Seven Covenants: Joseph and Israel s Descent to Egypt

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1 I. Review Seven Covenants: Joseph and Israel s Descent to Egypt A. The Dispensation of Promise 1. The Abrahamic Covenant a. The Land b. The Seed c. The Blessing 2. The elements of the dispensation a. Principle of Responsibility - Israel: Inhabit the Land - Nations: Bless Israel b. Testing - Israel - Nations B. The Life of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 1. Abraham 2. Isaac: - Genesis 26:1 3. There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. Then the Lord appeared to him and said: Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I 1

2 give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. 3. Jacob: Renewed the Covenant (Genesis 35:6-7) II. Joseph: A Type of Christ A. The Life of Joseph 1. Joseph and his brothers - Genesis 37:2 11. This is the history of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. So he said to them, Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf. And his brothers said to him, Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us? So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me. So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you? And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind. (, NKJV) - As a result of their hatred for Joseph, his brothers sell him into slavery and tell Jacob that Joseph has been killed. - He is taken by Ishmaelite slave traders to Egypt where he is sold. 2. Joseph a servant in Egypt - Genesis 39:1 4. Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought 2

3 him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. - After rebuffing the attempts of Potiphar s wife to seduce him, she falsely accuses him of attacking her with the result that he is thrown into prison. Again, God prospers him and he is given charge of the prison by the warden. - In prison he encounters Pharaoh s baker and butler, who had come into disfavor and been imprisoned. Both have dream s which Joseph accurately interprets. The butler is restored but the baker is hung on a tree. - After Pharaoh is disturbed by his dreams the butler tells Pharaoh about Joseph and his ability to interpret dreams. - Pharaoh brings Joseph out of the prison and he interprets Pharaoh s dreams, which indicate that seven years of plenty will be followed by seven years of famine. 3. Joseph rules in Egypt - Genesis 41: So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God? Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, Bow the knee! So he set him over all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh also said to Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh called Joseph s name Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On. So Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. - Joseph prepares the kingdom for the coming famine and as a result has plenty of grain stored up when the famine hits. 3

4 4. Joseph delivers Israel from death - Genesis 42:1 8. When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, Why do you look at one another? And he said, Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die. So Joseph s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. But Jacob did not send Joseph s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, Lest some calamity befall him. And the sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. Now Joseph was governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth. Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted as a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them. Then he said to them, Where do you come from? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. - Joseph begins to play on the minds of his brothers, forcing them to return to Canaan to bring Benjamin to Egypt. Through the process Joseph forces them to recognize their sin against him. They demonstrate a willingness for themselves to suffer rather than to once again bring grief to their father. 5. Joseph reveals himself - Genesis 45:1 13. Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, Make everyone go out from me! So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it. Then Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph; does my father still live? But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. And Joseph said to his brothers, Please come near to me. So they came near. Then he said: I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, Thus says your son Joseph: God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do 4

5 not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine. And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you. So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here. - And so Israel descends to Egypt, where in time, they come under the bondage of the Egyptians, who began by blessing them but end by cursing them. Ultimately, Egypt will be rewarded with the curse of the plagues. - Joseph has been revealed as the deliverer of Israel. In the process he has received power and glory in Egypt. Now we begin to see something amazing. Joseph is a type of Christ. B. The Typology of Jospeh 1. Direct parallels Resemblance Joseph Christ He was loved by his father Gen. 37:3 Matt. 3:17 He was hated by his brethren Gen. 37:4-5 John 15:25 His rulership was rejected Gen. 37:8 Luke 19:14 A parent kept prophecies in their heart Gen. 37:11 Luke 2:50 He was sent to his brethren Gen. 37:13 Luke 20:13 He sought his lost brethren Gen. 37:16 Luke 19:10 He was conspired against Gen. 37:18 Matt. 27:1 & John 11:53 He was sold for silver Gen. 37:28 Matt. 26:15 He was taken to Egypt Gen. 37:36 Matt. 2:14-15 He resisted temptation Gen. 39:9 Luke 4:2 He was falsely accused Gen. 39:11-18 Matt. 26:59-62 He preached to those in prison Gen. 40: Pet. 3:19 He was wrongfully convicted Gen. 40:15 John 8:46 He was given authority to rule Gen. 41:40 Isa. 9:6-7 He was given a Gentile bride Gen. 41:55 Rev. 21:9 Instructions were given to obey his commands Gen. 41:55 John 2:5 He knew but was not known Gen. 42:7-8 John 2:24-25 & 1:10-11 Stripped of his robe Gen. 37:23 Matt. 27:31 5

6 2. Other parallels - Tunic of many colors depicts the glory of Christ - Silent before his accusers (Joseph does not speak when taken by his brothers). - Delivers Israel in the midst of seven years of tribulation. - During Christ's crucifixion he was there with two other - thieves - one of which was saved and the other lost. In Joseph's dungeon jail cell he also was accompanied by two - a butler and a baker... one of which were restored and the other lost. - Joseph came forth from the dungeon jail and was exalted to the right hand of Pharaoh. Christ was exalted to God's right hand... C. The Significance of Joseph 1. The purpose of the narrative. - Doubling: Scholars have long noted the unusual amount of doubling in the Joseph story: Three sets of dreams occur in pairs by Joseph, by his fellow prisoners, and by Pharaoh. Joseph is twice confined in the pit and in prison. The brothers make two trips to Egypt for grain, have two audiences with Joseph on each occasion, twice find money in their grain bags, make two attempts to gain Jacob s permission to send Benjamin to Egypt, and finally receive two invitations to settle in Egypt. Both Potiphar and the prison keeper leave everything in Joseph s hands. Potiphar s wife makes two attempts to seduce Joseph and then accuses him twice. Joseph serves two prominent prisoners (and two years elapse between their dreams and those of Pharaoh). Joseph twice accuses his brothers of spying, devises two plans to force the brothers to bring Benjamin to Egypt, and on two occasions places money in their sacks. Finally, the same goods (gum, balm, and myrrh) are twice brought from Canaan to Egypt first with Joseph and later with Benjamin. 1 - Genesis 41:32. And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. - These events are certainly the work of God. 1 Ackerman, Joseph, Judah and Jacob, 85, quoted by Sidney Greidanus, Preaching Christ From Genesis, 337 6

7 2. Joseph is their deliverer. III. Application - The very one they rejected delivers them from perishing. A. The Sovereignty of God 1. Regarding what is done to us. - Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 2. Regarding what we ourselves do. - While sin is sin and thus evil and destructive, nevertheless in Christ God can redeem our sins. - Genesis 50: Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, Behold, we are your servants. Joseph said to them, Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones. And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. - Be encouraged and receive the forgiveness of God. B. The Bread and Wine - The Baker and the Butler have special significance in that they point to the bread and wine of the Lord s table. - In the same way that the baker was hung on a tree, Christ was hung on the cross, which Peter refers to as a tree (1 Pet. 2:24). In the same way the butler was restored to Pharaoh to bear the wine before his throne, so Jesus, as our High Priest (Heb. 4:14) offers up His blood before the throne of God. - Luke 22: When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. Then He took the cup, and 7

8 gave thanks, and said, Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes. And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me. Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. 8