Who was Joseph in the Old Testament?
Here's the answer:
Joseph was one of the best pictures of Jesus from the Old Testament. Let’s find out why...
"God sent me ahead of you to save many lives." (Genesis 45:5b).
Imagine having 10 older brothers who hate you and can’t say a kind word about you! No fair!
Jacob, the father of Joseph and his brothers, loved Joseph more than his other children. So, he made Joseph a coat of many colors, which, in those days, made him the most special son of them all.
Joseph’s brothers wanted to get rid of him. They ended up selling him into slavery in Egypt. A man named Potiphar, who was an officer of the pharaoh (the king of Egypt), bought Joseph to be a slave in his house. Even though it was hard, Joseph forgave his brothers. Only God could help him do that!
Joseph’s master saw that God had blessed Joseph in every way, so he put him in charge of everything he owned. But one day, Potiphar’s wife told a big lie about Joseph, and he was thrown into jail. Rather than sulk and get angry, he decided he’d be the best prisoner he could be. God continued to be with Joseph because he continued to trust God, and soon the prison-keeper put him in charge of all the prisoners.
Eventually, the pharaoh heard that Joseph could figure out the meaning of dreams, so he called for Joseph to tell him what his dream meant too. Of course, it was God who told Joseph what his dream meant. Pharaoh decided that since Joseph was the wisest person, he would put Joseph in charge of everything. One of Joseph’s biggest jobs was to give out food to all the people during a time of famine (no food). He became like a savior to all the peoples of the world at that time, even his brothers!
Who else can you think of who has become a Savior to the world?
Jesus has already forgiven us, but He waits for us to admit we have sinned against Him and believe He took our punishment when He died on the cross. When we receive Him as our Savior, we show that we really love Him by obeying Him, just like Joseph obeyed his father—and just like Jesus obeyed His Father in heaven by going to the cross ... all because He loves us so much. To read more about that, click here.
Bible Truth
For Joseph’s full story, read Genesis chapters 37 and 38—45 in the Old Testament.
