch 41	Always (Matt 5:48)You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Luke 23:4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.”
Released by the king	Psalm 105:20 The king sent and released him;     the ruler of the peoples set him free; 21 he made him lord of his house     and ruler of all his possessions,	Acts 2:24God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him, “ ‘I saw the Lord always before me...
Perfect WISDOM	GEN 41:39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are.	Col 2:3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
ALL POWER given unto him	GEN 41:55 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.”	Matt 28:18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
To be OBEYED	Gen 41:55	John 2:5
Serving all nations	Gen 41:57 Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.	Isaiah 49:6he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant     to raise up the tribes of Jacob     and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations,     that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
Not known by his brothers	Gen 42;3, 8  And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.	John 1:10-11  He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own,[b] and his own people[c] did not receive him.
Made known through an interpreter	Gen 42:23	John 16:13-14 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come
A fruitful bough	Gen 49:22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough,     a fruitful bough by a spring;     his branches run over the wall.	John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
All of God	Gen 45:8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.	ACTS 2:23 Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus,[delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

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