Joseph

by

J.W.Weeda

 

Dear readers, brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ. This study, according to the book The
Genesis Record by Henry M. Morris, is about Joseph, the son of Jacob or Israel. Jacob had 12 sons
and one daughter Dina from 2 different wives and 2 maids. His wives were Leah and Rachel. The
names of the maids were Zilpah and Bilhah. Joseph was the first son of Rachel and Jacob. The original
meaning of Josephs Name is may Jehovah or the Lord add/give increase.

Israel or Jacob loved Joseph more than his other sons. Why?

Because Joseph was the son of Rachel and Joseph was of his old age.
In Genesis 37:3 we read this: “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 colors” Joseph was 17 years old at that
moment. Joseph feeded the flock together with his brothers and brought to his father Jacob their evil
report. Because of this and that his father loved him more than the other sons his brother's hated
Joseph a lot. They spoke not peaceably unto Joseph. We can read this in verse 4 of the same
chapter. Some people say that Joseph is a type of our Lord Jesus Christ because Joseph is perfect.
Nowhere in scripture have we found a text that can prove this. However there are parallels with the
Lord Jesus Christ. The names of Jacob’s other sons were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar,
Zebulon, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher and the youngest was Benjamin. Benjamin was too young to go
with his brothers into the field to feed the flock. The 3 oldest sons of Jacob had disappointed him
bitterly because of their behavior (Sec hem). Joseph had more in himself as the other sons. He was
interested in spiritual things. Jacob told him ore and Jacob saw in Joseph leadership capabilities.
Jacob gave Joseph the responsibility to lead the flock. He got a lot of authority. Joseph was also a
wise son with more intellect than the other sons of Jacob.
Than we have the dreams which Joseph dreamed. We do not know if these dreams were directly
from the Lord or it came through the thoughts of Joseph himself. We know afterwards that the
dreams came out when Joseph was the first man in Egypt and his brothers bowed for him. We read
in Genesis 37:5-7 the following scriptures: “And Joseph dreamed a dream and he told it his
brethren; and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear I pray you, this dream
which I have dreamed: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose,
and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my
sheaf” Read their reaction in verse 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. With this answer his brothers assured Joseph that he would never have dominion
over them. Than Joseph dreamed another dream. In verse 9 we read: “And he dreamed yet another
dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the
sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to
his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast
dreamed? Shall I and thy mother (Rachel) and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves
to thee to the earth?” Joseph understood from this dream that he was the preeminent over all his family.

With foolishness Joseph told his dream to his brothers and also to his father and Jacob
rebuked him for this. After this his brothers not only hated Joseph but also envied him. His brothers
went away to feed the flock in Sec hem. And Israel, Jacob called his son Joseph and told him to visit
his brothers there in Sec hem and to see if it is all right with his brothers and with the flock and after
this Joseph had to return and bring father Jacob a sort kind of rapport.
We read this in verse 13 of the same chapter. Sechem was about 50 miles from Hebron were they
lived at that moment. All the ten sons of Jacob, Israel had left him with the other sons Joseph and
Benjamin. Now Jacob decided to send Joseph to his brethren. Jacob could trust Joseph for a good
report when he returned to his father after visiting his brothers. Jacob didn’t know the big anger his
other sons had to Joseph otherwise he wouldn’t send Joseph to his brothers. So Joseph went on
journey. He arrived in Sechem but his brothers were not there anymore. A man said in verse 17 of
chapter 37: “They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went
after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.” The man gave Joseph information were his brethren
went with the flock. Dothan was 20 miles from Sechem in the north. In Dothan there were wells and

