Dr. Jack L. Arnold                  Equipping Pastors International                     Genesis

 

Lesson 51

Joseph: Man of Faith

Genesis 49:1-50:26

 

I.  INTRODUCTION

A.  All that Joseph had or came to be was by the grace of God. He was blessed of God be­cause he was a man of faith. He knew how to believe God and take Him at His Word.

B.  The secret to JosephŐs life of faith was His unshakeable confidence in the sovereignty of God. He knew that all things that happened in his life had a Divine purpose behind them. He learned about the faith-rest life of the be­liever.

 

II.  JACOBŐS PROPHECIES REGARDING HIS SONS  49:1-28

A.  This section is prophetic and tells what will happen to the twelve sons of Jacob when they become tribes. This section was prophetic when given but is now largely historical (cf. Deut. 33).

B.  A key section is in 49:9-10 since it regards Judah, in whose line will come Him whose right it is to wield the scepter of rulership. This is a reference to Jesus Christ. JudahŐs line was the line of rulership (1 Chron. 5:2), and in this line came David and Christ.

 

III.  JACOBŐS DEATH AND BURIAL 49:29-50:14

A.  On his deathbed, Jacob made his sons promise that they would carry his corpse back to the cave of Machpelah in Canaan (49:29-30) where all the other patriarchs had been buried (49:31).

B.  Joseph took the death of Jacob the hardest (50:1) and commanded his servants to embalm him (50:2-4). He then got permission from Pharaoh to take his father back to the land (50:5-6). Jacob was laid to rest in the land (50:13). NOTE.  Jacob did not get the land in his lifetime but he will get it on resurrection day. God will fulfill his promise to all believing Jews, and give them the Promised Land.

 

IV.  JOSEPHŐS CONFIDENCE IN GODŐS SOVEREIGNTY  50:15-21

A.  After JacobŐs death, the brothers thought Joseph would vent his pent-up wrath against them (50:15). His brothers never really trusted Joseph, for they thought that all he had done for them was because of Jacob. They could not believe he was for real. The brothers sent a messenger to Joseph reminding him that Jacob had asked forgiveness for the brothers and they too were asking forgiveness (50:16-17). Joseph wept because the brothers did not trust him and believe the sincerity of his acts.

B.  Joseph assured them that he was ruler in Egypt by GodŐs appointment, and all their evil acts towards him God turned for good, for they were designed to save the nation of Israel (50:19-20). NOTE: Because Joseph had a firm grasp of the sovereignty of God, there was no desire on his part to retaliate, and he desired only to do right before God (50:21).

 

V.  JOSEPHŐS FAITH IN GODŐS PROMISE 50:22-26

A.  Having lived 110 years, Joseph, on his deathbed, acknowledged his unshakeable faith in GodŐs promise. He knew that God would fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant (50:24).

  1. So great was his faith, that he made the children of Israel take an oath that they would remove his bones from Egypt and take them to Canaan when God moved the children of Israel out of Egypt (50:25). NOTE.  His conviction of faith was that he was really associated with the land God promised, even though he had lived 93 of his 110 years outside that land. He also knew that he would get the land through resurrection because God is faithful (Heb. 11:22).
  2. Contrasts Between Joseph and Christ:

 

 

JOSEPH

 

1.            Extraordinary birth

2.            Loved by his father

3.            Multicolored coat set him apart

4.            Announced he was to rule over his brethren

5.            Sent to his brethren

6.            No recorded sin

7.            Hated by brethren without a cause

8.            Sold by his brethren

9.            Sold for 20 pieces of silver

10.         Brethren plotted to kill him

11.         Put in a pit to die

12.         Raised up

13.         Obeyed his father

14.         His father sent him back to his brethren

15.         Mocked by his brethren

16.         Brethren refused to receive him

17.         Took counsel to kill him

18.         Men lied about his coat

19.         Tempted and resisted

20.         Savior of the nations

21.         Gave bread to the world

22.         Brethren did not recognize him at first

23.         Took a Gentile bride

24.         Made himself known unto his brethren

25.         His brethren repented and were reconciled

26.         Brethren shared his glory

 
 

 

JESUS

 

1.     Supernatural birth

2.     Loved by his father

3.     Christ was separate from sinners

4.     Presented Himself as Messiah

5.     Sent to His brethren

6.     Sinlessly perfect

7.     Hated without a cause

8.     Sold by one of his brethren

9.     Sold for 30 pieces of silver

10.  Jews plotted to kill Christ

11.  Crucified

12.  Resurrected

13.  Obeyed His Father

14.  His Father sent Him back to brethren

15.  Mocked by His brethren

16.  Brethren refused to receive Him

17.  Plotted His death

18.  Men gambled for His coat

19.  Tempted and won

20.  Savior for the world

21.  Christ is the bread of life

22.  Jews do not recognize Him today

23.  Christ calling the Church, His Bride

24.  Will make Himself known to the Jew

25.  Jews will repent and be reconciled

26.  Those who believe share His glory

 

 
 
 


     Joseph