Biographical Study of the Life of Joseph
TEXT: GENESIS 37 – 50
INTRODUCTION
This study shows how Joseph’s life went from “Riches to Rags to Riches”. It is also designed to teach how the characters of total forgiveness and unconditional love can be built and developed in one’s life.
Joseph, as a type of Christ, like many other types in the Old Testament, was a “shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the thing” (“not the realities themselves – Hebrews 10:1 NIV).
Joseph was a type of Christ in many ways, but here I want to emphasize it particularly in the way he became a victim of his brothers’ jealousy and cruelty. The attitude that his brothers had towards him is precisely the way men looked at Jesus. There emerged in the life of Jesus a conspiracy to set Him at naught. This happened when Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot. Judas went to the priests of Israel, who took Jesus to Herod, then to Pilot. The whole thing was a conspiracy. Similarly, Joseph’s brothers, when they saw him coming said among themselves, “let us slay him” (Genesis 37:20). He was sold into slavery and later rose to an important position in the Egyptian government.
Joseph was a young man who was born of a father and mother who loved him very much. In fact, he was his father’s favourite son.
His name means “may God add” and indeed God did add to his life. There was also something at work in his life that was wonderful and positive, a gift that God gave him.
BIRTH AND EARLY LIFE
Joseph was the eleventh (11th) son of Jacob, son of Isaac but he was the first son of Jacob and Rebekah, daughter of Laban (Genesis 30:23-24). Also he was his father’s favourite son because his father had him in his old age. This is most clearly shown by the special coat which Jacob gave to Joseph (37:3).
This favouritism eventually brought serious trouble for the whole family. Joseph’s ten older brothers hated him because he was Jacob’s favourite (37:4). In addition, Joseph had dreams which he interpreted to his brothers in a conceited way and they hated him even more and envied him (37:8, 11). It is no surprise that his brothers hated him enough to want to kill him (37:18, 20).
Joseph and his family were shepherds in the land of Canaan. At age seventeen (17) he and his brothers tended their father’s flocks. It was during that time that he brought to his father evil reports of his brothers (37:2).
One day Jacob sent Joseph to search for his brothers, who were tending the flocks in the fields. When he found them, they seized upon the chance to kill him. The only opposing voice was Reuben’s, but they finally sold Joseph into slavery to passing merchants (Ishmeelites) for twenty (20) pieces of silver.
To hide the deed from their father Jacob, his brothers took his coat and dipped it in animal blood. When Jacob saw the coat, he was convinced that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal (37:34-35).
FROM RICHES TO RAGS
Joseph was taken to Egypt by the Midianites, who sold him to Potiphar, an officer of the ruling Pharoah of the nation and captain of the guard. His good conduct soon earned him the highest position in the household. Potiphar’s wife became infatuated with Joseph and tempted him to commit adultery with her. When he refused, she accused him of the crime and Joseph was sent to prison.
While in prison, Joseph’s behaviour earned him a position of responsibility over the other prisoners. Among the prisoners he met were the Pharaoh’s barker and his butler. When each of them had a dream, Joseph interpreted their dreams. When the butler left prison, he failed to intercede on Joseph’s behalf, and Joseph spent two (2) more years in prison.
When the Pharaoh had dreams that none of his counsellors could interpret, the butler remembered Joseph and mentioned him to the Pharaoh.
Then Joseph was called to appear before the Pharaoh. He interpreted the Pharaoh’s dreams, predicting seven (7) years of plentiful food, followed by seven (7) years of famine. He also advised the Pharaoh to appoint a commissioner to store up supplies during the plentiful years.
CONVERSION AND MINISTRY
FROM RAGS TO RICHES
To Joseph’s surprise, the Pharaoh appointed him as food commissioner. This was a position of great prestige. Under Joseph’s care, many supplies were stored and the land prospered (41:37-57). Joseph was given many comforts, including servants and a wife. He was called Zapenath-Paneah, which means “revealer of secrets.” When the famine struck, Joseph was second only to the Pharaoh in power. People from all surrounding lands came to buy food from him.
Many years had passed between Joseph’s arrival in Egypt as a slave and his rise to power in the nation during the famine. The famine also struck Canaan, and Joseph’s brothers eventually came to Egypt to buy grain.
When they met Joseph, they did not recognize him. He recognized them, however, and decided to test them to see if they had changed. He accused them of being spies. Then he sold them grain only on the condition that Simeon stays as a hostage until they bring Benjamin, the youngest brother, to Egypt with them.