this was better for the flock. And what happened when Joseph reached his brothers? They saw him
and their plan was to slay him and say to each other that the dreamer was coming. Reuben heard
their evil plan and said in verse 21 not to kill Joseph. He wanted to save Joseph out of their hands full
of evil. In verse 22 we read: “And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit
that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to
deliver him to his father again.” The brothers recognized him of his colorful coat he was wearing
with pride because of his position. After that immediately they stripped Joseph out of his coat and
took him and cast him into the pit. The pit was empty. Like the Lord Jesus Christ Who came unto his
own and his own didn’t receive Him. So this was the same with Joseph and his brothers. After a while
when Reuben was not with them they saw Midianites merchantmen. They came from Gilead with
their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh going to carry it down to Egypt. Judah came with
the idea not to slay their brother but to sell their brother Joseph to the Ishmaelite's. Verse 27. So
they lifted up Joseph from the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelite's for 20 pieces of silver. The
Ishmaelite's brought Joseph as slave into Egypt. After that, Joseph's brethren took his coat and killed
a kid of the goats and dipped the coat in the blood. They brought this to their father Jacob and they
said to him the following: “This have we found: know now whether it be thy son’s coat or not. And
he knew it, and said, Is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph without doubt rent
in pieces. And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son
many days” verse 33,34. And they wanted to comfort Jacob, his sons and all his daughters but Jacob
refused to be comforted. Joseph brothers had lied to their father Jacob. In between the Medianites
sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s and captain of the guard. Verse 36. In
Potiphar’s house God was with Joseph. Potiphar recognized that God was with Joseph and Joseph
found grace in the sight of Potiphar and Potiphar made Joseph an overseer over his house and all
that he had he put into his hand Genesis 39: 4. The wife of Potiphar laid her eyes on Joseph and she
said to Joseph : ”Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master
wotteth not what is with met in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;
There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee,
because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God.” After
that the wife of Potiphar spoke to Joseph day by day to lie by her. He refused every time she asked
him. At least she caught by his garment to lie with her and he left his garment in her hand and fled.
After that she called the men in the house and when her husband Potiphar was back home she told
him a lie that Joseph came in unto her to mock her. Potiphar took Joseph immediately and put him in
prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were bound. Also in jail the Lord was with Joseph. The
keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in prison. Chapter
39:22. He recognized that the Lord was with Joseph. And then the butler and baker came in jail
because they had offended the Pharaoh. Later in jail these men dreamed a dream. Joseph with the

help of God could explain the meaning of these dreams. The butler was restored by Pharaoh and the
baker was hanged on a tree and the bird's eated his flesh. Joseph asked the butler to think of him
and make mention to Pharaoh but the butler forgot Joseph Chapter 40:23. Later the Pharaoh
dreamed 2 dreams. No one could explain to him what the meaning was of the 2 dreams Pharaoh
dreamed. The butler remembered at that time Joseph and Pharaoh called Joseph out of prison and
they brought Joseph unto Pharaoh. Genesis 41:14. Pharaoh said to Joseph: “ And Pharaoh said unto
Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of
thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.” Genesis 41:15. Listen now carefully what
the answer of Joseph is: “And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give
Pharaoh an answer of peace” The lesson from this for us is that Joseph 100% trusted the Lord in this.
We have the whole Bible and the gospel of grace through we are we saved forever. In all just as
Joseph trusted the Lord in whole his life we can also trust God for 100% through our Lord Jesus
Christ! We as members of the body of Christ 1 Corinthians 12:13 are sealed with the Holy Spirit of
God Ephesians 1:13,14. Christ is living in us now! So Joseph could with the help of the Lord explain to
Pharaoh his dreams he had dreamed and Joseph gave Pharaoh also advice because of the famine of 7
years which would follow the 7 years of plenty throughout all the land of Egypt. Listen what Joseph
said to Pharaoh in verse 34-36 of chapter 41 of Genesis: “Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint
officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.
And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of
Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. And that food shall be for store to the land against
the seven years of famine , which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the
famine” And Pharaoh said unto Joseph Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this, there is none
so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house and according unto thy word shall all
my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou” So Joseph became the second
man in Egypt just under Pharaoh and everybody had to obey him. The first 7 years were good years
because the earth brought forth by handfuls. Food of the field all those years was laid up in the cities
of Egypt. Joseph was called by Pharaoh Zaphnath- paaneah that means savior of the world. And
Pharaoh gave Joseph a wife Asenath, daughter of Potiphera. Joseph and Asenath got 2 sons
Manasseh and Ephraim. After 7 years there came the famine. It was all over the earth. In Egypt was
plenty of food because of corn in all the storehouses in whole the land. During that time his brothers
came to Egypt to buy corn because of the famine. We read this in the chapters 39-41. After Joseph
had tested his brothers he made himself known to them and let his whole family included his father
Jacob come to Egypt to live there in the land of Goshen. Joseph became the savior of the world; he
saved also his whole family from the famine in Canaan to let them go into Egypt. The Lord Jesus
Christ, Who is our Savior, saved us from eternal death! He died in our place, state, on the cross of
Calvary 2000 years ago, for our sins and rose again the third day for our righteousness. If you have
not trust Him as your Savior do it right now on this moment! Recognize that you are a sinner and you
need a Savior. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” Acts 16:31