The story of Joseph can be found in Genesis 37-50.
Joseph's life and times contain many types and shadows, or prophetic pictures of Jesus.
Jesus is the lamb slain from the foundation of the world... Revelation 13:8
Jewish historian Alfred Edersheim
Classic book "The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah".
He found 456 verses referring to the Messiah or His times.
Conservatively, Jesus fulfilled at least 300 prophecies in the Old Testament...
Isaiah 46:10 (NKJV)
Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done...
Isaiah 55:13 (NKJV)
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the LORD for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Today we want to look at how the life of Joseph is a prophetic foreshadow of the Christ who is to come.
So here is our plan:
We're going to look at some highlights of the story of Joseph.
We're going to see how these events of Joseph's life were types and shadows of Jesus as the true and better brother.
Lastly, we want to apply his story to the church today in 2025 in Edmond, Oklahoma.
Genesis 37:3 (AMP)
Now Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a distinctive multicolored tunic.
According to Chabad.org, a Jewish website–
Instead of Jacob actually making this garment himself, it is believed that this was a special garment that God made for Adam in the Garden of Eden, which was later passed down through the generations.
What was the birthright blessing?
You received a double portion of the family inheritance at the death of the father.
You were to lead the family in decision making and judicial authority.
You were tasked with upholding the family honor and traditions.
You performed priestly duties for the family.
True and better: Like Joseph, Jesus, the second Adam, regained the birthright that the firstborn Adam abrogated at the fall.
True and better: Like Joseph, Jesus was trained in God's Word.
Luke 2:40 (NKJV)
And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
Quote from a wise man: Maybe the greatest thing about your life will not be what you do, but who you raise. Pastor Josh Blount.
Genesis 37:5 (NLT)
One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever.
"Listen to this dream," he said.
"We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!"
Dream #2
Genesis 37:9 (NLT)
Soon Joseph had another dream, and again he told his brothers about it. "Listen, I have had another dream," he said. "The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!"
This time he told the dream to his father as well as to his brothers, but his father scolded him. "What kind of dream is that?" he asked. "Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow to the ground before you?"
But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father wondered what the dreams meant.
True and better: Joseph was stripped of his coat, humiliated, sold for 20 pieces of silver and cast down into a pit. Jesus was stripped of his robe, humiliated, sold for 30 pieces of silver and raised up on a cross.
Genesis 39:2 (NLT)
The LORD was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master.
3. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did.
4. This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned.
5. From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master's household and property, the LORD began to bless Potiphar's household for Joseph's sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished.
Joseph, the slave to Potiphar, ends up running everything.
Genesis 39:6.
So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn't worry about a thing--except what kind of food to eat! Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, and Potiphar's wife soon began to look at him lustfully. "Come and sleep with me," she demanded. But Joseph refused. "Look," he told her, "my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. She pulled his robe off him, but he ran away without it.
True and better. Joseph was in jail with 2 criminals. One lived. One died. Jesus hung with 2 thieves on the cross. One believed in Him and went to heaven and one didn't.
True and better: The cupbearer is a type of the cup of communion and the baker a type of the bread of communion. That shows the Lord continues to be with Joseph.
Then Pharaoh has a dream.
Pharaoh's dream is 2 fold:
7 fat healthy cows and 7 gaunt starving cows. The starving cows eat the healthy cows.
7 plump healthy heads of grain on a stalk and 7 dried up thin heads of grain. The 7 thin heads ate the 7 plump ones.
Genesis 41:37 (NLT)
Joseph's suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his officials. So Pharaoh asked his officials, "Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?" Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours." Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt."
True and better: Joseph went from the prison to the throne in one day, a type of resurrection. Jesus went from the tomb to the throne in one day, a REAL resurrection.
True and better: Joseph was 30 when he began his work. Jesus was 30 when he began his ministry.
Genesis 45:4 (NKJV)
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. "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.
True and better: Joseph was hidden from his brothers during the famine until the time of his unveiling. Jesus is hidden from his brothers, the Jewish people but will be unveiled during the tribulation.
Zechariah 12:10 (NKJV)
"And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.
The best of all the True and betters: Joseph was the only source of the bread of life physically for the Jewish people and ultimately the world.
Jesus is forever the ONLY source of the bread of life spiritually for the Jewish people and ultimately the world, from the resurrection forward for all eternity!
Characteristics of a God Dream
A God dream takes time.
Joseph was 17 when he was sold to Egypt.
Joseph spent 11 years serving Potiphar, 2 years in prison.
A God dream requires patience and faith.
Hebrews 10:35 (AMP)
Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it has a glorious and great reward. For you have need of patient endurance to bear up under difficult circumstances without compromising, so that when you have carried out the will of God, you may receive and enjoy to the full what is promised.
Sometimes the trouble you go through is the very thing that will take you to the promise.
A God dream takes work.
Joseph had to learn a language, a new culture, customs and the way that they did business. He applied himself.
A God dream develops character.
Joseph ran from the temptation of Potiphar's wife.
"It's almost impossible to commit any kind of sexual sin if you keep running."
A God dream is not just about you.
It will be a blessing to others.
It's about being a part of the church and serving others.
Joseph's dream preserved a family... and a nation.
A God dream will require you to forgive.
People WILL do you wrong.
A God dream requires you walking with Jesus.
If you are a Christian the most important thing is not your achievement.
It's about walking with and glorifying Jesus. If you will do that, you WILL find success and significance.
But the LORD was with Joseph. (Genesis 39:21)
The LORD was with him and made Him to prosper. (Genesis 39:23)
Potiphar noticed the Lord was with him.
Genesis 39:3 (NLT)
Potiphar noticed this and realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did.
Prison keeper noticed:
The keeper of the prison noticed the Lord was with him.
Genesis 39:23
The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph's authority, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper.
True and better:
God's Word was proven to Joseph no matter what his brothers did to him.
God's Word to Jesus was proven true, no matter what was done to him by man.
God's Word to you will be proved true, no matter where you are or what you will go through.
Externally it did not always appear that God was with him, for he did not always seem to be a prosperous man; but when you come to look into the inmost soul of this servant of God, you see his true likeness--he lived in communion with the Most High, and God blessed him." Spurgeon
A God dream requires you having a number.
Romans 8:29 (NKJV)
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.