On returning to Canaan, the brothers told Jacob of their experiences. He vowed not send Benjamin to Egypt. But the continuing famine forced him to change his mind. On the next trip Benjamin went with his brothers to Egypt.
When they arrived, Joseph treated them royally, weeping openly at the sight of his youngest brother. Simeon was returned to them. After purchasing their grain, they started home. On their way home, however, they were stopped by one of Joseph’s servants, who accused them of stealing Joseph’s silver cup. The cup was found in Benjamin’s bag, where Joseph had placed it. The brothers returned to face Joseph, who declared that Benjamin must stay in Egypt. At this point Judah pleaded with Joseph, saying that it would break their father Jacob’s heart if Benjamin failed to return with them. Judah’s offer to stay in Benjamin’s place is one of the most moving passages in the Old Testament.
Joseph was overcome with emotion. He revealed himself to them as their brother, whom they had sold into slavery years earlier. At first Joseph’s brothers were afraid that he would take revenge against them, but soon they were convinced that Joseph’s forgiveness was genuine.
Judah’s plea on Benjamin’s behalf was evidence of the change that Joseph had hoped to find in his brothers. He sent them back to Canaan with gifts for his father and invited the family to come to live in Egypt.
The grace of God working in the family of Jacob is evident in the way Joseph dealt with his brothers. Joseph did not want revenge against them. He realized that his personal suffering had preserved the family as an instrument of God’s will. Joseph also was aware that his rise to power was for the good of his family, not for his own glory (45:7-8).
RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS
As a youth growing up Joseph did not get along with his older brothers even though he was very much loved by his parents. In fact, his older brothers hated him so much that they got the rid of him. That was due to Joseph’s self-righteous attitude.
Later in his life as he grew and matured, he learnt how to relate to others differently. He became less self-centred and more compassionate towards others. It was his concern for the Pharaoh’s baker’s and butler’s peace of mind while in prison that led him to ask them a question that lead to him interpreting their dreams.
This new attitude was also evident in him finding favour with men where ever he was thus prospering in all that he did.
CHARACTER EVALUATION
We have learnt previously that Joseph was a young man who was born of parents who loved him every much, and that he was his father’s favourite son. Also that his father made him a special coat of many colours. Additionally, we learnt that he had a special gift of dreams from God.
As a result, Joseph was a very proud young man. He showed off his gift in the presence of his brothers. He was also a tell-tale; bringing an evil report of his older brothers to his father. No one likes a tell-tale!
After Joseph was sold into slavery, he still was not humble. He wanted to vindicate himself; for anyone who would say, “make mention of me …” (40:14-15) is seeking to be vindicated.
Nevertheless, a look into the adversities of Joseph’s life proves that he was also a young man virtue, faith, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, trust, and honour, as God was with him throughout his life.
He was being taught through the trials of his life the following characters:
- Total forgiveness – Learning to forgive is probably the most difficult lesson for Christians to grasp. Total forgiveness is the only way. It is the way God forgives us for the sake of Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:32).
And Joseph could never have behaved as he did had he not already totally forgiven the same brothers who had treated him as they did twenty (20) years earlier (Gen. 45).
- Unconditional love – Learning to love is something that cannot be overemphasized. For “the heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind] (Jer. 17:9). I believe that Joseph was aware that his heart, therefore, could have played tricks on him. He might have thought that he had forgiven his brothers in one moment, but the next day found himself justifying self-pity and personal hurt.
“And now abideth faith, hope and charity (love), these three; but the greatest of these is charity” (1 Cor. 13:13). Love is the highest spiritual achievement there is. This is why Joseph had to be prepared over a period of time, and why we are always being prepared.
For one does not achieve love as though by an instantaneous transaction; it is a perpetual goal. And yet it is that with which God often comforts us, as if to justify his delay in exalting us.
Joseph was being taught to love even after he was vindicated. In the end he learnt how to totally forgive and love unconditionally.
END OF LIFE EXPERIENCE AND DEATH
Joseph and his father’s household dwelt in Egypt after the death of Jacob. Joseph lived one hundred and ten (110) years. He had the great privilege of seeing Ephraim’s children of the third (3rd) generation. He also had the great privilege seeing the children of Machir the son of Manasseh and holding them on his knees (50:22-23).
Before his death, he encouraged his brothers with these words “I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he swore to Abraha, to Isaac, and to Jacob (50:24). He also took an oath of the children of Israel, that God will surely visit them and that they shall carry up his bones from there (50:25).
Then Joseph died and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
